ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8886-2120
Current Organisation
Murdoch University
Does something not look right? The information on this page has been harvested from data sources that may not be up to date. We continue to work with information providers to improve coverage and quality. To report an issue, use the Feedback Form.
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Infectious Agents | Epidemiology | Veterinary Sciences | Medical Infection Agents (incl. Prions) | Veterinary Parasitology | Public Health and Health Services |
Disease Distribution and Transmission (incl. Surveillance and Response) | Infectious Diseases
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJPARA.2018.05.002
Abstract: Recent molecular and sero-surveillance studies of the tick-borne pathogen Hepatozoon canis have identified new hosts, potential vector species, and have revealed that H. canis is more widespread than previously thought. We report the first diagnosed case of canine hepatozoonosis in Australia from a Maremma Sheepdog in Sarina, Queensland. Hepatozoon canis was detected with blood smear examination and 18S rRNA sequencing. It is unknown when or how the organism was introduced into Australia, which raises questions about border biosecurity policies and the H. canis infection status of its potential vectors and hosts in Australia. Surveillance for this pathogen is required to determine whether H. canis has established in Australia.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-01-2021
DOI: 10.1111/ZPH.12806
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.TTBDIS.2021.101873
Abstract: Ticks are haematophagous arthropods that parasitise a wide range of vertebrate hosts. In Australia, there are currently 74 tick species described 22 tick species have been reported parasitising humans. The stump-tailed lizard tick, Amblyomma albolimbatum, feeds on reptiles, most commonly lizards and snakes however, we report the first case of A. albolimbatum parasitising a human. The nymphal tick was removed while conducting fieldwork on western tiger snakes (Notechis scutatus occidentalis) in an urban city environment near Perth, Western Australia. The tick was identified using morphological descriptions, which was further supported by the abundance of all parasitic stages of A. albolimbatum on the tiger snakes s led. The number of tick species recorded from humans in Australia is now revised to 23 species. With the increasing incidence of tick-borne illnesses in Australia, this study highlights the need to report cases of new or atypical hosts, particularly humans, and especially when the ticks have been associated with zoonotic pathogens.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2023
Abstract: Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) are a growing global health concern. Despite extensive studies, ill-defined tick-associated pathologies remain with unknown aetiologies. Human immunological responses after tick bite, and inter-in idual variations of immune-response phenotypes, are not well characterised. Current reductive experimental methodologies limit our understanding of more complex tick-associated illness, which results from the interactions between the host, tick, and microbes. An unbiased, systems-level integration of clinical metadata and biological host data - obtained via transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics - offers to drive the data-informed generation of testable hypotheses in TBDs. Advanced computational tools have rendered meaningful analysis of such large data sets feasible. This review highlights the advantages of integrative system biology approaches as essential for understanding the complex pathobiology of TBDs.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-03-2019
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/ZO18018
Abstract: A nationwide survey was conducted for ticks (Ixodidae) removed from echidnas, Tachyglossus aculeatus (Shaw, 1792), that had been previously collected between 1928 and 2013, and archived within Australian national (Australian National Insect Collection, Australian Capital Territory) and state (Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, and Western Australia) natural history collections. A total of 850 ticks from 89 T. aculeatus hosts were morphologically identified to determine instar, sex and species. Seven larvae, 349 nymphs and 494 adults were identified 235 were female and 259 were male. The most common tick species was Bothriocroton concolor (Neumann, 1899) (89.2%). In addition, ticks previously recorded from T. aculeatus were identified, including Amblyomma australiense Neumann, 1905 (1.8%), Amblyomma echidnae Roberts, 1953 (0.1%), Bothriocroton hydrosauri (Denny, 1843) (1.4%), Bothriocroton tachyglossi (Roberts, 1953) (1.5%) and Ixodes tasmani Neumann, 1899 (1.2%). For the first time, 22 Amblyomma fimbriatum Koch, 1844 (2.6%) and 19 Amblyomma triguttatum Koch, 1844 (2.2%) ticks were recorded from T. aculeatus. This is the first survey to utilise archived Australian tick collections for the purpose of acquiring new data on tick species that parasitise T. aculeatus.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-01-2018
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 12-01-2023
DOI: 10.3390/PATHOGENS12010125
Abstract: Bovine anaemia caused by Theileria orientalis group (BATOG) causes significant production and economic losses in Australia’s cattle industry. The pathogenic T. orientalis genotypes reported in Australian cattle are type 1 (Chitose) and type 2 (Ikeda). The present study aimed to determine the prevalence and distribution of T. orientalis genotypes in adult lactating cows in Western Australia (WA) dairy herds. A total of 100 whole blood s les from lactating cows from 10 farms were obtained and screened for T. orientalis using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sanger sequencing was subsequently used to characterise T. orientalis genotypes isolated from positive s les. A total of thirteen cows (13% 95% CI: 7.1–21.2%) were positive for T. orientalis, and six out of ten farms (60% 95% CI: 26.2–87.8%) housed at least one T. orientalis-positive cow. The distribution of T. orientalis was found to be wide and dense in the South west region of WA and the southern coast of WA. The predominant T. orientalis genotype identified was Ikeda (n = 11, 11% 95% CI: 5.6–18.8%), while the Buffeli genotype was identified in WA for the first time, albeit at a low prevalence (n = 1, 1% 95% CI: 0.0–5.4%). This study has provided useful epidemiological evidence on the prevalence and distribution of T. orientalis in adult lactating dairy cows in WA dairy farms, and on the importance of conducting widespread surveillance programs for the understanding of BATOG in WA.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 05-2020
Abstract: Rejection ( nomen rejiciendum ) of the name Borreliella and all new combinations therein is being requested on grounds of risk to human health and patient safety (Principle 1, subprinciple 2 and Rule 56a) and violation to aim for stability of names, to avoid useless creation of names (Principle 1, subprinciple 1 and 3) and that names should not be changed without sufficient reason (Principle 9 of the International Code of Nomenclature of Prokaryotes).
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2021.104859
Abstract: Cryptosporidium is an important protozoan parasite and due to its resistance to chlorine is a major cause of swimming pool-associated gastroenteritis outbreaks. The present study combined contact tracing and molecular techniques to analyse cryptosporidiosis cases and outbreaks in Western Australia in 2019 and 2020. In the 2019 outbreak, subtyping at the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene identified 89.0% (16/18) of s les were caused by the C. hominis IdA15G1 subtype. Amplicon next generation sequencing (NGS) at the gp60 locus identified five C. hominis IdA15G1 subtype s les that also had C. hominis IdA14 subtype DNA, while multi locus sequence typing (MLST) analysis on a subset (n = 14) of C. hominis s les identified three IdA15G1 s les with a 6 bp insertion at the end of the trinucleotide repeat region of the cp47 gene. In 2020, 88.0% (73/83) of s les typed were caused by the relatively rare C. hominis subtype IbA12G3. Four mixed infections were observed by NGS with three IdA15G1/ IdA14 mixtures and one C. parvum IIaA18G3R1 s le mixed with IIaA16G3R1. No genetic ersity using MLST was detected. Epidemiological and molecular data indicates that the outbreaks in 2019 and 2020 were each potentially from swimming pool point sources and a new C. hominis subtype IbA12G3 is emerging in Australia. The findings of the present study are important for understanding the introduction and transmission of rare Cryptosporidium subtypes to vulnerable populations.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-03-2018
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-04-2019
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 14-06-2016
Publisher: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Date: 17-03-2014
Abstract: In New Zealand, nine species of moa (large, wingless ratite birds) went extinct shortly after Polynesian settlement. In this study, we characterize the gene pools of four moa species during the final 4,000 y of their existence and gain new insights into moa biology and their population sizes. Our analyses show that moa populations were large and viable prior to human arrival in New Zealand, and their demise therefore represents a striking ex le of human overexploitation of megafauna.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 18-07-2019
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS13055
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2019.05.018
Abstract: Cryptosporidium species are a major cause of diarrhoea worldwide. In the present study, a retrospective analysis of 109 microscopically Cryptosporidium-positive faecal specimens from Western Australian patients, collected between 2015 and 2018 was conducted. Sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) gene loci identified four Cryptosporidium species: C. hominis (86.2%, 94/109), C. parvum (11.0%, 12/109), C. meleagridis (1.8%, 2/109) and C. viatorum (0.9%, 1/109). Subtyping at the gp60 locus identified a total of 11 subtypes including the emergence of the previously rare C. hominis IfA12G1R5 subtype in 2017 as the dominant subtype (46.7%, 21/45). This subtype has also recently emerged as the dominant subtype in the United States but the reasons for its emergence are unknown. This is also the first report of C. viatorum in humans in Australia and a novel subtype (XVaA3g) was identified in the one positive patient.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TTBDIS.2017.12.007
Abstract: Lyme borreliosis (or Lyme Disease) is an emerging threat to human health in the Northern Hemisphere caused by tick-borne bacteria from the Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (Bbsl) complex. Seabirds are important reservoir hosts of some members of the Bbsl complex in the Northern Hemisphere, and some evidence suggests this may be true of penguins in the Southern Hemisphere. While the Bbsl complex has not been detected in Australia, a novel Borrelia species ('Candidatus Borrelia tachyglossi') was recently sequenced from native ticks (Ixodes holocyclus and Bothriocroton concolor) parasitising echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus), suggesting unidentified borreliae may be circulating amongst native wildlife and their ticks. In the present study, we investigated whether ticks parasitising little penguins (Eudyptula novaehollandiae) harbour native or introduced Borrelia bacteria. We chose this penguin species because it is heavily exploited by ticks during the breeding season, lives in close proximity to other potential reservoir hosts (including native wildlife and migratory seabirds), and is known to be infected with other tick-borne pathogens (Babesia). We screened over 230 penguin ticks (Ixodes spp.) from colonies in south-eastern Australia, and found no evidence of Borrelia DNA. The apparent absence or rarity of the bacterium in south-eastern Australia has important implications for identifying potential tick-borne pathogens in an understudied region.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-06-2010
DOI: 10.1002/OA.1087
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 18-12-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TTBDIS.2018.02.001
Abstract: Piroplasms, including the genera Babesia and Theileria, are intra-erythrocytic protozoa that are generally transmitted by ticks and are the aetiological agents for piroplasmosis in animals, as well as humans, worldwide. In Australia, numerous studies have been conducted on piroplasms in domestic animals however, less is known about these protozoa in ticks from native wildlife. The present study characterised piroplasms in Ixodes australiensis (n = 119) and Amblyomma triguttatum (n = 35) ticks collected from kangaroos in Western Australia (WA). Approximately 7.6% (9/119) (95% CI 2.8-12.2) of the I. australiensis ticks were positive for piroplasms using nested-PCR at the 18S rRNA locus, whereas no piroplasm 18S rDNA was detected in the A. triguttatum ticks. All sequences from I. australiensis ticks were identical. Using a 852 bp multiple nucleotide alignment at the 18S rRNA variable region, sequences shared 97.6%, 94.3%, 93.5% and 93.4% pairwise identity with Theileria fuliginosa, Theileria brachyuri, Theileria penicillata, and a Theileria sp. (K1), derived from a burrowing bettong or boodie (Bettongia lesueur), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the Theileria sp. from I. australiensis clustered together in the marsupial-associated Theileria group, with T. fuliginosa as closest sister species. Hence, we conclude that this is the first observation of T. fuliginosa-like species in I. australiensis ticks parasitising kangaroos in WA.
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 19-10-2023
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.IJPARA.2017.03.003
Abstract: The extent of within-host genetic ersity of parasites has implications for our understanding of the epidemiology, disease severity and evolution of parasite virulence. As with many other species, our understanding of the within-host ersity of the enteric parasite Cryptosporidium is changing. The present study compared Sanger and Next Generation Sequencing of glycoprotein 60 (gp60) licons from Cryptosporidium hominis (n=11), Cryptosporidium parvum (n=22) and Cryptosporidium cuniculus (n=8) DNA s les from Australia and China. Sanger sequencing identified only one gp60 subtype in each DNA s le: one C. hominis subtype (IbA10G2) (n=11), four C. parvum subtypes belonging to IIa (n=3) and IId (n=19) and one C. cuniculus subtype (VbA23) (n=8). Next Generation Sequencing identified the same subtypes initially identified by Sanger sequencing, but also identified additional gp60 subtypes in C. parvum and C. cuniculus but not in C. hominis, DNA s les. The number of C. parvum and C. cuniculus subtypes identified by Next Generation Sequencing within in idual DNA s les ranged from two to four, and both C. parvum IIa and IId subtype families were identified within the one host in two s les. The finding of the present study has important implications for Cryptosporidium transmission tracking as well as vaccine and drug studies.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-11-2014
DOI: 10.1038/NCOMMS6436
Abstract: New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) are the only late Quaternary megafauna whose extinction was clearly caused by humans. New Zealand offers the best opportunity to estimate the number of people involved in a megafaunal extinction event because, uniquely, both the Polynesian settlement of New Zealand and moa extinction are recent enough to be dated with a high degree of precision. In addition, the founding human population can be estimated from genetic evidence. Here we show that the Polynesian population of New Zealand would not have exceeded 2,000 in iduals before extinction of moa populations in the habitable areas of the eastern South Island. During a brief (<150 years) period and at population densities that never exceeded ~0.01 km(-2), Polynesians exterminated viable populations of moa by hunting and removal of habitat. High human population densities are not required in models of megafaunal extinction.
Publisher: Magnolia Press
Date: 14-08-2019
DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.4656.2.13
Abstract: Ticks (Ixodida) are haematophagous arthropods that transmit a number of pathogenic organisms, including bacteria, protozoa and viruses, to humans and animals. Globally, there are over 900 species of ticks and Australia has 73 described species, including five introduced and 68 native species. With the exception of only a few Australian tick species, there are still many unanswered questions regarding their taxonomy and systematics, and the phylogeny of Australian ticks is not properly resolved. In recent years, a putative link between tick bites and poorly defined tick-borne illness(es) has been identified (Graves & Stenos 2017) and was the subject of a 2015 Australian Senate Inquiry into Lyme-like illnesses in Australia. There is an urgent need to further categorise Australian ticks, specifically hard ticks (Ixodidae), and accurate identification of Australian ticks is therefore of high importance.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MEEGID.2018.09.013
Abstract: Borrelia are tick-borne bacteria that in humans are the aetiological agents of Lyme disease and relapsing fever. Here we present the first genomes of B. turcica and B. tachyglossi, members of a recently described and rapidly expanding Borrelia clade associated with reptile (B. turcica) or echidna (B. tachyglossi) hosts, transmitted by hard ticks, and of unknown pathogenicity. Borrelia tachyglossi and B. turcica genomes are similar to those of relapsing fever Borrelia species, containing a linear ~ 900 kb chromosome, a single long (> 70 kb) linear plasmid, and numerous short (< 40 kb) linear and circular plasmids, as well as a suite of housekeeping and macronutrient biosynthesis genes which are not found in Lyme disease Borrelia. Additionally, both B. tachyglossi and B. turcica contain paralogous vsp and vlp proteins homologous to those used in the multiphasic antigen-switching system used by relapsing fever Borrelia to evade vertebrate immune responses, although their number was greatly reduced compared to human-infectious species. However, B. tachyglossi and B. turcica chromosomes also contain numerous genes orthologous to Lyme disease Borrelia-specific genes, demonstrating a unique evolutionary, and potentially phenotypic link between these groups. Borrelia tachyglossi and B. turcica genomes also have unique genetic features, including degraded and deleted tRNA modification genes, and an expanded range of macronutrient salvage and biosynthesis genes compared to relapsing fever and Lyme disease Borrelia. These genomes and genomic comparisons provide an insight into the biology and evolutionary origin of these Borrelia, and provide a valuable resource for future work.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.VETMIC.2017.01.021
Abstract: Q fever is an infectious disease with a global distribution caused by the intracellular bacterium, Coxiella burnetii, which has been detected in a large number of tick species worldwide, including the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus. Recent reports of a high seroprevalance of C. burnetii in Australian dogs, along with the identification of additional Coxiella species within R. sanguineus ticks, has prompted an investigation into the presence and identification of Coxiella species in R. sanguineus ticks in Australia. Using a combination of C. burnetii species-specific IS1111a transposase gene and Coxiella genus-specific 16S rRNA PCR assays, a Coxiella sp. was identified in 100% (n=199) of R. sanguineus ticks analysed, and C. burnetii was not detected in any R. sanguineus ticks studied. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene revealed the Coxiella sequences were closely related to Coxiella sp. identified previously in R. sanguineus and R. turanicus ticks overseas. This study illustrates the value of using genus specific PCR assays to detect previously unreported bacterial species. Furthermore, the presence of an additional Coxiella sp. in Australia requires further investigation into its potential for contributing to serological cross-reactions during Q fever testing.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/ZPH.12743
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 23-10-2020
Abstract: The impact of emerging infectious diseases is increasingly recognised as a major threat to wildlife. Wild populations of the endangered Tasmanian devil, Sarcophilus harrisii, are experiencing devastating losses from a novel transmissible cancer, devil facial tumour disease (DFTD) however, despite the rapid decline of this species, there is currently no information on the presence of haemoprotozoan parasites. In the present study, 95 Tasmanian devil blood s les were collected from four populations in Tasmania, Australia, which underwent molecular screening to detect four major groups of haemoprotozoa: (i) trypanosomes, (ii) piroplasms, (iii) Hepatozoon, and (iv) haemosporidia. Sequence results revealed Trypanosoma infections in 32/95 in iduals. Trypanosoma copemani was identified in 10 Tasmanian devils from three sites and a second Trypanosoma sp. was identified in 22 in iduals that were grouped within the poorly described T. cyclops clade. A single blood s le was positive for Babesia sp., which most closely matched Babesia lohae. No other blood protozoan parasite DNA was detected. This study provides the first insight into haemoprotozoa from the Tasmanian devil and the first identification of Trypanosoma and Babesia in this carnivorous marsupial.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 13-03-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/WR19079
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 05-11-2019
DOI: 10.1101/819060
Abstract: Invasive rodent species are known hosts for a erse range of infectious microorganisms and have long been associated with the spread of disease globally. The present study describes molecular evidence for the presence of a Trypanosoma sp. from black rats ( Rattus rattus ) in northern Sydney, Australia. Sequences of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) locus were obtained in two out of eleven (18%) blood s les with subsequent phylogenetic analysis confirming the identity within the Trypanosoma lewisi clade.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2020
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/MA18069
Abstract: Coxiellaburnetii is the causative agent of coxiellosis in animals and Q fever in humans. Despite being a vaccine preventable disease, Q fever remains a frequently reported zoonotic infection in Australia. Recently, a Coxiella species was identified in brown dog ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) in urban and rural regions of Australia. Further molecular characterisation revealed that it is genetically identical to ‘Candidatus Coxiella massiliensis’ (KM079627) described in R. sanguineus ticks removed from humans with eschars in France and serologic cross-reactivity among ‘Ca. Coxiella massiliensis’ and C.burnetii may occur. This report highlights the need for molecular testing of seropositive companion animals and humans to determine which species of Coxiella they are infected with, in order to further assess Coxiella species associated with Coxiella infections in Australia.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 04-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 31-01-2023
DOI: 10.1111/MVE.12643
Abstract: Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) are major disease vectors globally making it increasingly important to understand how altered vertebrate communities in urban areas shape tick population dynamics. In urban landscapes of Australia, little is known about which native and introduced small mammals maintain tick populations preventing host‐targeted tick management and leading to human–wildlife conflict. Here, we determined (1) larval, nymphal, and adult tick burdens on host species and potential drivers, (2) the number of ticks supported by the different host populations, and (3) the proportion of medically significant tick species feeding on the different host species in Northern Sydney. We counted 3551 ticks on 241 mammals at 15 sites and found that long‐nosed bandicoots ( Perameles nasuta ) hosted more ticks of all life stages than other small mammals but introduced black rats ( Rattus rattus ) were more abundant at most sites (33%–100%) and therefore important in supporting larval and nymphal ticks in our study areas. Black rats and bandicoots hosted a greater proportion of medically significant tick species including Ixodes holocyclus than other hosts. Our results show that an introduced human commensal contributes to maintaining urban tick populations and suggests ticks could be managed by controlling rat populations on urban fringes.
Publisher: Microbiology Society
Date: 16-12-2021
Abstract: Advances in sequencing technologies have revealed the complex and erse microbial communities present in ticks (Ixodida). As obligate blood-feeding arthropods, ticks are responsible for a number of infectious diseases that can affect humans, livestock, domestic animals and wildlife. While cases of human tick-borne diseases continue to increase in the northern hemisphere, there has been relatively little recognition of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens in Australia. Over the past 5 years, studies using high-throughput sequencing technologies have shown that Australian ticks harbour unique and erse bacterial communities. In the present study, free-ranging wildlife ( n =203), representing ten mammal species, were s led from urban and peri-urban areas in New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA). Bacterial metabarcoding targeting the 16S rRNA locus was used to characterize the microbiomes of three s le types collected from wildlife: blood, ticks and tissue s les. Further sequence information was obtained for selected taxa of interest. Six tick species were identified from wildlife: Amblyomma triguttatum , Ixodes antechini , Ixodes australiensis , Ixodes holocyclus , Ixodes tasmani and Ixodes trichosuri . Bacterial 16S rRNA metabarcoding was performed on 536 s les and 65 controls, generating over 100 million sequences. Alpha ersity was significantly different between the three s le types, with tissue s les displaying the highest alpha ersity ( P .001). Proteobacteria was the most abundant taxon identified across all s le types (37.3 %). Beta ersity analysis and ordination revealed little overlap between the three s le types ( P .001). Taxa of interest included Anaplasmataceae , Bartonella , Borrelia , Coxiellaceae , Francisella , Midichloria , Mycoplasma and Rickettsia . Anaplasmataceae bacteria were detected in 17.7% (95/536) of s les and included Anaplasma , Ehrlichia and Neoehrlichia species. In s les from NSW, ‘ Ca . Neoehrlichia australis’, ‘ Ca . Neoehrlichia arcana’, Neoehrlichia sp. and Ehrlichia sp. were identified. A putative novel Ehrlichia sp. was identified from WA and Anaplasma platys was identified from QLD. Nine rodent tissue s les were positive for a novel Borrelia sp. that formed a phylogenetically distinct clade separate from the Lyme Borrelia and relapsing fever groups. This novel clade included recently identified rodent-associated Borrelia genotypes, which were described from Spain and North America. Bartonella was identified in 12.9% (69/536) of s les. Over half of these positive s les were obtained from black rats ( Rattus rattus ), and the dominant bacterial species identified were Bartonella coopersplainsensis and Bartonella queenslandensis . The results from the present study show the value of using unbiased high-throughput sequencing applied to s les collected from wildlife. In addition to understanding the sylvatic cycle of known vector-associated pathogens, surveillance work is important to ensure preparedness for potential zoonotic spillover events.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2018.07.024
Abstract: Wastewater recycling is an increasingly popular option in worldwide to reduce pressure on water supplies due to population growth and climate change. Cryptosporidium spp. are among the most common parasites found in wastewater and understanding the prevalence of human-infectious species is essential for accurate quantitative microbial risk assessment (QMRA) and cost-effective management of wastewater. The present study conducted next generation sequencing (NGS) to determine the prevalence and ersity of Cryptosporidium species in 730 raw influent s les from 25 Australian wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) across three states: New South Wales (NSW), Queensland (QLD) and Western Australia (WA), between 2014 and 2015. All s les were screened for the presence of Cryptosporidium at the 18S rRNA (18S) locus using quantitative PCR (qPCR), oocyst numbers were determined directly from the qPCR data using DNA standards calibrated by droplet digital PCR, and positives were characterized using NGS of 18S licons. Positives were also screened using C. parvum and C. hominis specific qPCRs. The overall Cryptosporidium prevalence was 11.4% (83/730): 14.3% (3/21) in NSW 10.8% (51/470) in QLD and 12.1% (29/239) in WA. A total of 17 Cryptosporidium species and six genotypes were detected by NGS. In NSW, C. hominis and Cryptosporidium rat genotype III were the most prevalent species (9.5% each). In QLD, C. galli, C. muris and C. parvum were the three most prevalent species (7.7%, 5.7%, and 4.5%, respectively), while in WA, C. meleagridis was the most prevalent species (6.3%). The oocyst load/Litre ranged from 70 to 18,055 oocysts/L (overall mean of 3426 oocysts/L: 4746 oocysts/L in NSW 3578 oocysts/L in QLD and 3292 oocysts/L in WA). NGS-based profiling demonstrated that Cryptosporidium is prevalent in the raw influent across Australia and revealed a large ersity of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes, which indicates the potential contribution of livestock, wildlife and birds to wastewater contamination.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 31-01-2011
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 17-10-2019
DOI: 10.1101/807131
Abstract: Ticks (Acari: Ixodida) transmit a greater variety of pathogens than any other blood-feeding group of arthropods. While numerous microbes have been identified inhabiting Australian Ixodidae, some of which are related to globally important tick-borne pathogens, little is known about the bacterial communities within ticks collected from Australian wildlife. In this study, 1,019 ticks were identified on 221 hosts spanning 27 wildlife species. Next-generation sequencing was used to lify the V1-2 hypervariable region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene from 238 ticks Amblyomma triguttatum (n=6), Bothriocroton auruginans (n=11), Bothriocroton concolor (n=20), Haemaphysalis bancrofti (n=10), Haemaphysalis bremneri (n=4), Haemaphysalis humerosa (n=13) , Haemaphysalis longicornis (n=4), Ixodes antechini (n=29), Ixodes australiensis (n=26), Ixodes fecialis (n=13), Ixodes holocyclus (n=37), Ixodes myrmecobii ( n =1), Ixodes ornithorhynchi (n=10), Ixodes tasmani (n=51) and Ixodes trichosuri (n=3). After bioinformatic analyses, over 14 million assigned bacterial sequences revealed the presence of recently described bacteria ‘ Candidatus Borrelia tachyglossi’, ‘ Candidatus Neoehrlichia australis’, ‘ Candidatus Neoehrlichia arcana’ and ‘ Candidatus Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi’. Furthermore, three novel Anaplasmataceae species were identified in the present study including a Neoehrlichia sp. in I. australiensis and I. fecialis collected from quenda ( Isoodon fusciventer ) (Western Australia), an Anaplasma sp. from one B. concolor from echidna ( Tachyglossus aculeatus ) (New South Wales), and an Ehrlichia sp. from a single I. fecialis parasitising a quenda (WA). This study highlights the ersity of bacterial genera harboured within wildlife ticks, which may prove to be of medical and/or veterinary importance in the future.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.TTBDIS.2017.12.011
Abstract: Worldwide, Ehrlichia spp. are emerging infectious organisms of domestic animals and people, however, most Ehrlichia spp. naturally infect wildlife reservoirs causing mainly asymptomatic infections. Australian ecosystems have been under-explored for these potentially pathogenic organisms, and recent studies have identified a range of novel Ehrlichia, and their sister genera, Anaplasma and 'Candidatus Neoehrlichia' species, from native Australian ticks. We used bacterial 16S rRNA (16S) next-generation sequencing and genus-specific PCR to profile the bacterial communities in platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) blood s les and platypus ticks (Ixodes ornithorhynchi), and identified a high prevalence of Ehrlichia sequences. We also observed Ehrlichia-like intra-neutrophilic inclusions (morulae) in PCR-positive stained platypus blood films that were consistent in morphology with other Ehrlichia spp. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of 16S (1343 bp), gltA (1004 bp), and groEL (1074 bp) gene sequences group the platypus Ehrlichia with 'Candidatus Ehrlichia khabarensis' from far-eastern Russia, and demonstrate that the platypus Ehrlichia is clearly distinct from all other Ehrlichia spp. Enough genetic ergence exists to delineate this platypus Ehrlichia as a separate species that we propose to designate 'Candidatus Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi'. There is no evidence that 'Candidatus Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi' causes disease in wild platypuses, however, the organism does seem to be widespread in Australia, being found in both Queensland and Tasmania. 'Candidatus Ehrlichia ornithorhynchi' is the second native Australian Ehrlichia described and adds to the rapidly growing ersity of recently described native Australian tick-borne bacteria.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.WATRES.2018.02.005
Abstract: As part of long-term monitoring of Cryptosporidium in water catchments serving Western Australia, New South Wales (Sydney) and Queensland, Australia, we characterised Cryptosporidium in a total of 5774 faecal s les from 17 known host species and 7 unknown bird s les, in 11 water catchment areas over a period of 30 months (July 2013 to December 2015). All s les were initially screened for Cryptosporidium spp. at the 18S rRNA locus using a quantitative PCR (qPCR). Positives s les were then typed by sequence analysis of an 825 bp fragment of the 18S gene and subtyped at the glycoprotein 60 (gp60) locus (832 bp). The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium across the various hosts s led was 18.3% (1054/5774 95% CI, 17.3-19.3). Of these, 873 s les produced clean Sanger sequencing chromatograms, and the remaining 181 s les, which initially produced chromatograms suggesting the presence of multiple different sequences, were re-analysed by Next- Generation Sequencing (NGS) to resolve the presence of Cryptosporidium and the species composition of potential mixed infections. The overall prevalence of confirmed mixed infection was 1.7% (98/5774), and in the remaining 83 s les, NGS only detected one species of Cryptosporidium. Of the 17 Cryptosporidium species and four genotypes detected (Sanger sequencing combined with NGS), 13 are capable of infecting humans C. parvum, C. hominis, C. ubiquitum, C. cuniculus, C. meleagridis, C. canis, C. felis, C. muris, C. suis, C. scrofarum, C. bovis, C. erinacei and C. fayeri. Oocyst numbers per gram of faeces (g
Publisher: Humana Press
Date: 08-12-2012
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-516-9_16
Abstract: Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a technique that is widely used in the field of ancient DNA (aDNA). Quantitative PCR can be used to optimize aDNA extraction methodologies, to detect PCR inhibition, and to quantify aDNA libraries for use in high-throughput sequencing. In this chapter, we outline factors that need to be considered when developing efficient SYBR Green qPCR assays. We describe how to setup qPCR standards of known copy number and provide some useful tips regarding interpretation of qPCR data generated from aDNA templates.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 28-10-2021
DOI: 10.1007/S11686-021-00482-5
Abstract: There is a dearth of research conducted on the Knowledge, Attitude and Practices (KAP) of swimming pool patrons and staff to determine their understanding of the importance of Cryptosporidium and its transmission in swimming pools. We conducted a KAP survey of public swimming pool patrons (n = 380) and staff (n = 40) attending five public swimming pools in Western Australia (WA). Knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) of Cryptosporidium varied between patrons and staff but were generally limited. Only 26.1% and 25.0% of patrons and staff had heard of Cryptosporidium, while 17.4% and 10.0% knew that it causes diarrhoea, respectively. Thirty-one percent of patrons were aware of their pool policy concerning gastroenteritis and Cryptosporidium, compared to 62.5% of staff. Less than 50% of patrons demonstrated awareness of how features within the pool environment were relevant to the control of Cryptosporidium. Only about a third of patrons (35%) and staff (37.5%) were aware that showering before swimming reduced the risk of gastroenteritis. Raising awareness about hygiene-related practices through the delivery of targeted health education messages to the general public is essential to reduce the burden of Cryptosporidium infections in aquatic environments.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 14-12-2016
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-12-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-2012
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/MA18063
Abstract: It may seem perplexing that there is any uncertainty in Australia about the existence of zoonotic tick-associated infections1–3. Outside this country, particularly in the northern hemisphere, tick-borne diseases such as human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Boutonneuse fever, ehrlichiosis, Lyme borreliosis, and tick-borne encephalitis, have well documented aetiologies, epidemiology, diagnostic methods, and treatments. Why is Australia different and what research is being conducted to address this issue? This article briefly addresses these questions and explains how high-throughput metagenomic analysis has started to shed light on bacterial microbiomes in Australian ticks, providing new data on the presence and distribution of potentially zoonotic microbial taxa.
Publisher: Humana Press
Date: 08-12-2012
DOI: 10.1007/978-1-61779-516-9_9
Abstract: Avian eggshell fragments recovered from both paleontological and archaeological deposits contain a cache of well-preserved ancient DNA. Here, we describe an extraction protocol that has been optimized to maximize the recovery of ancient DNA from fossil eggshell and minimize the co-purification of PCR inhibitors. In this method, fossil eggshell fragments are powdered, then digested and heated to release DNA from the calcite matrix. The digest then undergoes a concentration step before purification and washing using silica columns. The method has been used to recover aDNA from the eggshell of many avian species including moa, elephant birds, and emu, up to 19,000 years old.
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 10-10-2012
Abstract: Claims of extreme survival of DNA have emphasized the need for reliable models of DNA degradation through time. By analysing mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from 158 radiocarbon-dated bones of the extinct New Zealand moa, we confirm empirically a long-hypothesized exponential decay relationship. The average DNA half-life within this geographically constrained fossil assemblage was estimated to be 521 years for a 242 bp mtDNA sequence, corresponding to a per nucleotide fragmentation rate ( k ) of 5.50 × 10 –6 per year. With an effective burial temperature of 13.1°C, the rate is almost 400 times slower than predicted from published kinetic data of in vitro DNA depurination at pH 5. Although best described by an exponential model ( R 2 = 0.39), considerable s le-to-s le variance in DNA preservation could not be accounted for by geologic age. This variation likely derives from differences in taphonomy and bone diagenesis, which have confounded previous, less spatially constrained attempts to study DNA decay kinetics. Lastly, by calculating DNA fragmentation rates on Illumina HiSeq data, we show that nuclear DNA has degraded at least twice as fast as mtDNA. These results provide a baseline for predicting long-term DNA survival in bone.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2017
Abstract: Enteric parasites are major contributors to the global diarrhoeal disease load, infecting >67.2 million people. Their prevalence and clinical impact, however, are underestimated due to lack of adequate detection, which is largely still based on microscopy, particularly in developing countries. New commercially available enteric panel assays, which detect parasites (as well as bacteria and/or viruses) using multiplex PCR, offer enhanced sensitivity and specificity as well as the ability to detect mixed infections, and will play an important role in epidemiological surveillance and outbreak investigations. A major limitation of these technologies, however, particularly for developing countries, is the costs involved. Emerging technologies for low-resource, point-of-care (POC) settings have the potential to dramatically improve the cost and accuracy of enteric parasite detection in the future.
Publisher: Future Science Ltd
Date: 03-2009
DOI: 10.2144/000113086
Abstract: Genetic variation in microsatellites is rarely examined in the field of ancient DNA (aDNA) due to the low quantity of nuclear DNA in the fossil record together with the lack of characterized nuclear markers in extinct species. 454 sequencing platforms provide a new high-throughput technology capable of generating up to 1 gigabases per run as short (200–400-bp) read lengths. 454 data were generated from the fossil bone of an extinct New Zealand moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes). We identified numerous short tandem repeat (STR) motifs, and here present the successful isolation and characterization of one polymorphic microsatellite (Moa_MS2). Primers designed to flank this locus lified all three moa species tested here. The presented method proved to be a fast and efficient way of identifying microsatellite markers in ancient DNA templates and, depending on biomolecule preservation, has the potential of enabling high-resolution population genetic studies of extinct taxa. As sequence read lengths of the 454 platforms and its competitors (e.g., the SOLEXA and SOLiD platforms) increase, this approach will become increasingly powerful in identifying microsatellites in extinct (and extant) organisms, and will afford new opportunities to study past bio ersity and extinction processes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2011
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.VETPAR.2017.01.027
Abstract: The genus term Isospora is now applied specifically to parasites of birds, with the term Cystoisospora preferred for parasites which infect mammals. Isospora is a common parasitic coccidian in birds worldwide, especially in passerine birds, in which it can cause systemic coccidiosis. The complete mitochondrial genome sequences from two recently identified Isospora species Isospora serinuse in a domestic canary and Isospora manorinae in a yellow-throated miner, were sequenced and compared with those of other closely related coccidian species. The complete mitochondrial genome sequence for Isospora serinuse is 6260bp in size and 6223bp for Isospora manorinae. The mitochondrial genomes of Isospora serinuse and Isospora manorinae include three protein-coding genes (COI, COIII and CytB), 19 LSU and 14 SSU rDNA fragments, including one newly identified putative LSU fragment in Isospora sp. The arrangement of coding regions in these two Isospora species were identical to that of available Isospora sp. and Eimeria spp. mitochondrial genomes and the start codon usage for protein coding genes was conservative. Phylogenetic analysis of the mt genome of the two Isospora species based on the three coding regions further support that the monophyletic nature of avian Isospora.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2014
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 26-12-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 25-06-2015
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-05-2016
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 10-03-2010
Abstract: Owing to exceptional biomolecule preservation, fossil avian eggshell has been used extensively in geochronology and palaeodietary studies. Here, we show, to our knowledge, for the first time that fossil eggshell is a previously unrecognized source of ancient DNA (aDNA). We describe the successful isolation and lification of DNA from fossil eggshell up to 19 ka old. aDNA was successfully characterized from eggshell obtained from New Zealand (extinct moa and ducks), Madagascar (extinct elephant birds) and Australia (emu and owl). Our data demonstrate excellent preservation of the nucleic acids, evidenced by retrieval of both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from many of the s les. Using confocal microscopy and quantitative PCR, this study critically evaluates approaches to maximize DNA recovery from powdered eggshell. Our quantitative PCR experiments also demonstrate that moa eggshell has approximately 125 times lower bacterial load than bone, making it a highly suitable substrate for high-throughput sequencing approaches. Importantly, the preservation of DNA in Pleistocene eggshell from Australia and Holocene deposits from Madagascar indicates that eggshell is an excellent substrate for the long-term preservation of DNA in warmer climates. The successful recovery of DNA from this substrate has implications in a number of scientific disciplines most notably archaeology and palaeontology, where genotypes and/or DNA-based species identifications can add significantly to our understanding of diets, environments, past bio ersity and evolutionary processes.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2021
Start Date: 2013
End Date: 2016
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2016
End Date: 2018
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 2019
End Date: 2018
Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 03-2014
End Date: 09-2017
Amount: $274,536.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityStart Date: 02-2017
End Date: 12-2021
Amount: $290,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded Activity