RESUMO

We studied white-nosed coatis (Nasua narica) in Monteverde, Costa Rica to evaluate their potential as a reservoir for the vector-borne zoonotic parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and other selected microorganisms. We live-trapped 20 coatis in July and August 2011 and tested them for T. cruzi by blood smear, molecular analysis of blood, culture of blood and anal gland secretions, and serology. Seven coatis (35%) were polymerase-chain-reaction-positive for T. cruzi and one coati was also culture positive. We did not detect T. cruzi in anal gland secretions. All coatis were positive for Mycoplasma and Babesia, but were negative for Baylisascaris, Anaplasma, Candidatus Neoehrlichia lotoris, Ehrlichia, Bartonella, and several apicomplexan parasites. The possible pathogenicity of T. cruzi, Babesia, and Mycoplasma in coatis and their transmission potential to humans and domestic animals warrants further investigation.

Assuntos

Doença de Chagas/veterinária , Reservatórios de Doenças/veterinária , Procyonidae , Trypanosoma cruzi , Zoonoses , Animais , Babesia , Doença de Chagas/epidemiologia , Doença de Chagas/parasitologia , Costa Rica/epidemiologia , Feminino , Masculino , Mycoplasma , Filogenia

RESUMO

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.