title: Prevalence of Haemoproteus spp. (Apicomplexa: Haemoproteidae) in tortoises in Brazil and its molecular phylogeny.
abstract: Captive terrestrial tortoises of the species Chelonoidis carbonaria (n = 17) and Chelonoidis denticulata (n = 37) in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, were examined for hematozoans by using a combination of microscopic and molecular methods. Microscopic examination revealed young intra-erythrocytic forms in blood smears from both species of tortoises. The results of PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis indicated that these parasites belonged to the Haemoproteus spp., whose observed prevalence was 17.6 % in C. carbonaria and 13.5 % in C. denticulata. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these sequences formed a clade that was grouped with other sequences of Haemoproteus spp. parasites in birds, separate from the clade formed by Haemoproteus spp. of reptiles. This study expands the information regarding the occurrence and distribution of hemosporidia in turtles and is the first study of blood parasites in C. carbonaria.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil. isabelmartinele@yahoo.com.br.
authors.forename: Isabel
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martinele
authors.affiliation: Pós-graduação em Ciências Veterinárias, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Seropédica, 23890-000, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
authors.forename: Raquel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tostes
authors.affiliation: Clínica Veterinária Zoovet, Juiz de Fora, 36016-430, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rômulo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora, 36036-900, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: D'Agosto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000097:blood / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D016787:Haemosporida / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D015995:Prevalence; D011529:Protozoan Infections, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA / Q000662:veterinary; D014426:Turtles / Q000469:parasitology*
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan
keywords: Chelonian; Chelonoidis carbonaria; Chelonoidis denticulata; Hemoparasites; Red-footed tortoise; Yellow-footed tortoise