<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>This study aimed to identify the helminth parasites of invasive anuran species in selected barangays in Butuan City, Philippines. In urbanized areas, invasive species dominate anuran diversity, and one of the primary threats they pose to native wildlife is the transmission of diseases and parasites. Out of the 91 collected individuals of invasive anuran species, <italic>Rhinella marina</italic> was the most abundant (88 %), followed by <italic>Hoplobatrachus rugulosus</italic> (12 %) and <italic>Kaloula pulchra</italic> (3 %). The study identified five species of parasites, with <italic>Spirometra</italic> sp. being the most prevalent (17.58 %), followed by <italic>Echinostoma</italic> sp. (16.5 %), <italic>Rhabdias bufonis</italic> (14.3 %), <italic>Cosmocerca</italic> sp. (6.6 %), and <italic>Strongyloides stercoralis</italic> (3.30 %), respectively. <italic>Spirometra</italic> sp. also had the highest intensity (7.67), followed by <italic>Cosmocerc</italic>a sp. (5), <italic>Strongyloides stercoralis</italic> (3.33), <italic>Rhabdias bufonis</italic> (3.30), and <italic>Echinostom</italic>a sp. (2.73). This parasitological survey revealed that <italic>H. rugulosus</italic> had the highest prevalence and infection of parasites, and residential areas had the highest parasite prevalence among the habitat types. Adult hosts were found to harbor a higher prevalence and intensity, and male hosts had a higher prevalence. The results highlight the high risk of parasite transmission from anurans to other animals and emphasize the need for the community to control the population of invasive anuran species for the safety of native anurans and to prevent zoonotic transmission to other animals and humans.</p>
</abstract>

This study aimed to identify the helminth parasites of invasive anuran species in selected barangays in Butuan City, Philippines. In urbanized areas, invasive species dominate anuran diversity, and one of the primary threats they pose to native wildlife is the transmission of diseases and parasites. Out of the 91 collected individuals of invasive anuran species, Rhinella marina was the most abundant (88 %), followed by Hoplobatrachus rugulosus (12 %) and Kaloula pulchra (3 %). The study identified five species of parasites, with Spirometra sp. being the most prevalent (17.58 %), followed by Echinostoma sp. (16.5 %), Rhabdias bufonis (14.3 %), Cosmocerca sp. (6.6 %), and Strongyloides stercoralis (3.30 %), respectively. Spirometra sp. also had the highest intensity (7.67), followed by Cosmocerca sp. (5), Strongyloides stercoralis (3.33), Rhabdias bufonis (3.30), and Echinostoma sp. (2.73). This parasitological survey revealed that H. rugulosus had the highest prevalence and infection of parasites, and residential areas had the highest parasite prevalence among the habitat types. Adult hosts were found to harbor a higher prevalence and intensity, and male hosts had a higher prevalence. The results highlight the high risk of parasite transmission from anurans to other animals and emphasize the need for the community to control the population of invasive anuran species for the safety of native anurans and to prevent zoonotic transmission to other animals and humans.

Parasitic helminths of alien invasive anurans in Butuan City, Northeastern Mindanao, Philippines

Department of Biology, College of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Department of Biological Sciences, College of Science and Mathematics

Mindanao State University – Iligan Institute of Technology

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

This study aimed to identify the helminth parasites of invasive anuran species in selected barangays in Butuan City, Philippines. In urbanized areas, invasive...

Parasitic helminths of alien invasive anurans in Butuan City, Northeastern Mindanao, Philippines

Article Category: Research Note

Published Online: Dec 31, 2023

Page range: 385 - 392

Received: May 25, 2022

Accepted: Sep 22, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2023-0040

Keywords
Invasive anurans, habitat types, helminth parasites, prevalence, zoonosis

© 2023 CA. V. Torralba et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Parasitic helminths of alien invasive anurans in Butuan City, Northeastern Mindanao, Philippines

Article Category: Research Note

Published Online: Dec 31, 2023

Page range: 385 - 392

Received: May 25, 2022

Accepted: Sep 22, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2023-0040

KeywordsInvasive anurans, habitat types, helminth parasites, prevalence, zoonosis

© 2023 CA. V. Torralba et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Keywords
Invasive anurans, habitat types, helminth parasites, prevalence, zoonosis