Letícia Cucolo Karling

The impact of a dam on the helminth fauna and health of a neotropical fish species Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier 1816) from the upper Paraná River, Brazil.

The aim of the present study was to detect changes in the structure of the helminth parasite infracommunities in Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier 1816) from the floodplain of the upper Paraná River after construction of the Porto Primavera Hydroelectric Plant. A total of 126 fish in the period before the dams construction and 56 specimens 10 years after this event were analysed. Three species of parasites were collected before the construction of the dam: Prosthenhystera obesa Diesing, 1850 (Digenea), Cladocystis intestinalis Vaz, 1932 (Digenea) and Monticellia coryphicephala Monticelli, 1892 (Cestoda), and one nematode species in the larval stage, whose identification was not possible. After dam construction, the following helminth parasites were found: C. intestinalis, M. coryphicephala, Octospiniferoides incognita, Contracaecum spp. larvae and Contracaecum sp. type 2 larvae Moravec, Kohn & Fernandes 1993. The diversity of helminth parasites measured by the Brillouin diversity index (HB) differed significantly between the pre- and post-dam periods (mean HB = 0.069 and HB = 0.2, respectively; P= 0.0479; Mann-Whitney U test). The parasite community of S. brasiliensis before the construction of the dam showed concentration of dominance (C) of P. obesa (C = 0.38), while there was no concentration of dominance of any species of parasite (C = 0.22) after the dams construction. Before the Porto Primavera dam the relative condition factor of fish was 1.0; after the dams construction it was 0.93 (P < 0.0001; Mann-Whitney U test). This study records the disappearance of the species P. obesa and suggests that there has been local extinction of this parasite. The results show that the anthropic influence on natural systems is interfering with the welfare and health of S. brasiliensis, reflected by its fauna of helminth parasites.

Hematological parameters of Hoplias malabaricus (Characiformes: Erythrinidae) parasitized by Monogenea in lagoons in Pirassununga, Brazil

Hematology is an important pathological and diagnostic tool. This paper describes the hematological parameters of 76 specimens of Hoplias malabaricus infested with monogenean parasites, which were collected from two lagoons. The hematological parameters included: erythrocyte count (Er), microhematocrit (Hct), hemoglobin (Hb), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC). The blood parameters showed no significant changes associated with the infestation. Water temperature was found to be negatively correlated with MCV and Hct, with values of rs= -0.52, p<0.0001 and rs= -0.48, p<0.0001, respectively. The mean Relative Condition Factor was Kn=1.01, indicating good health conditions of the fish in these lagoons. No correlation was found between the monogenean infestation and the blood parameters, or between the environmental factors and the monogeneans.

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.

PROBABLE RECOGNITION OF HUMAN ANISAKIASIS IN BRAZIL

We full agree with AMATO NETO et al. when they state that “it is understood that such reports are not deemed important enough to warrant formal register. Many such occurrences are not considered worthy of publication, and as such, delay acquisition of up-to-date information”. There are probably much more human infections cases in Brazil by several species of fish nematodes, both marine and freshwater, than generally believed. Any information concerning possible infections and their characteristics are extremely important for a better understanding of the Brazilian situation concerning this biological and medical important question.

Parasites of the freshwater fish trade in Brazil: science metric study

ABSTRACT.- Ueda B.H., Karling L.C., Takemoto R.M. & Pavanelli G.C. 2013. Parasites of the freshwater fish trade in Brazil: science metric study. Pesquisa Veterinaria Brasileira 33(7):851-854. Laboratorio de Ictioparasitologia, Nucleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ic-tiologia e Aquicultura, Universidade Estadual de Maringa, Av. Colombo 5790, Maringa, PR 87020-900, Brazil. E-mail: bhueda@gmail.comThis paper presents a science metric study of parasites of fish farming in Brazil, inclu-ding 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 In-formation), SciELO (Scientific Electronic Library Online), and Google Academic. The num-ber 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 pa-rasites 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 dise-ases of farmed fish in Brazil is still incipient, highlighting the importance and usefulness of management practices to prevent the occurrence of health problems.

A new species of Dadayius Fukui, 1929 (Digenea: Cladorchiidae), parasite of Symphysodon aequifasciatus Pellegrin, 1904 (Perciformes: Cichlidae) from the Purus River, Amazon, Brazil

SummaryThe present paper describes a new species of Dadayius Fukui, 1929 (Trematoda, Digenea), parasite of Symphysodon aequifasciatus Pellegrin, 1904, a freshwater fish. The fish were collected from the Purus River, Amazonas State, Brazil. This new species has a long body and, different from other species of the genus, an arch-shaped ovary and a sinuous oesophagus with an ovoid bulb. This is the first record of Dadayius in cichlid fish; to date Dadayius has only been found parasitizing characid fish.