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Lookup NU author(s): Professor Robert HirtORCiD
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
Trichomonads are common parasites of many vertebrate and invertebrate species, with four species classically recognized as human parasites: Dientamoeba fragilis, Pentatrichomonas hominis, Trichomonas vaginalis, and Trichomonas tenax. The latter two species are considered human-specific; by contrast, D. fragilis and P. hominis have been isolated from domestic and farm mammals, demonstrating a wide host range and potential zoonotic origin. Several new studies have highlighted the zoonotic dimension of trichomonads. First, species typically known to infect birds and domestic mammals have been identified in human clinical samples. Second, several phylogenetic analyses have identified animal-derived trichomonads as close sister taxa of the two human-specific species. It is our opinion, therefore, that these observations prompt further investigation into the importance of zoonotic trichomonads for human health.
Author(s): Maritz JM, Land KM, Carlton JM, Hirt RP
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Trends in Parasitology
Year: 2014
Volume: 30
Issue: 7
Pages: 333-341
Print publication date: 01/07/2014
Online publication date: 18/06/2014
ISSN (print): 1471-4922
ISSN (electronic): 1471-5007
Publisher: ELSEVIER SCI LTD
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2014.05.005
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2014.05.005
