title: Hepatozoon spp. (Apicomplexa: Hepatozoidae) infection and selected hematological values of the neotropical rattlesnake, Crotalus durissus collilineatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Serpentes: Viperidae), from Brazil.
abstract: This study aims to establish the hematological values of Crotalus durissus collilineatus snakes captured in Brazil as well as to verify the effects of hematozoan infection on these snakes. Eighty-three blood samples were drawn from C. d. collilineatus specimens for analysis. The sample set was composed of 30 males and 30 females, recently caught from the wild, and 11 males and 12 females bred in captivity. Blood samples were used to determine red blood cell counts, white blood cell counts, thrombocyte counts, hematocrit values, hemoglobin concentration, and total plasma protein. Blood smears were used to diagnose Hepatozoon spp. infection and to calculate the parasitic load in the sample as well as the percentage of immature red cells. Results obtained for the wild-caught animals, with and without parasites, were compared among themselves and with the values obtained for the captive-bred animals. Hematological values for C. durissus were established. Wild-caught snakes had an infection rate of 38.3%, while no Hepatozoon sp. infection was detected in the captive-bred animals. The snakes which were not infected by the Hepatozoon sp. exhibited average weight, length, and weight-length ratios higher than those of the infected animals. An increase in immature red cells was noted in the Hepatozoon-infected snakes.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Medicina Veterinária Preventiva, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais - UFMG, Avenida Presidente Antônio Carlos 6627, Caixa Postal 567, CEP 30123-970, Campus da UFMG, Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rafael Otávio Cançado
authors.initials: RO
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Lucas Maciel
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Romário Cerqueira
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Leite
authors.forename: Israel José
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: da Silva
authors.forename: Ana Cristina Araújo
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Erika Martins
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Arildo Pinto
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: da Cunha
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016782:Apicomplexa / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D017839:Crotalus / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000469:parasitology*