14 research outputs found
Elucidating cryptic dynamics of Theileria communities in African buffalo using a high-throughput sequencing informatics approach
Increasing access to nextâgeneration sequencing (NGS) technologies is revolutionizing the life sciences. In disease ecology, NGSâbased methods have the potential to provide higherâresolution data on communities of parasites found in individual hosts as well as host populations.
Here, we demonstrate how a novel analytical method, utilizing highâthroughput sequencing of PCR amplicons, can be used to explore variation in bloodâborne parasite (TheileriaâApicomplexa: Piroplasmida) communities of African buffalo at higher resolutions than has been obtained with conventional molecular tools.
Results reveal temporal patterns of synchronized and opposite fluctuations of prevalence and relative abundance of Theileria spp. within the host population, suggesting heterogeneous transmission across taxa. Furthermore, we show that the community composition of Theileria spp. and their subtypes varies considerably between buffalo, with differences in composition reflected in mean and variance of overall parasitemia, thereby showing potential to elucidate previously unexplained contrasts in infection outcomes for host individuals.
Importantly, our methods are generalizable as they can be utilized to describe bloodâborne parasite communities in any host species. Furthermore, our methodological framework can be adapted to any parasite system given the appropriate genetic marker.
The findings of this study demonstrate how a novel NGSâbased analytical approach can provide fineâscale, quantitative data, unlocking opportunities for discovery in disease ecology