Helminth fauna of Passer domesticus (Passeriformes: Passeridae) in the southern extreme of Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this study was to report helminth parasite species of Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) (sparrow) and to analyze infection rates in relation to total length, body mass and sexual gender of hosts. Each of the 100 sparrows caught in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was weighed, measured, submitted to euthanasia and necropsied for collection of helminths. The helminths and their respective prevalence were: Synhimantus (Dispharynx) nasuta (2%), Aproctella sp. (1%) (Nematoda), Prosthogonimus ovatus (8%), Eumegacetes sp. (2%), Tanaisia zarudnyi (4%) (Digenea), Choanotaenia passerina (26%) (Cestoda), and Mediorhynchus sp. (2%) (Acanthocephala). The prevalence and mean intensity of infection of the C. passerina between male and female hosts did not present significant differences, and there was no correlation between the abundance of parasite species, body mass and total length of the sparrows. The helminth fauna of P. domesticus has remained the same throughout the propagation of this bird for new geographical areas and ecosystems, with the exception of the nematode Aproctella sp., found for the first time parasitizing this host.