| Autor: |
de Oliveira Toledo FA; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Alves PV; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Arthuso Vasconcelos IM; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Oliveira AR; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Dos Santos DO; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Gomes Cabral JA; Serviço de Animais Peçonhentos, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Righi de Toledo RA; Serviço de Animais Peçonhentos, Fundação Ezequiel Dias, 30510-010, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Pinto HA; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Henriques Cunha PH; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Oliveira Paes Leme F; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Nogueira de Carvalho MP; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., da Paixão TA; Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil., Santos RL; Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil, rls@ufmg.br. |
| Abstrakt: |
This study assesses parasitism and pathologic manifestations in free-ranging Crotalus durissus terrificus . A total of 96 rattlesnakes from the State of Minas Gerais (southeast Brazil) were necropsied between September 2019 and February 2020. Granulomatous gastritis affected 48% (46 of 96) of the snakes evaluated, which were associated with the ascaridid nematodes Ophidascaris sp. and Hexametra sp. Other nematodes found included Kalicephalus costatus costatus and Kalicephalus inermis inermis (Diaphanocephalidae; 7%, 7 of 96) in the intestines, Serpentirhabdias sp. (Rhabdiasidae; 18%, 17 of 96) in the lungs, and Hastospiculum sp. (Diplotriaenidae; 2%, 2 of 96) encapsulated in the serosa of the mesentery. Larval cestodes, probably spargana of Spirometra sp. (Diphyllobothriidae; 2%, 2 of 96), were found in the skeletal muscle and unidentified acanthocephalan cystacanths (Oligacanthorhynchidae; 5%, 5 of 96) in the subcutis and coelomic cavity. The pentastome Porocephalus crotali (Porocephalidae; 2%, 2 of 96) was also found in the lungs. Microscopically, intestinal disease was caused by Sarcocystis sp. (7%, 7 of 96), Cryptosporidium sp. (1%, 1 of 96), and Entamoeba sp. (1%, 1 of 96) and fungi (7%, 7 of 96). In addition, hemoparasites such as Hepatozoon spp. (23%, 22 of 96) and Trypanosoma sp. (1%, 1 of 96) were observed in blood smears. This study expands the knowledge of diseases, parasites, and other infectious agents affecting free-ranging C. durissus terrificus in Brazil. |
