Abstract
The growth in vitro and the development in insect hosts of two reptilian trypanosomes was studied. The first was aTrypanosoma grayi-like isolate (Kiboko F4) fromGlossina pallidipes in Kenya, East Africa, and the second wasT. varani V54, isolated fromVaranus exanthematicus in Senegal.T. varani V54 grew well in blood-agar culture media, but for successful long-term cultivation of the F4 trypanosomes, the presence of feeder cells from a triatomine orXenopus cell line was essential. Experimental infection of tsetse (G. morsitans morsitans andG. palpalis gambiensis) and phlebotomine sandflies (Phlebotomus duboscqi) showed thatT. grayi-like F4 trypanosomes, known and shown to develop in tsetse, did not multiply in the sandflies, whereasT. varani V54 grew well in the sandflies but not in the tsetse. It is concluded that these two reptilian trypanosome stocks probably represent different species, subject to confirmation from biochemical studies currently in progress. Attempts to isolateT. grayi sensu stricto from 13 wild African crocodiles in Zambia and Zaire were unsuccessful.
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Minter-Goedbloed, E., Leake, C.J., Minter, D.M. et al. Trypanosoma varani andT. grayi-like trypanosomes: Development in vitro and in insect hosts. Parasitol Res 79, 329–333 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932190
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00932190