DIAGNOSTICS OF HEMOPARASITES OF PELOPHYLAX LESSONAE

Abstract

This article describes the distribution, developmental cycle, clinical manifestations and diagnosis of haemoparasitic diseases in amphibians. An overview of the etiology and detection methods of haemoparasites is presented. The article presents the results of the complex clinical and laboratory examination of the series of clinical cases of haemoparasites in the experimental group of amphibians (n=6) of pond frog species Pelophylax lessonae, caught on 07.05.2022. As a control we used 5 specimens of pond frogs, caught on 02.07.2022 in the same biotope as the experimental group. Both groups were kept in artificial conditions. The experimental group was kept from 07.05.2022 to 28.07.2022, the control group was kept from 02.07.2022 to 28.07.2022. Dry peripheral blood smears were fixed with 96° ethanol and stained with Romanowsky-Giemsa (pH 6.8). Microscopic examination of blood smears of each individual of both groups revealed the presence of haemoparasites. It was found that the species composition of parasites is represented by one species - sporozooners Hepatozoon magna.

By the method of calculating the extensiveness, the average intensity of invasion and the parasites abundance index found that the indicators of the experimental group were much higher than the control, the extensiveness of invasion: (83,3%, against 40%), the average intensity of invasion: (37 against 25), the parasites abundance index: (30,8 against 10). Based on the results of the studies, the dependence of the spread of haemoparasites on housing conditions and period was revealed. It has been suggested that the longer a group of individuals has been kept under artificial conditions, the higher its indices of extensiveness, average invasion intensity and parasite abundance index are.