Prevalence and intensity of haemoparasites in Caucasian agamids Paralaudakia caucasia from north east of Iran

Document Type : Short Communication

Authors

1 MSC student, Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Biology, Faculty of Basic Science, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

Reptiles are hosts for a wide variety of intra- or extracellular blood parasites that range from protozoan parasites  to microflarid nematodes.  Hemogregarines are found in many vertebrates, being the most prevalent apicomplexan parasites in reptiles. In this study, the prevalence and intensity of  hemoparasites in Caucasian Agamid lizards, Paralaudakia caucasia was investigated. Blood smears were prepared, stained by gimsa, and were examined for the presence of haemoparasites. The light microscopic diagnosis detected parasites in two groups: Hepatozoon sp and Lankestrella sp were found as apicomplexan blood parasites and microflarial worms as nematods.  The prevalence of infected lizards was 17.50 and 10 percent for Hepatozoon sp and Lankestrella sp. respectively. As well as 10 percent of lizards were infected by nematod worms. This report is the first survey of haemoparasites in these lizards. It revealed a high diversity of haemoparasites in lizards of the study region and highlighted the need to understand their impacts on hosts.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

1- Telford S R. Hemoparasites of Reptilia, Color Atlas and Text. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group: Boca Raton, Florida, USA. 2009.
2- Zamudio N, Mramírez. Presencia de Hepatozoon spp. en serpientes del Centro de Atención y Valoración de Fauna silvestre (CAV) del Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, Barbosa – Antioquia, CES Medicine. 2007; 2: 34.
3- Tomé B, Rato C, Perera A, Harris D J. High diversity of Hepatozoon spp. In geckos of the genus Tarentola. Journal of Parasitology. 2019. 102: 476–480.
4- Megía-Palma R, Martínez J, Merino S. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18s rRNA gene sequences of Schellackia parasites (Apicomplexa: Lankesterellidae) reveals their close relationship to the genus Eimeria. Zootaxa. 2014; 140(9): 1149-57.
5- Haklová-Kočíková B, Hižňanová A, Majláth I, Račka K, Harris D J, Földvári G, et al. Morphological and molecular characterization of Karyolysus – a neglected but common parasite infecting some European lizards. Parasites & Vectors. 2014; 7: 1–12.
6- Medrano-Tupiza E, Morales-Arciniega S, Santander-Parra S, Núñez-Naranjo L, Puga-Torres B. Absence of Hemoparasites in Wildlife Snakes, Located in the Ecological Reserves Cota 70, Cotacachi-Cayapas and Sumaco-Napo-Galeras in Ecuador. Research in Zoology. 2017; 7(1): 7-10.
7- Megía-Palma R, Martínez J, Paranjpe D, D’Amico V, Aguilar R, Palacios M G, et al. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that Schellackia parasites (Apicomplexa) detected in American lizards are closely related to the genus Lankesterella: is the range of Schellackia restricted to the Old World? Parasites & Vectors. 2017; 10: 470.
8- Mozafari A, Kamali K, Fahimi H. Iranian reptiles. Department of Environment. 2017. Pp: 362. ]In Persian[
9- Hajiyan R, Javanbakht H. Prevalence and intensity of coccidian blood parasites in three species of lizards from Markazi Province, Iran. Nova Biologica Reperta. 2021; 8: 39-45. ]In Persian[
10- Picelli A M, Ramires A C, Masseli G S, Pessoa F A C, Viana A L, Kaefer I L. Under the light: high prevalence of haemoparasites in lizards (Reptilia: Squamata) from Central Amazonia revealed by microscop. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciencias. 2020; 92(2).
11- Rund D, Neves V, Quillfeld P. Molecular survey of Hepatozoon infection of Teira dugesii in the Azores. Animal Biodiversity and Conservation. 2019; 42:1.
12- Harris D J, Maia J P, Perera A. Molecular survey of Apicomplexa in Podarcis wall lizards detects Hepatozoon, Sarcocystis, and Eimeria species. Journal of Parasitology. 2012; 98(3): 592–597.
13- Macedo Silva T, Sakai Okamoto A, Firmino da Silva L A, Domeneghetti Smaniotto B, José da Silva R, Lucio Andreatti Filho R. New record of Pelecitus sp (Nematoda, Onchocercidae) as a parasite of Athene cunicularia (Strigiformes, Strigidae) in southeastern Brazil. Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology. 2014; 23(2): 274-275.
New Findings in Veterinary Microbiology
Volume 6, Issue 2
February 2024
Pages 28-33

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 08 June 2023
  • Revise Date: 04 September 2023
  • Accept Date: 07 October 2023

Share

How to cite

Statistics