Caracterização anatomopatológica do trato digestório de tartarugas marinhas encalhadas no litoral norte baiano: lesões provocadas por resíduos antropogênicos e parasitofauna associada

Abstract

Studies demonstrates that free-living sea turtles are constantly exposed to aggression factors related to anthropic action such as ingestion of anthropogenic debris, which contaminates the marine environment, thus causing important disturbs in the gastrointestinal tract leading to conditions of extreme debility and even death of these animals. Digestive injuries caused by parasitism are also frequent and occur naturally in immunocompetent animals however, they can become malevolent in the presence of factors which alters the balance of parasite-host relationship such as concurrent diseases and other situations which could decrease the host immune system response. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the anatomopathological changes on gastrointestinal tract of Chelonia mydas stranded in the northern coast of Bahia, their anthropogenic etiology and associated helminth fauna. Sixty-two specimens of C. mydas were necropsied and 24.2% of the animals presented anthropogenic residues in the gastrointestinal tract, being the most frequent plastic type. The residues most frequently affected the intestine, 66% of the individuals exhibited related lesions, the most common being gastrointestinal compaction and the most severe perforated fibrinous ulcerative enteritis. Other frequent injuries in the gastrointestinal tract included wall edema and parasitic granulomas in the serosa, in addiction to seven cases of fibrinonecrotic enteritis due to Caryospora sp. infection, such injuries were confirmed by histopathology. In the evaluation of adult endoparasites, were identified 8 digenetic trematodes and one nematode of Anisakiidae family. The digenetics most frequently found were Neoctangium sp. and Octangium sp. corroborating the morphological findings of eggs in the coprological exam in which Caryospora sp. oocysts were also identified. This is the first occurrence of Caryospora sp. in C. mydas in the northern coast of Bahia.