Clinical, sorological and parasitological evaluation of snakes infected by Cryptosporidium serpentis

• Grant number: 10/05405-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2010
• End date: May 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Preventive Veterinary Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Vasconcelos Meireles
• Grantee: Marcelo Vasconcelos Meireles
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária (FMVA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Araçatuba. Araçatuba , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Valéria Marçal Felix de Lima

Abstract

Protozoan of the genera Cryptosporidium are parasites that complete their evolutive cycle in the surface of the epithelial cells of the gastrointestinal, respiratory and urinary tracts of mammals, birds, reptiles and fishes. Currently there are two species of Cryptosporidium that infect reptiles: Cryptosporidium serpentis in snakes and Cryptosporidium varanii in lizards. In snakes, cryptosporidiosis has clinical or subclinical manifestation. Some snakes, without revealing clinical symptoms, can develop a severe pathology (hypertrophic gastritis) with continuous and intermittent shedding of oocysts that can last years. In snakes clinical signs are characterized by anorexia, postfeeding regurgitation, lethargy, gradual loss of weight and increase of volume in medium region of the body, of firm consistency, being generally fatal. Cryptosporidium serpentis infection in reptiles have a negative impact for the conservationists and commercial breeders, research centers and collections of snakes, since, mainly in snakes, the infection can be lethal and to eliminate all the existing population in these breeding. The lack of an effective treatment for criptosporidiose almost always results in the euthanasia of the infected animals in order eradicate the infection, many times leading to the loss of important and rare species. The control of cryptosporidiosis is very important in breeding that aims venom production for posterior liofilization or vaccine production. This project aims the standardization of the indirect immunoenzimatic assay (ELISA), for detection of antibodies anti-Cryptosporidium in snakes and the evaluate the clinical and parasitological aspects in snakes positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts, by means of analysis of the clinical signs, detection of oocysts in fecal samples and in gastric contents of dead animals, and the and molecular classification of the isolates of Cryptosporidium. Thirteen adult serpents naturally infected by Cryptosporidium serpentis will be used. The snakes belongs to 5 genera and 7 species (3 Eunectes murinus, 2 Cenchria epicrates, 4 Pantherophis gutatta, 1 Python regius, 1 Boa constrictor, 1 Jararaca Bothrops and 1 Botrhops jararacussu. Six 6 snakes present clinical symptoms, 7 have subclinical infection. Eight snakes from 4 genera and 4 species (2 Liophis miliaris, 2 Boa constrictor, 2 Cenchria epicrates and 2 Oxyrhopus guibei) are not infected and will be used as a control group. The snakes are kept in the Butantan Institute, in São Paulo. The development of the present project will allow, by means of the determination of antibodies against Cryptosporidium serpentis, in snakes, to clarify some aspects related to the biology and the epidemiology of this parasite, in reptiles, what it is basic to supply information aiming the control of cryptosporidiosis in ophidian collections. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

PAIVA, PHILIPP RICARDO S. O.; GREGO, KATHLEEN F.; LIMA, VALERIA M. F.; NAKAMURA, ALEX A.; DA SILVA, DEUVANIA C.; MEIRELES, MARCELO V.. Clinical, serological, and parasitological analysis of snakes naturally infected with Cryptosporidium serpentis. Veterinary Parasitology, v. 198, n. 1-2, p. 54-61, NOV 15 2013. (10/05405-0)

DA SILVA, DEUVANIA C.; PAIVA, PHILIPP RICARDO S. O.; NAKAMURA, ALEX AKIRA; HOMEM, CAMILA GUARIZ; DE SOUZA, MILENA SATO; GREGO, KATHLEEN FERNANDES; MEIRELES, MARCELO VASCONCELOS. The detection of Cryptosporidium serpentis in snake fecal samples by real-time PCR. Veterinary Parasitology, v. 204, n. 3-4, p. 134-138, AUG 29 2014. (10/05405-0)