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New insights into the clinico-histopathological and molecular features of Pelecitus (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) from a raptor bird

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Abstract

Some Onchocercidae nematodes such as Pelecitus are parasites of medical and veterinary importance. The adult stage of Pelecitus has been reported infecting birds, and the microfilaria has been associated to human blindness. However, in some of these cases, the nematode was incompletely identified at the species level due to the scarcity of morphological taxonomic keys and, also, to the lack of molecular diagnostic analysis. Here, we report a new Pelecitus species in a crested caracara (Caracara cheriway) producing a severe tenosynovitis and microfilarial dermatitis. It is also the first record of Pelecitus in an American bird of prey. Clinical and histopathological features are described, contributing towards our understanding of the pathogenesis of Pelecitus and the health and conservation of wild bird populations. Our study also provides new information on the molecular diagnosis of this parasite and highlights the potential role of wild birds as Pelecitus reservoirs, and health risk for humans and wildlife.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Sanidad Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Campus Regional Internacional de Excelencia “Campus Mare Nostrum”, Universidad de Murcia, 30100, Murcia, Spain

    Claudia I. Muñoz-García, Eduardo Berriatua & Carlos Martínez-Carrasco Pleite

  2. Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Col. Villa Quietud, Del. Coyoacán, 04960, Mexico City, Mexico

    Claudia I. Muñoz-García, Osvaldo López-Díaz & Emilio Rendón-Franco

  3. Escuela Colegio de Ciencias y Humanidades, Plantel Oriente, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Canal de San Juan S/N, Tepalcates, Del. Iztapalapa, 09210, Mexico City, Mexico

    David Osorio-Sarabia

  4. Departamento de Ecología de Agentes Patógenos, Hospital General “Dr. Manuel Gea González”, Calzada de Tlalpan no. 4800, Del. Tlalpan, 14080, Mexico City, Mexico

    Fernando Martínez-Hernández

  5. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Guiehdani Villalobos

  6. Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior s/n, Ciudad Universitaria, Del. Coyoacán, 04510, Mexico City, Mexico

    Ana B. Isaak-Delgado

  7. Centro para la Conservación e Investigación de la Vida Silvestre, Secretaria de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales, Circuito Emiliano Zapata Norte El Pino, 56507, Los Reyes Acaquilpan, Estado de México, Mexico

    Angélica Carreño-Cervantes & Daniel R. Contreras-Patiño

Authors
  1. Claudia I. Muñoz-García
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  2. Osvaldo López-Díaz
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  3. David Osorio-Sarabia
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  4. Fernando Martínez-Hernández
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  5. Guiehdani Villalobos
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  6. Ana B. Isaak-Delgado
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  7. Emilio Rendón-Franco
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  8. Angélica Carreño-Cervantes
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  9. Daniel R. Contreras-Patiño
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  10. Eduardo Berriatua
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  11. Carlos Martínez-Carrasco Pleite
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Claudia I. Muñoz-García.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Section Editor: Ramaswamy Kalyanasundaram

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Muñoz-García, C.I., López-Díaz, O., Osorio-Sarabia, D. et al. New insights into the clinico-histopathological and molecular features of Pelecitus (Filarioidea: Onchocercidae) from a raptor bird. Parasitol Res 117, 3319–3325 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6009-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-6009-1

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