Lesions caused by anisakid and capillariid in Cairina moschata raised on Marajó island, state of Pará, Brazil / [Lesões por anisakideos e capillariideos em Cairina moschata criados na Ilha de Marajó, estado do Pará, Brasil]

The Muscovy duck is a commercially important bird on the island of Marajó usually raised in a peculiar system that includes supplying fish viscera to the birds under semi-extensive farming conditions. This enables a risk of contamination and losses in the production of these birds, resulting from injuries caused by helminth infections, especially nematodes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the histopathological changes caused by nematodes of the genera: Eucoleus, Anisakis and Contracaecum. Thirty-three ducks with lesions in the esophagus and ventricle were analyzed. Histopathological exams showed a mild inflammatory infiltrate in the submucosa of the esophagus caused by the fixation of E. contortus and third stage larvae of Anisakis sp., and we recorded third stage larvae of Contracaecum sp. parasitizing the ventricle, this being the first record of this parasite in ducks in Brazil.(AU)

O pato doméstico é uma ave amplamente comercializada na Ilha de Marajó, com um peculiar manejo que inclui a oferta de vísceras de peixes aos animais em criações semiextensivas, propiciando, assim, risco de contaminação e perdas na produção dessas aves decorrentes de lesões oriundas de infecções por helmintos, especialmente os nematódeos. Nesse sentido, objetivou-se avaliar as alterações histopatológicas causadas por nematódeos dos gêneros: Eucoleus, Anisakis e Contracaecum. Foram analisados 33 patos, e três exemplares apresentaram lesões no esôfago e no ventrículo. Exames histopatológicos demonstraram discreto infiltrado inflamatório na submucosa do esôfago ocasionado pela fixação de E. contortus e larvas de terceiro estágio de Anisakis sp., bem como foram registradas larvas de terceiro estágio de Contracaecum sp. parasitando o ventrículo, sendo esse o primeiro registro desse parasito em patos no Brasil.(AU)

A new species of Rhabdias (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae), a lung parasite of Pseudopaludicola pocoto (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from north-eastern Brazil: description and phylogenetic analyses.

Rhabdias pocoto n. sp. is herein described from the lungs of the swamp frog Pseudopaludicola pocoto Magalhães, Loebmann, Nogueira, Kokubum, Baptista, Haddad & Garda, 2014, from the Caatinga biome in the state of Ceará, in north-eastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by a body that dilates posteriorly, six small lips (protuberances) and two rounded lateral expansions of cuticular inflation on the anterior end, each containing an amorphous gland-like structure inside and a short and conical tail. Additionally, molecular analysis and comparison of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I sequence of R. pocoto n. sp. revealed genetic divergence between the new species and the sequences of Rhabdias spp. previously deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis grouped the new taxon into the R. pseudosphaerocephala species complex + R. glaurungi clade. The new discovery represents the 19th species of Rhabdias spp. described in the Neotropical region, the ninth in Brazil and the first species of Rhabdias found parasitizing South American frogs of the genus Pseudopaludicola, as well as the first Caatinga biome species of Rhabdias.

Co-infection with filarial nematodes in Sapajus macrocephalus and Cebus albifrons (Primates: Cebidae) from the Peruvian Amazon.

Dipetalonema caudispina (Molin, 1858) and D. gracile (Rudolphi, 1809) (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) are two of six known species of filarial nematodes that parasitize Neotropical non-human primates. Adult filariae were collected from the thoracic and abdominal cavities of 38 of 44 specimens of Sapajus macrocephalus (Spix, 1823) and nine of ten specimens of Cebus albifrons (Humboldt, 1812) (Primates: Cebidae), distributed in the Yavarí-Mirín river basin and used locally for human consumption. Co-occurrence of D. caudispina and D. gracile is reported for the first time, with a prevalence of 18.5% (10 of 54 hosts examined). Our finding of D. caudispina and D. gracile in cebids from the Peruvian Amazon constitutes a new geographical record for both filariae, two new host records for D. caudispina, and the first report of D. gracile in S. macrocephalus. In addition, we provide morphometric data for D. caudispina, complementing the original description, as well as scanning electron microscopy details on the structure of the area rugosa and number of caudal papillae in males.

A new species of Diomedenema (Nematoda, Rhabditida, Spiruromorpha) from Spheniscus magellanicus (Aves, Sphenisciformes) found on the southern coast of Brazil.

A new species of the genus Diomedenema, a spiruromorph nematode, collected from the lung of Spheniscus magellanicus (Sphenisciformes) found on the southern coast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is described. The new species is differentiated from the only previously described species of the genus, D. diomedeae Johston & Mawson, 1952, by males possessing a set of caudal papillae with three pairs of precloacal, two pairs of adcloacal and one pair of postcloacal papillae; precloacal papillae with the papillae of the first two pairs being closer to each other than those of the third pair; a longer and pointed tail in males; and females with the vulva at mid-body. This is the first report of a nematode infecting the lung of a sphenisciforme host.

Nematodes Parasites of Teiid Lizards from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.

This study presents the helminth composition and parameters of infection by several species of nematodes in teiid lizards, Ameiva ameiva ameiva (Linnaeus, 1758), Cnemidophorus cryptus Cole and Dessauer, 1993, and Kentropyx calcarata Spix, 1825 from the Brazilian Amazonian Rainforest. The population of lizards studied were parasitized by 6 species of Phylum Nemata including: Spinicauda spinicauda (Olfers, 1919), Parapharyngodon alvarengai Freitas, 1957, Physaloptera sp. (adults), Physaloptera sp. (larvae), Piratuba digiticauda Lent and Freitas, 1941, and Anisakidae (larvae). The overall prevalence was 66.17% and the mean intensity of infection was 19.40 ± 25.48. The association between the body-length of lizards and the abundance and richness of parasitic nematodes was statistically significant only in Ameiva a. ameiva. A new host record is reported here with 1 specimen of the family Anasakidae in Ameiva a. ameiva. Both S. spinicauda and Physaloptera sp. represent new records from C. cryptus.

Morphology of the oxyurid nematodes Trypanoxyuris (T.) cacajao n. sp. and T. (T.) ucayalii n. sp. from the red uakari monkey Cacajao calvus ucayalii in the Peruvian Amazon.

Cacajao calvus ucayalii (Thomas, 1928) (Primates: Pitheciidae), a subspecies endemic to the Peruvian Amazon, occurs in patchy and sometimes isolated populations in north-eastern Peru and is in a vulnerable situation, mainly due to habitat loss and hunting. This rareness and remote distribution means that, until now, parasitical studies have been limited. Based on optical and scanning electron microscopy of specimens of both sexes, we report two new species of Trypanoxyuris pinworms occurring in the large intestine of the Peruvian red uakari, namely Trypanoxyuris (Trypanoxyuris) cacajao and Trypanoxyuris (Trypanoxyuris) ucayalii. Both species showed a distinct morphology of the lips and cephalic structure. Sexual dimorphism in the lateral alae was observed in both male and the female worms, with ventral ornamentation being shown in the oesophageal teeth. The finding of these new pinworm species highlights the possibility of discovering other species.

A description of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) veropesoi n. sp. (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) from the intestine of the silver croaker fish Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) off the east coast of Brazil.

Plagioscion squamosissimus (Heckel, 1840) (Osteichthyes: Sciaenidae) is considered piscivorous and is a generalist species endemic to the Amazon region. This fish is an important part of the natural ecosystems in which it occurs and provides basic functional components in the food web. The genus Neoechinorhynchus Stiles & Hassall, 1905 is distributed worldwide and parasitizes fish and turtles, but there are few reports of parasites of this genus in South America, due to the high diversity of fish that can be found in this region. A new species of thorny-headed worm (Acanthocephala: Neoechinorhynchidae) is described from P. squamosissimus from Guajará Bay, Belém, Pará, Brazil. In general, the unique characteristics of the hooks on the anterior end of the proboscis and the length-to-width ratio relationship separate this new species from other described species in the genus Neoechinorhynchus. Although the species in this genus are mostly found in North America, the dearth of species known from the neotropics may be due to the lack of studies in this region.

Morphological and Morphometric Description of Female Reproductive Tract of Sapajus apella (Capuchin monkey).

Forest destruction has progressively hampered the survival of many species, and this is why it is so important to study of the lives of primates in captivity. This study aimed to describe the morphological aspects of the female reproductive tract of Sapajus apella. We used five animals obtained from the National Primate Center, Ananindeua - PA. The ovaries were paired, compact and symmetrical and had a smooth surface. The uterine tubes were bilateral and convoluted in adult animals and straight in young individuals. The uterus was simple and located in the pelvic region. The vagina was a long structure due to the position of the uterus. The external genitalia were located in the urogenital perineum and consisted of dark pigmented labia majora and labia minora, a vaginal vestibule as long as the vagina and a well-developed clitoris. The results showed that the genitals of S. apella resemble those of other Neotropical primates.

Rohdella amazonica n. sp. (Aspidogastrea: Aspidogastridae) from the Amazoninan banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801).

Aspidogastreans are commonly found infecting freshwater and marine molluscs, teleosts fishes and freshwater turtles. The subclass comprises four families - Rugogastridae Schell 1973, Stichocotylidae Faust & Tang 1936, Multicalycidae Gibson & Chinabut 1984 and Aspidogastridae Poche 1907 - and it is characterized by the presence of a ventral adhesive disc divided into rows of alveoli. In the current work, using light and scanning electron microscopy and molecular approaches, a new species of Aspidogastridae of the genus Rohdella Gibson & Chinabut, 1984, is described as a parasite of Colomesus psittacus in Brazil. The new taxon is distinguishable by the presence of oesophageal glands, teguments covered by ciliated papillae, and the position and shape of the hermaphroditic duct. The present work describes the third species of the genus Rohdella, thereby adding new morphological and molecular data regarding Aspidogastridae.

Endemic angiostrongyliasis in the Brazilian Amazon: natural parasitism of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in Rattus rattus and R. norvegicus, and sympatric giant African land snails, Achatina fulica.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis, the rat lungworm, is one etiological agent of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis in humans. This zoonosis is frequently found in Asia and, more recently, in North America, Caribbean Island and northeastern of South America. Until now, research of A. cantonensis in southern, southeastern and northeastern regions of Brazil has been found natural infections only terrestrial and freshwater intermediate snail hosts (Achatina fulica, Sarasinula marginata, Subulina octona, Bradybaena similaris and Pomacea lineate). In this study, we examined the occurrence of helminthes in the synantropic rodents Rattus rattus and Rattus norvegicus in northern Brazil, focusing on the role of these species as vertebrate hosts of A. cantonensis and A. fulica as intermediate host have found natural. Thirty specimens of R. rattus and twelve of R. norvegicus were collected in the Guamá and Jurunas neighborhoods of the city of Belém, in the Brazilian state of Pará, of which almost 10% harbored adult worms in their pulmonary arteries. Sympatric A. fulica were found to be infected by L(3) larvae, which experimental infection confirmed to be A. cantonensis. Natural infection of snails and rodents with A. cantonensis was confirmed through morphological and morphometrical analyses of adults and larvae using light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and molecular sequences of partial Cytochrome Oxidase subunit I. Phylogenetic analyses showed that A. cantonensis isolated from Pará, Brazil is similar to Japan isolate; once these specimens produced a single haplotype with high bootstrap support with Rio de Janeiro isolate. This study confirms that A. cantonensis is now endemic in northern Brazil, and that R. rattus and R. norvegicus act as natural definitive hosts, and A. fulica as the intermediate host of the parasite in this region.

First record of larval Pseudoproleptus sp. (Nematoda: Cystidicolidae) in fish host.

Infective third-stage larvae of the cystidicolid nematode Pseudoproleptus sp. were found encapsulated in the mesentery of the freshwater fish Satanoperca jurupari Heckel (Cichlidae) from the Guamá River, close to the Amazon River Delta, Pará State, Brazil. The prevalence in fish (total body length 9-24 cm) examined from March 2009 to June 2010 (n=53) was 37%, with an intensity of 4-45 (mean 14±11) larvae per fish. The nematode larvae (body length 16.2-21.6mm), characterized by the cephalic end provided with a helmet-like cuticular structure having a thickened free posterior margin, were studied based on light and scanning electron microscopy. Fish play a role of paratenic hosts for this nematode species. This is the first record of a larval nematode of the genus Pseudoproleptus from fish, and the second record of a larval nematode belonging to Cystidicolidae in the Amazon and in the Neotropics. Additional larval specimens were found free in the stomach of only 0.9% Ageneiosus ucayalensis Castelnau (Auchenipteridae) examined (n=205). This finding can be considered as occasional parasitism.