Morphological observation and molecular phylogeny of Spirometra decipiens complex 1 (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) found in cat from Chile.

The systematics of tapeworms in the genus Spirometra has been progressing with the accumulation of molecular genetics data, but the taxonomic status of many nominal species remains under debate. We report morphological and molecular-phylogenetic data for a Spirometra species collected from a domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) in Chiloé Island, Chile. The Spirometra species was shown to be genetically conspecific with Spirometra decipiens complex 1 found in a Pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) from Argentina, and was closely related to a Hoary fox (Lycalopex vetulus) and rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus) from Brazil. Therefore, the presence of S. decipiens complex 1 was molecularly confirmed for the first time in Chile. The findings of the present study add useful information for the systematics of poorly known Spirometra species in South America.

Spirometra mansonoides from a domestic cat in northeastern Brazil: case report / Spirometra mansonoidesde um gato doméstico no nordeste do Brasil: relato de caso

Class Cestoda, in addition to causing problems for the health of animals, has been very relevant for human public health due to the zoonotic character of some species. In reporting a case of a domestic cat diagnosed with Spirometra mansonoides in northeastern Brazil, we demonstrate the importance of the association among different diagnostic techniques in the identification of the parasite, as well as report the presence of this parasite in domestic cats in the Northeast region. An old female feline with limited mobility was rescued and clinically evaluated. The observed bowel loop thickening and cachexia were suggestive of parasitosis, but the diagnosis and therapy were initially concentrated only on the fracture of a limb. Two months after the first diagnosis, the animal spontaneously expelled a parasite in its stool. Eggs and an adult parasite were found and identified by the association of diagnostic techniques such as coproparasitological and morphological studies. The case was the first to identify the species in the region and to signal the epidemiological surveillance of the zoonotic potential of the specimen.(AU)

A classe Cestoda, além de causar problemas para a saúde dos animais, tem se mostrado muito relevante para a saúde pública humana devido ao caráter zoonóticode algumas espécies. Ao relatar o caso de um gato doméstico com diagnóstico de Spirometra mansonoidesno Nordeste do Brasil, demonstramos a importância da associação entre diferentes técnicas diagnósticas na identificação do parasita, como também relatamos a presença deste parasita em gatos domésticos da região Nordeste. Uma felina idosa com mobilidade limitada foi resgatada e avaliada clinicamente. O espessamento da alça intestinal e a caquexia observada foram sugestivos de parasitose, mas o diagnóstico ea terapia foram inicialmente concentrados apenas na fratura de um membro. Dois meses após o primeiro diagnóstico, o animal expeliu espontaneamente um parasita em suas fezes. Ovos e um parasita adulto foram encontrados e identificados pela associação de técnicas diagnósticas como estudos coproparasitológicos e morfológicos. O caso foi o primeiro a identificar a espécie na região e a sinalizar a vigilância epidemiológica do potencial zoonótico do espécime.(AU)

Spirometra mansonoides from a domestic cat in northeastern Brazil: case report / Spirometra mansonoidesde um gato doméstico no nordeste do Brasil: relato de caso

Class Cestoda, in addition to causing problems for the health of animals, has been very relevant for human public health due to the zoonotic character of some species. In reporting a case of a domestic cat diagnosed with Spirometra mansonoides in northeastern Brazil, we demonstrate the importance of the association among different diagnostic techniques in the identification of the parasite, as well as report the presence of this parasite in domestic cats in the Northeast region. An old female feline with limited mobility was rescued and clinically evaluated. The observed bowel loop thickening and cachexia were suggestive of parasitosis, but the diagnosis and therapy were initially concentrated only on the fracture of a limb. Two months after the first diagnosis, the animal spontaneously expelled a parasite in its stool. Eggs and an adult parasite were found and identified by the association of diagnostic techniques such as coproparasitological and morphological studies. The case was the first to identify the species in the region and to signal the epidemiological surveillance of the zoonotic potential of the specimen.

A classe Cestoda, além de causar problemas para a saúde dos animais, tem se mostrado muito relevante para a saúde pública humana devido ao caráter zoonóticode algumas espécies. Ao relatar o caso de um gato doméstico com diagnóstico de Spirometra mansonoidesno Nordeste do Brasil, demonstramos a importância da associação entre diferentes técnicas diagnósticas na identificação do parasita, como também relatamos a presença deste parasita em gatos domésticos da região Nordeste. Uma felina idosa com mobilidade limitada foi resgatada e avaliada clinicamente. O espessamento da alça intestinal e a caquexia observada foram sugestivos de parasitose, mas o diagnóstico ea terapia foram inicialmente concentrados apenas na fratura de um membro. Dois meses após o primeiro diagnóstico, o animal expeliu espontaneamente um parasita em suas fezes. Ovos e um parasita adulto foram encontrados e identificados pela associação de técnicas diagnósticas como estudos coproparasitológicos e morfológicos. O caso foi o primeiro a identificar a espécie na região e a sinalizar a vigilância epidemiológica do potencial zoonótico do espécime.

Parasitism by larval tapeworms genus Spirometra in South American amphibians and reptiles: new records from Brazil and Uruguay, and a review of current knowledge in the region.

Spargana are plerocercoid larvae of cestode tapeworms of the genus Spirometra, Family Diphyllobothriidae, parasitic to frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. This parasitic disease in humans can be transmitted through the use and consumption of amphibians and reptiles. The available knowledge about Spirometra in South America is scarce, and there are only a few reports on the occurrence of sparganum in amphibians and reptiles, many of them published in old papers not easily available to researchers. In this work we present a review on this topic, provide new records in two species of amphibians and 7 species of reptiles from Brazil and Uruguay respectively. We also summarize current knowledge of Spirometra in the continent, along with an updated of host taxonomy. We could gather from the literature a total of 15 studies about amphibian and reptile hosts, published between 1850 and 2016, corresponding to 43 case reports, mostly from Brazil (29) and Uruguay (8), Argentina (3), Peru (2), and Venezuela (1); the majority of them related to reptiles (five lizards and 26 snake species), and 14 corresponded to amphibians (9 anurans). Plerocercoid larvae were located in different organs of the hosts, such as subcutaneous tissue, coelomic cavity, peritoneum, and musculature. The importance of amphibians and reptiles in the transmission of the disease to humans in South America is discussed. Relevant issues to be studied in the near future are the taxonomic characterization of Spirometra in the region and the biological risk of reptile meat for aboriginal and other rural communities.

Molecular identification of Spirometra spp. (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidae) in some wild animals from Brazil.

Species of the genus Spirometra are diphyllobothriid tapeworms with complex life cycles and are involved in human sparganosis, a neglected disease that affects individuals worldwide. Although some species were reported in wild felids and human cases of sparganosis were described in Brazil, the biology and taxonomy of these parasites are poorly understood. In the present study, samples of diphyllobothriids (eggs and/or proglottids) obtained from the stools of wild carnivores (Leopardus pardalis and Lycalopex vetulus) and plerocercoid larvae found in a snake (Crotalus durissus) from Brazil were analysed by amplifying a fragment of the gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox 1). The DNA sequences obtained here for the first time from the Spirometra spp. from Brazil were used to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships with other species. Molecular data identified two species in the Brazilian samples (evolutionary divergence of 17.8-19.2%). The species were identified as Spirometra sp. 1, found in Le. pardalis, and Spirometra sp. 2 found in Ly. vetulus and C. durissus, and they differed from Asian isolates of Spirometra erinaceieuropaei (17.5-20.2% and 12.2-15.6%, respectively), a species previously considered to be distributed worldwide. Moreover, Spirometra sp. 1 is genetically distinct from Sparganum proliferum from Venezuela (19.6-20.4%), while Spirometra sp. 2 is more closely related with the Venezuelan species (6.1-7.0%). Sequences of Spirometra sp. 2 revealed that it is conspecific with the Argentinean isolate of Spirometra found in Lycalopex gymnocercus (1.9-2.2%). Taxonomic and phylogenetic aspects related to New World species of Spirometra are briefly discussed.

The Andean hog-nosed skunk Conepatus chinga Molina, 1782 as a new definitive host for Spirometra erinacei Faust, Campbell & Kellog, 1929.

This report describes the finding of Spirometra erinacei Faust, Campbell & Kellog, 1929 (Cestoda, Diphyllobothridae) infecting the small intestine of two Andean hog-nosed skunks (Conepatus chinga Molina, 1782), collected from the locality "Abra La Raya", at Cusco, Peru. Four cestodes were studied and identified as S. erinacei. This is the first report showing that the Andean hog-nosed skunk is one of the natural hosts for this parasite.

[Sparganosis in some Brazilian vertebrates. Difficulties in the identification of Luheella (Spirometra) species]. / Esparganose em alguns vertebrados do Brasil. Dificuldades na identificaçáo das espécies de Luheella (Spirometra).

Some species of Amphibia and Reptilia are listed as new hosts of spargana, from material deposited in the Helminthological Collection of Oswaldo Cruz Institute. It is discussed the difficulties in identifying the larvae (Sparganum) and also the identification of adults of Luheella species from South America. The histopathology induced by spargana in the liver of a species of Amphibia is briefly described.