Occurrence of <i>Hepatozoon</i> in Some Reptiles from Brazilian Biomes with Molecular and Morphological Characterization of <i>Hepatozoon caimani</i>
Gabriella R. C. Clemente,
Germán A. Gutierrez-Liberato,
Carolina C. Anjos,
Pedro I. Simões,
Jessica R. Mudrek,
Alan Fecchio,
José H. A. Lima,
Patricia M. A. Oliveira,
João B. Pinho,
Bruno S. Mathias,
Lilian O. Guimarães,
Karin Kirchgatter
Affiliations
Gabriella R. C. Clemente
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
Germán A. Gutierrez-Liberato
Nature Research Centre, 08412 Vilnius, Lithuania
Carolina C. Anjos
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
Pedro I. Simões
Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil
Jessica R. Mudrek
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá 78060-900, MT, Brazil
Alan Fecchio
Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica (CIEMEP), CONICET—Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Esquel U9200, CT, Argentina
José H. A. Lima
Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil
Patricia M. A. Oliveira
Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife 50670-901, PE, Brazil
João B. Pinho
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso (UFMT), Cuiabá 78060-900, MT, Brazil
Bruno S. Mathias
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
Lilian O. Guimarães
Laboratório de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Instituto Pasteur, São Paulo 01027-000, SP, Brazil
Karin Kirchgatter
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Medicina Tropical, Instituto de Medicina Tropical, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo 05403-000, SP, Brazil
Amphibians and reptiles represent a considerable proportion of the vertebrate fauna in Brazil. Different blood parasitic infections have been reported in these groups, such as Haemogregarina, Hepatozoon, Trypanosoma and microfilariae. However, insufficient research on interactions between these parasites and their hosts has been carried out in some regions of the country. Samples were collected from populations of wild herpetofauna in different microhabitats throughout Brazil, totaling 111 samples of reptiles from the states of Mato Grosso and Pernambuco. We used an integrative approach, with classical microscopy, morphometry and molecular analysis, in order to identify hemoparasites present in the analyzed fauna. Genomic DNA was extracted for the PCR protocol based on the 18S ribosomal RNA gene for Hepatozoon spp. A total of 53 positives were obtained with molecular screening (47.7%), all confirmed as Hepatozoon spp. using DNA sequencing. Among positive samples, 23 slides were examined, confirming the presence of Hepatozoon spp. in 91.3% of the smears. The phylogenetic analysis performed with sequences from 43 samples resulted in a tree containing several distinct clades. Sequences were generally grouped according to the taxonomic order of the host. Co-infections with microfilariae and Trypanosoma spp. were also found in microscopy analyses. This study describes the presence of Hepatozoon caimani in a new host species (Paleosuchus palpebrosus) that can be a paratenic host in the natural environment. The existence of parasitic co-infections in alligator species underscores the significance of recognizing the impact of infections by various parasitic taxa on the host populations.