Subcutaneous Strigea sp. (Diplostomoidea: strigeidae) metacercariae in rallidae (gruiformes) from the neotropical región

• Autores: dos Santos, José Junior, Mascarenhas, Carolina Silveira, Müller, Gertrud
• Formato: artículo
• Fecha de Publicación: 2023
• Institución: Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal
• Repositorio: Revistas - Universidad Nacional Federico Villarreal
• Lenguaje: español
• OAI Identifier: oai:ojs2.revistas.unfv.edu.pe:article/1694
• Enlace del recurso: https://revistas.unfv.edu.pe/NH/article/view/1694
• Nivel de acceso: acceso abierto
• Materia: Digenea; Pardirallus maculatus; Pardirallus sanguinolentus; plumbeous rail; spotted rail; riel moteado; riel plomizo

The life cycle of species belonging to Strigea remains complex and poorly understood, especially in the Neotropical region, where information about their intermediate hosts is scarce. Rallidae birds are known for their adaptability to aquatic and semi-aquatic environments since they exhibit ability to disperse and adjust to a wide range of ecological conditions. In this study, we examined seventeen specimens of Pardirallus maculatus  (Boddaert, 1783) and one of Pardirallus sanguinolentus (Swainson, 1838) collected in southern Brazil in search for Strigea sp. metacercariae. Metacercariae occurred in 11.1% (2/18) of birds with infection intensity of 12 (Strigea sp. 2) and 28 (Strigea sp. 1) helminths found in P. sanguinolentus and P. maculatus, respectively. Metacercariae were found exclusively in the pectoralis muscle region, beneath subcutaneous tissue. These findings suggest the potential that Rallidae birds have to act as intermediate hosts of Strigea sp. in that region. They are reinforced by previous observation of small aquatic birds which were identified as prey of Falconiformes (definitive hosts). Thus, our study provides novel information that may assist further research that aims at expanding our understanding of the life cycle of Strigea sp. and at enhancing our knowledge of biodiversity by revealing new geographic distribution and intermediate hosts.