Trypanosoma

Huaman, Jose L., Pacioni, Carlo, Forsyth, David M., Pople, Anthony, Hampton, Jordan O., Helbig, Karla J. & Carvalho, Teresa G., 2021, Evaluation of haemoparasite and Sarcocystis infections in Australian wild deer, International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 15, pp. 262-269 : 266-267

4.3. Trypanosoma and Plasmodium infections

Australian livestock are currently free of Trypanosoma and Plasmodium infections , but the presence of suitable vectors, anopheline mosquitos for Plasmodium ( Cooper et al., 1996) and day-feeding midges for Trypanosoma (Thompson et al., 2014) constitute a risk for livestock and other animals should a deer-infecting trypanosome species be

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introduced into Australia ( Reid, 2002). Infections with Plasmodium parasites have been described in a variety of Australian wildlife, including mammal, such as Leadbeater’ s possum ( Gymnobelideus leadbeateri ) ( Scheelings et al., 2016), birds and reptiles ( Spratt and Beveridge, 2018). Trypanosoma infections are widely described in Australian marsupials, rodents and bats (Thompson et al., 2014). While Trypanosoma and Plasmodium species identified in reptiles, birds and marsupials in Australia are considered unlikely to infect eutherian species such as deer and livestock, particular interest is focussed on T. evansi , given its high risk of spreading to northern Australia from the islands of Indonesia or Papua New Guinea ( Reid, 2002). It may therefore be a major threat to Australian wildlife and livestock ( Aregawi et al., 2019; Desquesnes et al., 2013). Importantly, infection of deer with T. evansi has been reported in Asia ( Malaysia and Thailand), offshore islands in the Indian Ocean ( Mauritius), and South America ( Brazil). T. evansi was detected in sambar and chital deer in Thailand ( Desquesnes et al., 2013) and outbreaks associated with high morbidity and mortality have been also reported in this country in rusa and hog deer ( Aregawi et al., 2019).