Assembleia de helmintos e ocorrência de Haemoproteus columbae Kruse, 1890 (Haemosporida: Haemoproteidae) associados à Columba livia Gmelin, 1789 (Columbiformes: Columbidae) no sul do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Abstract

Columba livia is a bird native to South Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia, and was introduced to various regions worldwide,it is distributed across all continents, except Antarctica. In areas where it has been introduced, it is particularly common in urbanized areas with dense populations. Helminthological studies and investigations into Haemoproteus columbae infection in C. livia have been conducted in various regions worldwide, i ncluding Brazil. In Rio Grande do Sul, parasitological studies are scarce. In this context, the general aim of this study was to investigate parasitism by helminths and infection by the protozoan H. columbae in C. livia in the south of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. First manuscript investigated the assembly of helminth in C. livia and analyzed the infections in relation to sexual gender and the total length and body mass of adult birds (n=60) captured in Pelotas and Rio Grande, RS. Second study analyzed intestinal helminth infections (n=90) in relation to three seasons in birds captured in the city of Pelotas, RS. The third study aimed to determine the frequency and describe the molecular detection of H. columbae in C. livia (n=57) from Pelotas and Rio Grande, RS. The assembly of helminth parasites of C. livia was composed of: Baruscapillaria obsignata (Capillariidae), Ascaridia columbae (Ascaridiidae), Tetrameres fissipina (Tetrameridae) Dispharynx nasuta (Acuariidae) (Nematoda), Sobolevicanthus columbae (Hymenolepididae), Killigrewia delafondi (Anoplocephalidae), Raillietina allomyodes (Davaineidae), Skrjabinia bonini (Davaineidae) (Cestoda), Brachylaima mazzantii (Brachylaimidae) e Tanaisia inopina (Eucotylidae) (Digenea). No statistical difference was observed in the prevalence and mean intensity of infection of helminths between the sexual genders. Total helminth abundance was correlated with female body mass (p=0.63; p=0.001). Among males, there was a correlation between the abundance of A. columbae (p=0.454; p=0.004) and K. delafondi (p=0.398;

p=0.013) and body mass, and between T. fissipina (p=0.337; p=0.039) and S. columbae (p=-0.350; p=0.031) and the total length of the birds. No significant differences in infection rates between the seasons (fall, winter, and spring) among intestinal helminths, except for A. columbae, which exhibited higher prevalence in the fall compared to spring. Infection rate was higher in adult birds (78.26%) than immature birds (18.18%) (p<0.0001). Tetrameres fissipina, D. nasuta, R. allomyodes, S. bonini, K. delafondi, and T. inopina have been documented for the first time in C. livia in southern Brazil and this is the first record of the cestode S. columbae in South America. This is the first molecular detection of the protozoan H. columbae in C. livia in southern Brazil, occurring in 92.98% of the hosts, with similar rates in relati on to the sexual gender, age and place of origin of the birds. The results contribute to the understanding of the occurrence of H. columbae, as well as the biodiversity of helminths associated with C. livia in southern Brazil, elucidating parasite-host relationships and the seasonality of helminth infections. In addition, the results contribute to understanding the trophic chains that C. livia is included, due to the occurrence of helminths with heteroxenic life cycles, where the infective forms involve prey-predator interactions.