Dataset Information

In vitro cultivation of a zoonotic Babesia sp. isolated from eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

ABSTRACT: A Babesia sp. found in eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, is the same organism that caused human babesiosis in Missouri and Kentucky, on the basis of morphology and identical small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences. Continuous cultures of the rabbit parasite were established from infected blood samples collected from two cottontail rabbits livetrapped on Nantucket Island. HL-1 medium or minimal essential medium alpha medium supplemented with 20% human serum best supported in vitro propagation of the parasite in human or cottontail erythrocytes, respectively. Parasite growth was not sustained in domestic-rabbit erythrocytes or in medium supplemented with domestic-rabbit serum. The cultured parasites were morphologically indistinguishable from the Kentucky human isolate. Transmission electron microscopy revealed similar fine structures of the parasite regardless of the host erythrocyte utilized in the cultures. Two continuous lines of the zoonotic Babesia sp. were established and confirmed to share identical SSU rRNA gene sequences with each other and with the Missouri and Kentucky human Babesia isolates.

SUBMITTER: Holman PJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1233898 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

In vitro cultivation of a zoonotic Babesia sp. isolated from eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Holman Patricia J PJ Spencer Angela M AM Droleskey Robert E RE Goethert Heidi K HK Telford Samuel R SR

Journal of clinical microbiology 20050801 8

A Babesia sp. found in eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, is the same organism that caused human babesiosis in Missouri and Kentucky, on the basis of morphology and identical small-subunit rRNA (SSU rRNA) gene sequences. Continuous cultures of the rabbit parasite were established from infected blood samples collected from two cottontail rabbits livetrapped on Nantucket Island. HL-1 medium or minimal essential medium alpha medium supplemented wi ...[more]

PMID: 16081941

Similar Datasets

Project description:Synopsis For many animals, the juvenile stage of life can be particularly perilous. Once independent, immature animals must often complete the same basic survival functions as adults despite smaller body size and other growth-related limits on performance. Because, by definition, juveniles have yet to reproduce, we should expect strong selection for mechanisms to offset these ontogenetic limitations, allowing individuals to reach reproductive adulthood and maintain Darwinian fitness. We use an integrated ontogenetic dataset on morphology, locomotor performance, and longevity in wild cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus, Allen 1848) to test the hypothesis that prey animals are under selective pressure to maximize juvenile performance. We predicted that (1) juveniles would accelerate more quickly than adults, allowing them to reach adult-like escape speeds, and (2) juveniles with greater levels of performance should survive for longer durations in the wild, thus increasing their reproductive potential. Using high-speed video and force platform measurements, we quantified burst acceleration, escape speed, and mechanical power production in 38 wild-caught S. floridanus (26 juveniles, 12 adults; all rabbits >1 kg in body mass were designated to be adults, based on published growth curves and evidence of epiphyseal fusion). A subsample of 22 rabbits (15 juveniles, 7 adults) was fitted with radio-telemetry collars for documenting survivorship in the wild. We found that acceleration and escape speed peaked in the late juvenile period in S. floridanus, at an age range that coincides with a period of pronounced demographic attrition in wild populations. Differences in mass-specific mechanical power production explained ∼75% of the variation in acceleration across the dataset, indicating that juvenile rabbits outpace adults by producing more power per unit body mass. We found a positive, though non-significant, association between peak escape speed and survivorship duration in the wild, suggesting a complex relationship between locomotor performance and fitness in growing S. floridanus.

Dataset Information

In vitro cultivation of a zoonotic Babesia sp. isolated from eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Publications

In vitro cultivation of a zoonotic Babesia sp. isolated from eastern cottontail rabbits (Sylvilagus floridanus) on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets