The Life History, Ultrastructure, and Experimental Transmission of Hepatozoon catesbianae n. comb., an Apicomplexan Parasite of the Bullfrog, Rana catesbeiana and the Mosquito, Culex territans in Algonquin Park, Ontario

Abstract

Gametogenesis and sporogonic development of a haemogregarine parasite of bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) was observed in cells of the Malpighian tubules of laboratory-reared Culex territans that had fed on naturally infected bullfrogs. Mature oocysts, which varied considerably in size, were multisporocystic with ellipsoidal sporocysts that contained 4 sporozoites. Sporogonic development was completed in about 20 days. Mature meronts were observed in the liver and merozoites in erythrocytes of laboratory-reared bullfrogs that had been fed sporocysts 19 days previously. Similar attempts to infect laboratory-reared green and northern leopard frogs experimentally were unsuccessful, suggesting rather narrow specificity for this parasite in ranids. Gametogenesis and sporogonic stages of this parasite were ultrastructurally similar to those described for Hepatozoon species. The parasite appears to be transmitted directly between bullfrogs and mosquitoes in the study area where Cx. territans feeds avidly on bullfrogs, which in turn were observed to naturally ingest these mosquitoes. Based on data presented in this study and the earlier description by Stebbins in 1903, the haemogregarine parasite of bullfrogs was designated as a new combination, Hepatozoon catesbianae.

Determinação de hemogregarina em Boa constrictor constrictor mantidos em cativeiro

“…De acordo com Desser et al (1995), a identiϐicação genérica depende da natureza do desenvolvimento esporogônico no vetor, portanto, como no presente estudo não se observou o ciclo bioló-gico neste, chamou-se de hemogregarinas os parasitos detectados nos esfregaços sanguíneos. Estes foram identiϐicados pela presença de gametócitos intracitoplasmáticos nos eritrócitos, apresentando formato de "linguiça" e núcleo grande central ou periférico (Telford Jr 2000, Thrall et al 2007.…”

“…Um grande número de hospedeiros vertebrados tem sido encontrado, incluindo as aves, várias espécies de mamíferos, crocodilianos, lagartos, cobras, tartarugas e, anuros (Desser et al, 1995, Smith, 1996.…”

Characterization of Stages ofHepatozoon americanumand of Parasitized Canine Host Cells

“…Vet Pathol 42: 6,2005 nucleoli and euchromatin, as well as heterochromatin that was condensed at the nuclear envelope. Cytoplasmic organelles consisted of numerous mitochondria, lysosomes, digestive vacuoles, well developed and often swollen Golgi complexes, dilated RER, and loosely aggregated ribosomes.…”

“…Individual confocal slices represent 0.5 mm, and optical slides were collected at 512 3 512-pixel resolution. The Vet Pathol 42: 6,2005 Fig. 1.…”

Development of Hepatozoon caimani (Carini, 1909) Pessôa, De Biasi & De Souza, 1972 in the Caiman Caiman c. crocodilus, the frog Rana catesbeiana and the mosquito Culex fatigans

“…It may be that a variety of haematophagous arthropods can serve as vectors, for the full sporogony of Hepatozoon spp. has been recorded in experimental or natural infections of C. fatigans, C. tarsalis, C. pipiens and C. territans (Mackerras 1962, Booden et al 1970, Bashtar et al 1984, Desser et al 1995, Aedes togoi and Aedes aegypti (Ball et al 1969, Lowichik et al 1993, Anopheles stephensi (Landau et al 1972), the ticks Argas brumpti and Hyalomma aegyptium (Garnham 1955, Paperna et al 2002, triatomid bugs (Da Rocha e Silva 1975), a sand fly, Lutzomyia sp. (Lainson, unpublished observation) and the tsetse fly, Glossina palpalis (Hoare 1932).…”