Infection with a novel pentastome (Raillietiella sp.) in a juvenile endangered Galápagos tortoise (Chelonoidis niger)

Pentastomes are crustacean endoparasites in the lungs of herpetofauna and rarely mammals and birds. To date, the only pentastomes reported in chelonians, all aquatic turtles, are Diesingia megastomum from Brazil and Pelonia africana from South Africa. In March 2021, 185 juvenile tortoises (Chelonoidis niger) were confiscated after an attempted illegal exportation from the Galápagos. It is believed the tortoises were removed from nests on Santa Cruz Island. The young tortoises were individually wrapped in plastic and at seizure ten were dead and another 25 tortoises subsequently died. One of the tortoises, estimated to be 3 months old, had 11 pentastomes in the lungs. The pentastomes were identified as a Raillietiella sp. based on morphology. The specimens had a claviform body that tapers into a bifid tail, a 165.3 μm × 92.1 μm buccal cadre, and sharp tipped anterior and posterior hooks with the posterior hooks being larger than the anterior. The males have smooth copulatory spicules with a rounded, smooth base. All females were gravid. Molecular analysis confirmed that the parasites were a Raillietiella sp. Based on the COI gene, it was most similar (82.7% identical) to an undescribed Raillietiella species from a Caribbean anole (Anolis cristatellus) found in Florida followed by R. hebitihamata (81%), R. indica (80.7%), and R. orientalis (78.8-80.7%). Based on the 18S rRNA gene sequence (1799 bp), it was most similar (99.3% identical) to two undescribed Raillietiella species followed by R. aegypti from a berber skink (Eumeces schneideri) from Saudia Arabia. Phylogenetically, with both molecular targets, the Raillietiella sp. from the Galápagos tortoise grouped with other Raillietiella spp. and was basal within the group. Currently, the origin of this parasite (native to Galápagos or introduced) and the life cycle are unknown. Because some pentastome species, especially when in aberrant hosts, can be pathogenic, additional studies of parasites in native and introduced reptile and amphibian species in the Galápagos are needed to better understand the risk this parasite poses to Galápagos tortoises.

Molecular and Histopathological Data on Levisunguis subaequalis Curran, Overstreet, Collins & Benz, 2014 (Pentastomida: Eupentastomida: Porocephalida: Porocephaloidea: Sebekidae: Sebekinae) from Gambusia affinis in Alabama, USA

Levisunguis subaequalis Curran, Overstreet, Collins & Benz, 2014 , was recently described from the lungs of the definitive hosts, softshell turtles, Apalone ferox (Schneider, 1783), and Apalone spinifera aspera (Agassiz, 1857) as well as the viscera of an intermediate host, the western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard, 1853). However, the original account lacked molecular data. Furthermore, histological examination of infected host tissues in the original account of L. subaequalis did not reveal any pathological changes in the intermediate host. The present work provides a robust morphological description of the nymph and novel molecular data from the 18S and 28S ribosomal gene regions and the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) mitochondrial gene. Phylogenetic analyses using Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analysis with concatenated sequence data from these 3 regions, as well as each region individually, placed the turtle pentastomid L. subaequalis as a sister clade to the crocodilian pentastomids of the genus Sebekia Sambon, 1922. While only concatenated phylogenetic analyses agreed with the currently accepted classification of the Eupentastomida and phylogenetic signal assessment indicated that the concatenated data set yielded the most phylogenetic signal, data from more taxa are still needed for robust phylogenetic inferences to be made. The intensity of infection ranged from 2 to 171 nymphs per fish, compared with the highest previously reported intensity of 6. These high-intensity infections with L. subaequalis were characterized by the nymphs occupying 5-50% of the coelomic cavity of G. affinis. However, despite this heavy parasite infection, fish exhibited minimal pathology. Observed pathology was characterized by compression or effacement of organs adjacent to the nymphs, particularly liver, swim bladder, and intestines, as well as the formation of granulomas around shed pentastomid cuticles. Nonetheless, the morphological and molecular data provided in the present work will bolster future efforts to identify this pentastomid in other hosts where pathology may be present in addition to aiding in the advancement of the field of molecular pentastomid systematics.

Morphological, Molecular, and Histopathological Data for Sebekia mississippiensis Overstreet, Self, and Vliet, 1985 (Pentastomida: Sebekidae) in the American Alligator, Alligator mississippiensis Daudin, and the Spotted Gar, Lepisosteus oculatus Winchell

Novel molecular data from both mitochondrial ( cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1) and ribosomal regions ( 18S, ITS1-5.8S, ITS2, and 28S) are provided for Sebekia mississippiensis Overstreet, Self, & Vliet, 1985 , a pentastome infecting the American alligator, Alligator mississippiensis Daudin, 1801, and the spotted gar, Lepisosteus oculatus Winchell, 1864. Adult and nymphal pentastomes are described from the lungs and liver of the type host, A. mississippiensis, collected from Mississippi, while additional nymphs are described from the esophageal lining of L. oculatus specimens collected from Louisiana. This sequencing data will facilitate more accurate identification of various life cycle stages of S. mississippiensis, enabling future work to resolve many ambiguities in the literature regarding this species. Additionally, histopathological data are provided from both the definitive and intermediate hosts.

The survey of internal parasites of consumed - Siamese cobra (Naja kaouthia) in Thailand

In Asia and Africa, snake meat and organs are commonly prepared for consumption as traditional medicine or aphrodisiac regardless of the awareness of zoonotic diseases. Parasitic zoonosis can be contracted from the consumption of raw reptile and amphibian meat. Therefore to study this further, forty wild-caught Siamese cobras (Naja kaouthia) which were supplied to exotic restaurants in Thailand were randomized for fecal and blood examination as well as necropsy to dissect for the presence of parasites. Six groups of internal parasites and one blood parasite were found. The prevalence of rhabditids, Kalicephalus spp. and pentastomids were 82.5% (32/40), 60% (24/40) and 22.5% (9/40), respectively. Pentastomids are one of the potential zoonotic parasites reported in Thailand and other countries. But there is no report of pentastomids in Siamese cobra. Therefore, the further species identification of pentastome should be performed to raise community awareness on snake consumption.

Finding of pentastomes of genus Reighardia (Pentastomida) in the Belcher's gull (Larus belcheri)

This report describes the finding of Reighardia sp. (Pentastomida) infecting the air sac of two Belcher's gulls (Larus belcheri) found dead on the beaches of Pucusana, a district in southern Lima, Peru. Three pentastomes were collected from two Belcher's gulls. Then, they were morphologically and molecular analyzed. Molecular characterization of the parasite was achieved by amplifying a fragment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene (SSU rRNA). Based on both morphological and molecular data the pentastomes were identified as pentastomes of the genus Reighardia. This is the first report showing that the Belcher's gull is a new natural definitive host for this pentastome.

The zoonotic implications of pentastomiasis in the royal python (python regius)

Pentastomes are worm-like endoparasites of the phylum Pentastomida found principally in the respiratory tract of reptiles, birds, and mammals. They cause a zoonotic disease known as pentastomiasis in humans and other mammals. The autopsy of a Nigerian royal python (Python regius) revealed two yellowish-white parasites in the lungs, tissue necrosis and inflammatory lesions. The parasite was confirmed to be Armillifer spp (Pentastomid); this is the first recorded case of pentastomiasis in the royal python (Python regius) in Nigeria. This report may be an alert of the possibility of on-going zoonotic transmission of pentastomiasis from snake to man, especially in the sub-urban/rural areas of Nigeria and other West African countries where people consume snake meat.