scholarly journals Searching Before It Is Too Late: A Survey of Blood Parasites in Ctenosaura melanosterna, a Critically Endangered Reptile of Honduras

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew K. Davis ◽  
Andrew C. Benz ◽  
Leslie E. Ruyle ◽  
Whitney M. Kistler ◽  
Barbara C. Shock ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Smear ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Species At Risk ◽  
Thin Blood Smear ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Risk Of Extinction ◽  
Host Parasite

For species at risk of extinction, any parasites they have would be expected to face a similar fate. In such cases, time is running out for efforts to identify and study their parasitic fauna before they are gone. We surveyed the hemoparasite fauna of 50 black-chested, spiny-tailed iguanas (Ctenosaura melanosterna), a critically-endangered species, on an island off the coast of Honduras. Blood samples from captured animals were tested for hemoparasites by thin blood smear and molecular analyses. Based on microscopy, two parasites were identified, a Plasmodium sp. in 14% of iguanas and a Hepatozoon sp. in 32%. For both parasites, parasitemia levels were <0.1%. Prevalence and parasitemias of Hepatozoon declined with increasing host size, a pattern differing from most prior studies of saurian reptiles. From a subset of iguanas with microscopy-confirmed Plasmodium infections, sequence analysis of 454 bp of the cytochrome b gene indicated that the Plasmodium species was distinct from known Plasmodium and was most closely related to P. chiricahuae (96.5% similarity) followed by P. mexicanum (95.8% similarity). Efforts to amplify the Hepatozoon parasite using PCR were not successful. Additional surveys and studies of this host-parasite system would be valuable, both to science and to the management of this endangered animal.

scholarly journals Identification of Blood Parasite on Sacrifical Cattle Slaughtered during Idul Adha 1438 H in Surabaya City and Sidoarjo Regency

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 77
Author(s):  
Dhimar Maulud Dyahningrum ◽  
Mufasirin Mufasirin ◽  
Nenny Harijani ◽  
Poedji Hastutiek ◽  
Setiawan Koesdarto ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Blood Smear ◽  
Blood Parasite ◽  
Thin Blood Smear ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Centrifugation Technique

The aim of this research is to detect the presence of blood parasite that infects sacrificial cattle slaughtered during idul adha 1438 H in Surabaya City and Sidoarjo Regency. This research used 147 blood samples of sacrificial cattle and used two methods, those are thin blood smear stained with Giemsa 20% and Microhematocrit Centrifugation Technique. Based on the result of the examination using a microscope with 1000x magnification, there are positive samples infected with blood parasite, that consist of Babesia sp., and Anaplasma sp.

scholarly journals Description and Molecular Characterization of Two Species of Avian Blood Parasites, with Remarks on Circadian Rhythms of Avian Haematozoa Infections

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 3490
Author(s):  
Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas ◽  
Rasa Binkienė ◽  
Gediminas Valkiūnas
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythms ◽  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Blood Parasites ◽  
Avian Host ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Host Parasite Interactions ◽  
Avian Blood ◽  
Avian Blood Parasites ◽  
Host Parasite

Avian blood parasites are remarkably diverse and frequently occur in co-infections, which predominate in wildlife. This makes wildlife pathogen research challenging, particularly if they belong to closely related groups, resulting in diagnostic problems and poor knowledge about such infections as well as the patterns of their co-occurrence and interactions. This is particularly true due to the periodicity (circadian rhythms) of parasitemia, which means that different parasitemia and parasite stages might be found throughout the day. We analysed blood samples from a Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) and a Song thrush (Turdus philomelos). This study aimed to describe a new avian Lankesterella species and molecularly characterize and redescribe Splendidofilaria mavis, a common avian filarioid nematode. Additionally, it was possible to investigate the circadian rhythms of the avian blood parasites belonging to Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon, and Trypanosoma, which occurred in co-infection in the same avian host individuals. Different circadian rhythms were seen in different parasites, with Plasmodium sp. peaks occurring at midday, Leucocytozoon spp. peaks mainly during the evening and night, and Trypanosoma spp. and microfilariae peaks at midnight. No periodicity was seen in Haemoproteus and Lankesterella species infections. The time of parasitemia peaks most likely coincides with the time of vectors’ activity, and this should be beneficial for transmission. Knowledge about the circadian rhythms is needed for better understanding patterns in host-parasite interactions and disease transmission.

scholarly journals Incorporating explicit geospatial data shows more species at risk of extinction than the current Red List

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. e1601367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela ◽  
Clinton N. Jenkins ◽  
Varsha Vijay ◽  
Binbin V. Li ◽  
Stuart L. Pimm
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Red List ◽  
Geospatial Data ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Risk Of Extinction

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List classifies species according to their risk of extinction, informing global to local conservation decisions. Unfortunately, important geospatial data do not explicitly or efficiently enter this process. Rapid growth in the availability of remotely sensed observations provides fine-scale data on elevation and increasingly sophisticated characterizations of land cover and its changes. These data readily show that species are likely not present within many areas within the overall envelopes of their distributions. Additionally, global databases on protected areas inform how extensively ranges are protected. We selected 586 endemic and threatened forest bird species from six of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened places (Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Central America, Western Andes of Colombia, Madagascar, Sumatra, and Southeast Asia). The Red List deems 18% of these species to be threatened (15 critically endangered, 29 endangered, and 64 vulnerable). Inevitably, after refining ranges by elevation and forest cover, ranges shrink. Do they do so consistently? For example, refined ranges of critically endangered species might reduce by (say) 50% but so might the ranges of endangered, vulnerable, and nonthreatened species. Critically, this is not the case. We find that 43% of species fall below the range threshold where comparable species are deemed threatened. Some 210 bird species belong in a higher-threat category than the current Red List placement, including 189 species that are currently deemed nonthreatened. Incorporating readily available spatial data substantially increases the numbers of species that should be considered at risk and alters priority areas for conservation.

scholarly journals First detection of Trypanosoma vivax in cattle in the state of Bahia, Brazil, based on parasitological and molecular analyses

2021 ◽  
pp. 2065-2072
Author(s):  
Hayala Caroline Silva Ferreira Gomes ◽  
◽  
Igor Leonardo de Jesus Genipapeiro ◽  
Fabíola Teixeira Andrade ◽  
Danielle de Campos Vieira Barbosa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Molecular Analysis ◽  
Blood Smear ◽  
The State ◽  
Trypanosoma Vivax ◽  
Bovine Blood ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Molecular Analyses ◽  
Cattle Herds ◽  
Higher Sensitivity

We report the first detection of Trypanosoma vivax in Bahia state based on blood smear and PCR analyses. A total of 623 bovine blood samples were collected over two years. Parasitological analysis by smear technique detected the presence of T. vivax in 0.3%, while molecular analysis by PCR showed a prevalence in 18.9% of the samples. This study demonstrated the higher sensitivity of molecular analysis in the diagnosis of hemoparasitosis caused by T. vivax in dairy cattle herds.

Conservation of the critically endangered Achondrostoma occidentale (Pisces: Cyprinidae): integrating habitat data in restocking programs to improve population recovery

Gaia Scientia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
D. Mameri ◽  
C. Sousa Santos ◽  
M. F. Magalhães ◽  
J. I. Robalo
Keyword(s):  
Iberian Peninsula ◽  
River Basins ◽  
Fish Abundance ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Ex Situ ◽  
Population Recovery ◽  
Age Classes ◽  
Younger Age ◽  
Risk Of Extinction

Cyprinid fauna endemic to the Iberian Peninsula is currently facing several human-caused threats which enhance their risk of extinction. The populations of the critically endangered Achondrostoma occidentale, occurring only in three small and intermittent Portuguese river basins, have been reinforced with fish bred ex-situ in order to minimize their risk of extinction. This study aimed to describe the restocking actions conducted and to identify and characterize the summer refugia that should become targets for restoration and further restocking. The results evidence population increments and a high representativeness of younger age classes in the restocked populations. The importance of annual monitoring of fish abundance to assess how the species is coping with the stochastic and deterministic stressors that may eventually compromise its survival is highlighted.

Where have all the sawfishes gone? Perspectives on declines of these Critically Endangered species in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akshay Tanna ◽  
Daniel Fernando ◽  
Ramajeyam Gobiraj ◽  
Buddhi M. Pathirana ◽  
Sahan Thilakaratna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Critically Endangered Species

scholarly journals The Oral Bacterial Community in Melanophryniscus admirabilis (Admirable Red-Belly Toads): Implications for Conservation

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 220
Author(s):  
Michele Bertoni Mann ◽  
Janira Prichula ◽  
Ícaro Maia Santos de Castro ◽  
Juliana Mello Severo ◽  
Michelle Abadie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Bacterial Community ◽  
High Throughput Sequencing ◽  
Dietary Diversity ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Personal Genome ◽  
Oral Microbiota ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Anthropogenic Environment

Melanophryniscus admirabilis (admirable red-belly toad) is a microendemic and critically endangered species found exclusively along 700 m of the Forqueta River, in a fragment of the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. One of the greatest concerns regarding the conservation of this species is the extensive use of pesticides in areas surrounding their natural habitat. In recent years, the adaptation and persistence of animal species in human-impacted environments have been associated with microbiota. Therefore, the present study aimed to characterize the oral bacterial community of wild M. admirabilis and to address the question of how this community might contribute to this toad’s adaptation in the anthropogenic environment as well as its general metabolic capabilities. A total of 11 oral samples collected from wild M. admirabilis were characterized and analyzed via high-throughput sequencing. Fragments of the 16S rRNA variable region 4 (V4) were amplified, and sequencing was conducted using an Ion Personal Genome Machine (PGM) System with 316 chips. A total of 181,350 sequences were obtained, resulting in 16 phyla, 34 classes, 39 orders, and 77 families. Proteobacteria dominated (53%) the oral microbiota of toads, followed by Firmicutes (18%), Bacteroidetes (17%), and Actinobacteria (5%). No significant differences in microbial community profile from among the samples were reported, which suggests that the low dietary diversity observed in this population may directly influence the bacterial composition. Inferences of microbiome function were performed using PICRUSt2 software. Important pathways (e.g., xenobiotic degradation pathways for pesticides and aromatic phenolic compounds) were detected, which suggests that the bacterial communities may serve important roles in M. admirabilis health and survival in the anthropogenic environment. Overall, our results have important implications for the conservation and management of this microendemic and critically endangered species.

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