Luís C. Muniz-Pereira

Trematodes of free range reared guinea fowls (Numida meleagris Linnaeus, 1758) in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: morphology and pathology.

An investigation on the digenetic trematodes parasitizing free range reared guinea fowls was conducted in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based on clinical examination, necropsies and histopathological findings in 36 guinea fowls. Parasites, prevalence and intensity of infection were, respectively: Paratanaisia bragai, 61.1% and 31 (in each kidney); Athesmia heterolecithodes, 8.3% and 38; Conspicuum conspicuum, 2.8% and 1. A. heterolecithodes was highly pathogenic to guinea fowls, causing severe hepatic lesions. However, C. conspicuum and P. bragai were less pathogenic in the considered intensities of infection. This is the first time that these parasite species have been reported in Brazilian guinea fowls.

Prevalence and pathology of the nematode Heterakis gallinarum, the trematode Paratanaisia bragai, and the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis in the turkey, Meleagris gallopavo

The prevalence of infection and associated pathology induced by two helminth and one protozoan species infecting Brazilian turkeys are reported. The intestinal nematode Heterakis gallinarum appeared with a prevalence of 70% in the infected birds, without gross lesions when not associated to the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis. Histological findings in the ceca were represented by the presence of H. gallinarum worms, intense chronic diffuse inflammatory processes with mononuclear and polymorphonuclear (heterophils) leucocyte infiltrations. The prevalence of the protozoan H. meleagridis associated to H. gallinarum was of 2.5% and microscopic examination revealed a severe inflammatory process in the liver and cecum with the presence of small clear areas with round eosinophilic parasites. Gross lesions were absent in turkeys infected with the renal digenetic trematode Paratanaisia bragai; the parasite was prevalent in 20% of the cases and cross-sections of the kidneys showed a remarkable distension of the collecting ducts with several worms in the lumen. The walls of the ducts presented a discrete heterophilic infiltrate among mononuclear cells.

New host and geographical records for helminths parasites of Ardeidae (Aves, Ciconiiformes) in Brazil

One thousand two-hundred-four helminth samples recovered from Brazilian Ardeidae birds during 54 years were studied. Samples consisted of cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes, parasites of egrets and herons. Based on the present results 49 new host and three new geographical distribution records were established.

A new metastrongyloidean species (Nematoda) parasitizing pulmonary arteries of Puma (Herpailurus) Yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora: Felidae) from Brazil

Abstract: Angiostrongylus felineus n. sp. (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea), parasitic in Puma (Herpailurus) yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) from the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, is described and illustrated herein. Angiostrongylus felineus n. sp. differs from all congeneric species by having the anterior extremity with accentuated cuticular expansion and by smaller size of spicules. This study describes for the first time a species of Angiostrongylus in a wild Felidae in Brazil.

Helminths of the guinea pig, Cavia porcellus (Linnaeus), in Brazil

Worm burdens were evaluated and compared in two groups of the guinea pig, Cavia poreellus (Linnaeus, 1758): animals of the first group were conventionally maintained in an institutional animal house and those of the second group were openly kept in pet shops in Brazil. Animals from both sources were infected only with the nematode Paraspidodera uncinata (Rudolphi, 1819) Travassos, 1914 (10% of prevalence in guinea pigs from lhe institutional facility and 40% in those animals from the pet shop). Other helminth samples recovered from Brazilian guinea pigs during 52 years and that are deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) were also analyzed. Paraspidodera uncinata and the cestode Monoecocestus parcitesticulatus Rego, 1960 were identified in these samples.

Ophidascaris durissus sp. nov. (Nematoda Ascarididae) parasitizing Crotalus durissus Linnaeus (Ophidia, Viperidae) in Brazil

The species Ophidascaris durissus sp. nov. is proposed with basis on specimens recovered from the rattlesnake Crotalus durissus L., 1758 (type host) captured in Foz do Iguacu, Brazil (type locality). By the lack of interlabia, the new species can be compared only to O. natricis Yamaguti, 1935 from Japan and O. freitasi Hoa & Lien, 1970, from Vietnam. However, O. durissus sp. nov. differs from O. natricis mainly by the absence of internal lip papillae, location of the vulvar aperture and length of the spicules; from O. freitasi mostly by the greater number of pre-cloacal and distribution of post-cloacal papillae.

Skrjabinodon heliocostai sp.n. (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae) parasitizing Mabuya frenata (Cope) (Lacertilia, Scincidae) in Brazil and the reallocation of Skrjabinodon capacyupanquii (Freitas, Vicente & Ibañez) in the genus Thelandros Wedl.

The present report is related to an oxyurid nematode recovered from a reptilian host, Mabuya frenata (Cope, 1862) and the proposal of Skrjabinodon helicostai sp.n., based mainly on findings referring to the lateral alae, position of excretory pore and vulvar apertures, cuticular spines of the tail and aspect of the eggs. The examination of types of Skrjabinodon capacyupanquii (Freitas, Vicente & Ibanez, 1968) from a Peruvian lizard, indicated the reallocation of this species in the genus Thelandros Wedl., 1862, as T. capacyupanquii comb.n., based on the diameter of the caudal appendage of males and position of the vulvar aperture. The new species described herein represents the first report of a species of the genus Skrjabinodon Inglis, 1968 in South America.

Fimbriaria fasciolaris and Cloacotaenia megalops (Eucestoda, Hymenolepididae), Cestodes from Brazilian Waterfowl

Two cestode species, Fimbriaria fasciolaris (Pallas, 1781) Frölich, 1802 Cloacotaenia megalops (Nitzsch in Creplin, 1829) Wolffhügel, 1938 collected from Anas bahamensis Linné, 1758 and Amazonetta brasiliensis (Gmelin, 1758) in lagoons of the Maricá District, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, are described. This is the first record of F. fasciolaris parasitizing A. bahamensis. The prevalence, intensity of infection, and mean intensity of infection for both species are given. Overdispersion distribution is reported for F. fasciolaris with 535 specimens collected in a single A. bahamensis. A key for the genera in the Fimbriariinae is presented. Anatomical features of F. fasciolaris and C. megalops are discussed.

Description of males of Parabronema pecariae Ivaschkin, 1960 (Nematoda, Habronematoidea) parasitizing peccaries (Mammalia, Tayassuidae) in Brazil

Nematodes studied herein and identified as Parabronema pecariae were collected in 1936 in the States of Rio de Janeiro and Pará and in 1940 in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. This species was proposed, with basis on female specimens that had been described earlier as Parabronema sp. Although the presence of males of P. pecariae was previously reported in Brazil, their description was not provided. The present paper deals with the first complete morphometric data on male specimens of P. pecariae recovered from peccaries (Pecari tajacu and Tayassu pecari).

Capillariid nematodes in Brazilian turkeys, Meleagris gallopavo (Galliformes, Phasianidae): pathology induced by Baruscapillaria obsignata and Eucoleus annulatus (Trichinelloidea, Capillariidae).

The pathology induced in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) by two capillariid nematodes, Baruscapillaria obsignata and Eucoleus annulatus is described together with data on prevalences, mean infection and range of worm burdens. B. obsignata occurred with a prevalence of 72.5% in the 40 examined hosts in a range of 2-461 nematodes and a mean intensity of 68.6, whereas E. annulatus was present in 2.5% of the animals, with a total amount of five recovered parasites. Gross lesions were not observed in the parasitized birds. Lesions due to B. obsignata mainly consisted of the thickening of intestinal villi with a mild mixed inflammatory infiltrate with the presence of mononuclear cells and heterophils. The lesions induced by E. annulatus were represented by foci of inflammatory infiltrate with heterophils in the crop epithelium and esophagus of a single infected female. These are the first pathological findings related to the presence of capillariid worms in turkeys to be reported in Brazil so far. Capillaria anatis, although present, was not pathogenic to the investigated turkeys.