Key words: Helminths – Trichinelloidea – Macronectes giganteus – Birds – Brazil

1 Laboratório de Ecologia, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FIOCRUZ, R. Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 Térreo – Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro/

RJ. Brasil.

2 Grupo de Estudos de Aves e Mamíferos Marinhos da Região dos Lagos, Laboratório de Ecologia, Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública/FIOCRUZ,

R. Leopoldo Bulhões, 1480 Térreo – Manguinhos, Rio de Janeiro/RJ. Brasil.

3 Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul/Centro de Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos da UFRGS

(GEMARS/CECLIMAR/UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS. Brasil.

4 Departamento de Parasitologia Animal, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 74.508, Seropédica, RJ, Brasil, CEP 23851-

970. Brasil.

Henry. Usando una técnica de sedimentación espontánea de los huevos de helmintos fueron separadas 10

submuestras. Todos los huevos encontrados pertenecieron a la superfamilia Trichinelloidea (n=82). Estos

huevos constituyen un nuevo registro de helminto parásito del pretel gigante.

Resumen

Abstract

During the winter of 2003 the seabird (Macronectes giganteus) was found scrawny at Atlântida Sul beach, north

coast of State of Rio Grande do Sul – Brazil. Fresh fecal sample were collected at CECLIMAR (Centro de

Estudos Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) rehabilitation

center and fixed in Railliet & Henry solution. Using spontaneous sedimentation technical to helminth eggs,

10 slides were obtained. All eggs found were of one species of Trichinelloidea superfamily (n=82). The eggs

HUEVOS DE TRICHINELLOIDE (NEMATODA) EN UN PETREL GIGANTE

(MACRONECTES GIGANTEUS, PROCELLARIFORMES: PROCELLARIIDAE) DEL

Suggested citation: Brandão, M, Siciliano, S, Chame, M, Machado, R & Luque JL. 2008. Trichinelloid eggs (Nematoda)

Trichinelloid in a southern Giant Petrel.

Brandão M, Siciliano S, Chame M, Machado R & Luque JL.

All helminth eggs found were alike, suggesting the

bird harbored only one trichinelloid species (Fig. 1).

Their size ranged within 55 - 70 x 35 - 37,5 µm

(Average = 61,6 (SD=3,47) x 35,9 (SD=2,87) µm),

including opercula. Eggs were found in embryonic

and infective stages, 8.35% (n=7) of them were

deformed.

It must be considered that the trichinelloid eggs found

in M. giganteus, could reflect a new parasitological

record for Petrel. Nevertheless, is possible a false

found in the seabird feces, to add this hypothesis.

It shares the feeding sites with the Southern Giant

Petrel and is territorialist, meeting in large groups

to feed (40 individuals) (Nowak & Paradiso, 1983),

which can enhance the number of parasite eggs

available in the environment.

Environment modification among other impacts

can alter hosts’ and parasites’ habitats, promoting

new contacts between species. Eggs from Giant

Petrel fecal samples were obtained and the sizes

described parasitising Pelecaniformes (Phalacrocorax

brasilianus brasilianus) (Gm.), and T. dolichotis (75 x

45 µm, Morini et al. 1955) parasite of the rodent

Dolichotis patagonum, frequently found in Argentina

(South of Buenos Aires to Patagonia) (Honacki et al.,

1982). Once Trichuris is a genus known to parasite

only mammals, the most likely possibility would be

B. appendiculata, but, the possibility of a new species,

cannot be neglected.

Environmental modification among other impacts

rarely found in seabirds, having been recorded only

in Pelecaniformes (Vicente et al., 1995). The majority

of these nematodes are oviparous, producing either

unembryonated or, less often, embryonated eggs

(Moravec, 2001). The life cycle of some trichinelloids

(e. g. Trichinella, Trichuris) have been intensively

studied because of their medical importance, but

the majority of them are poorly known. There are

reports of six different trichinelloids infecting bird

species.

weak immature Southern Giant Petrel (Macronectes

giganteus) was found, by the CECLIMAR (Centro

de Estudios Costeiros, Limnológicos e Marinhos da

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul) staff

during routine surveillance at Tramandaí beach

(50º07’50”W, 29º56’30”S), northern region of the

coastal zone of the State of Rio Grande do Sul,

Brazil. The bird was taken to the CECLIMAR

enclosure where fresh fecal samples were collected

for coproparasitologic examination. The sample

by Southern Giant Petrels and its potential relationships

with fisheries in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. Marine

Pollution, Bulletin vol. 46, pp. 1513-1515.

Zender, 1800. Comptes Rendus de la Société de

Biologie (Paris) vol. 114, pp. 1195-1196.

Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, vol. 19, pp.121-155.

arrangement of nematodes of the family Capillariidae.

Folia Parasitologica, vol. 29, pp.119-32.

cold-blooded vertebrates. Academia Praha, Czech

Republic.

Morini, EG, Boero, JJ & Rodriguez, A. 1955. Parásitos

intestinales en el “mara” (Dolichotis patagonum

patagonum). Misión de Estudios de Patología