血液生物是在爬行动物中报道的一组细胞内血液寄生虫,其他脊椎动物类群,包括哺乳动物和鱼类,和食血无脊椎动物。关于患病率的信息,生物多样性,尼日利亚乌龟血液的宿主特异性很少。总共120只非洲铰链龟(Kinixysbelliana,n=70,K.Homeana,n=50)是从伊巴丹的野生动物和草药市场购买的,尼日利亚。通过每只乌龟的鞘下窦抽出血液。使用光学显微镜确定血凝素感染的患病率和寄生虫强度,使用HepF300和HepR900引物通过PCR确定寄生虫种类。654个碱基对的序列(bp;肝动物参见fitzsimonsi)来自该研究,与已发表的18SrRNA一致,与南非Kinixyszobensis测序的肝动物fitzsimonsi的相似性为97.38%。轻度显微镜检查法的总患病率为53.33%,PCR为75.83%,这被认为是非常高的。较高的患病率和平均±SD寄生虫强度记录为K.belliana(82.89%,0.29%)比K.Homeana(66.00%,0.26%)。潮湿季节的血红蛋白患病率和寄生虫强度明显高于旱季。物种之间和物种内部的流行和强度差异可能是由于栖息地特征,媒介和宿主的摄食习惯,季节,和矢量丰度。
Haemogregarines are a group of intracellular blood parasites reported in reptiles, other vertebrate taxa including mammals and fish, and haematophagous invertebrates. Information on prevalence, biodiversity, and host-specificity of haemogregarines of tortoises in Nigeria are scarce. A total of 120 African hinge-back tortoises (Kinixys belliana, n=70, and K. homeana, n=50) were bought from the Wildlife and Herbal Market in Ibadan, Nigeria. Blood was withdrawn via the subcarapacial sinuses of each tortoise. The prevalence and parasite intensity of haemogregarine infection was determined using a light microscope, and parasite species were determined by PCR using HepF300 and HepR900 primers. A sequence of 654 base pairs (bp; Hepatozoon cf. fitzsimonsi) from the study aligned with published 18SrRNA and closely related with a similarity of 97.38% to Hepatozoon fitzsimonsi sequenced from Kinixys zobensis in South Africa. Overall prevalence of haemogregarines was 53.33% from light microcopy and 75.83% from PCR, which is considered very high. Higher prevalence and mean±SD parasite intensity were recorded for K. belliana (82.89%, 0.29%) than for K. homeana (66.00%, 0.26%). Prevalence rates and parasite intensities of haemogregarines were significantly higher in wet than in dry seasons. The differences in prevalence and intensity between and within species may be due to habitat characteristics, feeding habits of vectors and hosts, seasons, and vector abundance.