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American Journal of Primatology Jan 2022Primate-parasite interactions are often investigated via coprological studies given ethical and conservation restrictions of collecting primate hosts. Yet, these studies...
Primate-parasite interactions are often investigated via coprological studies given ethical and conservation restrictions of collecting primate hosts. Yet, these studies are inadequate to recover adult helminths for taxonomic identification and to accurately assess their prevalence, intensity, abundance, and site of infection. Fresh carcasses found in anthropogenic landscapes come as informative and reliable alternatives. In this study, we identified the helminths of brown howler monkeys (Alouatta guariba clamitans) and their sites of infection, and measured their prevalence, intensity, and abundance of infection. We necropsied 18 adult males, 11 adult females, and 7 juvenile males that died in conflicts with the anthropogenic environment (domestic dog attacks, n = 11; electrocutions and road-kills, n = 10 each; unknown, n = 5) in periurban landscapes of southern Brazil between 2013 and 2019. We found three nematodes (Trypanoxyuris minutus, Dipetalonema gracile, and Parabronema bonnei) and one cestode (Bertiella cf. studeri), a diversity estimated to account for a sampling completeness of 99%. Prevalence ranged from 3% for P. bonnei to 100% for T. minutus. Mean abundance ranged from 2 (D. gracile and B. cf. studeri) to 55,116 (T. minutus) and mean intensity of infection ranged from 4 (B. cf. studeri) to 55,116 (T. minutus). Trypanoxyuris minutus sex ratio was strongly male-biased. The intensity of infection with T. minutus was higher in juvenile males and adult females than in adult males. The low parasite diversity and the helminths' mode of transmission are compatible with howlers' arboreality and folivorous-frugivorous diet. The howlers were not infected with soil-transmitted helminth parasites of humans and domestic animals on the ground and probably did not eat invertebrates to complement the diet. Given the lack of evidence of howler health problems, we suggest that the causes of death of the necropsied howlers are the major threats to the long-term conservation of the species at the study periurban landscapes.
Topics: Alouatta; Animals; Cestoda; Female; Helminths; Male
PubMed: 34783067
DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23346 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2017Parasitic diseases of camels are major causes of impaired milk and meat production, decreases in performance or even death. Some camel parasites also represent a threat... (Review)
Review
Parasitic diseases of camels are major causes of impaired milk and meat production, decreases in performance or even death. Some camel parasites also represent a threat to human health. About 171,500 one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) and 100-300 two-humped camels (Camelus bactrianus) live in Iran. Knowledge of the biodiversity of their parasites is still limited. The present review covers all information about camel parasitic diseases in Iran published as dissertations and in both Iranian and international journals from 1931 to February 2017. Ten genera of Protozoa (Trypanosoma, Eimeria, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma, Neospora, Sarcocystis, Besnoitia, Theileria, Babesia and Balantidium), 48 helminth species detected in the digestive system, including three species of Trematoda, four species of Cestoda, and 41 species of Nematoda, as well as helminths from other organs - Echinococcus spp., Dictyocaulus filaria, Thelazia leesei, Dipetalonema evansi and Onchocerca fasciata - have so far been described in Iranian camels. Furthermore, 13 species of hard ticks, mange mites, the myiasis flies Cephalopina titillator and Wohlfahrtia magnifica, and immature stages of the Pentastomida Linguatula serrata have also been reported from camels of Iran. Camel parasitic diseases are a major issue in Iran in terms of economics and public health. The present review offers information for an integrated control programme against economically relevant parasites of camels.
Topics: Animals; Camelus; Ectoparasitic Infestations; Iran; Parasitic Diseases, Animal
PubMed: 28617666
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2017024 -
International Journal For Parasitology.... Apr 2022Species of the genus are parasitic nematodes of the family Onchocercidae (Nematoda; Filarioidea) which infect the peritoneal cavity of Neotropical primates. Of these,...
Species of the genus are parasitic nematodes of the family Onchocercidae (Nematoda; Filarioidea) which infect the peritoneal cavity of Neotropical primates. Of these, six species have been taxonomically described, two of these have been reported infecting the black-faced spider monkey (): and . Description of species have been based on morphological characteristics, and their phylogenetic relationships remain unresolved. A few molecular studies have been carried out in spp. infecting Neotropical primates. Seven filarioid nematodes (6 females and one male) recovered from one in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest were morphologically identified as and molecularly characterized. A multi-locus genetic analysis of nuclear ribosomal region (18S) and mitochondrial (, 12S, and ) gene sequences supported as a distinct lineage and yielded a highly resolved phylogenetic lineage tree for this filarioid genus of Neotropical primates. Our results highlighted that species are divided in two well-supported clades, one containing and , and the second containing , and . Due to sequence ambiguities from GenBank entries, relationships among isolates of and cannot be fully resolved, which requires further investigation. However, this suggests that these could represent a species complex. Our study confirms that is a valid species and constitutes the first molecular phylogenetic analysis of this parasite in black-faced spider monkeys.
PubMed: 35096523
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.01.005 -
Parasitology Research Sep 2023Among vector-borne helminths, filarioids of the genus Dipetalonema (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) localize in several tissues and body cavities of several animal species,...
Among vector-borne helminths, filarioids of the genus Dipetalonema (Spirurida: Onchocercidae) localize in several tissues and body cavities of several animal species, causing mild to moderate lesions. The pathological findings associated with Dipetalonema spp. infection in Neotropical monkeys from southern Brazil are herein described, along with a fatal case due to filarial polyserositis and entrapment of an intestinal segment. At necropsy, nematodes were observed in abdominal and thoracic cavities, or in the pericardium of 37 (31.3%) out of the 118 individuals examined (i.e., 35 Alouatta guariba clamitans and two Sapajus nigritus). In addition, at histology, 27.0% of positive animals presented microfilarie (inside blood vessels of lung, spleen, liver, and brain) and 8.1% presented adult nematodes in the heart, lung, and liver. In two cases, cross-sections of filarioids were associated with areas of epicardial thickening with intense fibrosis and pyogranulomatous inflammation in the brain, heart, liver, lungs, or spleen. The DNA fragment was amplify using the cox1 gene, sequenced and analyzed to identify the nematode species collected; presence of Wolbachia was assessed in the filarioids using the 16S rRNA gene. At BLAST analysis of the cox1 gene, 10 sequences showed 91.7% nucleotide identity with Dipetalonema gracile, and two with D. gracile (98.5%) and Dipetalonema graciliformis (98.3%). Phylogenetic analyses clustered sequences of the cox1 obtained in this study in two clades corresponding with the host species. Wolbachia sp. endosymbiont was detected in four samples. Data herein reported provide a description of pathological lesions associated with the infection by Dipetalonema spp., suggesting that they may cause disease in Neotropical monkeys. In addition, a better understanding of diversity and biology of Dipetalonema spp. in South America is needed to assess the impact they may cause in native non-human primates from Brazil.
Topics: Animals; Dipetalonema; Spirurida; Brazil; Haplorhini; Phylogeny; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; Filarioidea; Dipetalonema Infections; Nematoda
PubMed: 37347285
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-023-07895-3 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2023Filarial nematodes of the Dipetalonema lineage are widespread parasites and include some species that are transmitted by ticks. In this study, we conducted a large...
Filarial nematodes of the Dipetalonema lineage are widespread parasites and include some species that are transmitted by ticks. In this study, we conducted a large molecular survey of ticks in French Guiana, South America, to understand the overall diversity of tick-borne filarioids in this remote region largely covered by dense tropical forests. Out of 682 ticks belonging to 22 species and 6 genera, 21 ticks (3.1%) of the species Amblyomma cajennense, A. oblongoguttatum, A. romitii, Ixodes luciae and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato were positive for infection by filarioids. Molecular typing and phylogenetic analysis identified all these filarioids as members of the Dipetalonema lineage. While the filarioid of R. sanguineus sensu lato is a previously described species, the canine worm Cercopithifilaria bainae Almeida & Vicente, 1984, all other filarioids detected in this study are related but distinct to already known species in the genera Cercopithifilaria, Cruorifilaria and Dipetalonema. Their vertebrate host range may include a wide variety of mammals present in French Guiana, but dogs, capybaras, and opossums are the best candidate hosts for some of these filarioids. Although the detection of members of the Dipetalonema lineage in ticks of significant medical or veterinary interest is of concern, the risk of contracting a tick-borne filarial infection is still largely unknown. The pathogenicity of these filarioids, their epidemiology, developmental cycles, and mechanisms of transmission by South American tick species now require further study.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; Dipetalonema; French Guiana; Phylogeny; Dog Diseases; Filarioidea; Ixodes; Tick-Borne Diseases; Mammals
PubMed: 37404115
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2023027 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Dec 2021Camels are important sources of milk, meat, wool and leather, and are widely used in transportation in arid and semi-arid areas. But their illnesses, especially...
Camels are important sources of milk, meat, wool and leather, and are widely used in transportation in arid and semi-arid areas. But their illnesses, especially parasitic diseases, have not been taken into consideration. The microfilariae are in the blood. Adult nematode is only dedicated to camels and disrupts spermatic arteries, lung arteries, right atrium, and testicles. This study was carried out on testicular samples of camels infected with referred from slaughterhouse. In each of the control and contaminated groups, 5 samples were examined. In this study, in addition to the qualitative description of parasite histopathologic lesions, the spermatogenesis process was evaluated quantitatively including spermatogenesis process, diameter of the seminiferous tubules and Johnsen ranking and compared with the control group. Histopathological examination of infected testis with showed lumen obstruction of testicular blood vessels by parasites, hypertrophy of blood vessels, degenerative and necrosis changes in the tubules, decreased spermatogenetic activity, increased interstitial space tubules, destruction of the spermatogenic cells. Also, there was a significant difference in the control and contaminated groups in the parameters of spermatogenesis, diameter of the seminiferous tubules and Johnsen score.
PubMed: 34789978
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01384-z -
Systematic Parasitology Mar 2019Although little studied, infections with nematodes of the Onchocercidae Leiper, 1911, predominated by the genera Dipetalonema Diesing, 1861 and Mansonella Faust, 1929,...
Although little studied, infections with nematodes of the Onchocercidae Leiper, 1911, predominated by the genera Dipetalonema Diesing, 1861 and Mansonella Faust, 1929, are frequent in wild primates and human populations in the Neotropical forest areas. This study reports natural infections with Dipetalonema freitasi Bain, Diagne & Muller, 1987 and D. gracile (Rudolphi, 1809) in two free-living species of pitheciid primates, extending the known geographical distribution of these species to the forest of the Peruvian Amazon. Adult worms were recovered from the thoracic and abdominal cavities of two species of monkeys, Pithecia monachus monachus (É. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire) and Cacajao calvus ucayalii (Thomas) (Primates: Pitheciidae), collected along the Yavari-Mirin River basin and analysed via light and scanning electron microscopy. Both host species represent new host records for D. freitasi and D. gracile. Morphometric data are also presented for the sampled filarial worms in addition to morphological details obtained through light and electron microscopy examination of D. freitasi specimens.
Topics: Abdominal Cavity; Animals; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Nematoda; Pitheciidae; Species Specificity; Thoracic Cavity
PubMed: 30747402
DOI: 10.1007/s11230-019-09838-y -
Veterinary World Nov 2018The present investigation was conducted to study the prevalence of microfilaremia in dogs in Gujarat.
AIM
The present investigation was conducted to study the prevalence of microfilaremia in dogs in Gujarat.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 418 adult dogs aged between 2 and 14 years with signs of weakness and non-specified complaints, presented at TVCC, Deesa (North Gujarat), Nandini Veterinary Hospital, Surat (South Gujarat), and Private Clinics, Ahmedabad (Central Gujarat), were included in the present investigation for studying the prevalence of microfilaremia from July 2016 to May 2017.
RESULTS
A total of 418 dogs were screened, of which 33 were found positive for circulating microfilariae with the prevalence rate of 7.89% in the population. Among microfilaremic dogs, the finding of microfilariae of () reconditum was more common (23 cases; 69.69%) than (10 cases; 30.30%) making their prevalence in the population of 418 dogs as 5.50% and 2.39%, respectively. Breed-wise distribution of microfilaremic dogs revealed that 12 (36.36%), 8 (24.24%), 5 (15.15%), 4 (12.12%), 2 (6.06%), 1 (3.03%), and 1 (3.03%) cases were observed in Pomeranian, non-descript, German Shepherd, Labrador, Great Dane, Lhasa Apso, and Pug dogs, respectively. Of 10 cases of , 5, 2, 2, and 1 were observed in Pomeranian, Labrador, non-descript, and Great Dane dogs, respectively. Cases of were highest in Pomeranian (7), followed by non-descript (6), German Shepherd (5), Labrador (2), Great Dane (1), Lhasa Apso (1), and Pug (1). Age-wise distribution recorded significantly (p≤0.01) higher number of cases in adult dogs (4-14 years) for (30.30%) and (39.39%). Sex-wise distribution of microfilaremic dogs showed that male (22/33, 66.66%) was more predisposed to microfilaremia rather than females (11/33, 33.34%). It is apparent from the study that the number of dogs with microfilaremia due to was significantly (p≤0.01) higher than that of .
CONCLUSION
The present study revealed that microfilaremia due to and is prevalent in the state of Gujarat. The infection with was associated with severe lung and cardiac pathological manifestations.
PubMed: 30587889
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.1564-1568 -
Parasitology Sep 2021Six Dipetalonema species have been reported from Neotropical monkeys, Dipetalonema gracile, Dipetalonema graciliformis and Dipetalonema caudispina being the dominant...
Six Dipetalonema species have been reported from Neotropical monkeys, Dipetalonema gracile, Dipetalonema graciliformis and Dipetalonema caudispina being the dominant species found in French Guiana primates. Adult filarioids isolated from the abdominal cavity of tamarins (Saguinus midas) in French Guiana were morphologically and molecularly identified as D. graciliformis. Phylogenetic analysis based on DNA and amino acid sequences of the cox1 gene as well as the concatenated sequences of the cox1 and the 18S genes indicated that D. graciliformis belongs to the clade 4 (ONC4) of Onchocercidae. Blast analysis of the 18S rDNA revealed that D. graciliformis in the studied tamarins is conspecific with the filarioid circulating in howler monkeys (Alouatta macconnelli) in French Guiana, previously referred to as unidentified Onchocercidae species.
Topics: Animals; Dipetalonema; Dipetalonema Infections; Female; French Guiana; Male; Monkey Diseases; Saguinus
PubMed: 34100346
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021000901 -
Journal of Helminthology Oct 2018Dipetalonema gracile is a common parasite in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), which can cause malnutrition and progressive wasting of the host, and lead to death in...
Dipetalonema gracile is a common parasite in squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus), which can cause malnutrition and progressive wasting of the host, and lead to death in the case of massive infection. This study aimed to identify a suspected D. gracile worm from a dead squirrel monkey by means of molecular biology, and to amplify its complete mitochondrial genome by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequence analysis. The results identified the worm as D. gracile, and the full length of its complete mitochondrial genome was 13,584 bp, which contained 22 tRNA genes, 12 protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes, one AT-rich region and one small non-coding region. The nucleotide composition included A (16.89%), G (20.19%), T (56.22%) and C (6.70%), among which A + T = 73.11%. The 12 protein-coding genes used TTG and ATT as start codons, and TAG and TAA as stop codons. Among the 22 tRNA genes, only trnS1AGN and trnS2UCN exhibited the TΨC-loop structure, while the other 20 tRNAs showed the TV-loop structure. The rrnL (986 bp) and rrnS (685 bp) genes were single-stranded and conserved in secondary structure. This study has enriched the mitochondrial gene database of Dipetalonema and laid a scientific basis for further study on classification, and genetic and evolutionary relationships of Dipetalonema nematodes.
Topics: Animals; Base Composition; Base Sequence; China; Dipetalonema; Dipetalonema Infections; Genome, Helminth; Genome, Mitochondrial; Monkey Diseases; Phylogeny; Saimiri
PubMed: 30326978
DOI: 10.1017/S0022149X18000871