Pathology and first report of natural infections of the eye trematode Philophthalmus lachrymosus Braun, 1902 (Digenea, Philophthalmidae) in a non-human mammalian host

• Main Authors: Roberto Magalhães Pinto, Leonilda Correia dos Santos, Rogerio Tortelly, Rodrigo Caldas Menezes, Wanderlei de Moraes, Julio Cesar Juvenal, Delir Corrêa Gomes
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Ministério da Saúde 2005-10-01
• Series: Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz.
• Subjects: Digenea; Philophtalmus lachrymosus; mammals; Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris; pathology
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762005000600012&lng=en&tlng=en
• ISSN: 1678-8060

The avian eye trematode Philophthalmus lachrymosus Braun, 1902 is for the first time referred naturally occurring in a non-human mammalian host. Previously, natural infections with P. lachrymosus and other species of Philophthalmus have been occasionally reported from man, with few data on experimental infections of non-human mammals. Results presented here are related to the report of two cases of philophthalmosis due to natural infections of wild Brazilian capybaras, Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris L., 1766 with P. lachrymosus and associated pathology. Clinical signs, gross and microscopic lesions as well as new morphometric data on the parasite are presented.