Ninety-five helminth parasite species totaling 480 records (including 60 new host and geographical records) in 21 species of wild carnivore mammals from Brazil were listed. Nineteen undetermined helminth species and 4 undetermined host species were also included. Information about the site of infection of parasites, localities, references and a host-parasite list were included herein.

Using available records, unpublished information retrieved from the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) and published reports, a checklist of the recorded helminth parasites of endangered vertebrates from Brazil was generated. A total of 772 records and 186 helminth species (6 Acanthocephala, 83 Nematoda, 23 Cestoda, 64 Trematoda, 10 Monogenea) in 76 host species (7 Actinopterygii, 8 Chondrichthyes, 1 Amphibia, 10 Reptilia, 22 Aves, 28 Mammalia) from Brazil were listed in the present work, including 39 undetermined helminth species and 10 new host records. This is the first compilation of the helminth parasites of threatened vertebrates in Brazil and in the Neotropics.

An investigation on the digenetic trematodes parasitizing free range reared guinea fowls was conducted in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, based on clinical examination, necropsies and histopathologica l findings in 36 guinea fowls. Parasites, prevalence and intensity of infection were, respectively: Paratanaisia bragai, 61.1% and 31 (in each kidney); Athesmia heterolecithodes, 8.3% and 38; Conspicuum conspicuum, 2.8% and 1. A. heterolecithodes was highly pathogenic to guinea fowls, causing severe hepatic lesions. However, C. conspicuum and P. bragai were less pathogenic in the considered intensities of infection. This is the first time that these parasite species have been reported in Brazilian guinea fowls.

In Brazil, reports of helminth infections occurring in turkeys are mostly restricted to general surveys of the parasites with no data on the associated pathology (Travassos 1965, Travassos et al. 1969, Vicente et al. 1995, in despite of the increasing economic importance of this bird for the ready-to-eat low fat food industry since the last decade. With respect to protozoans in this host there are no available reports of their occurrence in Brazilian turkeys to the date.Recently, Brener et al. (2006) studied the lesions caused by the gizzard nematode Cheilospirura hamulosa (Diesing, 1851) in turkeys from Brazilian backyard flocks, confirming its high pathogenicity, since this nematode species infects other galliform birds, mainly chickens and pheasants, provoking severe gross and microscopic lesions in these hosts. This paper deals with the prevalence and induced pathology of two helminth species, the intestinal nematode Heterakis gallinarum (Schrank, 1788), the renal digenetic trematode Paratanaisia bragai (Santos, 1934) Freitas, 1959, and the protozoan Histomonas meleagridis (Smith, 1895) in Brazilian turkeys. 24'44"S, 42 o 57'56"W) were investigated for helminths and protozoans. After individual clinical evaluation, taking into account the general conditions, birds were killed by jugular section (hypobolemic shock) and submitted to necropsy in accordance to the technique of Zander et al. (1997). Organs (digestive and respiratory tracts, liver, spleen, kidneys, and eyes) were opened in Petri dishes containing 0.85% NaCl solution. One of the kidneys of each animal was kept uncut for histological purposes. Helminths were fixed either in hot (nematodes) or cold (compressed/uncompressed trematodes) AFA (ethanol 70 o GL, 93 ml; formaldehyde, 5 ml; acetic acid, 2 ml). Portions of the parasitized organs were removed and immediately fixed in 10% formalin, to be further routinely processed for paraffin embedding. Five micrometers thick sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE). The recovered nematodes and trematodes were counted under a stereomicroscope. Some nematodes were clarified in acetic acid and phenol and mounted unstained in balsam; some trematodes were stained with alcoholic chloride carmine, dehydrated in an ethanol series (70-100 o ), cleared in phenol and mounted in balsam. Re- MATERIALS AND METHODS From RESULTSClinical signs were absent in turkeys parasitized with the cecal nematode H. gallinarum alone (Fig. 1); the prevalence of infection was of 70% with a range of intensity of 1-113 worms and a mean of 26 parasites; the microscopic lesions were represented by intense cecal chronic diffuse inflammatory processes with mononuclear and polymorphonuclear (heterophils) leucocytes infiltrations, that extended discretely to the submucosa, followed by edema. The mucosa presented multiple erosion foci together with parasites and cellular debris in transversal sections (Fig. 3).The prevalence of infection related to the association of H. gallinarum with the pleomorphic flagellate H. meleagridis w...

Angiostrongylus felineus n. sp. (Nematoda, Metastrongyloidea), parasitic in Puma (Herpailurus) yagouaroundi (É. Geoffroy, 1803) (Carnivora, Felidae) from the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais state, Brazil, is described and illustrated herein. Angiostrongylus felineus n. sp. differs from all congeneric species by having the anterior extremity with accentuated cuticular expansion and by smaller size of spicules. This study describes for the first time a species of Angiostrongylus in a wild Felidae in Brazil.

The current study is the first attempt to include the many records from wild primate host species from the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, along with updated information based on literature. We list a total of 50 species of helminth parasites associated with 46 species of wild primates in Brazil. A total of 814 records of helminths in wild primates from Brazil were listed, including 406 samples of helminths stored in the CHIOC. Of these samples, 16 are new host records (NHR). The majority of these helminth species are nematodes with 30 species reported, which corresponds to 60% of the total number of helminths. The helminth species with more host species is the nematode Dipetalonema gracilis (Filarioidea, Onchocercidae), associated to 13 species of primates. The primate species with more reports of helminths in Brazil is Saimiri sciureus (Cebidae), with 16 species (13 nematodes, 3 acanthocephalans). In the current study, 46 species of primates have at least 1 species of helminth recorded, which represents approximately 39% of species of this host in Brazil. Therefore, we can conclude that the helminths documented in wild primates from Brazil are obviously underestimated, since the helminth fauna in the majority of Brazilian primates remains unknown.

ABSTRACT. One thousand two-hundred-four helminth samples recovered from Brazilian Ardeidae birds during 54 years were studied. Samples consisted of cestodes, trematodes, and nematodes, parasites of egrets and herons. Based on the present results 49 new host and three new geographical distribution records were established.

ABSTRACT. Worm burdens were evaluated and compared in two groups ofthe guinea pig, Cavia poreellus (Linnaeus, 1758): animais of the first group were conventionally maintained in an institutional animal house and those of the second group were openly kept in pet shops in Brazil . Animais from both sources were infected on ly with the nematode Paraspidodera llncinata (Rudolphi, 1819) Travassos, 1914 (10% of prevalence in guinea pigs from the institutional facility and 40% in those animaIs from the pet shop). Other helminth samples recovered from Brazilian guinea pigs during 52 years and that are deposited in the Helminthological Collection of the Oswaldo Cruz Institute (CHIOC) were also analyzed. Paraspidodera llneinala and the cestode Monoecoceslus parcilesliculalus Rêgo, 1960 were identified in these samples. KEY WORDS. Helminths, Paraspidodera uncinala, Monoeeoeeslus parcilesliculalus, Cavia poreel/us, guinea pig, Brazil Taking into account the concern laboratory and, most recently, pet animais arise worldwide and based on an established pragram (present authors) scheduled to control the sanitary conditions of different animal houses that supply Brazilian institutions with laboratory animais for scientific research, investigations have been developed in order to provide a reliable survey of the helminth fa una occurring in several animal models, mainly radents, commonly maintained, but sei dom evaluated, considering the few data avail able regarding the parasites they may harbor. The proper identification of the helminths infecting laboratory animais is necessary, considering that parasites may act as variables, usually unsuspected , in experiments.Helminths ofmice, rats and hamsters from Brazilian animal facilities have been investigated and the present data add new information to previous reports of the helminth fauna of laboratory and pet rodents in Brazil (PINTO et aI. 1994, 2001a, b, GONÇALVES etal. 1998.The present survey is related to nematode parasites of either conventionally maintained or openly kept guinea pigs. An extra amount ofhelminth (nematode and cestode) samples previously recovered fram these hosts in Brazil were also identified and included.