STUDIES ON HELMINTH PARASITES INFESTING SOME WILD BIRDS IN SUEZ CANAL AREA AND SINAI PENINSULA

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Dept. of Parasitology, Fac. Vet. Med., Suez Canal Univ., Ismailia, Egypt

Abstract

The study was designed to evaluate the prevalence and descriptions of helminth parasites infesting some wild birds 20 buff backed heron, Ardeola ibis ibis: 20 little owl, Athene noctua and 15 flami Phoenicapterus ruber collected from Suez canal area and Sinai peninsula. Also, the study was done to evaluate a trial to feed some metacercariae obtained from fish to some wild and domestic birds. The total infestation rate of helminth parasites among the examined wild birds was 41.8%. The study revealed that nematodes were the most
prevalent parasites (36.4%), infesting the examined wild birds. it was followed by trematodes (14.6%), acanthocephala and cestodes (1.8% for each). Buff backed heron showed the highest infestation rate with helminths (75%), followed by little owl (25%) and flamingo (20%). Also, the results denoted that buff backed heron represented the highest rate of infestation with nematodes (70%). Elven helminth species were detected as Nephrostomum ramosum (20%), Apharyngostrigea ibis (15%), Synhimantus invaginatus (35%), Synhimantus equispeculatus (10%), Microtertramere spiralis (20%) and Microtetramere sp < /em>. (5%) were infesting the buff backed heron, while Nephrostomum ramosum (5%), Microtetramere spiralis (10%), Filicollis sp < /em>. (5%) & Oochoristica sp < /em>. (5%) were infesting the little owl; Tetramere sp < /em>. (6.7%), Cosmocephalus sp < /em>. (6.7%) & Striatofilaria sp < /em>. (13.3%) were infesting flamingo. Tetramere sp < /em>. and Striatofilaria sp < /em>. were first recorded among wild birds from Egypt. The prevalence, descriptions of the previously mentioned parasites and experimental feeding of buff backed heron and duckling with some metacercariae obtained from naturally infested fresh water fishes were carried out and discussed.

Keywords

Main Subjects