New records of Hepatozoon and Oswaldofilaria from saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) in Australia.

ABSTRACT: Diseases affecting wild Australian saltwater crocodiles (Crocodylus porosus) are rarely reported due to the difficulty in capturing animals and obtaining samples. In this investigation, we identified two haemoparasites (Hepatozoon and a filarial nematode) in saltwater crocodiles in Darwin, Australia. Light microscopic examination identified Hepatozoon in 7/7 (100%) wild crocodiles and in 2/20 (10%) of captive ones. When genomic DNAs from these same samples were further investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based sequencing, we detected Hepatozoon in all 27 blood samples. Using both microscopy and PCR-based sequencing, we detected a filarial worm (proposed to be Oswaldofilaria) in one of 20 captive crocodiles. The sequence data were compared w

SUBMITTER: Scheelings TF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10981083 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature