Browsing by Subject "Ectoparasite"

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    Epidemiological study of ticks collected from the northern tamandua (Tamandua mexicana) and a literature review of ticks of Myrmecophagidae anteaters
    (Elsevier, 2019-06-08) Muñoz-García, Claudia Irais; Guzmán-Cornejo, Carmen; Rendón-Franco, Emilio; Villanueva-García, Claudia; Sánchez-Montes, Sokani; Acosta-Gutierrez, Roxana; Romero-Callejas, Evangelina; Díaz-López, Hilda; Martínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos; Berriatua Fernández de Larrea, Eduardo; Sanidad Animal; Facultad de Veterinaria
    The family Myrmecophagidae contains three anteater species: Tamandua mexicana (Saussure, 1860), Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) and Myrmecophaga tridactyla (Linnaeus, 1758). These American anteater species currently face many conservation threats, among which road traffic accidents stand out. Parasitic studies on this family are scarce, and some of them include records of ectoparasites. Specifically for northern tamandua (T. mexicana), there is a lack of studies at population level. The objectives of the present research were to carry out an epidemiological study of tick species and its abundance on road-killed northern anteater specimens and, moreover, to perform a literature review of ticks collected from anteaters of Myrmecophagidae family. Five tick species were identified, including four Amblyomma spp. and Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato, on 23 roadkilled anteaters. Tick infestation prevalence was 43% (10/23), with a median tick infestation intensity of 3.5 per anteater (interquartile range 1–13.7). The bibliographic review highlighted the existence of twenty-nine ixodid species recorded on the three anteater species from 14 countries, mainly Brazil. The most common tick species on the Myrmecophagidae family are Amblyomma nodosum, A. calcaratum, A. cajennense sensu lato and A. auricularium. Some of these ixodids were also described as vectors of pathogens. Further studies are needed to evaluate the impact of ticks on anteater fitness, and to assess the role of these mammals as reservoirs of vectorborne diseases.
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    First report of a hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) parasitized by Harpirhynchus nidulans in the Iberian Peninsula
    (Elsevier, 2022-01-31) Muñoz Hernández, Clara; Buendía Marín, Antonio Julián; Lara, L.; Escribano, F.; Martínez-Carrasco Pleite, Carlos; Gonzálvez Juan, Moisés; Sanidad Animal; Facultades de la UMU::Facultad de Veterinaria
    Some avian Harpirhynchidae mites live under the skin and develop cutaneous cysts. Despite the obvious lesions that these parasites can produce, little is currently known about the behavioural disturbances that cyst-forming mites may cause in infected wild birds. We report an infection by Harpirhynchidae mites in a hawfinch (Coccothraustes coccothraustes) in southeast Spain. The bird was easily captured due to its inability to fly. During clinical examination it was found to have multiple severe traumatic injuries, possibly due to a blow or a fall, as result of which the bird was euthanized. At necropsy, the hawfinch was found to be in good body condition. Two yellowish and friable mite-filled cysts were detected in the subalar region of both wings. Mites were morphologically identified as Harpirhynchus nidulans, and histological analysis of the cystic lesions was also performed. This is the first time that the occurrence of a hawfinch infected by H. nidulans in the Iberian Peninsula has been reported.