NATIVE AND EXOTIC SMALL MAMMALS AS HOST S OF HYDATIGERA TAENIAEFORMIS S ENSU STRICTO LARVAE ON PIG FARMS OF CENTRAL ARGENTINA: A STUDY OF PREVALENCE AND PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

RODRIGO J. ALONSO; GUZMAN, NOELIA V.; MARA L. MARTÍNEZ; GABRIEL E. MORIC; DANIELA P. MONTES DE OCA; MARTIN N. LAMMEL; REGINO CAVIA

Mastozoologia Neotropical

SAREM Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamiferos

Lugar: Buenos Aires; Año: 2023

1666-0536

Small mammals, including those inhabiting human-modified habitats, transmit zoonotic diseases such as cysticercosis. This disease is caused by Cysticercus fasciolaris, the larval form of species within the Hydatigera taeniaeformis s.l. complex. While the life cycle of these flatworms is well understood, certain aspects of their phylogeny remain unknown.Studies in Europe, Asia, and Africa suggest that the species Hydatigera taeniaeformis s.s. exclusively infects small mammals of the family Muridae. However, no studies have been conducted in the Americas until now. In this study, small mammals were captured on 18 pig farms in Buenos Aires province throughout a year. Necropsies of captures individuals wereperformed, and the presence of cysticerci was recorded. The prevalence of cysticercosis was calculated and modeled for the entire assemblage, with species as the explanatory variables.Species-specific prevalence was also modeled considering season and farm type as the explanatory ones. Cysticerci were collected from Akodon azarae, Oligoryzomys flavescens, Rattus novergicus, and Rattus rattus for phylogenetic analysis and identified through molecular techniques, comparing their DNA sequences with those stored in GenBank. A totalof 460 small mammals were analysed, including the introduced species R. novergicus, R. rattus and M. musculus and the native species A. azarae, O. flavescens, Oxymycterus rufus, Didelphis albiventris, and Lutreolina crassicaudata. The prevalence of cysticercosis was similar between species, and it showed a seasonal association in R. norvegicus and A. azarae.Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of Hydatigera taeniaeformis s.s. in cricetids, suggesting a recent spillover event associated with European colonization in the Americas.