Helminths are a group of invertebrates of major
scientific interest due to their high impact on public
health and the diverse evolutionary histories that
some of its members have followed in order to adapt
to the parasitic lifestyle. In the Neotropical region,
though, helminth research has been traditionally
associated with their effect on public health. This
topic awaits more reflection and political support for
its beneficial implementation, especially in rural
zones where the prevalence of infection by helminth
parasites in humans can be very high (Cabrera, 2003).
One of the most studied parasitized organisms is fish.
Research on helminths of marine fish has been well
documented in Mexico since the 30s (Pérez- Ponce
de León et al., 1996). These efforts have also led to
the description of new species and genera to this field
of science. The lists of helminth species of inland
water fish in Mexico are good examples, where the
presence of 209 taxa of helminth parasites (Pérez-
Ponce de León et al., 1996), and the biodiversity of
helminth parasites associated with 114 species of
marine and estuarine fish (Pérez-Ponce de León et
al., 1999) have been reported.
Another significant effort is the Catalog of the
National Helminth Collection of Mexico, where an
annotated list of helminthic parasites deposited in the
National Helminth Collection at the Institute of
Biology of the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de
México (UNAM), founded in Mexico in 1932 by Dr.
E d u a r d o C a b a l l e r o y C a b a l l e r o
(Lamothe–Argumedo et al., 1997) have been
recorded.
Some limitations to the expansion and dissemination
of the research in Neotropical helminthology stem
from the available information on parasites of
vertebrates in Tropical America usually being
published in Spanish and Portuguese. Further more,
they are published in regional magazines with
severely limited distribution, making them
unavailable for researchers from other parts of the
world. One attempt to produce relevant information
on Neotropical helminthology in English was the
publication entitled Metazoan parasites in the
Neotropics: a systematic and ecological perspective,
where contributions were collected on the
systematics and ecology of monogeneans,
trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans,
and some other metazoan parasites (Salgado-
Maldonado et al., 2000).
Another important contribution was made by Dr.
Frantisek Moravec with his book Nematodes of
Freshwater Fishes of the Neotropical Region (1998),
which reviewed the taxonomy and some ecological
information of the nematodes in continental fish from
the Neotropical region (South and Central America,
the Caribbean, and southern Mexico). The book also
demonstrates that many countries rich in fish had
poorly known helminth fauna and limited
opportunities for icthiohelminthic research in the
Amazonian countries.
In this area other important contributions have been
made in recent years, where Dr. Vernon Thatcher
should be mentioned for his efforts to collect
information on the subject in his book on parasites of
Amazonian fish. Here, he detailed data on the life
cycles, modes of transmission, and pathology
associated with the infections from the different
groups of helminths (Thatcher, 2006) obtained from
the freshwater fish. Helminth parasites of marine
fishes important to sport fishing in Puerto Rico were
also reported by Bunkley-Williams & Williams
(1994).
Although the Egyption papyri have already
documented data on some nematodes such as Ascaris
lumbricoides (Linnaeus, 1758) and Dracunculus
medinensis (Linnaeus, 1758); in Peru, the study on
the helminthic parasites is much more recent, noting
that since 1940 the knowledge has greatly expanded
based on the collections of helminths of domestic
animals and the production of the first publications
on this subject (Sarmiento et al., 1999). They have
recently begun to investigate the parasitism caused
by helminths in the Peruvin wildlife, recording that
out of the more than 2900 species of vertebrates that
Neotrop. Helminthol., 2(2), 2008
2008 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)
EDITORIAL
NEW APPROACH ABOUT NEOTROPICAL HELMINTHOLOGY
Jorge Cárdenas-Callirgos*; José Iannacone
Suggested Citation: Cárdenas-Callirgos, J & Iannacone, J. 2008. New approach about neotropical helminthology.
Neotropical Helminthology, vol. 2, nº 2, pp. 42-46.
42
inhabit the territory of Peru, only 179 have been
studied with respect to their helminth fauna, which is
only 6.13% of the total (Tantaleán, 2008).
In this historical context, and knowing that there has
been inadequate progress in the field of
helminthology, a considerable effort has been made
by various researchers from the Neotropical region to
develop this specialized discipline and to diversify its
various technical and practical applications. A very
young association founded in February 12, 2005, the
Peruvian Association of Helminthology and
Associated Invertebrates (APHIA) (Iannacone,
2005), started organizing a Congress in March 2008
that has a strong international impact, the “First
Peruvian Congress of Helminthology and Associated
Invertebrates – International Event: New
Approaches in Neotropical Helminthology”. We are
very aware that this type of activity involves great
deal of effort with little available funding in countries
like Peru, where there is also poorly promoted
scientific research.
Moreover, it was sought in this Congress to launch a
new proposal from an integrated and holistic
approach, joining regional forces and enriching
ourselves with the valuable contributions of
colleagues from other parts of the globe, also
providing various initiatives to avoid false
dichotomies. The meeting was planned with a
humanitarian theme at which everyone was invited to
the scientific solidarity. At this international event,
highlighting these points, there was a lecture given on
the Neotropical sociocultural reality that displayed
the necessity to work together for the common good
and to effectively contribute to the development of
our peoples. Unlike the meetings held in Peru from
1993 to 2008, where the emphasis was on human
parasitic diseases (86.4%) (Table 1), this Congress
sought to diversify the topics and thus innovate
related proposals to icthiohelminthology, impact of
the helminthic infections in the wildlife, and the
ecohelminthology (68.5%). This will allow for
better evaluation and comparison of the information
jointly published in the Abstract books of the
Peruvian Congresses of Parasitology I (1993), III
(1997), IV (2000), V (2002), and VI (2008) organized
by the Peruvian Society of Parasitology (SOPEPA)
with details of this event organized by APHIA (Table
2). In these five Congresses of SOPEPA, 32.7% of
the abstracts are on protozoans, 15.7% on helminths,
30.5% on the human endoparasite, and 9.4% on
ectoparasites.
Our event made some contributions with respect to
the previous meetings on Parasitology in our country
(Table 2), as far as including lectures, panel
discussions, oral and poster sessions, a book of
abstracts presented in English to facilitate the reading
of the helminthologists from various parts of the
world, and conduction of the expositions in three
official languages: Spanish, English, and
Portuguese. Another innovation was the attendance
of 24 international presenters from Chile, Brazil,
Mexico, USA, Canada, France, United Kingdom,
Portugal, Italy, Finland, China, Japan, and Venezuela,
thus allowing it to become the most important event,
in recent years, on helminthology in the Neotropical
region. These speakers provided very high-level
presentations, touching on issues that were rare or
developing for the first time in Peru, and expanding
new horizons of scientific exploration for the Latin
American researchers throughout the 62 conferences.
Thanks to the above mentioned, the First Congress of
Helminthology and Associated Invertebrates
(APHIA) – International Meeting, has been listed as a
historic milestone in the development of Neotropical
helminthology in Peru. This congress was held in the
city of Lima, from October 30 to November 1, 2008,
at the School of Biological Sciences of the
Universidad Ricardo Palma (URP). As a prelude to
this event, there was an International Pre-Conference
Workshop, “Fundamentals of Helminthology:
Monogenea”, where we had the presence of the
international presenter MSc. María del Carmen
Gómez del Prado-Rosas from the Autonomous
University of Baja California Sur, Mexico, who is a
specialist in parasitology in aquatic ecosystems.
Nationally known helminthologists participated also.
A crucial moment was the inaugural Conference:
Helminths and Host: Challenges for the future,
presented by Dr. David Rollinson, President of the
World Federation of Parasitologists (WFP) and
member of the Department of Zoology of the
Museum of Natural History of London, who
addressed the issue of Neglected Tropical Diseases
(NTD). Other international presenters covered
various topics such as: 1) the influence of climate
change on helminth infections, 2) the molecular
study of pharmacological and ethnobotanical
research related to the action of anthelminthics, 3)
life cycles, morphology, ultrastructure, and
physiological interactions between larval stages of
trematodes and mollusks, 4) advances in diagnostic
techniques, epidemiology, and molecular studies on
zoonotic diseases such as: anisakiasis,
schistosmiasis, cysticercosis, and fascioliasis
equinocoquiasis, plus new emerging zoonoses, 5)
ultrastructure of Monogenea, 6) proposed
educational helminthology, 7) ethnoparasitology, 8)
43
New approach about Neotropical Helminthology Cárdenas-Callirgos J & Iannacone J.
Neotrop. Helminthol., 2(2), 2008
the impact of helminth infections in wild animals
such as: nematodes in rodents, acanthocephalans in
birds, life cycle of pentastomiasis in the Peruvian
jungle, helminthiasis in primates and their
relationship to anthropogenic disturbances, and
impact of helminths in captive wild animals;
behavioral, physiological, immunological,
hormonal, and pathological aspects associated with
helminth infections, 9) helminthiasis in South
American camelids and horses, 10) Ecological
investigations on seasonal population dynamics,
studies on the role of the habitat in metapopulations,
comparison of communities, parasitic specificity,
ecotoxicity, quantitative aspects of infection, and life
cycles, 11) the use of worms as a tool for ecological
studies of different types such as: populations of
global biodiversity, biological invasions, trophic
relationships, population genetics, habitat
fragmentation, phylogenetic and evolutionary
relationships, and finally 12) the relation between
bioaccumulation of heavy metals, environmental
pollution, and disturbances of aquatic ecosystems.
This event included a scientific committee comprised
of researchers from 92 different nationalities across
the globe, such as: United Kingdom, Brazil, France,
Israel, Portugal, Italy, the Caribbean, Ireland, United
States of America, Russia, Germany, Chile, Mexico,
Canada, Australia, Czech Republic, Holland,
Finland, Spain, Kenya, Uruguay, Peru, Argentina,
Switzerland, Slovakia, Turkey, Japan, China, and
Thailand.
One of the objectives of this event was to create a link
between professionals from academia, the
government, the business world, nongovernmental
organizations, and public institutions with sights on
figuring out how to apply the knowledge about
helminths and associated invertebrates in the
regional sense, by emphasizing its importance in
Conservation, Biodiversity, and Public Health
(Iannacone, 2006; Iannacone & Cárdenas-Callirgos,
2008).
Likewise, it generated space to meet and share
scientific information on the problems of
helminthology in Peru and the region, as a
brotherhood. It was an opportunity to establish links
and ties to work together and also, to open new lines
of investigation, or fully develop those in incipient
stages. With this in mind two activities were
proposed: 1) implementation of a short-term
Workshop on Neotropical Helminthology, where
various national and regional specialists generate a
group discussion over the guidelines that should sed
frame the action of helminth research in our region, 2)
establishment of a Research Network on
NeotropicalHelminthology as an effective means of
cooperation between the foreign and regional
researchers interested in developing joint research
projects focused on solving the most urgent problems
in this field.
A very important and emotional moment was the
Tribute conducted by APHIA, to Dr. Manuel E.
Tantaleán-Vidaurre, in recognition of his
contributions to the development of helminthology in
our región, due to the fact that his research has laid the
groundwork and left precedence for the next
generations of helminthologists to develop it. He has
opened these new pathways working at a high
scientific level and exemplifying the genuine
profesionalism that has characterized him from his
youth. Dr. Juan Carvajal-Garay, who came from
Chile, presented him with a diploma that was
dedicated as a tribute to his fruitful academic and
scientific displays.
This Congress helped strengthen the Peruvian
Association of Helminthology and Associated
Invertebrates (APHIA), outlining the full scope of
our mission and service in favor of the Peruvian
society and the entire Neotropical region. The end of
the congress launched the Second Congress of
Helminthology and Associated Invertebrates –
International Meeting for 2010, with hopes that this
event, and those previous to it, displays the unfolding
horizon of our scientific action in the Neotropical
region.
We want to thank all of the international and national
presenters who generously gave their time in order to
determine and enrich the guidelines for research in
Neotropical helminthology as to face the new
challenges that are presented before us today. We
also want to thank all the members of the Organizing
and Support Committees, the professionals and
students from various Peruvian universities, who
enthusiastically shared their time and effort to
accomplish this event, making history in the
becoming science of our region.
Finally, we hope that this initiative is not the
culmination of our work, but rather the first step in a
fruitful journey of national, regional, and
international cooperation, looking to expand the
potential of Neotropical research and make progress
in serving the human community in order for its
complete and integral development.
44
Table 2. Distribution of the Miscellaneous Research Themes (Oral Sessions and Posters)
presented at the First Peruvian Congress of Helminthology and Associated Invertebrates –
International Meeting.
Miscellaneous Themes 2008
Total Works
54
Impact on Public Health
Taeniasis, Cysticercosis, and Hydatidosis
Fascioliasis and Paragonimiasis
Free-living Helminths and Associated Invertebrates
Emergency Helmintiasis in Wildlife
Domestic Animals: Current Situation
Icthiohelminthology and the Role of Invertebrates
Legislation and Education
Immunology and Pathology
Biology and Ecology of Helminth Infections
Open Category
5
9
1
2
6
3
14
1
1
10
2
Table 1. Distribution of the Miscellaneous Research Themes (Oral Sessions and Posters)
presented at the Five Peruvian Congresses of Parasitology between 1993 and 2008.
Miscellaneous Themes 1993 1997 2000 2002 2008 Total
Amebiasis, Giardiasis, Trichomoniasis - Coccidios
Chagas Disease
Leishmaniasis
Malaria - Toxoplasmosis
Human Enteroparasites
Fascioliasis, Paragonimiasis, Hydatidosis,
Taeniasis, Cysticercosis and Medical Malacology
Parasites of Domestic Animals, Wild Animals and
Rodents
Parasites of Aquatic Animals
Ectoparasites, Vectors and Poisonous Animals
Parasites of Plants
Others
33
36
28
21
58
71
16
10
25
0
4
21
20
18
5
30
17
10
18
7
0
2
10
10
14
20
116
18
14
8
15
1
3
4
25
15
13
80
33
17
16
15
0
7
6
15
10
0
18
17
6
1
12
0
2
74
106
85
59
302
156
63
53
74
1
18
Total Works 302 148 229 225 87 991
st rd
1993 = 1 Peruvian Congress of Parasitology. 1997 = 3 Peruvian Congress of Parasitology.
th th
2000 = 4 Peruvian Congress of Parasitology. 2002 = 5 Peruvian Congress of Parasitology.
th
2008 = 6 Peruvian Congress of Parasitology.
45
New approach about Neotropical Helminthology Cárdenas-Callirgos J & Iannacone J.
Abstract book. I Peruvian Congress of Helminthology and
Associated Invertebrates – International Meeting.
“New a p p roa c h e s a b o ut Neotropical
Helminthology”. October 30 to November 1, 2008.
Lima, Perú.
Metazoan Parasites in the
Neotropics: A Systematic and Ecological
Perspective. Instituto de Biología,UNAM.
México.
Nemátodos
parásitos del hombre y de los animales en el Perú.
Revista peruana de Parasitología, vol. 14, pp. 9-65.
. Listados Faunísticos de México. VI.
Helmintos parásitos de peces de aguas
continentales de México. Instituto de Biología,
UNAM, México D. F., México. 100 p.
Listados
Faunísticos de México. IX. Biodiversidad de
helmintos parásitos de peces marinos y estuarinos
de la bahía de Chamela, Jalisco, México. Instituto
de Biología, UNAM, México. 48 p.
Salgado-Maldonado, G, Garcia-Aldrete, A N & Vidal-
Martinez, V. 2000.
Sarmiento, L Tantaleán, M & Huiza, A. 1999.
Pérez-Ponce de León, G, García, L, Osorio, D & León, V.
1996
Pérez-Ponce de León, G, García, L, Mendoza, B, León, V,
Pulido, G, Aranda, C & García, F. 1999.
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Bunkley-Williams, L & Williams, Jr E H. 1994.
Cabrera, C R. 2003.
Iannacone, J. 2005.
Iannacone, J. 2006.
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Lamothe-Argumedo, R, García-Prieto, L, Osorio-Sarabia,
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Moravec, F. 1998.
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Tantaleán, M. 2008.
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* Correspondence to author/Autor para
correspondencia: Jorge Cárdenas-Callirgos.
Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e
Invertebrados Afines (APHIA).
El Laurel Rosa. 181.A. Urbanización Los
Sauces. Surquillo. Lima. Perú.
E-mail/ Correo electrónico:
jmcardenasc@gmail.com
Home Tel: (+51-1) 2734715.
Movil Tel: (+51-1) 997626480.
46
Neotrop. Helminthol., 2(2), 2008
47
Neotrop. Helminthol., 2(2), 2008
