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Background  The brush-tailed bettong or woylie ( Bettongia penicillata ) is on the brink of extinction. Its numbers have declined by 90% since 1999, with their current distribution occupying less than 1% of their former Australian range. Woylies are known to be infected with three different trypanosomes ( Trypanosoma vegrandis ,  Trypanosoma copemani  and  Trypanosoma  sp. H25) and two different strains of  T. copemani  that vary in virulence. However, the role that these haemoparasites have played during the recent decline of their host is unclear and is part of ongoing investigation.    Methods  Woylies were sampled from five locations in southern Western Australia, including two neighbouring indigenous populations, two enclosed (fenced) populations and a captive colony. PCR was used to individually identify the three different trypanosomes from blood and tissues of the host, and to investigate the temporal and spatial dynamics of trypanosome infections.    Results  The spatial pattern of trypanosome infection varied among the five study sites, with a greater proportion of woylies from the Perup indigenous population being infected with  T. copemani  than from the neighbouring Kingston indigenous population. For an established infection,  T. copemani  detection was temporally inconsistent. The more virulent strain of  T. copemani  appeared to regress at a faster rate than the less virulent strain, with the infection possibly transitioning from the acute to chronic phase. Interspecific competition may also exist between  T. copemani  and  T. vegrandis , where an existing  T. vegrandis  infection may moderate the sequential establishment of the more virulent  T. copemani.Conclusion  In this study, we provide a possible temporal connection implicating  T. copemani  as the disease agent linked with the recent decline of the Kingston indigenous woylie population within the Upper Warren region of Western Australia. The chronic association of trypanosomes with the internal organs of its host may be potentially pathogenic and adversely affect their long term fitness and coordination, making the woylie more susceptible to predation.

parasites and vectors

Temporal and spatial dynamics of trypanosomes infecting the brush-tailed bettong (Bettongia penicillata): a cautionary note of disease-induced population decline