Intracellular parasites in Phymaturus lizards from Patagonia ? Argentina

AGUILAR R; D'AMICO VL

Congreso; Australian Society of Herpetologists; 2015

In this work we report and describe the intracellular blood parasite Schellackia (Apicamplexa) found in erythrocytes of an individual endemic iguanid, Phymaturus payuniae, from La Payunia State Reserve (Mendoza, Argentina). Blood smears were examined under a microscope (1000x) detecting the parasite in 26/2000 cells. Despite blood samples weren?t analysed with molecular techniques yet, morphology, location displayed in erythrocytes and the presence of large retractile bodies match with the characteristics of the genus Schellackia. Future studies consider the molecular identification of the parasite. The life cycle of Schellackia presents no exogenous stages and has both sexual and asexual reproduction (sporogony and gametogonia). They breed in the intestine of the host. The sporozoites are released and pass through the intestine into the bloodstream where they penetrate into the blood cells. Thereafter, the sporozoites are ingested by hematophagous invertebrates, which could be mites or ticks that function as passive vectors. Although the intensity of the parasite was low (1.3%) this is the first report of the presence of intracellular parasites in the genus Phymaturus. Schellackia hemococcidios have been reported for lizards in North America, Central America, Europe and Asia and this, to our knowledge, is the first record in northern Patagonia, Argentina.