Marine leech Ozobranchus margoi parasitizing loggerhead turtle in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

This paper reports the finding of several Ozobranchus margoi (Annelida: Hirudinea) parasitizing a loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) that was found in the municipality of Tavares, state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. Since this parasite is considered to be a vector of chelonid herpesvirus 5 (ChHV-5), the leeches collected were tested for the presence of this virus. All the specimens were negative on PCR analysis. Although O. margoi is considered to be a common sea turtle parasite, this is the first official record describing collection of this parasite from a loggerhead turtle in southern Brazil, within the country's subtropical zone. This finding draws attention to the presence of this parasite and to the risk of leech-borne infectious diseases among turtles found along the coast of southern Brazil.

Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.

First record of Ozobranchus margoi on loggerhead Caretta caretta in southern Brazil — extends known South American distribution of FP-vector leech.

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