Helminths of toad Rhinella icterica (Bufonidae), from the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil.

Fifteen specimens of bufonid toad Rhinella icterica (Spix, 1824), 7 males and 8 females, collected in the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil, from March 2002 to January 2003, were examined for helminth parasites. All toads were infected with at least one parasite species (overall prevalence = 100%). Five helminth species were found, including four nematode species, Rhabdias fuelleborni Travassos, 1926, Oswaldocruzia subauricularis (Rudolphi, 1819), gen. sp. no identified Cosmocercidae Travassos, 1925 and larvae of Physaloptera Rudolphi, 1819, and one acanthocephalan species, Acanthocephalus saopaulensis Smales, 2007. Rhabdias fuelleborni and A. saopaulensis were the most abundant species. Except for Physalopteridae larvae, all helminths occur in high prevalence (> 70%). All helminth species presented a distribution toward to more aggregated pattern in these host samples.

Helminth parasites of hypsiboas prasinus (Anura: Hylidae) from two atlantic forest fragments, São Paulo State, Brazil

Seventy-seven males of Hypsiboas prasinus from 2 Atlantic forest fragments in the municipalities of Botucatu and Jundiaí, São Paulo State, Brazil, were examined for endoparasites. The frogs were captured in summer (January until March) and winter (July/August) of 2008 and 2009. Thirty-three males (75) from Botucatu were infected with Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, cosmocerciid nematodes, and Cylindrotaenia americana. Twenty-five tree frogs (78.5) from Jundiaí were infected by Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, Physaloptera sp., and cosmocerciid nematodes. Only cosmocerciid nematodes presented a statistically significance difference in prevalence (z 4.345; P < 0.001) and mean abundance (t 562.0; P < 0.001) between Botucatu and Jundiaí during the winter. Also, the cosmocerciids exhibited higher mean abundance (t 196.0; P 0.034) in winter when compared with summer at the Jundiaí site. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. americana in the Brazilian Hylidae. This study presents 4 new records of nematodes in H. prasinus. © 2012 American Society of Parasitologists.

The relationships between parasite intensity, locomotor performance, and body condition in adult toads (Rhinella icterica) from the wild

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Rhabdias filicaudalis n. sp. (Nematoda: Rhabdiasidae) from the snake Spilotes pullatus (Serpentes: Colubridae) in Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pulmonary, microbiological and hematological changes in Crotalus durissus terrificus (Serpentes, Viperidae) parasitized by nematodes of the genus Rhabdias (Nematoda, Rhabdiasidae)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Implicações do parasitismo por nematódeos do gênero Rhabdias(Nematoda, Rhabdiasidae) em Crotalus durissus terrificus (Serpentes, Viperidae): alterações pulmonares, microbiológicas e hematológicas

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Rhabdias paraensis sp. nov.: a parasite of the lungs of Rhinella marina (Amphibia: Bufonidae) from Brazilian Amazonia

The nematode parasites of Rhinella marina include species of the genus Rhabdias (Rhabdiasidae: Rhabditoidea). The present study describes Rhabdias paraensis sp. nov., which parasitizes the lungs of R. marina in Brazilian Amazonia. Of the more than 70 known species of this genus, 18 are parasites of bufonids, of which, eight are Neotropical. The new species described here is similar to Rhabdias alabialis in the absence of lips is different by the presence of conspicuous cephalic papillae. We describe details of the four rows of pores, which are distributed equally along the whole of the length of the body and connected with hypodermal cells, using histology and scanning electron microscopy. Other histological aspects of the internal structure of this nematode are also described.

Comunidades componentes de helmintos de anfíbios: análise comparativa entre duas localidades sob ação antrópica no município de São Luiz do Paraitinga, SP

With the degradation of Atlantic Forest over the years, the area that this ecosystem has occupied before decreased and in a lot of cases it was separated in little fragments, each one isolated in a different way depending of the local antropic action. In this context, this study compares the helminth fauna of anurans from two different fragments of Atlantic Forest, one inset in a matrix of eucalyptus (Eucaliptus sp.) reforestation and the other in a matrix of pasture (Brachiaria sp.), verifying if there is any difference between the structure of helminth communities. There were collected 155 anurans in both fragments, being 77 Hypsiboas albopunctatus, 18 Hypsiboas faber, 27 Hypsiboas polytaenius e 33 Dendropsophus minutus. These were weighted and their snout-vent lengths were measured. After the animals were euthanatized and their internal organs and coelomatic cavity were evaluated for helminth infection. There were identified one trematode species (Haematoloechus fuelleborni) and 14 nematode species (Aplectana sp., Cosmocerca parva, Cosmocerca sp1., Cosmocerca sp2., Cosmocercoides sp., Falcaustra mascula, Cosmocercidae larvae, nematode larvae, Physaloptera sp. larvae, Ochoterenella sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis, Raillietnema simples, Rhabdias sp. e Schrankiana sp.). The hylids' helminth fauna studied in São Luiz do Paraitinga fragments were relatively rich, being registered 15 helminth species in the captured anurans. The comparison between the fragments did not show differences in relation of the composition and abundance of helminth fauna in spite of the individualities of each environment

Helminth communities of Leptodactylus latrans (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the Atlantic rainforest, south-eastern Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

HELMINTH PARASITES OF HYPSIBOAS PRASINUS (ANURA: HYLIDAE) FROM TWO ATLANTIC FOREST FRAGMENTS, SAO PAULO STATE, BRAZIL

Seventy-seven males of Hypsiboas prasinus from 2 Atlantic forest fragments in the municipalities of Botucatu and Jundiai, sao Paulo State, Brazil, were examined for endoparasites. The frogs were captured in summer (January until March) and winter (July/August) of 2008 and 2009. Thirty-three males (75%) from Botucatu were infected with Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, cosmocerciid nematodes, and Cylindrotaenia americana. Twenty-five tree frogs (78.5%) from Jundiai were infected by Rhabdias cf. fuelleborni, Physaloptera sp., and cosmocerciid nematodes. Only cosmocerciid nematodes presented a statistically significance difference in prevalence (z = 4.345; P < 0.001) and mean abundance (t = 562.0; P < 0.001) between Botucatu and Jundiai during the winter. Also, the cosmocerciids exhibited higher mean abundance (t = 196.0; P = 0.034) in winter when compared with summer at the Jundiai site. Moreover, to our knowledge, this is the first report of C. americana in the Brazilian Hylidae. This study presents 4 new records of nematodes in H. prasinus.

Gastrointestinal symbionts of chimpanzees in Cantanhez National Park, Guinea-Bissau with respect to habitat fragmentation

One of the major factors threatening chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in Guinea-Bissau is habitat fragmentation. Such fragmentation may cause changes in symbiont dynamics resulting in increased susceptibility to infection, changes in host specificity and virulence. We monitored gastrointestinal symbiotic fauna of three chimpanzee subpopulations living within Cantanhez National Park (CNP) in Guinea Bissau in the areas with different levels of anthropogenic fragmentation. Using standard coproscopical methods (merthiolate-iodine formalin concentration and Sheather's flotation) we examined 102 fecal samples and identified at least 13 different symbiotic genera (Troglodytella abrassarti, Troglocorys cava, Blastocystis spp., Entamoeba spp., Iodamoeba butschlii, Giardia intestinalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Bertiella sp., Probstmayria gombensis, unidentified strongylids, Strongyloides stercoralis, Strongyloides fuelleborni, and Trichuris sp.). The symbiotic fauna of the CNP chimpanzees is comparable to that reported for other wild chimpanzee populations, although CNP chimpanzees have a higher prevalence of Trichuris sp. Symbiont richness was higher in chimpanzee subpopulations living in fragmented forests compared to the community inhabiting continuous forest area. We reported significantly higher prevalence of G. intestinalis in chimpanzees from fragmented areas, which could be attributed to increased contact with humans and livestock.

Helminth component community of the paradoxal frog Pseudis platensis Gallardo, 1961 (Anura: Hylidae) from south-eastern Pantanal, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Morphological and molecular characterization of Strongyloides ophidiae (Nematoda, Strongyloididae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Pulmonary infection in two sympatric lizards, Mabuya arajara (Scincidae) and Anolis brasiliensis (Polychrotidae) from a cloud forest in Chapada do Araripe, Ceará, Northeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Lung infection rates in two sympatric Tropiduridae lizard species by pentastomids and nematodes in northeastern Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)