Molecular epidemiological study on ungulate malaria parasites

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H05807
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: ASADA Masahito 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 助教 (40587028)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 金子 修 長崎大学, 熱帯医学研究所, 教授 (50325370)
• Research Collaborator: KAEWTHAMASORN Morakot ; TEMPLETON Thomas ; HAKIMI Hassan ; TAKEDA Mika
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: マラリア / スイギュウ / ヤギ

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Malaria parasites of even-toed ungulate have been sparsely described after its discovery. Plasmodium bubalis was reported from water buffalo in India in 1919, and P. caprae was reported from goat in Angola in 1923, however these studies were based on microscopic description and no further epidemiological or phylogenetical studies have been conducted.
We performed PCR surveys using blood from ungulates and we found that Plasmodium is readily detectable from water buffaloes in Thailand and Vietnam. Plasmodium DNA was also detected from goats in Zambia, Sudan and Kenya in Africa, Iran in west Asia, and Myanmar and Thailand in southeast Asia. Complete mitochondrial DNA sequences were determined and used to infer a phylogeny in which ungulate malaria parasites form a monophyletic clade within the Haemosporida, and branch prior to the clade containing bird, lizard and other mammalian Plasmodium.

Free Research Field

獣医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究から、スイギュウのマラリア並びにヤギのマラリアが広く東南アジアを含む地域で蔓延していることが明らかとなった。スイギュウ、ヤギは使役動物や乳・肉の生産を通じて現地の農畜産業を支える重要な家畜であるため、今後詳細な病原解析と偶蹄類家畜のマラリアに対する対策の構築が必要である。