Relaciones hospedero - parásito en el caso de los Totivirus que infectan protozoarios de importancia médica

Abstract

Viruses of the family Totiviridae possess a genetic material of double-stranded RNA, and they infect fungi, animals and protozoan parasites, the latter causing of diseases giardiasis, leishmaniasis and trichomoniasis. This study was done with a review bibliographic of the influence of the virions of the family Totiviridae on the pathologies caused by their protozoan hosts. In viruses with vertical transmission (Leishmaniavirus and Trichomonasvirus), is present throughout the life cycle of the parasite because there no is a stage of cyst, his presence unchains a proinflammatory immune response, by the recognition of viral RNA by the toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3) increasing the virulence of the protozoan, in the case of leishmaniosis it has described that generates symptomatic changes of disease, and that even alters the response to conventional pharmacological treatments. On the contrary, in viruses with extracellular transmission (GiardiaVirus), it seems to be that no there changes in the immune response, but when there is a greater viral infection is generated a process of encysting the parasite, allowing him to infect new hosts. Also have reported totivius in protozoa of veterinary interest such as Eimeria sp, further by electron microscopy have been reported particles similar to those of totivirus in parasites of humans and plants, so the association of totivirus with protozoa seems to be restricted to those who have a parasitic lifestyle. The totíviruses generate changes in the parasitic host relationship in the protozoa that they infect, has epidemiological consequences and alteration in medical treatments, so in future studies on diseases where It has been described the association the presence of totivirus should take into account, while in those that the presence of totivirus is suspected and in which the role of the virus in the pathogenesis has not been established, it is necessary to confirm the characteristics of the association.