<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Due to an inadequate knowledge about threats to the sea turtle, we aimed to evaluate the helminth fauna of <italic>Chelonia mydas</italic> which had died on the southern coast of Espirito Santo, Brasil and described the associated tissue pathological lesions. Retrospective and prospective studies on turtle parasites were conducted and tissues samples were collected. 106 of 212 of sea turtles (50 %) were parasitized, and 47 of 106 of infected animals 43.0 % (47/106) were in poor health condition. Seven trematoda families covering 19 different helminths species were identified. Turtles were inhabited with one or more species of parasites, and there was no significant association between parasitism and weakness of the animals. Trematode eggs, with or without giant cells in tissues of various organs were observed.</p></abstract>

Due to an inadequate knowledge about threats to the sea turtle, we aimed to evaluate the helminth fauna of Chelonia mydas which had died on the southern coast of Espirito Santo, Brasil and described the associated tissue pathological lesions. Retrospective and prospective studies on turtle parasites were conducted and tissues samples were collected. 106 of 212 of sea turtles (50 %) were parasitized, and 47 of 106 of infected animals 43.0 % (47/106) were in poor health condition. Seven trematoda families covering 19 different helminths species were identified. Turtles were inhabited with one or more species of parasites, and there was no significant association between parasitism and weakness of the animals. Trematode eggs, with or without giant cells in tissues of various organs were observed.

Helminth fauna of <italic>Chelonia mydas</italic> (Linnaeus, 1758) in the south of Espírito Santo State in Brasil

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Parasitology Laboratory, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Brazil

BW Consultoria Veterinária, Rua Ponciano Eugênio Duarte n.°203, Centro, Ubatuba, SP, CEP 11680-000, Brazil

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Helminth fauna of  (Linnaeus, 1758) in the south of Espírito Santo State in Brasil

Due to an inadequate knowledge about threats to the sea turtle, we aimed to evaluate the helminth fauna of Chelonia mydas which had died on the southern coast...

Families	Species of helminths	_N = prevalence (n= 50 turtles); (%)	Organs
Calycodidae	Calycodes anthos	2 %	SI SI = small intestine; and LI LI = large intestine
Cladorchiidae	Schizamphistomum sp.	6 %	SI
Gongoderidae	Plesiochorus cymbiformes	2 %	SI and LI
Microscaphidiidae	Angiodictyum longum	2 %	Stomach
	Neoctangium travassosi	30 %	LI
	Polyangium linguatula	2 %	SI
Spirorchiidae	Learedius learedi	16 %	Heart
Pronocephalidae	Pronocephalus trigonocephalus	8 %	SI
	Ruicephalus minutus	2 %	Stomach
	Charaxicephalus robustus	4 %	Stomach
	Cricocephalus albus	30 %	Stomach
	Cricocephalus megastomum	4 %	SI
	Glyphicephalus lobatos	4 %	Stomach
	Metacetabulum invaginatum	52 %	SI
	Pleurogonius linearis	4 %	SI and LI
	Pleurogonius longiusculus	4 %	SI and LI
	Pronocephalus obliquus	22 %	SI and LI
	Pyelosomum cochlear	8%	Bladder
Telorchiidae	Orchidasma amphiorchis	6 %	SI and LI

Helminth fauna of Chelonia mydas (Linnaeus, 1758) in the south of Espírito Santo State in Brasil

Article Category: Research Note

Published Online: Apr 22, 2016

Page range: 195 - 199

Received: Aug 31, 2015

Accepted: Dec 02, 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/helmin-2016-0012

© 2016 Institute of Parasitology, SAS, Košice

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Fig. 1

Helminths identified in Chelonia mydas from the South coast of Espírito Santo, prevalence in turtles and organs of origin of parasites