Anurans as paratenic hosts in the transmission of Hepatozoon caimani to caimans Caiman yacare and Caiman latirostris (original) (raw)

Abstract

Prevalence of Hepatozoon caimani has been reported in 76% of caimans Caiman yacare from the Pantanal region. Culex (Melanoconion) spp. mosquitoes were recently identified as natural vectors of this parasite. However, culicids are not typically eaten by crocodilians, suggesting that the main transmission route is through ingestion of insectivorous vertebrates, such as anurans. The susceptibility of wild frogs Leptodactylus chaquensis, Leptodactylus podicipinus and Scinax nasicus to infection by H. caimani was verified. Wild-caught anurans were force fed with sporulated oocysts from laboratory-bred Culex (Melanoconion) mosquitoes. Frogs were killed 30 days postinfection, and their internal organs were fed to caimans C. yacare and Caiman latirostris. Cystozoites were identified in fresh liver impression smears of L. chaquensis. C. yacare fed on anuran organ presented gametocytes in peripheral blood circulation between 74 and 80 days postinoculation (dpi). Gametocytes were also verified in C. latirostris fed on the internal organs of L. podicipinus and S. nasicus between 60–70 and 69–75 dpi, respectively. Since frogs used in experiment are sympatric with C. yacare and C. latirostris and may occur in the diet of these caimans, the results suggest these amphibians are paratenic hosts in the natural transmission cycle of H. caimani in Pantanal.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the financial support received for this study from the Fundação de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento do Ensino, Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul (FUNDECT). The authors are grateful to Gerson Zahdi of the Cacimba de Pedra farm for kindly providing the young caimans.

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Authors and Affiliations

1. Laboratório de Ecologia de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rua São Francisco Xavier 524, Maracanã, 20541-000, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
   Lúcio André Viana
2. Centro Nacional de Pesquisa e Conservação de Répteis e Anfíbios, RAN/ICMBio/Embrapa, Al. Vilma Eldweiss Santos, 115, CEP 33.400-000, Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
   Marcos Eduardo Coutinho
3. Laboratório de Parasitologia Veterinária, Departamento de Patologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul, Cidade Universitária, CEP 79070-900, Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
   Priscilla Soares, Jhonatan Eber Silva & Fernando Paiva

Authors

1. Lúcio André Viana
2. Priscilla Soares
3. Jhonatan Eber Silva
4. Fernando Paiva
5. Marcos Eduardo Coutinho

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Correspondence toLúcio André Viana.

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Viana, L.A., Soares, P., Silva, J.E. et al. Anurans as paratenic hosts in the transmission of Hepatozoon caimani to caimans Caiman yacare and Caiman latirostris .Parasitol Res 110, 883–886 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2570-6

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• Received: 12 June 2010
• Accepted: 21 July 2011
• Published: 02 August 2011
• Issue date: February 2012
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-011-2570-6

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