Trypanosoma manulis n. sp. from the Russian Pallas cat Felis manul.

Abstract

The morphology of Trypanosoma manulis n. sp. is described from living and stained specimens obtained from the blood of a Pallas cat, Felis manul, from Kazakhstan. The cat was also infected with a Hepatozoon sp. and feline immunodeficiency virus. The morphology of the trypanosome most closely resembles that of Trypanosoma mpapuense Reichenow and Trypanosoma heybergi Rodhain found in bats. Trypanosoma manulis does not grow well in conventional media, but co-culture with African green monkey kidney cells in Eagle's Minimum Essential Medium supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum at approximately 27 degrees C resulted in luxuriant growth of trypanosomes. Under these growth conditions, epimastigotes adhered to the surface of the culture flask and to African green monkey kidney cells, as well as forming large rosettes. At 37 degrees C, although growth was poor, transformation of the epimastigotes into the bloodstream forms occurred. This represents the first report of a trypanosome of the subgenus Megatrypanum in a felid.