Helminth parasites of Natal long-fingered bats, Miniopterus natalensis (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae), South Africa

Onderstepoort J Vet Res. 2008 Sep;75(3):261-5.

Abstract

The helminth community infecting Miniopterus natalensis was studied at two localities, the De Hoop Nature Reserve (DHNR) (n = 57), Western Cape Province and Pretoria (n = 12), Gauteng Province, South Africa. Hosts from the DHNR had formed part of an earlier, unrelated study and were all pregnant females. A single hymenolepidid cestode species, the nematodes Molinostrongylus ornatus and Litomosa chiropterorum together with nematodes of the subfamily Capillariinae were present at both study sites, while a single digenean, Allassogonoporus sp., was only found in hosts from the DHNR. The prevalence of helminth infections was high at both localities, 68.4% in the DHNR and 77.7% in Pretoria, whereas the mean intensity of infection was low at the DHNR (3.76 +/- 3.15), but higher in Pretoria (10.4 +/- 9.9). Molinostrongylus ornatus and, to a lesser extent L. chiropterorum, were the main contributors to the higher intensities in Pretoria. The species richness ranged from 0 to 4 at both localities.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cestoda / classification
  • Cestoda / isolation & purification
  • Cestode Infections / epidemiology
  • Cestode Infections / veterinary
  • Chiroptera / parasitology*
  • Female
  • Helminthiasis, Animal / epidemiology*
  • Helminths / classification
  • Helminths / isolation & purification*
  • Nematoda / classification
  • Nematoda / isolation & purification
  • Nematode Infections / epidemiology
  • Nematode Infections / veterinary
  • Phylogeny
  • Pregnancy
  • Prevalence
  • South Africa / epidemiology
  • Species Specificity