Abstract

Spirorchiids (family Spirorchiidae Stunkard 1921) are a group of flukes that inhabit the circulatory system of turtles. Infection by the family Spirorchiidae members involves egg deposition in the host blood stream, accumulation in tissues, which cause inflammatory reactions and embolisms, leading or contributing to the death of the host.^1,2,3 Reports of spirorchiids eggs lesions on loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta - Linnaeus, 1758) were observed only in the USA hosts.^3,4,5 In the present report two female loggerhead sea turtle [juvenile with 62 cm (curvilinear carapace length-CCL) weighing 22.75 kg and adult with CCL=116 cm, weighing 100 kg] were found dead on the beach on the State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. During gross necropsy, no parasites eggs nodules were found, but the juvenile microscopic analysis revealed a mild granulomatous inflammatory process due to eggs type 1 (spindle shaped and exhibited lateral processes)³ from the Family Spirorchiidae. Langhans giant cells and foreign-body giant cells in heart, kidneys, intestines, lungs and spleen in this host had no spirorchiids. In the adult, type 1 eggs (rounded and without lateral processes) were found in stomach mucosae, small and large intestine, cerebral arterioles, choroid layer of the eyeball, pancreas, spleen, adrenal and heart. Type 3 eggs found in spleen, heart, thyroid. In all organs type 1 and 3 eggs were involved by multinucleated giant cells forming small granulomas by parasite eggs. In this host the analysis of the heart revealed the presence of a specimen of Monticellius indicum (Digenea: Spirorchiidae). In the present report, all organs analyzed, except the lungs, were diagnosed with granulomatous inflammation due to eggs from the family Spirorchiidae. Previous investigations have also reported lesions in the heart, kidneys, spleen, and intestines.^1,4,5 In the present report, the inflammatory reaction was classified as granulomatous due to the presence of multinucleated giant cells. Moreover, few loggerhead sea turtles are sent for necroscopic analysis in Brazil. Since 2010, only twenty-three individuals of this species found in the same region as the host analyzed in the present study were submitted to histological analysis (observation of the authors). Only two of these individuals (10 %) were positive for the occurrence of lesions caused by Spirorchiidae. Five genera (i.e., Carettacola, Hapalotrema, Neocaballerotrema, Neospirorchis, and Shobanatrema) are described in loggerhead turtles in different parts of the world.^2,4,5 This work presents C. caretta as a new host for M. indicum. In addition the lesions occurrence in these hosts are unprecedented for the Brazilian coast⁶ and for animals outside the United States.

Acknowledgements

Biological samples were obtained through the "Phase 2" beach monitoring project between the states of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This project is part of the requirements established by the federal environmental licensing process of the Brazilian Environmental Agency (IBAMA), for the exploration of oil and gas by PETROBRAS at the Santos Basin pre-salt province.

* Presenting author

Literature Cited

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