Leading report on the molecular prevalence of emerging pathogens Hepatozoon sp. and Lankesterella sp. in the blood samples of seven wild lizard species.

ABSTRACT: Despite of having rich reptilian fauna, the wild lizards from Pakistan remained unexplored for the presence of blood borne parasites. The present study was designed to report the molecular epidemiology and phylogenetic evaluation of various blood borne pathogens (Hepatozoon sp., Schellackia spp., Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp., Haemoproteus spp. and Leucocytozoon spp.) in blood samples of wild lizards (N = 84), trapped during March 2022 till June 2023 from district Karak and Dir in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Pakistan). Seven lizard species were identified during present study. Our results revealed that 11 out of 84 (13%) lizards were Haemogregarines infected. Infected lizards included Laudakia (L.) tuberculata (1/4, 25% prevalence), L. pakistanica (3/15, 20%) and L. agrorensis (7/53, 13%). DN

SUBMITTER: Shabbir R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11910633 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature