Infecção por trypanosoma SP. Em boa constrictor na região nordeste do Brasil: alterações hematológicas e caracterização molecular

Abstract

Trypanosoma is a genus of flagellated hemoparasites that can infect vertebrates and cause diseases of medical and veterinary importance. Although a large occurrence of Trypanosoma is described in reptiles, mostly are lizards, and is more rarely described in snakes. Little is known about the occurrence of this parasite in Boa constrictor, as well as the effects of parasitism on animal health. Given the scarcity of information about the occurrence of Trypanosoma in snakes from northeastern Brazil, the present study aimed to investigate the occurrence of this parasite in Boa constrictor of the states of Bahia and Sergipe, as well as to evaluate the physiological consequences of infection and to molecularly characterize the isolated parasites. For this, 61 Boa constrictors were analyzed, 47 in Bahia and 14 in Sergipe. Serpent blood was collected, and these samples were submitted to microscopic analysis to identify flagellar forms, blood count tests, and serum was obtained for clinical biochemistry analysis. Blood culture was performed in order to isolate the parasite and characterize it by PCR. From the blood smear analysis, 09 positive animals were identified, 01 in the state of Bahia and 08 in Sergipe. Analysis of the hematological values of infected and uninfected animals showed a statistically significant difference for globular volume (p <0.0005), hemoglobin (p <0.005), mean corpuscular volume (p <0.005) and mean corpuscular hemoglobin (p <0, 05), with infected animals showing lower values. In leukometry, there was a difference between eosinophil (p <0.00005) and heterophil (p <0.05) levels, with increasing number of these two cell types in parasitized animals. No changes in clinical biochemistry values were observed in infected animals. Homology analysis of GAPDH and SSU RNA genes identified isolates as Trypanosoma serpentis. With the present work it was possible to identify the first report of Trypanosoma serpentis occurrence in Bahia and Sergipe Boa constrictor, and that there is influence of this parasitism on blood count and white blood cell values.