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Endoparasites infecting exotic captive amphibian pet and zoo animals (Anura, Caudata) in Germany
- Source :
- Parasitology Research
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Alongside exotic reptiles, amphibians, such as toads, frogs, salamanders, and newts, are nowadays considered popular pets worldwide. As reported for other exotic pet animals, amphibians are known to harbor numerous gastrointestinal parasites. Nonetheless, very little data are available on captive amphibian parasitic diseases. In this study, we applied direct saline fecal smears (DSFS) to examine in total 161 stool samples from 41 different amphibian species belonging to the orders Anura and Caudata. In addition, carbolfuchsin-smear (CFS) staining (n = 74 samples) was used to detect amphibian Cryptosporidium oocysts. Also, complete dissections of deceased amphibians (n = 107) were performed to specify parasite infections and to address parasite-associated pathogenicity. Overall, examined amphibian fecal samples contained 12 different parasite taxa. The order Rhabditida with the species Rhabdias spp. and Strongyloides spp. were the most prevalent nematode species (19.3%), followed by flagellated protozoans (8.7%), Amphibiocapillaria spp./Neocapillaria spp. (7.5%), Oswaldocruzia spp. (4.3%), Blastocystis spp. (3.1%), Cosmocerca spp. (3.1%), oxyurids (Pharyngonoidae) (3.1%), spirurids (1.2%), un-sporulated coccidian oocysts (0.6%), Tritrichomonas spp. (0.6%), Karotomorpha spp. (0.6%), and Cryptosporidium spp. (0.6%). One CFS-stained fecal sample (1.4%) was positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts. Within dissected amphibians, 31 (48.4%) of the anurans and 11 (26.2%) of the salamanders were infected with gastrointestinal parasites. One cutaneous Pseudocapillaroides xenopi infection was diagnosed in an adult African clawed frog (Xenopus laevis). Etiologically, 17 (15.9%) of them died due to severe parasitic and/or bacterial infections (e.g., Chryseobacterium indologenes, Citrobacter freudii, Sphingobacterium multivorum, Klebsiella pneumoniae). High prevalence and pathological findings of several clinical amphibian parasitoses call for more detailed investigation on gastrointestinal parasite-derived molecular mechanisms associated with detrimental lesions or even death.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Amphibian
Caudata
African clawed frog
Nematoda
040301 veterinary sciences
Endoparasites
Exotic pets
Cryptosporidiosis
Cryptosporidium
Urodela
Zoology
Animals, Exotic
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Amphibians
0403 veterinary science
Feces
biology.animal
Strongyloides
Animals
Parasites
Sphingobacterium
Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic
Tritrichomonas
Chryseobacterium
Blastocystis
General Veterinary
biology
Oocysts
Exotic pet medicine
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
General Medicine
biology.organism_classification
Helminthology - Original Paper
Infectious Diseases
Exotic pet
Insect Science
Animals, Zoo
Female
Parasitology
Anura
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14321955 and 09320113
- Volume :
- 119
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Parasitology Research
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....e73c3703b84ec7fd6a04c8a6beb7f5ab