Helminths parasite diversity in amphibians from a residential wetland in Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Research on amphibian helminths parasites from a residential wetland (Ikpe) in Ikpoba-Okha Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria was carried out. Nine amphibian species belonging to six families (Bufonidae, Dicroglossidae, Hyperollidae, Ptychadenidae, Pyxicephalidae and Ranidae) were studied. The parasites (and their prevalence) recovered from the amphibians were Acanthocephalan cystacanths (4.76%), cestodes (4.76%) (Cylindrotaenia jaegerskioeldi), monogeneans (9.52%) (Polystoma aeschlimanni and P. pricei), digeneans (19.05%) (Diplodiscus fischthalicus, Mesocoelium monodi, Metahaemotoloechus aubriae and M. exoterorchis) and nematodes (61.90%) (Amplicaecum africanum, Amplicaecum sp., Aplectana sp., Camallanus dimitrovi, Chabaudus leberrei, Cosmocerca commutata, C. ornata, Oswaldocruzia hoepplii, Paracosmocerca sp., Physaloptera sp., Rhabdias africanus, Rhabdias sp. and unidentified nematodes). There was a high diversity and prevalence of helminth parasites (80.31%) observed. However, infection intensity was low across all parasite taxa. Despite being a wetland, the Ikpe community had only a few amphibian species with high parasitic infection. The helminth infection was dominated by nematode parasites that required no intermediate hosts, while parasites that required one or more intermediate hosts were scarcely represented. Given that certain nematode parasites could not be identified; additional research is required to determine their true species status.