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.

Parasites of the freshwater fish trade in Brazil: science metric study / Parasitas de peixes de cultivo e de interesse comercial do Brasil: estudo cienciométrico

This paper presents a science metric study of parasites of fish farming in Brazil, including a significant review of the literature. The methodology used was based on researching articles in three different databases, carried out ​on May 2012: ISI (Institute for Scientific Information), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and Google Academic. The number of articles on fish parasites is mounting (currently over 110), having much increased since 1995. However, the quantity is still low compared with the amount of papers on parasites of fish from natural environments. In Brazil, the farmed fish that have been studied the most are pacu, tilapia and tambaqui. Monogeneans represent the most prevalent group, followed by protozoa and crustaceans. The regions most researched were the southeast and south, making up 84% of the total literature. The main issue addressed in articles was pathology, followed by treatment and record. In conclusion, the treatment of parasitic diseases of farmed fish in Brazil is still incipient, highlighting the importance and usefulness of management practices to prevent the occurrence of health problems.

Este trabalho apresenta o estudo cienciométrico dos parasitos de peixes de cultivo do Brasil, incluindo significativa revisão da literatura. A metodologia adotada se baseou na pesquisa dos artigos feita no mês de maio de 2012 em três bancos de dados: ISI (Institute for Scientific Information), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online) e Google Acadêmico. O número de artigos sobre parasitos de peixes cultivados está aumentando (autalmente mais de 110), havendo um crescimento a partir de 1995. Entretanto o número ainda é baixo se comparado ao número de artigos de parasitos de peixes de ambientes naturais. No Brasil, os peixes de cultivo mais estudados são pacu, tilápia e tambaqui. Os monogenéticos foram os grupos mais prevalente, seguido de protozoários e crustáceos. As regiões mais pesquisadass foram o sudeste e sul, perfazendo 84% da produção bibliográfica total. O principal assunto abordado nos artigos foi patologia, seguido por tratamento e registro. Conclui-se que os tratamentos das parasitoses de peixes de piscicultura no Brasil ainda são incipientes, ressaltando a importância e utilidade das boas práticas de manejo para evitar o aparecimento de problemas sanitários.

Hematological alterations caused by high intensity of L3 larvae of Contracaecum sp Railliet & Henry, 1912 (Nematoda, Anisakidae) in the stomach of Hoplias malabaricus in lakes in Pirassununga, São Paulo.

The objective of the present study was to discover the hematological indices of Hoplias malabaricus infected by larvae of Contracaecum sp. A total of 105 fish were collected from two lakes located in the municipal district of Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil, of which 95.2% were infested by L3 larvae of Contracaecum sp., with an average intensity of 348.7 ± 231.55 helminths/fish. A total of 76 fish were analyzed to establish hematological parameters. Following analysis, it was found that there was a significant difference between hematological parameters Hct, erythrocytes (Er), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.01), and Hb (p = 0.02) in lakes A and B, while there was no significant difference for leukocyte (p = 0.68), mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p = 0.06), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (p = 0.47). The intensity of infection correlated negatively with Er (r(s) = -0.42; p < 0.01) and positively for (r(s) = 0.48; p < 0.01). The high intensity of infection by Contracaecum sp. in H. malabaricus did not affect the health of the fish despite causing alterations in hematological variables.