ABSTRACT
We studied infestation rates and parasite-host associations between streblid flies and phyllostomid bats in an Atlantic Forest area of Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil. We captured 301 individuals from seven Phyllostomidae bat species. Out of that total, 69 bats had been parasitised by nine Streblidae species; the most frequent species were Trichobius joblingi and Trichobius tiptoni. The species Paraeuctenodes longipes, associated with Anoura geoffroyi, was the most frequent species. The highest mean intensity was observed for Paraeuctenodes longipes, associated with A. geoffroyi, and Paratrichobius longicrus associated with Artibeus lituratus, both ectoparasite species with a mean intensity of five individuals per bat. Trichobius joblingi exhibited the highest mean abundance, which was over three on its host species. Streblid richness in the study area was similar to the richness found in other studies carried out in the Atlantic Forest. We observed that streblid richness in this biome depends more on inherent characteristics of each physiognomy and on the host-species than on the sampling effort.
Estudou-se as taxas de infestação e as associações parasita-hospedeiros de dípteros estreblídeos ectoparasitas de morcegos filostomídeos, em um fragmento de Mata Atlântica, no estado do Rio de Janeiro. Foram capturados 301 indivíduos de sete espécies de morcegos da família Phyllostomidae. Desse total, 69 morcegos encontravam-se parasitados com nove espécies de Streblidae, sendo Trichobius joblingi e Trichobius tiptoni as espécies mais freqüentes do total de estreblídeos coletados. Paraeuctenodes longipes, associada à Anoura geoffroyi foi a espécie mais prevalente. A maior intensidade média foi encontrada para Paraeuctenodes longipes, associada à A. geoffroyi e Paratrichobius longicrus associada à Artibeus lituratus, ambos com cinco ectoparasitas em média por morcego infestado. Trichobius joblingi apresentou a maior abundância média de infestação, que foi superior a três nas espécies de hospedeiros em que foi encontrada. A riqueza de estreblídeos da área de estudo é similar àquela obtida em outros estudos realizados na Mata Atlântica, e verificou-se que a riqueza de estreblídeos nesse bioma depende mais de outras características inerentes a cada fitofisionomia e à espécie hospedeira do que do esforço amostral de coleta.
Subject(s)
Animals , Diptera , Host-Parasite Interactions , Chiroptera/parasitology , BrazilABSTRACT
We studied infestation rates and parasite-host associations between streblid flies and phyllostomid bats in an Atlantic Forest area of Rio de Janeiro state, southeastern Brazil. We captured 301 individuals from seven Phyllostomidae bat species. Out of that total, 69 bats had been parasitised by nine Streblidae species; the most frequent species were Trichobius joblingi and Trichobius tiptoni. The species Paraeuctenodes longipes, associated with Anoura geoffroyi, was the most frequent species. The highest mean intensity was observed for Paraeuctenodes longipes, associated with A. geoffroyi, and Paratrichobius longicrus associated with Artibeus lituratus, both ectoparasite species with a mean intensity of five individuals per bat. Trichobius joblingi exhibited the highest mean abundance, which was over three on its host species. Streblid richness in the study area was similar to the richness found in other studies carried out in the Atlantic Forest. We observed that streblid richness in this biome depends more on inherent characteristics of each physiognomy and on the host-species than on the sampling effort.
Subject(s)
Chiroptera/parasitology , Diptera/physiology , Ectoparasitic Infestations/veterinary , Host-Parasite Interactions , Animals , Brazil , Chiroptera/classification , Ectoparasitic Infestations/parasitologyABSTRACT
Existem diversas espécies de morcegos no Brasil, sendo somente três hematófagas. O morcego Desmodus rotundus (Geoffroy, 1810), conhecido como "morcego vampiro comum", apresenta-se amplamente distribuído por todo território brasileiro e é encontrado em maior número do que as outras espécies de morcegos hematófagos. É responsável pela transmissão de diferentes doenças a outros mamíferos, especialmente a raiva nos herbívoros. Com o objetivo de avaliar regionalmente os ferimentos causados pelo D. rotundus em bovinos sob condições de campo, foram estudadas 12 propriedades rurais no período de março de 2005 a março de 2006 no Município de Valença, RJ. De um total de 580 bovinos examinados, foram observados 101 com ferimentos provocados por morcegos hematófagos (D. rotundus). Após análise dos resultados, pôde-se concluir que D. rotundus utiliza diferentes locais para se alimentar nos bovinos e as regiões corporais que apresentaram maior número de ferimentos foram a ântero e a póstero-superior. O elevado número de ferimentos encontrados, na metade superior dos bovinos (85,87%), justifica a adoção de metodologias de controle populacional de morcegos hematófagos que utilizem o contato corporal desses morcegos com o dorso do animal.
Brazil possesses a large amount of bat species, only 3 of which are haematophagous. The most abundant species, Desmodus rotundus (Geoffroy, 1810), is widely distributed throughout the Brazilian territory and it is involved in the transmission of several diseases to other animals, notably to herbivorous species, in the case of rabies. This study presents the topographical analysis of wounds caused by D. rotundus in bovines from 12 different rural properties in the county of Valença, state of Rio de Janeiro, where 101 bovines out of 580 examined in a year showed wounds caused by haematophagous bats. Analysis of the results leads to the conclusion that D. rotundus uses different sites to feed from the bovine's body and that the superior body region was the most frequently used. The increased number of wounds found in the bovine's superior half region (85.87%) will justify the use of bat population control methodologies which take into consideration the bat's corporal contact with the dorsal region of bovines.
Subject(s)
Animals , Cattle , Wounds and Injuries/veterinary , Bites and Stings/veterinary , ChiropteraABSTRACT
The buffy-headed marmoset (Callithrix flaviceps) is apparently the only predispersal herbivore of the seeds of Siparuna guianensis at the Caratinga Biological Station in southeastern Brazil. Both the fruit receptacles and the frutioles (seeds) of S. guianensis are relatively rich in nutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids, but the receptacles contain high concentrations of benzylisoquinoline alkaloids. The latter presumably act as a qualitative chemical defense, impeding the access of potential predators to the alkaloid-poor frutioles. However, on ripening, the receptacle splits open, exposing the frutioles, which enables C. flaviceps to avoid the plant's chemical defenses effectively. Taking care to avoid contact with the receptacle, the marmosets pluck out the frutioles and ingest the seeds. Qualitative and quantitative changes (in particular a significant reduction in daily ranging) in the marmosets' behavior during the period when S. guianensis frutioles were accessible indicate that this was a preferred plant resource. This is the first record of the consumption of S. guianensis seeds by callitrichine monkeys (which are not known to be systematic seed eaters), despite the fact that both are widely distributed in the Neotropics. It is thus possible that the behavioral strategy observed here is a unique phenomenon resulting from a specific combination of factors, including the abundance of S. guianensis within the study area. The lack of other records may nevertheless be a result of insufficient sampling effort, in which case, the feeding strategies of callitrichines may have an important influence on the reproductive biology of S. guianensis in many areas.
Subject(s)
Callithrix/physiology , Diet/veterinary , Ecology , Magnoliopsida/chemistry , Alkaloids , Animals , Brazil , Feeding Behavior/physiology , Seeds , TreesABSTRACT
The authors studied 20 patients undergoing cardiac surgery with extracorporeal circulation using a protocol proposed by Bull for the control of heparinization using the activated coagulation time of whole blood proposed by Hattersley. The patients, alterations in the coagulation and in red cell values were evaluated comparing the pre-operatory values with the post-operatory ones. The activated coagulation time (ACT) was evaluated as to its variability in different periods (pre, trans, and post-surgery). All the results were compared with world literature. They conclude that it is an excellent method for the control of the monitoring of heparin therapy and neutralization with protamine sulfate, which was used in lower doses than those referred to in literature. No post-operatory complications due to alterations in the coagulation system were observed. The total doses of heparin and protamine per kilogram were, respectively, 5.85 mg and 4.34 mg. There was significant variation between the erythrocytes, the hemoglobin and the platelets (p less than 0.001). As to the prothrombin time, the partial thromboplastin time, the coagulation time and the fibrinogen, none showed significant variation. The ACT did not show significant variation between the values obtained during perfusion, and neither between the basal value and the value post-protamine, the basal and the 30 minutes post-protamine, and the post-protamine and 30 minutes post-protamine.
