First identification of a patent pentastomid pulmonary (Raillietiella orientalis) infection in a captive Meller's chameleon (Trioceros melleri) in Germany

IF 2 3区医学 Q3 ECOLOGY International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife Pub Date : 2025-02-03 DOI:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101045

Paula Sapion-Miranda , David Ebmer , Edwin Kniha , Julia Walochnik , Saskia Dreyer , Dominik Fischer , Lisa Grund , Anja Taubert , Carlos Hermosilla , Malek J. Hallinger

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Abstract

A female, zoo-housed, adult Meller's giant one-horned chameleon (Trioceros melleri) showed clinical symptoms including halitosis, obstipation, dysecdysis and shed pentastomid eggs with the faeces. After a patent pentastomiasis was diagnosed, the chameleon's condition worsened after repeated ivermectin treatments, and the animal was euthanized due to animal welfare reasons. The necropsy revealed that the lungs were infected with 29 adult pentastomid specimens. Based on morphological and ultrastructural characteristics pentastomids were identified as Raillietiella orientalis. Additionally, this species identification was confirmed by DNA sequencing (18S rRNA).

Pentastomid-infected insects, such as cockroaches, might play an important role in the transmission of R. orientalis as suitable obligate intermediate hosts. Another crucial factor to be considered is the importation of wild caught individuals, providing a potential source for numerous emerging infectious disease transmissions and parasite spillovers.

This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, on a patent pulmonary R. orientalis infection in a captive chameleon. We call for further investigations on neglected pentastomid infections in chameleons and lizards kept as pets to better understand implications of this new host record and its possible role in transmission of emerging pentastomiasis.

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来源期刊

International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife Medicine-Infectious Diseases

CiteScore

3.80

自引率

5.60%

发文量

113

审稿时长

45 days

期刊介绍： The International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (IJP-PAW) publishes the results of original research on parasites of all wildlife, invertebrate and vertebrate. This includes free-ranging, wild populations, as well as captive wildlife, semi-domesticated species (e.g. reindeer) and farmed populations of recently domesticated or wild-captured species (e.g. cultured fishes). Articles on all aspects of wildlife parasitology are welcomed including taxonomy, biodiversity and distribution, ecology and epidemiology, population biology and host-parasite relationships. The impact of parasites on the health and conservation of wildlife is seen as an important area covered by the journal especially the potential role of environmental factors, for example climate. Also important to the journal is ''one health'' and the nature of interactions between wildlife, people and domestic animals, including disease emergence and zoonoses.