Abstract
We performed coproparasitological testing of free-living golden-headed lion tamarins, Leontopithecus chrysomelas, using the Hoffmann-Pons-Janner method. In total, we collected 118 samples from ten groups: four living in Federal Protected Area and six living in Non-Protected Areas of cocoa farms. Eggs from parasites of the Acanthocephala phylum and Spiruridae, Ancylostomatidae, Ascarididae and Oxyuridae families were identified, as well as the genus Strongyloides (Nematode: Strongyloididae) and phylum Apicomplexa. This is the first description of infection with coccidian, Trichuridae family and Strongyloides spp. in L. chrysomelas. A total of 48% (n= 57) of the animals were infected and the highest prevalence (37.2±SD 8.72, n = 44) was for Acanthocephalidae, followed by Spiruridae (8.5±SD 5.03, n = 10). There was no difference in parasite prevalence by age classes or sex. However, we found higher diversity and prevalence of parasites in animals living in the Federal Protected Area. These results suggest that intestinal parasites may be influenced by environmental factors, such as the management of the areas where the animals live, in addition to the feeding behavior of L. chrysomelas and distinct transmission strategies of parasites. The combination of ecological and demographic data combined with parasitological studies may contribute to conservation programs for this species.
Highlights
Environmental changes and ecological disturbances caused by both anthropogenic and natural causes have been shown to influence parasitic diseases in a number of species (Bongers & Ferris, 1999; Patz et al, 2000; Cleaveland et al, 2001)
We conducted a field survey in order: (1) to describe and compare gastrointestinal parasites found in L. chrysomelas groups, (2) to analyze the prevalence of helminths found in the lion tamarins with respect to age and sex classes and geographic distribution, and (3) to determine ecological and epidemiological factors associated with the relationship between hosts and parasites in different landscapes in the Atlantic Forest, southern Bahia, Brazil
The unprotected areas in this study belong to fragments of forest remains in cocoa farms and cabruca, which is an agroforest system defined as a dynamic and ecologically-based natural resource management practice where growing trees of cocoa are shaded by native trees (Oliveira et al, 2011)
Summary
Environmental changes and ecological disturbances caused by both anthropogenic and natural causes have been shown to influence parasitic diseases in a number of species (Bongers & Ferris, 1999; Patz et al, 2000; Cleaveland et al, 2001) These disturbances can alter the ecological balance between the vector, host, and parasite, which may impact the epidemiology of parasitic diseases (Daszak et al, 2000; Patz et al, 2000; Altizer et al, 2003; Molina et al, 2019). We conducted a field survey in order: (1) to describe and compare gastrointestinal parasites found in L. chrysomelas groups, (2) to analyze the prevalence of helminths found in the lion tamarins with respect to age and sex classes and geographic distribution, and (3) to determine ecological and epidemiological factors associated with the relationship between hosts and parasites in different landscapes in the Atlantic Forest, southern Bahia, Brazil. We hypothesized that the highest abundance of parasites would be found in groups that lived in non-protected areas, while the highest prevalence would be found in groups that inhabit pristine forests (“protected areas”)
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