Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 7:27:101079.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101079. eCollection 2025 Aug.

European Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) as an accidental host of Trypanosoma pestanai

Lucie Veitova  1 , Jiri Pikula  1 , Jan Votýpka  2   3 , Petr Linhart  4 , Vendula Kokesova  1 , Paulina Maria Lesiczka  5 , Vladimir Piacek  1 , Jana Sedlackova  1 , Anna Sindelarova  6 , Tomas Heger  1 , Hana Bandouchova  1
Affiliations

European Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) as an accidental host of Trypanosoma pestanai

Lucie Veitova et al. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. .

Abstract

In Europe, trypanosomes are not considered a serious threat to humans or domestic animals; however, their potential ecological impact on wildlife remains largely unknown. This study investigates presence of trypanosomes in European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) in Czechia, where this species is an important game species and plays a significant role in ecosystems. Using nested PCR targeting 18S rDNA, trypanosome DNA was detected in two of 435 blood samples, representing the first confirmation of trypanosomes in the genus Lepus. Subsequent sequencing identified Trypanosoma pestanai, a species previously reported in the European badger (Meles meles). These findings suggest that T. pestanai may have a broader host range than previously recognized, emphasizing the need for further research into its ecological impact and its potential transmission dynamics in wildlife populations.

Keywords: Blood parasite; European hare; Herpetosoma; Leporidae; Nested PCR; Wildlife.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Image 1
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Maximum likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction based on 18S rRNA of all available Trypanosoma pestanai sequences, including our sequence (PV085289.2) obtained from the blood of a European brown hare (Lepus europaeus) from Tuřany, Czechia. Trypanosoma gilleti and T. copermani were used as outgroups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Altizer S., Bartel R., Han B.A. Animal migration and infectious disease risk. Science. 2011;331(6015):296–302. - PubMed
    1. Ancillotto L., Mazza G., Menchetti M., Mori E. Host specificity of the badger's flea (Paraceras melis) and first detection on a bat host. Parasitol. Res. 2014;113:3909–3912. - PubMed
    1. Asin J., Calvete C., Uzal F.A., Crossley B.M., Duarte M.D., Henderson E.E., dos Santos F.A.A. Rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus 2, 2010–2023: a review of global detections and affected species. J. Vet. Diagn. Invest. 2024;36(5):617–637. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Babyesiza W.S., Katakweba A., Fornůsková A., Ssuunaf J., Akoth S., Mpagi J., Goüy de Bellocq J., Bryja J., Votýpka J. Trypanosome diversity in small mammals in Uganda and the spread of Trypanosoma lewisi to native species. Parasitol. Res. 2024;123:54. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bettencourt A., Franca C. Sur un trypanosome du blairau (Meles taxus, Schreib). C. R. Seances. Soc. Biol. 1905;57(2):305.

LinkOut - more resources