Ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) of three Timor-Leste reptiles: first country record of Amblyomma helvolum, with new interactions and an updated list of host species

© 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ttbdis.2022.102060We report on the presence of the ixodid tick Amblyomma helvolum on three species of reptiles from Timor-Leste. Among a total of 21 host specimens (lizards: 18 four-fingered skinks, Carlia sp. ‘Meleotegi’ and two forest skinks, Sphenomorphus sp. ‘Meleotegi’; snake: one Coelognathus subradiatus) four were parasitized by ticks. Whereas nymphs were associated with the lizards, an adult male was retrieved from the snake. This report is the first of A. helvolum for Timor-Leste, the first for the skink genera Carlia and Sphenomorphus, and the first for C. subradiatus. We present a comprehensive table with updated taxonomy of known associations between A. helvolum and other vertebrates.Fabrício H. Oda received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Fundaçaõ Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (Grant n. 6471073/2017). Thiago F. Martins is supported by Fundaçaõ de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Saõ Paulo (FAPESP process n. 2019/03167-0, 2020/05987-1).Published versio

Rauschiella repandum

Rauschiella repandum (Rudolphi, 1819) Host Leptodactylus aff. latrans .Published as part of da Graça, Rodrigo J., Oda, Fabrício H., Lima, Flávia S., Guerra, Vinicius, Gambale, Priscilla G. & Takemoto, Ricardo M., 2017, Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, pp. 705-729 in Journal of Natural History 51 (13 - 14) on page 714, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1296197, http://zenodo.org/record/518027

Rauschiella linguatula

Rauschiella linguatula (Rudolphi, 1819) Host Leptodactylus chaquensis.Published as part of da Graça, Rodrigo J., Oda, Fabrício H., Lima, Flávia S., Guerra, Vinicius, Gambale, Priscilla G. & Takemoto, Ricardo M., 2017, Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, pp. 705-729 in Journal of Natural History 51 (13 - 14) on page 713, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1296197, http://zenodo.org/record/518027

Aplectana travassosi

Aplectana travassosi (1967) Hosts Hypsiboas raniceps, Leptodactylus chaquensis, Leptodactylus fuscus and Leptodactylus aff. latrans .Published as part of da Graça, Rodrigo J., Oda, Fabrício H., Lima, Flávia S., Guerra, Vinicius, Gambale, Priscilla G. & Takemoto, Ricardo M., 2017, Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, pp. 705-729 in Journal of Natural History 51 (13 - 14) on page 716, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1296197, http://zenodo.org/record/518027

Catadiscus propinquus Freitas and Dobbin Jr. 1956

Catadiscus propinquus Freitas and Dobbin Jr., 1956 Hosts Leptodactylus podicipinus and Pseudis platensis. Site of infection Large intestine and urinary bladder.Published as part of da Graça, Rodrigo J., Oda, Fabrício H., Lima, Flávia S., Guerra, Vinicius, Gambale, Priscilla G. & Takemoto, Ricardo M., 2017, Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil, pp. 705-729 in Journal of Natural History 51 (13 - 14) on page 711, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1296197, http://zenodo.org/record/518027

Development of a gas chamber for detecting broiler chicken halothane sensitivity and PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) meat formation

The objective of this work was to investigate the use of a halothane to screen broiler chickens prone to develop PSE (Pale, Soft, Exudative) meat through a special gas chamber connected to a veterinarian anaesthetic apparatus developed in our laboratory. Anaesthesia was induced with approx. 3.0% halothane at a flow rate of 6.0 Lm-1 in pure oxygen for 5 min. Commercial male broilers (n=342) aged 46 days old were evaluated and classified as either halothane sensitive (HAL+) or insensitive (HAL-), depending on the leg rigidity response. Approximately 27.5% (n=94) of broilers were HAL+ and 72.5% (n=248) were HAL-. This is a simple and rapid technique to evaluate broiler sensitivity to halothane and identify broilers prone to develop PSE meat. The occurrence of PSE meat in HAL insensitive broiler chicken samples suggests that other factors are related to PSE occurrence.<br>O objetivo deste trabalho foi investigar o uso do halotano para avaliar e identificar frangos propensos ao desenvolvimento de carnes PSE (Pálida, Flácida, Exsudativa) por meio de uma câmara desenvolvida em nossos laboratórios. Esta foi conectada a um equipamento de anestesia veterinária e a anestesia foi então induzida com aproximadamente 3,0% de halotano a um fluxo de 6,0 L/min em puro oxigênio. A sensibilidade de três frangos foi avaliada simultaneamente. Os frangos de linhagem comercial (n=352) com 46 dias de idade foram expostos à 3,0% de halotano por 5 min e classificados como halotano sensível (HAL +) e não-sensível (HAL -), baseado no enrijecimento dos seus membros inferiores. Aproximadamente 27,5% (n=94) frangos foram HAL+ e 72,5% (n=248) HAL-. Amostras do músculo Pectoralis major (n=75) foram coletadas após o abate dos animais para as medidas de pH e cor, determinadas nos filés mantidos a 4 C por 24 h postmortem. Frangos HAL+ apresentaram maior porcentagem de carnes PSE quando comparadas ao grupo HAL-. Este é um teste simples e rápido para a avaliação da sensibilidade das aves ao halotano e identificar frangos propensos ao desenvolvimento de carnes PSE embora amostras de HAL - também apresentaram carnes PSE sugerindo que outros fatores estão relacionados com a formação da anormalidade

Qualidade da carne de marreco pequim branco (Anas Platyrhynchos platyrhynchos L. 1758) comparado a frango de corte Meat quality in white peking mallard (Anas Platyrhynchos platyrhynchos L. 1758 ) compared to broiler chicken

O total de 20 carcaças resfriadas (10 Marrecos Pequim Branco e 10 de frangos de corte) foi submetido às análises de composição centesimal, colesterol, cor (sistema CIE L*a*b*), perda de peso por cozimento (PPC) e força de cisalhamento (FC). A carne de marreco apresenta (P<0,05) menos umidade (71,77 e 74,53 %), do que a carne de frango (74,73 e 76,07 %). Quando comparados os cortes, o peito mostrou (P<0,05) médias mais elevadas de umidade e proteína, do que no corte perna. A carne de marreco mostra (P<0,05) luminosidade mais baixa (37,59 e 35,75) e maior teor de vermelho (18,48 a 20,67), do que a luminosidade (40,98 e 45,18) e o teor de vermelho (10,02 e 5,52) observado em frangos. A FC foi (P<0,05) mais elevada (4,90 kgf) em peito de marrecos, do que em peito de frango (2,63 kgf). A carne de Marreco Pequim Branco é mais escura e com vermelho mais intenso do que carne de frango de corte. Embora menos macia do que a carne de frango, a carne de marreco é considerada macia.<br>Twenty refrigerated carcasses (10 Peking mallard and 10 broiler chicken) were submitted to analyses of chemical composition, cholesterol, colour (CIE L*a*b* system), weight loss by cooking (PPC) and shear force (FC). Mallard meat had lower (P<0.05) humidity in both leg and breast (71.77 and 74.53%, respectively) when compared with chicken meat (74.73 and 76.07%, respectively). When different cuts were compared, the breast had a higher (P<0.05) humidity and protein content than the leg in both species. Mallard leg and breast had lower (P<0.05) lightness (37.59 and 35.75, respectively) and higher red content (18.48 and 20.67, respectively), than the lightness (40.98 and 45.18, respectively) and red content (10.02 and 5.52, respectively) observed in chicken. The FC was higher (P<0.05) in mallard breast (4.90 kgf) than in chicken breast (2.63 kgf). Meat from White Peking mallard is darker and with a stronger red pigment than meat from broiler chicken. Even though it is less tender than meat from broiler chicken, mallard meat still has an acceptable tenderness