Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28704541›Full record

ArticlePloS one2017

Increased genetic diversity and prevalence of co-infection with Trypanosoma spp. in koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) and their ticks identified using next-generation sequencing (NGS).

Amanda D Barbosa, Alexander W Gofton, Andrea Paparini, Annachiara Codello, Telleasha Greay, Amber Gillett, Kristin Warren, Peter Irwin, Una Ryan

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed
3.5field-weighted citation impact, top 7% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Tick-borne piroplasms and trypanosomes incidentally detected in eastern grey kangaroos (International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife · 2024
    Article
  7. Perception of Ticks and Tick-Borne Diseases Worldwide.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Review
  8. Article
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  16. The Isolation of Culturable Bacteria inInternational journal of environmental research and public health · 2021
    Article
  17. Article
  18. Review
  19. Review
  20. Illuminating the bacterial microbiome of Australian ticks withCurrent research in parasitology & vector-borne diseases · 2021
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Amanda D BarbosaSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3289-1445
Alexander W GoftonSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Andrea PapariniSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Annachiara CodelloSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Telleasha GreaySchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Amber GillettAustralia Zoo Wildlife Hospital, Beerwah, Queensland, Australia.
Kristin WarrenSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Peter IrwinSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Una RyanSchool of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Perth, Western Australia.
Murdoch University · AUMinistry of Education · BRThe University of Queensland · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Infections with Trypanosoma spp. have been associated with poor health and decreased survival of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus), particularly in the presence of concurrent pathogens such as Chlamydia and koala retrovirus. The present study describes the application of a next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assay to characterise the prevalence and genetic diversity of trypanosome communities in koalas and two native species of ticks (Ixodes holocyclus and I. tasmani) removed from koala hosts. Among 168 koalas tested, 32.2% (95% CI: 25.2-39.8%) were positive for at least one Trypanosoma sp. Previously described Trypanosoma spp. from koalas were identified, including T. irwini (32.1%, 95% CI: 25.2-39.8%), T. gilletti (25%, 95% CI: 18.7-32.3%), T. copemani (27.4%, 95% CI: 20.8-34.8%) and T. vegrandis (10.1%, 95% CI: 6.0-15.7%). Trypanosoma noyesi was detected for the first time in koalas, although at a low prevalence (0.6% 95% CI: 0-3.3%), and a novel species (Trypanosoma sp. AB-2017) was identified at a prevalence of 4.8% (95% CI: 2.1-9.2%). Mixed infections with up to five species were present in 27.4% (95% CI: 21-35%) of the koalas, which was significantly higher than the prevalence of single infections 4.8% (95% CI: 2-9%). Overall, a considerably higher proportion (79.7%) of the Trypanosoma sequences isolated from koala blood samples were identified as T. irwini, suggesting this is the dominant species. Co-infections involving T. gilletti, T. irwini, T. copemani, T. vegrandis and Trypanosoma sp. AB-2017 were also detected in ticks, with T. gilletti and T. copemani being the dominant species within the invertebrate hosts. Direct Sanger sequencing of Trypanosoma 18S rRNA gene amplicons was also performed and results revealed that this method was only able to identify the genotypes with greater amount of reads (according to NGS) within koala samples, which highlights the advantages of NGS in detecting mixed infections. The present study provides new insights on the natural genetic diversity of Trypanosoma communities infecting koalas and constitutes a benchmark for future clinical and epidemiological studies required to quantify the contribution of trypanosome infections on koala survival rates.

Indexed as

Genetic VariationAnimal DiseasesAnimalsCoinfectionDNA, ProtozoanFemaleHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingIxodesMalePhascolarctidaePrevalenceRNA, Ribosomal, 18SSequence Analysis, DNATrypanosomaTrypanosomiasisDNA, ProtozoanRNA, Ribosomal, 18S

Identifiers

PMID28704541
PMCPMC5509321
OpenAlexW2735741826

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.