Comunicacion corta: Helminth parasites in CAvia

R Peruvian Journal of P P Parasitology Volumen 19 - Número 2 - Año 2011 (Versión Electrónica)

Comunicación Corta / Short Communication Helminth parasites in Cavia tschudii (Rodentia, Caviidae) of Cusco, Peru Helmintos parásitos en Cavia tschudii (Rodentia, Caviidae) de Cusco, Perú Marco Quispe Ha, Manuel Tantaleán Va, José Angulo Ta, a a Gina Casas V , Enrique Serrano M . a.Laboratorio de Parasitología, Facultad de Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia

Abstract

Resumen

In this study, 5 helminths, 1 cestoda Monoecocestus parcitesticulatus, and 4 nematodes Graphidioides mazzai, Paraspidodera uncinata, Aonchotheca bovis and Trichuris sp. were identified in the guinea pig Cavia tschudii (=C. aperea) from the Andean region in Cusco, Peru. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Aonchotheca bovis in this region of Peru.

En el presente estudio, se identifican a 5 helmintos, 1 cestodo Monoecocestus parcitesticulatus y 4 nematodos Graphidioides mazzai, Paraspidodera uncinata, Aonchotheca bovis y Trichuris sp. en el cuy silvestre o poronccoy Cavia tschudii (=C. aperea), procedente de Cusco, Perú.

Key words: Cavia tschudii |Nematode |Cusco | Peru.

Palabras clave: Cavia tschudii | Nematodos | Cestodo |Cusco |Perú.

|Cestode

Introduction

levels (3.3%) and good mineral content (1.25 %).(2) Additionally, it is easy to handle, has a short reproductive cycle, and its flexible diet has made this specie one of the most preferred animals to raise, becoming largely distributed in all regions of Peru including the coast, Andean and the Amazonic region.(3,4)

C

avia tschudii (C. tschudii) Fitzinger, 1867 (=C. aperea) commonly known as poroncoy or wild guinea pig, is a rodent whose habitat ranges between 3,000 m (9,842 f) and 4,300m (14,107 f) above sea level in Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina; where is hunted by inhabitants to be used in their diet and traditional medicine, similar to the C. porcellus (1) or domestic guinea pig. This last has been part of Peruvians' diet since pre-Columbian times. Moreover, this animal has one of the most nutritious meats among other species, containing high protein levels (20.5%), low fat

The parasitological investigations for arthropods and helminths on this animal are scanty. A review of the literature reveals only 3 studies that mention species of helminths in this animal from the departments of Cusco, Junín, and Cajamarca.(5-7) In Cusco, the species re p o r te d we re G ra p h i d i o i d e s m a z z a i ,

Suggested citation: Quispe HM, Tantaleán VM, Angulo TJ, Casas VG, Serrano M. Helminth parasites in Cavia tschudii (Rodentia, Caviidae) of Cusco, Peru. Peru J Parasitol. 2011; 19(2): e68-e72

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Comunicación Corta Helminth parasites in Cavia tschudii (Rodentia, Caviidae) of Cusco, Peru

Peruvian Journal of Parasitology Volumen 19, Número 2, Año 2011 (Versión Electrónica)

Paraspidodera uncinata, Trichuris sp. and Monoecocestus sp. and showed that the most frequent association was between G. mazzai y P. (7) uncinata (up to 33%). In the wild guinea pig from Junín, some helminths identified were G. mazzai, Paraspidodera uncinata (P. uncinata), Trichuris gracilis (T. gracilis) and Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica). In those from Cajamarca, the parasites identified were Capillaria hepatica (C. hepatica), T. gracilis and P. uncinata; that had the highest prevalence in both areas.

rinsed in normal saline and fixed in 10% formaldehide after being compressed between 2 glass slides, stained with Semichon´s acetic carmine, and finally mounted in balsam. The nematodes were fixed in 70% ethyl alcohol (6065 °C) and after using a mix of alcohol and phenol the parasites were discolored. Lesions from the liver and lungs were microscopically analyzed in a glass slide in order to detect other helminths. Conventional histology was performed from pathological liver lesions.

The objective of this study is to identify the helminths in the guinea pig (C. tschudii) from the province of Canchis, department of Cusco, Peru.

All specimens were stored in the Laboratorio de Parasitología de Animales Silvestres y Zoonosis, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru.

Materials and methods

Results

Two adult males were captured by local inhabitants in March 2012, and were provided to us after sacrifice. Afterwards, all internal organs were removed to facilitate our search for parasites. In order to retrieve all helminths from the digestive tract, we applied the Travassos (8) method, and the content was placed in a Petri dish and subsequently analyzed with a stereoscopic microscope. The cestodes were

Table 1 shows the genera, species, and location of the helminths identified in this study. In the hepatic lesions of one animal, no helminths were found. Table 1. Genera, species and location of helminths found in two C. tschudii from the province of Canchis, Cusco, Peru.

Genera and species

Location

Cestoda Monoecocestus parcitesticulatus

Small gut

Nematoda Graphidioides mazzai Paraspidodera uncinata Aonchotheca bovis Trichuris sp

Stomach, small gut Large gut, cecum Small gut Large gut

Discussion

from Canas and Canchis (Cusco) had G. mazzai. Furthermore, they reported other nematode including P. uncinata andTrichuris sp. Likewise, Dittmar (7) found that 28.1% of 64 animals from La Raya (Cusco) had G. mazzai infection, as well as P. uncinata and T. gracilis.

G. mazzai (Figs. 1 and 2) is a nematode (Graphidiinae, Trichostrongylidae) (9) relatively common in C. tschudii. Tió & Guerrero (5) reported that 69% of 100 examined C. aperea

Peru J Parasitol 2011; 19 (2) Acceso gratuito en línea a texto completo.

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P. uncinata (Fig. 3) is one of the most common nematode in wild and domestic guinea pigs from both the Andean and coastal regions.(5, 6, 10) This parasite has also been found in guinea pigs from Brazil (11,12) and Argentina.(13) Rossin (14) described again the specie but from the rodent Octodontidae Ctenomys talarum from Argentina, adding morphological and morphometric data that was missed from the original description

Figure 1. Graphidiodes mazzai. Male posterior side Details on spicules and distal posterior male tail

Figure 3. Paraspidodera uncinata. Male posterior

Aonchotheca bovis (=Capillaria bovis) is a nematode Capillariidae found in ruminants around the world (15) and in C. porcellus and C. (16) tschudii from Peru. Canchis is a new geographic area for this parasite. Trichuris sp., is a nematode that invades the colonic mucosae through its thin body. Dittmar6 recovered the parasite T. gracilis from the large bowel of guinea pigs from Cajamarca and Junín, this parasitic specie is also found in rodents Dasyproctidae from Brazil.(17) M. parcitesticulatus is an cestode Anoplocephalidae, that was initially described (6) in C. aperea and C. porcellus from Brazil. In Peru, C. aperea from Canas and Canchis (Cusco) was identified and described again but from the material that was initially collected by Tió y Guerrero, (5) now stored in the Laboratorio de

Figure 2. Graphidioides mazzai


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Parasitología of the Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria at Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. Thus, this study identifies this parasite for the second time in C. tschudii.

Acknowlegdments. The authors thank to the

Finally, after 40 years from the first study of wild guinea pigs at Peru, the results from this study confirm the presence of the nematodes G. mazzai, P. uncinata, A. bovis, and Trichuris sp. and the cestode M. parcitesticulatus(6) in C. tschudii. (5, 7, 16) The persistent presence of these parasites throughout this period of time is likely due to the unchanged natural environment. To the best of our knowledge, the area of Canchis (Peru) is a new geographic region for A. bovis.

Conflict of Interest: None.

Editorial Committee of the Revista Peruana de Parasitología for assistance in English translation.

Funding: By the authors. Author’s contribution: MQ obtained and

prepared the pictures of the material. MT identified the material. JA did the literature search, helped in obtaining the pictures and drafted the first manuscript. GC reviewed the manuscript. ES helped on logistic assistance and reviewed the manuscript.

Author’s contributions:

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Author's addresses: Marco Quispe H. Phone: 994655444. E-mail: [email protected]


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