Is there only one species of Hepatozoon infecting Brazilian caimans? Integrative taxonomy unveiling the parasite's diversity

Hepatozoon spp. are the most common haemoparasites reported from reptiles around the world, however, only six species have been described infecting crocodilians. In Brazil, Hepatozoon caimani Carini, 1909 is currently the only recognized species from the caiman hosts. This study provides new data on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Brazilian journal of biology 2024, Vol.84, p.e282989
Main Authors: Úngari, L P, Netherlands, E C, Santos, A L Q, Viana, L A, da Silva, R J, O'Dwyer, L H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alligators and Crocodiles - parasitology
Animals
BIOLOGY
Brazil
Coccidia - classification
Coccidia - genetics
Coccidia - isolation & purification
Coccidiosis - parasitology
Coccidiosis - veterinary
crocodilian
diversity
Eucoccidiida - classification
Eucoccidiida - genetics
Eucoccidiida - isolation & purification
Hemogregarine
PCR
Phylogeny
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Summary:Hepatozoon spp. are the most common haemoparasites reported from reptiles around the world, however, only six species have been described infecting crocodilians. In Brazil, Hepatozoon caimani Carini, 1909 is currently the only recognized species from the caiman hosts. This study provides new data on the diversity of species of Hepatozoon infecting Caiman crocodilus (Linnaeus) using molecular data and phylogenetic analysis, with additional support of morphological data of developmental stages from host blood and tissue. Forty-four individuals were collected and screened for haemogregarines, and blood and tissue samples were analysed by light microscopy with 31 (70.45%) infected. Hepatozoon spp. blood developmental stages included immature and mature gamonts with or without cytoplasmic vacuoles and free gamonts. Additionally, merogonic developmental stages were found in the liver and spleen of infected hosts. Based on the morphological and molecular data, this study identified two possible different species of Hepatozoon, being one of them the H. caimani with intragenotypic divergence.
ISSN:1519-6984
1678-4375
1678-4375
DOI:10.1590/1519-6984.282989