Pathologies of Oligacanthorhynchus pardalis (Acanthocephala, Oligacanthorhynchidae) in Leopardus tigrinus (Carnivora, Felidae) in Southern Brazil

Moisés Gallas,Eliane Fraga Da Silvera

doi:10.1590/s1984-29612012000300025

Moisés Gallas, Eliane Fraga Da Silvera

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/s1984-29612012000300025

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Abstract

In Brazil, Oligacanthorhynchus pardalis (Westrumb, 1821) Schmidt, 1972 has been observed in five species of wild felines. In the present study, five roadkilled oncillas (Leopardus tigrinus Schreber, 1775) were collected in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Chronic lesions caused by O. pardalis were observed in the small intestine of one of the specimens. Histological examination identified a well-defined leukocyte infiltration and an area of collagenous fibrosis. Only males parasites (n = 5) were found, with a prevalence of 20%. The life cycle of Oligacanthorhynchus species is poorly known, although arthropods may be their intermediate hosts. The low prevalence encountered may be related to the small number of hosts examined, and the reduced ingestion of arthropods infected by larvae of O. pardalis. This is the first report of O. pardalis parasitizing L. tigrinus in the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Highlights

Westrumb (1821) reviewed the species of the genus Echinorhynchus Zoega in Müller, 1776, and described the species Echinorhynchus pardalis, which was found parasitizing the intestine of Felis pardalis (= Leopardus pardalis Linnaeus, 1758)
Travassos (1917) provided morphometric measurements on P. pardalis collected from different species of felines in southern and southeastern Brazil: Felis (Uncia) concolor (= Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771), Felis (Leopardus) onça (= Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758), Felis (Onçoides) tigrina (= Leopardus tigrinus Schreber, 1775), Felis (Onçoides) geoffroyi (= Leopardus geoffroyi d’Orbigny & Gervais, 1844), Felis (Zibethailurus) chibigonzon (= L. pardalis), Felis (Leopardus) pardus (= L. pardalis) and Felis (Onçoides) mitis (= L. pardalis)
The lesions found in the present study are closely similar, in terms of nodule length and damage to the tissue layers, to those reported for O. tortuosa (BABERO, 1957; RICHARDSON; BARNAWELL, 1995)

Summary

Introduction

Westrumb (1821) reviewed the species of the genus Echinorhynchus Zoega in Müller, 1776, and described the species Echinorhynchus pardalis, which was found parasitizing the intestine of Felis pardalis (= Leopardus pardalis Linnaeus, 1758). This author considered the species to be ‘species dubiae’. Travassos (1917) considered E. pardalis to be the type species of the genus Pardalis, but subsequently (1918) transferred it to the genus Echinopardalis. Schmidt (1972) proposed a new classification, and considered the genus Echinopardalis to be a synonym of Oligacanthorhynchus Travassos, 1915. Travassos (1917) provided morphometric measurements on P. pardalis collected from different species of felines in southern and southeastern Brazil: Felis (Uncia) concolor (= Puma concolor Linnaeus, 1771), Felis (Leopardus) onça (= Panthera onca Linnaeus, 1758), Felis (Onçoides) tigrina (= Leopardus tigrinus Schreber, 1775), Felis (Onçoides) geoffroyi (= Leopardus geoffroyi d’Orbigny & Gervais, 1844), Felis (Zibethailurus) chibigonzon (= L. pardalis), Felis (Leopardus) pardus (= L. pardalis) and Felis (Onçoides) mitis (= L. pardalis)

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