Abstract
In order to evaluate prevalence and intensity of apicomplexan hemoparasites in free-ranging reptiles from Romania, blood smears were collected from European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis), sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), and spur-thighed tortoises (Testudo graeca). All three host species were positive for blood parasites, with prevalence of infected individuals between 60.71% and 100% and variable intensity. Similarities and differences with other epidemiological data are discussed.
References
Amo L, López P, Martín J (2004) Prevalence and intensity of haemogregarinid blood parasites in a population of Iberian rock lizard, Lacerta monticola. Parasitol Res 94:290–293
Amo L, Fargallo JA, Martínez-Padilla J, Millán J, López P, Martín J (2005) Prevalence and intensity of blood and intestinal parasites in a field population of a Mediterranean lizard, Lacerta lepida. Parasit Res 96:413–417
Brooks RJ, Galbraith DA, Layfield JA (1990) Occurrence of Placobdella parasitica (Hirudinea) on snapping turtles Chelydra serpentina, in Southeastern Ontario. J Parasitol 76:190–195
Cornelson D, Ungureanu E (1947) Notă preliminară asupra hemogregarinului din sângele reptilelor în regiunea de nord a României. Rev St Med Bucureşti 36:352–354
Desser SS, Yekutiel D (1986) Blood parasites of amphibians and reptiles in Israel. Isr J Zool 34:77–90
Hahn CW (1909) The stages of Haemogregarina stepanovi Danilewsky found in the blood of turtles with especial reference to changes in the nucleus. Arch Protistenkd 17:307–376
Jakes KA, O’Donoghue P, Munro M, Adlard R (2001) Hemoprotozoa of freshwater turtles in Queensland. J Wildl Dis 37:12–19
McAllister CT, King AW (1980) Hemogregarines in the red-eared slider, Chrysemys scripta elegans (Wied) from Arkansas. Proc Ark Acad Sci 34:124
McAllister CT, Upton SJ, Trauth SE (1995) Hemogregarines (Apicomplexa) and Falcaustra chelydrae (Nematoda) in an alligator sapping turtle, Macroclemys temminckii (Reptilia: Testudinidae), from Arkansas. J Helm Soc Wash 62:74–75
McAuliffe JR (1977) A hypothesis explaining variations of hemogregarine parasitemia in different aquatic turtle species. J Parasitol 63:580–581
Mihalca AD (2007) [Parasites of European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis), sand lizard (Lacerta agilis) and grass snake (Natrix tessellata) in their natural environment, in Romania][in Romanian with English abstract]. PhD Thesis, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Mihalca AD, Achelăriţei D, Popescu P (2002) Haemoparasites of the genus Haemogregarina in a population of European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) from Drăgăşani, Vâlcea county, Romania. Revista Scientia Parasitologica 3:22–27
Mihalca AD, Cozma V, Gherman C, Achelăriţei D (2004) Effect of Haemogregarina stepanovi Danilewsky, 1885 (Apicomplexa: Haemogregarinidae) on erythrocyte morphology in the European Pond Turtle, Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758) Blanford, 1876 (Testudines:Emydidae). Revista Scientia Parasitologica 5:71–74
Mihalca AD, Gherman C, Ghira I, Cozma V (2007) Helminth parasites of reptiles (Reptilia) in Romania. Parasitol Res 101:491–492
Opplinger A, Clobert J (1997) Reduced tail regeneration in the Common Lizard, Lacerta vivipara, parasitized by blood parasites. Funct Ecol 11:652–655
Opplinger A, Célérier ML, Clobert J (1996) Physiological and behavior changes in common lizards parasitized by haemogregarines. Parasitology 113:433–438
Opplinger A, Vernet R, Baez M (1999) Parasite local maladaptation in the Canarian lizard Gallotia galloti (Reptilia: Lacertidae) parasitized by haemogregarian blood parasite. J Evol Biol 12:951–955
Peirce MA, Adlard RD (2004) Haemoparasites from clinical screening of reptiles in South-East Queensland, Australia. Vet Rec 155:708–709
Popovici-Bâznoşanu A (1906) Sur l’helmintozoire de Testudo ibera. C R Soc Biol Bucureşti 60:173
Popovici-Bîznoşanu A (1901) Contributions à l’étude des parasites endoglobulaires du sang des vertébrés. Bull Soc Sci Bucureşti 10:329–335
Samour HJ, Risley D, March T, Savage B, Nieva O, Jones DM (1984) Blood sampling techniques in reptiles. Vet Rec 114:472–476
Siddall ME, Desser SS (1992) Prevalence and intensity of Haemogregarina balli (Apicomplexa: Adeleina: Haemogregarinidae) in three turtle species from Ontario, with observation on intraerythrocytic development. Can J Zool 70:123–128
Siddall ME, Gaffney E (2004) Observations on the leech Placobdella ornata feeding from bony tissues of turtles. J Parasitol 90:1186–1188
Široký P, Kamler M, Modrý D (2005) Prevalence of Hemolivia mauritanica (Apicomplexa: Adeleina: Haemogregarinidae) in natural populations of tortoises of the genus Testudo in the East Mediterranean region. Folia Parasitol (Praha) 52:359–361
Acknowledgements
This research was funded by grant no. CNCSIS 33968/2003/86/32. The first author is indebted to his wife Linda for great help during field work with T. graeca.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Mihalca, A.D., Racka, K., Gherman, C. et al. Prevalence and intensity of blood apicomplexan infections in reptiles from Romania. Parasitol Res 102, 1081–1083 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0912-9
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-008-0912-9