Contribuição ao conhecimento dos hemoparasitas de Didelphis marsupialis L., 1758 e D. albiventris Lund, 1841, no Brasil: Babesia ernestoi sp. n. (Piroplasmida: Babesiidae)

Abstract

In Didelphis marsupialis and D. albiventris from the States of Pará, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo - Brasil, which had been reared in captivity at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, harboured a natural infection of a hematozoan Babesiidae. The parasite, seen in blood films and impression smears of organs, stained with Giemsa, was studied morphologically and biologically by experimental transmission, to only animals the same genus. Additional observations were condected on several wild-caught marsupiais, some which were treated with Dexametasona (a cortisone preparation) while other, were splenectomized. Parasitic relapses followed as evidenced by the appearance of intraerythrocytic parasites. The infection could also readily be demonstrated in the brain and visceral organs of these animals at autopsy. The organism was also found in blood and tissue smears prepared from entire untreated animals. Since the scrutiny of the literature failed to reveal the presence of a similar parasite in member of the order Marsupialis, it is considered that this a new Babesia spp. for which the name Babesia ernestoi is proposed in memorian to Ernesto Pará-Assú da Serra Freire