Prevalence of Hemolivia mauritanica (Apicomplexa: Adeleina: Haemogregarinidae) in natural populations of tortoises of the genus Testudo in the East Mediterranean region

Folia Parasitol (Praha). 2005 Nov;52(4):359-61.

Abstract

Hemolivia mauritanica (Sergent et Sergent, 1904) infections were found in 14% (n= 14) of Testudo graeca Linnaeus, 1758 tortoises in Bulgaria and in 92% (n = 26) of those in Turkey. Hemolivia mauritanica-like gametocytes were found in 81% (n = 47) of wild Testudo marginata Schoepff, 1792 tortoises in Greece. Parasitaemia intensity (the percentage of infected red blood cells found in approximately 104 cells) was 0.03-22.4% in T. graeca and 0.06-12.27% in T. marginata. On the other hand, all blood samples from 40 Bulgarian, 38 Greek, and 18 Croatian specimens of Testudo hermanni Gmelin, 1789 were negative.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apicomplexa / physiology*
  • Bulgaria / epidemiology
  • Croatia / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Female
  • Greece / epidemiology
  • Host-Parasite Interactions
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Protozoan Infections, Animal / epidemiology*
  • Protozoan Infections, Animal / parasitology
  • Ticks / parasitology
  • Turkey / epidemiology
  • Turtles / parasitology*