Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil
The conversion of natural landscapes into agricultural and urban areas results in vegetation loss and habitat fragmentation, affecting biodiversity and favoring generalist species, such as Akodon montensis. This rodent species acts as a reservoir for zoonotic agents and harbors various parasites, in...
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| Format: | Article |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000719 |
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| author | Camila dos Santos Lucio Thiago dos Santos Cardoso Rosana Gentile Viviane Brito Dias Milton Cezar Ribeiro Bernardo Rodrigues Teixeira Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea |
| author_facet | Camila dos Santos Lucio Thiago dos Santos Cardoso Rosana Gentile Viviane Brito Dias Milton Cezar Ribeiro Bernardo Rodrigues Teixeira Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea |
| author_sort | Camila dos Santos Lucio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The conversion of natural landscapes into agricultural and urban areas results in vegetation loss and habitat fragmentation, affecting biodiversity and favoring generalist species, such as Akodon montensis. This rodent species acts as a reservoir for zoonotic agents and harbors various parasites, including helminths, which are important indicators of environmental changes. The present study analyzed the structure, composition, and diversity of the helminth community of A. montensis in the Atlantic Forest, considering four locations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We calculated parasitological parameters (abundance, intensity and prevalence of infection) for each helminth species and evaluated helminth diversity within and between each individual host. In addition, we assessed the influence of type of environment (preserved forest or altered matrix) and host characteristics (sex and body size) on parasitological parameters of helminth species and on helminth diversity. A total of 64 individuals of A. montensis were analyzed, of which 60.9 % were infected with at least one helminth species. Nine species were collected, including eight nematodes and one cestode. No influence of the type of environment and host characteristics was observed on the parasitological parameters of some helminth species (e.g., Protospirura numidica criceticola, Rodentolepis akodontis, Stilestrongylus eta and Syphacia (Syphacia) carlitosi) and on the diversity of helminths within each individual host. A low effect of the type of environment on the diversity of parasites was observed among infracommunities. As an opportunistic species, A. montensis can exploit a wide range of resources and environmental conditions, making it less susceptible to variations in parasite diversity across habitats. These findings reinforce the importance of investigating parasite fauna in different landscapes to understand the impacts of anthropization on host-parasite interactions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-02a32fd316324b4bac8e6b5fef3e170e |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj-art-02a32fd316324b4bac8e6b5fef3e170e2025-08-20T03:59:30ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442025-08-012710110610.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101106Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, BrazilCamila dos Santos Lucio0Thiago dos Santos Cardoso1Rosana Gentile2Viviane Brito Dias3Milton Cezar Ribeiro4Bernardo Rodrigues Teixeira5Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea6Graduate Program in Parasitic Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, Brazil; Laboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, Brazil; Corresponding author. Graduate Program in Parasitic Biology, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, Brazil.Laboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, BrazilLaboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, BrazilGraduate Program in Biodiversity, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São José do Rio Preto, SP, BrazilSpatial Ecology and Conservation Lab (LEEC), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, Brazil; Environmental Studies Center (CEA), São Paulo State University (UNESP), Rio Claro, SP, BrazilLaboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, BrazilLaboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs, Oswaldo Cruz Institute/Fiocruz, RJ, BrazilThe conversion of natural landscapes into agricultural and urban areas results in vegetation loss and habitat fragmentation, affecting biodiversity and favoring generalist species, such as Akodon montensis. This rodent species acts as a reservoir for zoonotic agents and harbors various parasites, including helminths, which are important indicators of environmental changes. The present study analyzed the structure, composition, and diversity of the helminth community of A. montensis in the Atlantic Forest, considering four locations in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. We calculated parasitological parameters (abundance, intensity and prevalence of infection) for each helminth species and evaluated helminth diversity within and between each individual host. In addition, we assessed the influence of type of environment (preserved forest or altered matrix) and host characteristics (sex and body size) on parasitological parameters of helminth species and on helminth diversity. A total of 64 individuals of A. montensis were analyzed, of which 60.9 % were infected with at least one helminth species. Nine species were collected, including eight nematodes and one cestode. No influence of the type of environment and host characteristics was observed on the parasitological parameters of some helminth species (e.g., Protospirura numidica criceticola, Rodentolepis akodontis, Stilestrongylus eta and Syphacia (Syphacia) carlitosi) and on the diversity of helminths within each individual host. A low effect of the type of environment on the diversity of parasites was observed among infracommunities. As an opportunistic species, A. montensis can exploit a wide range of resources and environmental conditions, making it less susceptible to variations in parasite diversity across habitats. These findings reinforce the importance of investigating parasite fauna in different landscapes to understand the impacts of anthropization on host-parasite interactions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000719EcologyParasitismHost-parasite interactionsSmall mammals |
| spellingShingle | Camila dos Santos Lucio Thiago dos Santos Cardoso Rosana Gentile Viviane Brito Dias Milton Cezar Ribeiro Bernardo Rodrigues Teixeira Paulo Sérgio D'Andrea Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Ecology Parasitism Host-parasite interactions Small mammals |
| title | Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil |
| title_full | Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil |
| title_fullStr | Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil |
| title_full_unstemmed | Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil |
| title_short | Diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent Akodon montensis Thomas, 1913 (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) in preserved and altered environments in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil |
| title_sort | diversity and distribution of helminth communities of the rodent akodon montensis thomas 1913 rodentia cricetidae sigmodontinae in preserved and altered environments in the atlantic forest brazil |
| topic | Ecology Parasitism Host-parasite interactions Small mammals |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000719 |
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