Assessment of parasites and their pathogenicity is essential for studying the ecology of populations and understanding their dynamics. In this study, we investigate the prevalence and intensity of infection of haemogregarines (phylum Apicomplexa) in two sympatric lizard species, Podarcis vaucheri and Scelarcis perspicillata, across three localities in Morocco, and their effect on host immune response. Leer más.

Los casos de introducción de reptiles en las islas canarias va aumentando con el tiempo. En la última publicación del Boletín de la Asociación Herpetológica Española, los autores Elba Montes, Ramón Gallo y Miguel Ángel Cabrera presentan el trabajo “Presence of the horseshoe whip snake (Hemorrhois hippocrepis) on Gran Canaria, Spain.” Leer más. Ir al Boletín

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Two types of pathogens cause highly contagious upper respiratory tract diseases (URTD) in Chelonians: testudinid herpesviruses (TeHV) and a mycoplasma (Mycoplasma agassizii). In captivity, these infections are frequent and can provoke outbreaks. Pet trade generates an international ow of tortoises, often without sanitary checking; individuals intentionally or accidentally released in the wild may spread pathogens.. Leer más.

The intensity of a pathogen infection plays a key role in determining how the host responds to infection. Hosts with high infections are more likely to transmit infection to others, and are may be more likely to experience progression from infection to disease symptoms, to being physiologically compromised by disease. Understanding how and why hosts exhibit variation in infection intensity therefore plays a major part in developing and implementing measures aimed at controlling infection spread, its effects, and its chance of persisting and circulating within a population of hosts.  Leer más.