Sicarius uncinipenis and Deletrocephalus cesarpintoi in captive greater rheas of Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

The present study details the pathological and parasitological findings of parasitic ventriculitis and nematode infections in the large intestines of two female Rhea americana americana birds. The birds were housed in captivity, and both exhibited poor body condition and lethargy. The rheas were sent to the Veterinary Hospital of the Veterinary School, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) and, despite medical care, the clinical condition of the birds did not improve. The birds died two days after admission, and were submitted to necropsy. Gross, histopathology and parasitological analysis resulted in the identification of Sicarius uncinipenis, which is associated with parasitic ventriculitis, while Deletrocephalus cesarpintoi was identified in the large intestine of both rheas. The apparent clinical indications, including loss of appetite and death, combined with the discovery of numerous parasites and other pathology changes, supported the conclusion that the death of the birds was caused by the parasitic infection. Further investigations of these infections in free-living and captive rheas are required, such that accurate data on the incidence and pathogenicity of these parasites can be obtained.Keywords: Rhea americana americana, endoparasites, histopathology, Sicarius uncinipenis, ventriculitis, Deletrocephalus cesarpintoi. ResumoO presente estudo relata os achados patológicos e parasitológicos de ventriculite parasitária e da infecção por nematódeo no intestino grosso em duas fêmeas Rhea americana americana. As aves eram mantidas em cativeiro e ambas apresentaram condição corporal ruim e inapetência. As emas foram encaminhadas para o Hospital Veterinário da Escola de Veterinária da UFMG e, apesar dos cuidados médicos, não houve melhora na condição clínica. As aves morreram dois dias após a internação e foram encaminhadas para a necropsia. Ao exame macroscópico, histopatológico e parasitológico, Sicarius uncinipenis foi identificado e associado com ventriculite parasitária, enquanto Deletrocephalus cesarpintoi foi identificado no intestino grosso. Possivelmente, o quadro de inapetência e morte foi causado pela infecção parasitária, pois os parasitos eram numerosos. Mais investigações dessa infecção são necessárias em emas de vida livre e cativeiro, para a obtenção de informações mais precisas da incidência e patogenicidade desses parasitos.

Natural infection by Procyrnea uncinipenis (Nematoda, Habronematidae), a parasite from rheas, an autoctone bird from South America, in emus Dromaius novaehollandiae, a ratite from New Zealand

“…Procyrnea uncinipenis is a nematode that infect the gizzard and proventriculum of rheas, Rhea americana , a native bird from South America. These nematodes have been reported in rheas from Brazil 4 , 8 – 11 and Argentina 12 . Another species, Procyrnea choique 13 , was described from another species of rhea, R. pennatta , from Argentina.…”