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Laghzaoui EM, Amahmid O, El Mouden EH. Enteric parasites in free-living Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa leprosa) in contrasted areas (natural vs polluted) from central-western of Morocco. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2024; 31:25559-25566. [PMID: 38480625 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-024-32796-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The objective of this study is to assess the occurrence of intestinal parasites in Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa leprosa collected from three contrasting environments in Morocco. Stool samples from 92 turtles were examined for parasite detection and enumeration. The identified intestinal parasites belong to helminths (oxyurids and ascarid) and protozoa (Entamoebidae). A total of 25 turtles (27.17%) were found to be infected by helminths and/or protozoan parasites. No adult form of these parasites was detected. Eggs of oxyurid and ascarid were detected in individuals of populations studied from Oued Ksob (23.07% and 30.76% of n = 13 turtles) and Oued Zat (34.14% and 24.39% of n = 41 turtles), respectively. For protozoa, Entamoeba cysts were present in turtles in Oued Ksob (15.38% of n = 13 turtles), Oued Zat (12.19% of n = 41 turtles), and Oued Tensift (5.26% of n = 38 turtles) localities. Oxyurid eggs showed the highest intensity at Oued Zat reaching 29.30 ± 59.59 eggs per gram (EPG), versus 12 ± 0.38 EPG for ascaris eggs in Oued Ksob. Entamoeba cysts were detected in lower levels with a maximum of 1.66 ± 1.50 cysts per gram (CPG), in Oued Zat. The prevalence of turtles eliminating eggs was statistically significant between localities for different parasite groups. This study reports for the first time a parasitological characterization of gastrointestinal parasites in wild populations of M. leprosa leprosa from contrasting environments, suggesting a relationship between turtles' infestation and the quality of their habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Mustapha Laghzaoui
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Department of Biology, Cadi Ayyad University, 2390 Prince My Abdellah, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco.
- Ministry of Health and Social Protection, ISPITS - Higher Institute of Nursing and Health Techniques, Essaouira, Morocco.
| | - Omar Amahmid
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Department of Biology, Cadi Ayyad University, 2390 Prince My Abdellah, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
- Department of Biology and Earth Sciences - Section Biology, Regional Centre for Careers in Education and Training CRMEF, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - El Hassan El Mouden
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Department of Biology, Cadi Ayyad University, 2390 Prince My Abdellah, 40000, Marrakech, Morocco
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Verneau O, Melliti S, Kimdil L, El Mouden EH, Achouri MS, Rouag R. Molecular Phylogenies of Leeches and Haemoparasites Infecting Freshwater Turtles in Aquatic Ecosystems of Northern Africa Suggest Phylogenetic Congruence between Placobdella costata Sensu Lato and Haemogregarina stepanowi Sensu Lato. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1584. [PMID: 37375085 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11061584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemogregarines are blood parasites with a life-cycle involving a vertebrate as the intermediate host and an invertebrate as the definitive host and vector. Extensive phylogenetic investigations based on 18S-rRNA gene sequences have shown that Haemogregarina stepanowi (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) is able to infest a large diversity of freshwater turtle species, including the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, the Sicilian pond turtle Emys trinacris, the Caspian turtle Mauremys caspica, the Mediterranean pond turtle Mauremys leprosa, and the Western Caspian turtle Mauremys rivulata, among others. From the same molecular markers, H. stepanowi is further considered to be a complex of cryptic species predisposed to infect the same host species. While Placobdella costata is known to be the unique vector of H. stepanowi, it is only recently that independent lineages within P. costata have been illustrated-suggesting the presence of at least five unique leech species across Western Europe. The aims of our study were therefore to investigate from mitochondrial markers (COI) the genetic diversity within haemogregarines and leeches infecting freshwater turtles of the Maghreb, in order to identify processes of parasite speciation. We showed that H. stepanowi consists of at least five cryptic species in the Maghreb, while two Placobella species were identified in the same area. Although an Eastern-Western speciation pattern was apparent for both leeches and haemogregarines, we cannot make definitive conclusions regarding co-speciation patterns between parasites and vectors. However, we cannot reject the hypothesis of a very strict host-parasite specificity within leeches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Verneau
- Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, UMR 5110, F-66860 Perpignan, France
- CNRS, Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UMR 5110, F-66860 Perpignan, France
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, Private Bag X6001, Potchefstroom 20520, South Africa
| | - Sirine Melliti
- Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, UMR 5110, F-66860 Perpignan, France
- Laboratoire de Diversité, Gestion et Conservation des Systèmes Biologiques, LR18ES06, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
| | - Latifa Kimdil
- Centre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, UMR 5110, F-66860 Perpignan, France
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climatic Change, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
| | - El Hassan El Mouden
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climatic Change, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech 40000, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Sghaier Achouri
- Laboratoire de Diversité, Gestion et Conservation des Systèmes Biologiques, LR18ES06, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis-El Manar, Tunis 2092, Tunisia
| | - Rachid Rouag
- Laboratoire de Recherche Biodiversité et Pollution des Ecosystèmes, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie, Université Chadli Bendjedid El-Tarf, BP73, El-Tarf 36000, Algeria
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Maričić M, Danon G, Faria JF, Harris DJ. Molecular Screening of Haemogregarine Hemoparasites (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina: Haemogregarinidae) in Populations of Native and Introduced Pond Turtles in Eastern Europe. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11041063. [PMID: 37110486 PMCID: PMC10144102 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11041063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Haemogregarines (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) are the most common and widespread reptilian blood parasites. Haemogregarina stepanowi was the first haemogregarine described from a reptile, the European pond turtle Emys orbicularis, and initial assessments indicated it was widespread across different pond turtle host species across much of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. However, recent molecular assessments have indicated the presence of multiple genetically distinct forms in North Africa and the Iberian Peninsula, and extensive mixed infections which may be associated with a negative impact on the hosts. Here, we screened two native species, E. orbicularis and Mauremys rivulata, and the introduced Trachemys scripta from Serbia and North Macedonia for haemogregarines by amplifying and sequencing part of the 18S rRNA gene of these parasites, and used a standard DNA barcoding approach to identify leeches, the final host, attached to pond turtles. Our results again demonstrate the occurrence of considerable diversity of parasites in the analysed pond turtle species, and that T. scripta are likely infected by local haemogregarine parasites, and not those that are found in its native range. Leeches were identified as Placobdella costata, part of a lineage from Northern Europe. Mixed infections within pond turtles were again common. Current haemogregarine taxonomy does not reflect the genetic diversity identified, and a full taxonomic reassessment is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marko Maričić
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Gorana Danon
- Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - J Filipe Faria
- BIOPOLIS Program, CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade do Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - D James Harris
- BIOPOLIS Program, CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
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de Fátima Cracco A, Lehun AL, Takemoto RM. Composition and structure of the parasitic fauna of Hypostomus spp. (Loricariidae: Hypostominae) from a Neotropical river in Brazil. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:2253-2262. [PMID: 35624383 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-022-07551-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Hypostomus are abundant in Brazilian rivers and streams. In the Ivaí River, the loricariids represent 20.3% of the total species of the basin. Of these 13 species belong to Hypostomus. However, to date, there are no studies on these fish parasitic fauna. Thus, this research aimed to analyze the distribution of the parasitic infracommunity of six species of Hypostomus from the Ivaí River and investigate how the infracommunity is structured in these hosts. One hundred and twenty-eight fish were analyzed, belonging to six sympatric species of Hypostomus (Hypostomus hermanni, H. cochliodon, H. albopunctatus, H. regani, Hypostomus sp.1, and Hypostomus sp.2); of these, 92.9% were parasitized with at least one taxon, totaling 1478 specimens of parasites. The parasitic fauna was composed of the ectoparasites Trinigyrus anthus, T. carvalhoi, Unilatus unilatus (monogeneans), and Placobdella spp. (hirudinea), and the endoparasites Austrodiplostomum compactum (digenean) and Procamallanus annipetterae (nematode). The parasites exhibited similar patterns of infection in all hosts, including a low number of species, low diversity, and numerical dominance of a group of parasites. However, permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) showed different parasite species compositions among the hosts. Hypostomus cochliodon and H. regani had the highest parasite richness, while Hypostomus sp.1 and Hypostomus sp.2 showed low abundance and intensity of parasitic infections. However, Hypostomus sp.1 showed the highest values of evenness, although the parasite composition in both species did not differ. The results presented herein contribute to increasing the knowledge about the parasitic fauna of Hypostomus spp. from the Ivaí River by presenting new hosts and locality records.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aparecida de Fátima Cracco
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Comparada, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
| | - Atsler Luana Lehun
- Programa Em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Massato Takemoto
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Em Biologia Comparada, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Programa Em Ecologia de Ambientes Aquáticos Continentais, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.,Núcleo de Pesquisas Em Limnologia, Ictiologia E Aquicultura, NUPELIA, Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Maringá, Paraná, Brazil
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Phylogenetic analysis of chelonian hemogregarines reveals shared species among the Amazonian freshwater turtle Podocnemis spp. and provides a description of two new species of Haemogregarina. Parasitol Res 2022; 121:691-701. [DOI: 10.1007/s00436-021-07405-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Cichocka JM, Bielecki A, Jabłońska‐Barna I, Krajewski Ł, Topolska K, Hildebrand J, Dmitryjuk M, Biedunkiewicz A, Abramchuk A. Sucking of human blood by Placobdella costata (O. F. Müller, 1846) (Hirudinida: Glossiphoniidae): Case study with notes on body form. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:17593-17603. [PMID: 35003625 PMCID: PMC8717304 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Four events of Placobdella costata sucking human blood are described.Human blood was sucked by both adult and juvenile specimens of P. costata.The feeding strategies of juveniles under parental care are presented.New data on juvenile specimens' body form are presented.Information on the potential role of mammals in dispersion and habitat preferences of leeches P. costata is considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna M. Cichocka
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
- XI High School in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Aleksander Bielecki
- Department of ZoologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Izabela Jabłońska‐Barna
- Department of Tourism, Recreation and EcologyFaculty of GeoengineeringUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
| | - Łukasz Krajewski
- Institute of Technology and Life Sciences—National Research InstituteRaszynPoland
| | | | - Joanna Hildebrand
- Department of ParasitologyInstitute of Genetics and MicrobiologyUniversity of WrocławWrocławPoland
| | - Małgorzata Dmitryjuk
- Department of BiochemistryFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and MazuryOlsztynPoland
| | - Anna Biedunkiewicz
- Department of Microbiology and MycologyFaculty of Biology and BiotechnologyUniversity of Warmia and Mazury in OlsztynOlsztynPoland
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Vecchioni L, Marrone F, Liuzzo M, Seglie D, Cavalcante R, Bazan G, Arizza V, Arculeo M. New molecular data attest to the absence of cospeciation patterns between Placobdella costata (Fr. Müller, 1846) (Hirudinea) and freshwater turtles (Emys spp.) in Italy. THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2021.1965233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- L. Vecchioni
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - F. Marrone
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - M. Liuzzo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, Informatica e Statistica, Università Ca’ Foscari di Venezia, Campus Scientifico, Venezia, Italy
| | - D. Seglie
- Centro Emys Piemonte, Livorno Ferraris, Italia
| | | | - G. Bazan
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - V. Arizza
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - M. Arculeo
- Department of Biological, Chemical and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies (STEBICEF), University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
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Laghzaoui EM, Perera A, Harris D, Mouden EHE. Putative intranuclear coccidium in Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger) from Morocco. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2021; 68. [PMID: 34642290 DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although intranuclear coccidiosis was first identified in chelonians less than 30 years ago, it is now considered an important emerging disease. Symptoms include anorexia, weakness and weight loss, potentially leading to death of the infected animal. The use of molecular tools has led to improved diagnosis and has also led to an increase in known host species. Here we report a putative intranuclear coccidium in Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger), from Morocco, based on 18S rDNA sequence analysis. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of this parasite from a freshwater terrapin species.
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Affiliation(s)
- El-Mustapha Laghzaoui
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
| | - Ana Perera
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigacao em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairao, Vairao, Portugal
| | - D Harris
- CIBIO-InBIO, Centro de Investigacao em Biodiversidade e Recursos Geneticos, Universidade do Porto, Campus de Vairao, Vairao, Portugal
| | - El Hassan El Mouden
- Laboratory of Water, Biodiversity and Climate Change, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakech, Morocco
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