Endoparasites in wild birds in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

Wild birds host a wide variety of endoparasites. These endoparasites are important because they can cause serious infections in birds. The present study aimed to conduct a copro-parasitological survey in wild birds captured in the Cazumbá-Iracema Extractive Reserve (Resex) located in the county of Sena Madureira, State of Acre, in northern Brazil. In order to capture these birds, ornithological mist nets were placed in different ecosystems of the Resex. Captured birds were identified and held in cloth sacks for 30 min. Fecal samples, from each bird, were collected if available. Direct examination and spontaneous sedimentation were used to analyze these samples. The prevalence rate of endoparasite infections in the fecal samples examined was 70.58% (72/102). Oocysts and cysts of protozoa were detected in 69.44% (50/72) of the samples, whereas helminth eggs were seen in 75.00% (54/72) of these specimens. To date, the southwest of the Amazon rainforest, northern Brazil, is a poorly explored area that warrants further research on the parasitic fauna of wildlife.