469
Neotrop. Helminthol., 8(2), 2014
2014 Asociación Peruana de Helmintología e Invertebrados Afines (APHIA)
ISSN: 2218-6425 impreso / ISSN: 1995-1043 on line
RESEARCH NOTE / NOTA CIENTÍFICA
ENDOPARASITES AS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INDICATORS IN WILD BIRDS IN
TINGUÁ BIOLOGICAL RESERVE, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
LOS ENDOPARÁSITOS COMO INDICADORES DE CALIDAD AMBIENTAL EN AVES
SILVESTRES EN LA RESERVA BIOLÓGICA DE TINGUÁ, RÍO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL
1 1 1 1
Hermes Ribeiro Luz , Gabriel Alves Landulfo , Ísis Daniele Alves Costa Santolin , Carla Carolina Dias Uzedo Ribeiro ,
1 1
Michele da Costa Pinheiro & Maria de Lurdes de Azevedo Rodrigues
Abstract
Resumo
Keywords: endoparasites - indicator - parasite prevalence - wild birds.
Palavras-chave: Aves silvestres - endoparasitas - indicador - prevalência parasitária.
Suggested citation: Luz HR, Landulfo GA, Santolin IDAC, Ribeiro CCDU, Pinheiro MC & Rodrigues MLA. 2014.
Endoparasites as environmental quality indicators in wild birds in Tinguá Biological Reserve, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Neotropical
Helminthology, vol. 8, n°2, jul-dec, pp. 469-472.
1Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Veterinárias (CPGCV), Instituto de Veterinária (IV),
Departamento de Parasitologia Animal (DPA), Seropédica, RJ, 23890-000, Brazil.
E-mail: gabriel_alves_landulfo@hotmail.com
Wild birds are hosts of a variety of parasites. Their migratory behavior increases the dispersion of
parasites and consequently the occurrence of diseases in various locations around the world. To
identify the parasitological fauna of wild birds in the Tinguá Biological Reserve in Rio de Janeiro
state-Brazil, 43 birds belonging to the orders Passeriformes and Columbiformes were captured
and stool samples collected. Four birds (9.3%) were positive for parasites. In the fecal samples,
trematode eggs of the Tanaisia sp and oocysts of coccidia as Isospora sp were found. The low
parasite prevalence in wild birds found in this study may be an environmental quality indicator,
because the reserve is a preserved area that has little human interference. We emphasize also that
the use of the technique of collecting stool samples with anal swabs was successful for diagnostic
purposes.
Aves silvestres são hospedeiras de uma diversidade de parasitos e o comportamento migratório
aumenta a dispersão dos parasitos e consequentemente a ocorrência de enfermidades em diversas
localidades do mundo. Com o objetivo de conhecer a fauna parasitológica de aves silvestres de
uma Reserva Biológica do estado do Rio de Janeiro, 43 aves pertencentes às ordens Passeriformes
e Columbiformes foram capturadas e amostras de fezes colhidas. A prevalência parasitária das
aves capturadas foi de 9,3% (4/43). Foram encontrados nas amostras de fezes, ovos de trematódeo
do gênero Tanaisia e oocistos de coccídeos pertencentes ao gênero Isospora. A baixa prevalência
parasitária em aves silvestres encontrada no presente estudo pode ser um indicador de qualidade
ambiental, pois a reserva é uma área conservada que possui pouca interferência humana.
Destacamos, também, que o uso da técnica de coleta das fezes através de swab anal, revelou-se
eficaz para fins de diagnóstico.
Luz et al.
Endoparasites as environmental quality indicators in wild birds
Wild birds are hosts of a great diversity of
parasites and their migratory behavior increases
the dispersion of parasites and consequently the
occurrence of diseases in various places in the
world (Freitas et al., 2002; Reed et al., 2003).
Thus, avian endoparasites are of great
importance to public health (Costa et al., 2010),
and knowledge of the parasitic fauna of birds
contributes to prevention and control of
parasites. In addition, some parasites, especially
fish parasites, can act as biological indicators of
environmental contaminants (Overstreet, 1997;
Dzika & Wyzlic, 2011). These organisms
respond specifically to environmental changes,
induced by natural or anthropogenic events
(Overstreet, 1997). Thus, the objectives of this
study were to verify the occurrence of
gastrointestinal parasites in wild birds from the
Tinguá Biological Reserve, municipality of
Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, and
analyze the parasite prevalence in birds as a
biological indicator of environmental quality.
Capture of Birds
Wild birds from the Tinguá Biological Reserve
(22 º 28'-22 º 39'S and 43 º 13'-43 º 34'W),
municipality of Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de
Janeiro, were captured during April to June
2012, using mist nets (12 x 2.5 m/mesh 16x16
mm linearly), arranged between the morning and
twilight. The birds identified and classified in
according with Sigrist (2007) and CBRO
(2009). The capture and release carried out by
permission of the Biodiversity Information
System (SISBIO 16753-1/2009).
The sampled of feces were collected by using
sterile swabs introduced into rectum of each
bird and were maintained in test tubes
containing 2% formaldehyde until the
coproparasitological (De Carli,1994).
Collection of feces and coproparasitological
examination
In the laboratory, fecal samples processed by the
technique of centrifugal flotation in sucrose
solution. Slides prepared from fecal samples
analyzed under an optical microscope for
verification and identification of parasitic
(Figueiredo et al., 1984) oocysts and helminths
eggs (Soulsby, 1987).
Forty-three birds (43) belonging to the orders
Columbiformes and Passeriformes were
captured, of which 90.7% were Passeriformes.
Table 1 presents the number of species captured
and the percentage of positive individuals,
representing 9.3% (4 birds). In the fecal samples
from Tangara sayaca (Linnaeus, 1766) were
found eggs of the trematode Tanaisia sp.
Oocysts of coccidia of the genus Isospora were
identified in the feces of Sporophila cearulensis,
Jacarina volatinia and Columbina talpacot
(Table 1). The prevalence of parasitism by
coccidia (6.3%) was higher than the prevalence
of helminths (2.3%).
The parasitic prevalence in this study was low,
according to Marietto-Gonçalves et al. (2009),
with 2.4% of parasitism in wild birds, and Freitas
et al. (2002), who highlight the existence of a
smaller parasitic prevalence in free-living birds
when compared with captive animals, because
these last are constantly in contact with
contaminated environments. However, our
outcomes were contrasting to results observed
by Costa et al. (2010). They found a parasitic
prevalence of 82.66% in wild birds captured on
the campus of the Federal Rural University of
Rio de Janeiro (RJ-UFRRJ-Seropédica). This
campus is subject to strong anthropic pressure.
Thus, we can associate the increase in the
parasitic fauna with the preservation conditions
of the capture site. Oocysts of coccidia were the
forms most found in the positive samples. This
result is in accordance with Marietto-Gonçalves
et al. (2009) and Costa et al. (2010).
Environmental conditions stand out among the
innumerable factors that make birds vulnerable
hosts to parasitic intestinal diseases (Freitas et
INTRODUCTION
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
MATERIAL AND METHODS
470
Neotrop. Helminthol., 8(2), 2014
Table 1. Wild birds captured in the municipality of Nova Iguaçu, Rio de Janeiro-Brasil and the prevalence of
parasitism.
Classification of birds Species
Number
Bird
Captured
/Parasitized
birds
Parasites species
Prevalence (%)
Passeriformes
Dendrocolapitidae Dendrocincla fuliginosa 1/0 0
Dendrocolaptidae Lepdocolaptes longirostres 4/0 0
Thraupidae Tangara sayaca 1/1
Tanaisia
sp. 100
Thraupidae Tangara palmarum 6/0 0
Thraupidae Thlypopsis sórdida 3/0 0
Thraupidae
Dacnis cayana
2/0
0
Emberizidae
Sporophila cearulensis
5/1
Isospora sp.
20
Emberizidae
Sporophila sp
1/0
0
Emberizidae
Volatinia jacarina
4/1
Isospora sp.
25
Coerebidae
Coereba flaveola
2/0
0
Tyrannidae
Elaenia flavogaster
4/0
0
Tyrannidae
Pitangus sulphuratus
5/0
0
Tyrannidae
Elaenia flavogaster
1/0
0
Columbiformes
Columbidae
Columbina talpacoti
4/1
Isospora sp.
25
Total 43/4 9,3
Table 2. Comparison of parasite prevalence between Passeriformes and Columbiformes orders, the present study
and the data found by Marietto-Gonçalves et al. (2009) e Costa et al. (2010).
Bird classification
Present study*
Marietto-Gonçalves et al. (2009)*
Costa et al. (2010)*
Passeriformes
(39/3/7.7%)
(207/0/0%) (69/ 57/82.66%)
Columbiformes (4/1/25%) (1/0/0%) (5/4/82.60%)
* The numerical values refer to the number of birds captured / number of parasitized birds/ parasite prevalence.
al., 2002; Costa et al., 2010). Biological and
environmental indicators are sensitive to
environmental changes and significant changes
in the number of individuals and in populations
can be used as an alert of deteriorating
environmental conditions (Mackenzie et al.,
1995). Thus, we observed that the relationship
between parasitic prevalence in wild birds and
the conditions of the environment can be a factor
predisposing them to parasitism. Costa et al.
(2010) found a high rate of parasitism in birds
from disturbed field and pasture ares as
consequence of urbanization (UFRRJ campus),
while Marietto-Gonçalves et al. (2009) found
the free-living birds from areas with good
conservation status had low parasite prevalence
(Table 2). Our results are in accordance with
these previous findings, because the capture area
is a biological reserve.
Overstreet (1997) mentioned that the data about
parasitic prevalence and average infection
intensity allied to knowledge of the biology of
parasites might provide a telescopic view of
470
Luz et al.
Endoparasites as environmental quality indicators in wild birds
environmental conditions. This association is
widely used to verify the quality of aquatic
environments, where the occurrence or absence
of fish populations and their parasites can an
indicator of environmental condition (Dzika &
Wylic, 2010).
Therefore, the parasitic prevalence of wild bird
endoparasites can be a useful tool to indicate the
environmental quality of a particular area or
environment. Researches considering
endoparasites of wild birds as bioindicators are
scarce in the literature, so further research is of
great importance to provide information about
the structure of communities within an
ecosystem.
Lastly, we emphasize that the technique of
collecting fecal samples with anal swabs was
effective to obtain sufficient material for
diagnosis and assessment of parasitism.
Furthermore, the technique is fast and less
stressful for the animal, since the bird does not
have to be contained to eliminate feces.
This study was supported in part by Conselho
Nacional para o Desenvolvimento Científico e
Tecnológico (CNPq), Coordenação de
Aperfeiçoamento do Pessoal de Nivel Superior
(CAPES) and Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de
Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
(FAPERJ).
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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