New insights into the clinico-histopathological and molecular features of Pelecitus (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) from a raptor bird

Abstract

Some Onchocercidae nematodes such as Pelecitus are parasites of medical and veterinary importance. The adult stage of Pelecitus has been reported infecting birds, and the microfilaria has been associated to human blindness. However, in some of these cases, the nematode was incompletely identified at the species level due to the scarcity of morphological taxonomic keys and, also, to the lack of molecular diagnostic analysis. Here, we report a new Pelecitus species in a crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) producing a severe tenosynovitis and microfilarial dermatitis. It is also the first record of Pelecitus in an American bird of prey. Clinical and histopathological features are described, contributing towards our understanding of the pathogenesis of Pelecitus and the health and conservation of wild bird populations. Our study also provides new information on the molecular diagnosis of this parasite and highlights the potential role of wild birds as Pelecitus reservoirs, and health risk for humans and wildlife.

Litomosoides sp. (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) Infection in Frugivorous Bats (Artibeus spp.): Pathological Features, Molecular Evidence, and Prevalence

“…Finally, this is the first published Litomosoides sequence from a bat host. As Muñoz-García et al (2018) mentioned in [6], adding new filarid sequences should help improve diagnosis. Genetic analyses using the SSUrDNA marker showed scarce genetic variation between Filarioidea species.…”

“…PCR was performed to amplify a fragment of the small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSUrDNA) region. Primers targeted the highly conserved sequences reported in GenBank and included the forward primer 5′-CCG CTT TTC TCG AAA CGG CTC A-3′ and the reverse primer 3′-GAC GGG CAG CTT CCG GAA ACG-5′ [6]. PCR amplifications were carried out in a final volume of 25 μL, containing 200 ng of DNA as the template, 20 pmol of each primer, 1 × PCR buffer (8 mM Tris–HCl, pH 8, 20 mM KCl), 1.5 mM MgCl 2 , 0.5 mM dNTPs, 1 μL of BSA (1%), and 2 U of Taq DNA Polymerase (Promega, Madison, WI, USA).…”

“…The case of hemoparasites is interesting as they are frequently recorded in Neotropical bats, particularly in filarial nematodes (Onchocercidae) of the genus Litomosoides [5]. However, although tissue pathologies caused by filarial nematodes are known in wild mammals [6], there have been no records in bats. Additionally, molecular detection for bat filarial parasites has never been used.…”

First Description of the Mitogenome Features of Neofoleyellides Genus (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) Isolated from a Wild Bird (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax)

“…Unpredictable changes in ecological, biological, and social conditions caused by globalization have led to alterations in the prevalence, spread, and geographical range of infections. Therefore, the continuous surveillance of emerging infectious diseases is crucial, especially for emerging zoonotic parasites such as Onchocercidae nematodes, whose species diversity remains insufficiently explored [ 9 ].…”

First record of microfilariae in Antilophia galeata (Aves: Pipridae)

“…In birds, most filarid infections are considered nonpathogenic (Huang, Tsai, Thongchan, Khatri-Chhetri & Wu, 2016). However, in some cases, infections may negatively impact host fitness, with records of body weight reduction (Atawal, Mgbeahuruike & Hammers 2019), ataxia (Law, Tully & Stewart, 1993), and death (Muñoz-García et al, 2018).…”