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Helminthologia Mar 2022The gray snapper is a commercially important fish species along its distribution range in the western Atlantic Ocean. However, despite its importance, there is still...
The gray snapper is a commercially important fish species along its distribution range in the western Atlantic Ocean. However, despite its importance, there is still little knowledge about its parasitic fauna for the Mexican coasts of the Gulf of Mexico. The aims of this research were to generate a list of the parasitic fauna present in juvenile gray snapper from a coastal lagoon located in southeastern Mexico, to evaluate the infection levels of parasites and to determine the relationship between the abundance of parasites and the fish size and condition factor. Samples of (12 - 29.2 mm) were obtained in two periods of the year (dry and rainy seasons) to examine the intra-annual variability of its parasitic fauna. A total of 17 parasite species were recorded belonging to six taxonomic groups (Myxozoa, Monogenea, Digenea, Cestoda, Nematoda and Acanthocephala). The highest levels of infection (abundance, prevalence and intensity of infection) were found for the monogeneans and . There were no significant correlations between the total abundance of parasites and the fish condition and size (total length) in not any of the two seasons studied, suggesting that the body size and the biological condition index of the host did not directly influence the abundance of parasites in early life stages of . Moreover, the species of parasites found that could be zoonotic for humans through the consumption of raw or inadequately cooked fish were the nematodes sp. type 1, sp. type 2, and sp. The presence of the monogeneans and was also highlighted because these ectoparasite species are known to cause harm to fish under culture systems. All the parasite species found in this study, except nematodes, were new records of geographic distribution.
PubMed: 35601767
DOI: 10.2478/helm-2022-0003 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2022Our aim was to assess endoparasite diversity and liver alterations in Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus (jeju) and Cichlasoma bimaculatum (acará preto) in a quilombola area...
Our aim was to assess endoparasite diversity and liver alterations in Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus (jeju) and Cichlasoma bimaculatum (acará preto) in a quilombola area in Maranhão, Brazil. For this, 21 H. unitaeniatus and 21 C. bimaculatum were caught in a natural environment and transported to a laboratory. After these had been euthanized, endoparasites were collected and identified. Liver alterations were evaluated histological analysis based on the severity of each lesion: stage I, organ functioning not compromised; stage II, more severe lesions that impair normal functioning of the organs; and stage III, very severe and irreversible lesions. Among the fish evaluated, 71.43% H. unitaeniatus and 61.90% C. bimaculatum were parasitized. Contracaecum sp. was found in both species; while acanthocephalans, only in H. unitaeniatus. The alterations were vacuolization, nucleus in the cell periphery, deformation of the cell outline, melanomacrophage center, hyperemia, cytoplasmic degeneration and nuclear vacuolization. Through calculating a histological alteration index, it was found that 26.19% of the specimens presented lesions in stage I; 38.09% lesions in stage II and 9.52% lesions in stage III. It was concluded that there is high prevalence of Contracaecum sp. and that the liver lesions may be adaptive responses by the fish to endoparasitic infection.
Topics: Acanthocephala; Animals; Brazil; Characiformes; Cichlids; Fish Diseases; Helminthiasis, Animal; Liver
PubMed: 35476008
DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612022022 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2022The endoparasitic fauna of Acestrorhynchus lacustris from eight marginal lagoons of the upper and middle São Francisco river basin, Brazil, is recorded here for the...
The endoparasitic fauna of Acestrorhynchus lacustris from eight marginal lagoons of the upper and middle São Francisco river basin, Brazil, is recorded here for the first time. For this, a total of 106 specimens of A. lacustris were collected. Eighteen helminth species were found. The taxa recorded were phylum Platyhelminthes: one metacercaria of Clinostomum sp. (Trematoda: Clinostomidae) and plerocercoid larvae of unidentified species (Eucestoda: Proteocephalidae gen. sp.); phylum Acanthocephala: juvenile of Quadrigyrus sp.; and phylum Nematoda: larvae of Brevimulticaecum sp., Contracaecum sp. Type1, Contracaecum sp. Type2, Hysterothylacium sp., Gnathostoma sp., Spiroxys sp., juvenile and adult specimens of Freitascapillaria sp., Paracapillaria piscicola, Capillariidae gen. sp., Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) hilarii, Procamallanus (S.) inopinatus, Procamallanus (S.) saofranciscencis, Travassosnema travassosi paranaensis, Cystidicoloides fischeri and Spinitectus rodolphiheringi. Proteocephalidae gen. sp., Contracaecum sp. Type1 and Travassosnema t. paranaensis were present in all eight lagoons with high parasitic indexes. Proteocephalidae gen. sp., Brevimulticaecum sp., Gnathostoma sp., Freitascapillaria sp., P. piscicola, Capillariidae gen. sp., Procamallanus (S.) hilarii, C. fischeri and S. rodolphiheringi are new records for A. lacustris. The known geographical distribution of Gnathostoma sp., Freitascapillaria sp., P. piscicola, Capillariidae gen. sp., Procamallanus (S.) hilarii and Travassosnema t. paranaensis has now been extended to the São Francisco river basin.
Topics: Animals; Ascaridoidea; Brazil; Characiformes; Helminths; Leeches; Rivers; Spirurida
PubMed: 35476007
DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612022023 -
Parasitology Apr 2022The taxonomy of the 10 recognized species associated with emydid turtles is complex due to the morphological conservatism. In the present study, specimens of from...
Phenotypic plasticity, genetic structure, and systematic position of Fisher, 1960 (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) a parasite of emydid turtles from the Nearctic and Neotropical regions.
The taxonomy of the 10 recognized species associated with emydid turtles is complex due to the morphological conservatism. In the present study, specimens of from northern and southeastern Mexico exhibit great phenotypic plasticity on its diagnostic characteristics. We sequenced three molecular markers: the internal transcribed spacers ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene, the D2 + D3 domains of the large subunit from nuclear DNA and cytochrome oxidase subunit I () from mitochondrial DNA. Sequences of the nuclear molecular markers were aligned and compared with other congeneric species associated with emydids available in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses supported the polyphyly of . The species from emydids formed a clade, which was subdivided into five subclades that correspond with each species analysed (, , , and ). To understand better the genetic structure of a haplotype network was inferred with 29 sequences, revealing the presence of 13 haplotypes, two of which were shared and 11 were unique. The high values of fixation index, (0.4227–0.8925) detected between the two populations from southeastern and the two from northern Mexico indicated low genetic flow among the populations. Our data suggest that the species associated with emydid turtles diversified in the eastern USA and that of expanded its distribution range reached southeastern Mexico.
PubMed: 35437127
DOI: 10.1017/S003118202200049X -
Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety May 2022Modern wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove pollutants. Often, effluents entering the aquatic environment still contain micropollutants such as...
Modern wastewater treatment plants cannot completely remove pollutants. Often, effluents entering the aquatic environment still contain micropollutants such as pharmaceuticals or pesticides, which may impose adverse effects on aquatic biota. At the same time, a large proportion of free-living aquatic species are known to be infected with parasites, which raises the question of interactions between environmental stressors (such as micropollutants) and parasite infection. We chose the freshwater amphipod Gammarus fossarum (Koch, 1835) as a test organism to investigate potential pollutant-parasite interactions. This gammarid is frequently used in ecotoxicological tests and is also commonly infected with larvae of the acanthocephalan parasite species Polymorphus minutus (Zeder, 1800) Lühe, 1911. We exposed infected and uninfected specimens of G. fossarum to conventionally-treated wastewater and river water in a 22-day flow channel experiment. The test organisms' response was measured as mortality rates, concentrations or activities of five biomarkers, and overall locomotor activity. No significant differences were found between mortality rates of different exposure conditions. Contrastingly, three biomarkers (phenoloxidase activity, glycogen, and lipid concentrations) showed a significant increase in infected gammarids, while the effect of the water type was insignificant. Infected gammarids also showed a significantly higher locomotor activity in both water types. Our results suggest that the response of G. fossarum during the exposure experiments was mainly driven by parasite infection. This implies that parasites may act as additional biotic stressors in multiple stressor scenarios, and therefore, might play an important role when measuring the response of organisms to chemical stressors. Future ecotoxicological studies and assessments thus should consider parasite infection as an additional test parameter.
Topics: Acanthocephala; Amphipoda; Animals; Biomarkers; Host-Parasite Interactions; Locomotion; Parasitic Diseases; Wastewater; Water; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 35390685
DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2022.113474 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Apr 2022Arctic species are likely to experience rapid shifts in prey availability under climate change, which may alter their exposure to microbes and parasites. Here, we...
Arctic species are likely to experience rapid shifts in prey availability under climate change, which may alter their exposure to microbes and parasites. Here, we describe fecal bacterial and macroparasite communities and assess correlations with diet trophic level in Pacific walruses harvested during subsistence hunts by members of the Native Villages of Gambell and Savoonga on St Lawrence Island, Alaska. Fecal bacterial communities were dominated by relatively few taxa, mostly belonging to phyla Fusobacteriota and Firmicutes. Members of parasite-associated phyla Nematoda, Acanthocephala and Platyhelminthes were prevalent in our study population. We hypothesized that high versus low prey trophic level (e.g. fish versus bivalves) would result in different gut bacterial and macroparasite communities. We found that bacterial community structure correlated to diet, with nine clades enriched in walruses consuming higher-trophic-level prey. While no parasite compositional differences were found at the phylum level, the cestode genus was more prevalent and abundant in walruses consuming higher-trophic-level prey, probably because fish are the intermediate hosts for this genus. This study suggests that diet is important for structuring both parasite and microbial communities of this culturally and ecologically important species, with potential implications for population health under climate change.
Topics: Animals; Arctic Regions; Diet; Humans; Microbiota; Parasites; Walruses
PubMed: 35382593
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0079 -
Parasitology Feb 2022The egg is one of the fundamental parts of the life cycle of Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae, and this stage involves the acanthor larva. It is also the infection phase for...
The egg is one of the fundamental parts of the life cycle of Neoechinorhynchus buttnerae, and this stage involves the acanthor larva. It is also the infection phase for the intermediate host. Under normal conditions, the larva inside the egg can survive for months in the environment; however, information regarding this phase of life of the parasite is scarce. In addition, there is no quantitative information about the structural composition of the parasite's body from a histological point of view. Such information is essential in order to support decisions aimed at controlling infestations by these parasites in fish farming. This study aimed to present a detailed description of the stages of embryonic development of N. buttnerae eggs, as well as a stereological evaluation of the body of adult females of the parasite. Three phases of development characterized the eggs: cell division (with four stages), formation of the internal nuclear mass (with four stages) and formation of the acanthor larva (with five stages). The ovary comprised 26.61% of the volume of the animal and most of it contained eggs (21.28%), ovarian balls (3.88%) and empty spaces (1.45%). These results are of great importance and will support future studies that seek to interrupt the life cycle of this parasite.
Topics: Acanthocephala; Animals; Embryonic Development; Female; Fish Diseases; Helminthiasis, Animal; Larva; Life Cycle Stages
PubMed: 35234598
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021001712 -
Revista Brasileira de Parasitologia... 2022We performed coproparasitological testing of free-living golden-headed lion tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, using the Hoffmann-Pons-Janner method. In total, we...
We performed coproparasitological testing of free-living golden-headed lion tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, using the Hoffmann-Pons-Janner method. In total, we collected 118 samples from ten groups: four living in Federal Protected Area and six living in Non-Protected Areas of cocoa farms. Eggs from parasites of the Acanthocephala phylum and Spiruridae, Ancylostomatidae, Ascarididae and Oxyuridae families were identified, as well as the genus Strongyloides (Nematode: Strongyloididae) and phylum Apicomplexa. This is the first description of infection with coccidian, Trichuridae family and Strongyloides spp. in L. chrysomelas. A total of 48% (n= 57) of the animals were infected and the highest prevalence (37.2±SD 8.72, n = 44) was for Acanthocephalidae, followed by Spiruridae (8.5±SD 5.03, n = 10). There was no difference in parasite prevalence by age classes or sex. However, we found higher diversity and prevalence of parasites in animals living in the Federal Protected Area. These results suggest that intestinal parasites may be influenced by environmental factors, such as the management of the areas where the animals live, in addition to the feeding behavior of L. chrysomelas and distinct transmission strategies of parasites. The combination of ecological and demographic data combined with parasitological studies may contribute to conservation programs for this species.
Topics: Animals; Brazil; Forests; Leontopithecus; Monkey Diseases; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases, Animal
PubMed: 35195183
DOI: 10.1590/S1984-29612022005 -
Parasite (Paris, France) 2022The morphology of cystacanths and adults of Profilicollis altmani (Perry, 1942) Van Cleave, 1947 (Polymorphidae) were studied from the Pacific mole crab Emerita analoga...
A comparative assessment of the morphology of Profilicollis altmani (Acanthocephala, Polymorphidae) from crustaceans and shore birds in Peru, with special notes on hook elemental analysis (EDXA), SEM imaging, histopathology, and molecular profile.
The morphology of cystacanths and adults of Profilicollis altmani (Perry, 1942) Van Cleave, 1947 (Polymorphidae) were studied from the Pacific mole crab Emerita analoga (Stimpson) (Crustacea, Hippidae) and Belcher's gull Larus belcheri (Vigors) (Aves, Laridae), respectively, in Peru. Comparative morphometrics with accounts of other populations of P. altmani from elsewhere off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts of North and South America revealed marked intraspecific population variations. We report scanning electron micrographs (SEM) of new features, not before noted or captured in line drawings by earlier observers. We further present microscope images that reveal internal details not previously reported or possible to see with SEM. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) revealed unusual patterns in the chemistry of proboscis hooks especially the high sulfur and diminished phosphorous and calcium in hook tips and low sulfur and high levels of phosphorous and calcium at mid hooks. The size and shape of all hooks of the cystacanths are reported for the first time. Histopathological studies in L. belcheri from Peru are also included. Cystacanths of P. altmani from California were also analyzed for molecular patterns and compared with other sequences reported from other locations. The molecular data and the analysis of our new sequences of cytochrome oxidase I (COI) showed that haplotypes of P. altmani had low genetic variation; the species is not geographically structured, and within its clade no monophyletic group is formed.
Topics: Acanthocephala; Animals; Anomura; Birds; Electrons; Helminthiasis, Animal; Peru; X-Rays
PubMed: 35191831
DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2022005 -
Parasitology Dec 2021Among the parasitic taxa studied for their metal accumulation properties, especially Acanthocephala and Cestoda proved to be promising sentinels for metal pollution....
Among the parasitic taxa studied for their metal accumulation properties, especially Acanthocephala and Cestoda proved to be promising sentinels for metal pollution. However, studies on metal accumulation are still sparse for other parasite groups, mainly due to their small body size. In the present study, we collected the relatively large-sized monogenean Mazocraes alosae Hermann, 1782 from the gills of Pontic Shad (Alosa immaculata Bennet 1835) from its spawning region – the Danube River. The host tissues gills, muscle, intestine and liver, the monogeneans as well as the nematode Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802), in the cases of coinfected fish, were analysed for the elements As, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Pb, Se and Zn. All elements (except of As) were found in higher concentrations in monogeneans and nematodes compared to host muscle tissue. High bioconcentration factors were obtained for toxic elements such as Cd and Pb with concentrations being approximately 12 and 251 times higher in monogeneans and 773 and 33 in nematodes, respectively, as compared to host muscle tissue. In comparison to other host organs, however, some elements were found in similar or even lower concentrations in the parasites. Thus, monogeneans do not exhibit the high accumulation potential reported for other parasitic taxa. Physiological adaptations of the migratory host fish between freshwater and marine habitats with differences in uptake pathways and biological availability of elements can be discussed as a possible explanation for this divergent accumulation pattern.
PubMed: 35156591
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021002080