Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Vet Parasitol Reg Stud Reports. 2022 Jan;27:100671. doi: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2021.100671. Epub 2021 Nov 27.
Reptiles and amphibians are becoming increasingly more common in the exotic pet trade and as such veterinary care is also rising. Parasitic infections can pose a serious threat to pet reptiles and amphibians and are a common finding in these exotic pets. The purpose of the present study was to determine the species composition of parasites among reptiles and amphibians entering the pet industry. Excreta were collected from 283 reptiles and amphibians (181 geckos, 23 chameleons, 21 frogs, 16 tortoises, 11 snakes, 1 caiman, and 31 other lizard species), representing 58 different species. Samples were collected from animals being sold at exotic pet shows in Texas, USA, where breeders from throughout the United States gathered to showcase their exotic pets. Excreta samples were tested using double centrifugation flotation with Sheather's sucrose solution. Endoparasites were identified in 51.9% of samples. The most prevalent helminth parasite among reptiles and amphibians were Pharyngodonidae (44.5%) nematodes. Oocysts of coccidians such as Isospora, Eimeria, and Choleoeimeria, and cysts of the ciliate Nyctotherus were also identified. The prevalence rates of endoparasites among animal groups ranged from 0 to 87.5%. The highest prevalence of infection was found in Testudines (87.5%), followed by Chamaeleonidae (87%), other lizards (76.7%), Amphibia (71.4%), Serpentes (63.6%), and then Gekkonidae (55.2%). No endoparasites were detected in the one Crocodylia sampled. Our results show that parasitic infections, many of which can cause clinical disease and mortality, are common in exotic reptiles and amphibians being sold or traded as pets in the United States, underlining the need for veterinary care and routine diagnostic screening for parasitic infections.
爬行动物和两栖动物在异宠交易中越来越常见，因此兽医护理也在增加。寄生虫感染对宠物爬行动物和两栖动物构成严重威胁，是这些异宠的常见发现。本研究的目的是确定进入宠物行业的爬行动物和两栖动物的寄生虫物种组成。从在美国德克萨斯州举办的异宠展上出售的 283 只爬行动物和两栖动物（181 只壁虎、23 只变色龙、21 只青蛙、16 只乌龟、11 条蛇、1 只凯门鳄和 31 种其他蜥蜴）中收集粪便样本，这些动物代表了 58 个不同的物种。在美国，来自全国各地的饲养员聚集在这里展示他们的异宠，这些样本是从在那里参展的异宠展商那里收集的。使用双层离心漂浮法和 Sheather 蔗糖溶液对粪便样本进行检测。51.9%的样本中发现了内寄生虫。爬行动物和两栖动物中最常见的寄生虫是 Pharyngodonidae（44.5%）线虫。还鉴定出了孢子虫如等孢球虫、艾美球虫和 Choleoeimeria，以及纤毛虫 Nyctotherus 的孢囊。动物群体中内寄生虫的流行率从 0 到 87.5%不等。感染率最高的是龟鳖目（87.5%），其次是变色龙科（87%）、其他蜥蜴（76.7%）、两栖动物（71.4%）、蛇类（63.6%），然后是壁虎科（55.2%）。在取样的一只鳄目动物中未检测到内寄生虫。我们的结果表明，寄生虫感染在作为宠物在美国销售或交易的异宠爬行动物和两栖动物中很常见，其中许多感染可导致临床疾病和死亡，这强调了需要进行兽医护理和寄生虫感染的常规诊断筛查。
