This study assesses parasitism and pathologic manifestations in free-ranging Crotalus durissus terrificus. A total of 96 rattlesnakes from the State of Minas Gerais (southeast Brazil) were necropsied between September 2019 and February 2020. Granulomatous gastritis affected 48% (46 of 96) of the snakes evaluated, which were associated with the ascaridid nematodes Ophidascaris sp. and Hexametra sp. Other nematodes found included Kalicephalus costatus costatus and Kalicephalus inermis inermis (Diaphanocephalidae; 7%, 7 of 96) in the intestines, Serpentirhabdias sp. (Rhabdiasidae; 18%, 17 of 96) in the lungs, and Hastospiculum sp. (Diplotriaenidae; 2%, 2 of 96) encapsulated in the serosa of the mesentery. Larval cestodes, probably spargana of Spirometra sp. (Diphyllobothriidae; 2%, 2 of 96), were found in the skeletal muscle and unidentified acanthocephalan cystacanths (Oligacanthorhynchidae; 5%, 5 of 96) in the subcutis and coelomic cavity. The pentastome Porocephalus crotali (Porocephalidae; 2%, 2 of 96) was also found in the lungs. Microscopically, intestinal disease was caused by Sarcocystis sp. (7%, 7 of 96), Cryptosporidium sp. (1%, 1 of 96), and Entamoeba sp. (1%, 1 of 96) and fungi (7%, 7 of 96). In addition, hemoparasites such as Hepatozoon spp. (23%, 22 of 96) and Trypanosoma sp. (1%, 1 of 96) were observed in blood smears. This study expands the knowledge of diseases, parasites, and other infectious agents affecting free-ranging C. durissus terrificus in Brazil.
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26 September 2022
PARASITOLOGIC AND PATHOLOGIC STUDY OF FREE-RANGING SOUTH AMERICAN RATTLESNAKES (CROTALUS DURISSUS TERRIFICUS) IN BRAZIL
Frank August de Oliveira Toledo,
Philippe Vieira Alves,
Izabela Magalhães Arthuso Vasconcelos,
Ayisa Rodrigues Oliveira,
Daniel Oliveira dos Santos,
Juliana Araújo Gomes Cabral,
Rômulo Antônio Righi de Toledo,
Hudson Alves Pinto,
Pedro Hugo Henriques Cunha,
Fabiola de Oliveira Paes Leme,
Marcelo Pires Nogueira de Carvalho,
Tatiane Alves da Paixão,
Renato Lima Santos
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