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Susceptibility of European vector species to leishmaniases spreading into Europe.
Hošková, Anna ; Sádlová, Jovana (advisor) ; Kodym, Petr (referee)
The first part of this thesis is focused on testing the ability of selected European sand fly species to support the development of Leishmania major, L. donovani and L. martiniquensis. A total of 15 experimental infections were performed and 1601 female sand flies were analysed. The results show that Phlebotomus perniciosus and P. tobbi support development of L. major and L. donovani (mature infections with colonization of the stomodeal valve and metacyclic promastigotes developed), while L. martiniquensis did not survive defecation. The vector competence of Sergentomyia minuta to Leishmania could not be tested because the females of this species refused to take blood meal on feeders, although several types of membranes, blood and experimental conditions were tested. Further, biting midges were studied in two areas of Czech equine autochthonous cases of L. martiniquensis. A total of 3341 bloodfed and parous females from Slatiňany and 119 from Ústí n. L. were analysed. The most abundant were biting midges from the Culicoides obsoletus complex. None of the 97 pools were positive for Leishmania DNA, but in 15 pools from Slatiňany was detected DNA of Herpetomonas ztiplika and one pool from Ústí n. L. contained DNA of Trypanosoma sp. from T. theileri group. The isolation of L. martiniquensis was...
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Experimental animal models and vectors of Leishmania (Mundinia)
Bečvář, Tomáš
Leishmania are vector-borne dixenous protozoan parasites of vertebrates causing diseases collectively called leishmaniases, which threaten more than 1 billion people mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. These parasites are divided into four subgenera: Leishmania, Viannia, Sauroleishmania, and Mundinia. The last named are geographically widely dispersed and their distribution covers all continents except Antarctica. Although their medical and veterinary importance is increasing, there is currently almost no information on natural reservoir hosts, vector species, and experimental research options due to the very limited range of model animals. This thesis summarizes our efforts to unravel possible vectors and laboratory models for this subgenus. In the first three studies, we focused on potential models; therefore, we experimentally infected guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), BALB/c mice, Chinese hamsters (Cricetulus griseus), and steppe lemmings (Lagurus lagurus) with five species of Mundinia and we also tested reservoir potential of African grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) and Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) to Leishmania chancei. The second part focused on potential vectors of the parasites. We experimentally infected biting midges Culicoides sonorensis and sand flies sharing...
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Experimental animal models and vectors of Leishmania (Mundinia)
Bečvář, Tomáš ; Sádlová, Jovana (advisor) ; Courtenay, Orin (referee) ; Soares Maia, Carla Alexandra (referee)
Leishmania are vector-borne dixenous protozoan parasites of vertebrates causing diseases collectively called leishmaniases, which threaten more than 1 billion people mainly in tropical and subtropical regions. These parasites are divided into four subgenera: Leishmania, Viannia, Sauroleishmania, and Mundinia. The last named are geographically widely dispersed and their distribution covers all continents except Antarctica. Although their medical and veterinary importance is increasing, there is currently almost no information on natural reservoir hosts, vector species, and experimental research options due to the very limited range of model animals. This thesis summarizes our efforts to unravel possible vectors and laboratory models for this subgenus. In the first three studies, we focused on potential models; therefore, we experimentally infected guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus), BALB/c mice, Chinese hamsters (Cricetulus griseus), and steppe lemmings (Lagurus lagurus) with five species of Mundinia and we also tested reservoir potential of African grass rat (Arvicanthis niloticus) and Natal multimammate mouse (Mastomys natalensis) to Leishmania chancei. The second part focused on potential vectors of the parasites. We experimentally infected biting midges Culicoides sonorensis and sand flies sharing...
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Development of flagellates of the genus Porcisia and subgenus Mundinia in phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) and ceratopogonid midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)
Bačíková, Dominika ; Sádlová, Jovana (advisor) ; Modrý, David (referee)
The main part of the thesis is focused on flagellates of the genus Porcisia, parasitizing Neotropical porcupines with unknown vectors. The development of two known species of this genus (P. deanei and P. hertigi) in two sand fly species (Lu. migonei, Lu. longipalpis) and biting midges C. sonorensis was studied using experimental infections. While P. hertigi did not survive defecation in females of either vector, P. deanei formed strong mature infections in 51-61% of Lu. longipalpis and in a smaller percentage in Lu. migonei (7 %) and C. sonorensis (7 %). Porcisia showed significantly smaller size than the control species L. infantum but formed the same morphological forms. The localization of P. deanei was exceptional; infections were detected predominantly in Malpighian tubules. Further experiments demonstrated the presence of P. deanei in the urine of Lu. longipalpis excreted during prediuresis and successful transmission of parasites to BALB/c mice by this unique route. Thus, Lu. longipalpis is a competent vector of P. deanei, but other vector species may be involved in transmission at endemic localities. A minor part is focused on the comparison of the morphology of two Mundinia species - L. martiniquensis and L. orientalis - during development in biting midges C. sonorensis and sand flies Ph....
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Leishmania of the subgenus Mundinia: genetical analysis and experimental infections of rodents and vectors.
Bečvář, Tomáš ; Sádlová, Jovana (advisor) ; Modrý, David (referee)
Leishmaniasis is a human and animal disease caused by digenetic parasites of the genus Leishmania, which is now divided into 4 subgenera - L. (Leishmania), L. (Viannia), L. (Sauroleishmania) and L. (Mundinia). Subgenus Mundinia was established in 2016 and consists of 5 species - L. enriettii and L. macropodum are parasites of wild mammals and L. martiniquensis, L. orientalis and unnamed L. sp. from Ghana are infectious to humans. Mundinia are geographically widely dispersed, their distribution covers all continents, except of Antarctica. Despite phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) also biting midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) are supposed to be involved in transmission of these species, which is a unique feature for this subgenus. But there is little to no current information on natural reservoir hosts and vector species for any Mundinia species. In this thesis we tested possible vectors and potential model organisms (Guinea-pigs) and reservoir hosts of Mundinia species by experimental infections. We used 3 sand fly species sharing geographical distribution with respective Mundinia species and available in our laboratory for experimental infections. Sand flies from Australia had never been colonised so we used the permissive vector Lu. migonei for testing development of L. macropodum....
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