HELMINTH PARASITES OF GROUND DWELLING ANURANS OF OKOMU OIL PALM PLANTATION, OKOMU-UDO, EDO STATE, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT

An investigation of the helminth parasites of ground dwelling anurans in Okomu Oil Palm Plantation, Okomu-Udo, Edo State, Nigeria was conducted within the months of June to August, 2023. The anurans investigated included Hoplobatrachus occipitalis, Ptychadena bibroni, P. pumilio P. longirostris, P. oxyrhynchus, P. mascareniensis, Hemisus mamoratus, Sclerophrys maculata and Silurana tropicalis. A total of twelve helminth parasite species were recovered from various organs of infected hosts. Parasites recovered from this investigation included one cestode (Protocephalus sp.), two monogeneans (Polystoma aeschlimanni and a Metapolystoma sp. ), two digeneans (Mesocoelium monodi and a Mesocoelium sp.) and seven nematode species (Ophidascaris sp. larva, Rhabdias africanus, Camallanus dimitrovi, Camallanus sp, two unidentified Physaloptera spp. and Cosmocerca ornata). An overall prevalence of 57.75% and mean intensity of 24 parasites per infected host was recorded. Amongst the helminth parasites recovered, C. ornata was the most prevalent parasite with a wide host range while the least prevalent parasites were Metapolystoma sp. and Polystoma aeschlimanni occurring only in P. longirostris and P. pumilio, respectively. Parasitic prevalence ranged between 1.4% - 100% and mean intensities ranged between 1.0 - 30.0 parasites per infected hosts. Hemisus mamoratus was infected only with Camallanus sp. while no parasite was recovered from S. tropicalis, P. mascareniensis and P. oxyrhynchus. Results from this study were compared with previous studies from the rainforest zone of Nigeria. It was inferred that the occurrence of Camallanus sp. in Hemisus mamoratus and Sclerophrys maculata suggests that these ground dwelling anurans play the role of paratenic hosts of helminth parasites in the oil palm environment.