Marine turtles life cycle its very complex, alternating between

reproduction areas and feeding and/or development areas, fnding within

the last areas, individuals from diferent nesting beaches (Lpe!"
Mendilaharsu et al#, $%%&'#
(he )estern *outh +tlantic (+*,' is an area of high activity for these
turtles (-on!.le! /arman et al#, $%00' and particularly the 1ruguayan
coast is an important feeding and development area and migration corridor
between areas of +*, for 2uveniles of C. mydas (3strades et al#, $%%4'#
5iferent diseases afecting sea turtles directly in6uence at their
survival# 7ecently, a disease called fbropapillomatosis, it has become
important# +nother of the most common diseases of sea turtles is about
infestation by parasites #
8arasitism by Ozobranchus branchiatus and Ozobranchus margoi can
9ill the host by anemia and s9in lesions (8eralta, $%%:'#
*tudies implicate this ecto"parasitas as possible mechanical vectors of
transmission of the sea turtles herpes virus (-reenblatt, et al# $%%;'#
(he life cycle of these leeches turtle is un9nown, including whether it
may or may not survive in the absence of its host (Mc -owin et al#, $%00'#
<ecause the exposed above, the aim of this research is=
>?(7,51/(>,?
5etermine the association of the prevalence of parasites with
attributes of the host, li9e the body mass index and biometry@
and environmental variables, li9e site and season of capture#
5etermine the association of the prevalence of parasites with
attributes of the host, li9e the body mass index and biometry@
and environmental variables, li9e site and season of capture#
*tudy
area
/ampaign
s
*ampled
individual
Aeatures
relieved
8reserved in formalin ;B
>dentifed (stereoscopic microscope " *awyer, 0C4D'
)eight (Eg'
/urved carapace length (L//'
/urved carapace straight (+//'
(umor presence and leeches
5ata
analyses
5escriptive
analy!es
Aigure 0 F *tudy area= Marine 8rotected +rea G/erro
Herde e >slas de La /oronillaI, 1ruguay#
+>M
M3(J,5,L,-K
8revalence of infection by
Ozobranchus spp.
8revalence of infection by
Ozobranchus spp.
Leeches shown an inverse pattern in their prevalence of
infection
/urrently, /heng"(sung (seng ($%00' proposed that O. branchiatus has no swimming ability, but is able to trace sea ground
and infect turtles when resting on the seabed# 5ue to their morphological similarities, O. margoi could present these same
capabilities#
5ue the intensity of infection of O. margoi is highest during the frst months of the season, its possible that this species
parasiti!es turtles when they still found in low densities in the area, so O. margoi could have a more eLcient strategy of
infestation#
>t is possible that both species of parasites possess diferent reproductive cycles#
>s 9nown that the optimum water temperature for incubation and hatching of eggs for O. branchiatus is below $D M /#
(he development of O. margoi it could occur by early the warm season, when the surface temperature is colder towards the
end of it, thus explaining the diferent temporal patterns recorded for these species in this study#
*ince the analysis of variation within and between"season show no ma2or changes in the prevalence and
intensity of infection throughout the years, and if they show a similar seasonal pattern within each
season, leeches of genus Ozobranchus could be not a problem to the /erro HerdeNs sea turtles
population, in 1ruguay, and probably the parasite load could be constant within this population# )hat is
more, this population could have a dynamic host"parasite stable, with certain parasitism patterns, within
each season and for each species of parasite#
*ince the analysis of variation within and between"season show no ma2or changes in the prevalence and
intensity of infection throughout the years, and if they show a similar seasonal pattern within each
season, leeches of genus Ozobranchus could be not a problem to the /erro HerdeNs sea turtles
population, in 1ruguay, and probably the parasite load could be constant within this population# )hat is
more, this population could have a dynamic host"parasite stable, with certain parasitism patterns, within
each season and for each species of parasite#
(able 0# -enerali!ed linear model (-LM' using a multivariable logistic regression to describe
factors associated with the prevalence of parasitism of all the leeches in 2uveniles of Chelonia
mydas#
?,(3= *3 O standard error@ 8 O 8 value of the test@ <M> O body mass index@ Kear O variation of
parasitism between seasons@ > (year P $' O the probability of infection by a species throughout
the seasons@ Hariation of parasitism Month O Qanuary to +pril of each season#
(able $# -enerali!ed linear model (-LM' using a multivariable logistic regression to describe
factors associated with the prevalence of parasitism in O. margoi 2uveniles Chelonia mydas#
?,(3= *3 O standard error@ 8 O p"value of the test@ O.branchiatus O presence of another
parasite@ )eight O weight of the turtle@ Kear O variation of parasitism between seasons@
Month O variation in the intensity of parasitism from Qanuary to +pril of each season@ > (mm P
$' O probability of infestation by species over the months#
(able :# -enerali!ed linear model (-LM' using a multivariable logistic regression to describe
factors associated with the prevalence of parasitism in O. branchiatus 2uveniles Chelonia
mydas#
?,(3= *3 O standard error@ 8 O p"value of the test@ O. margoi O presence of another
parasite@ >M/ O body mass index@ +Ro (year' O variation of parasitism between seasons@ >
(year P $' O probability of infestation by a species throughout the seasons@ Mes (month' O
Hariation of parasitism from Qanuary to +pril every season#
873H+L3?/3 ,A 8+7+*>(>*M ,A (J3 *83/>3* Ozobranchus branchiatus +?5
O. margoi >? Q1H3?>L3 -733? (17(L3 8,81L+(>,? >? /377, H3753,
171-1+K
Mara Silvina Bevilacqua
1; Luciana Alonso2 y Pablo M. Beldomenico3, 4,
1 Fac. de Humanidades y Ciencias, Univ. Nacional del Litoral, CU, Paraje El Pozo s/n. anta Fe, !r"entina. E#mail$ mariasilvinabevilacqua!"mail.com
% # &arum'(, !vda. )ral *ivera +%,-, CP 11.//, 0ontevideo.
+ # Facultad de Ciencias 1eterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Litoral 2FC1#UNL3, *. P. &reder %4/-, Es5eranza, anta Fe, !r"entina.
, # Consejo Nacional de 6nvesti"aciones Cient78icas y 9(cnicas, :uenos !ires, !r"entina.
- # )lo'al Healt; Pro"ram, <ildli8e Conservation ociety, :ron=, N>, U!.
73*1L(* +?5
5>*/1**>,?
Leeches
3cological parasitism descriptors=
mean parasite abundance, mean
intensity and prevalence of
infection#
Multivariate analyses
(logistic regression
model'
(he +9ai9e >nformation /riterion (+>/'
(o determine association
between prevalence
infection, hostNs attributes
and environmental variables
(o select the model
>ntentional capture and stranded
individuals
Qanuary to +pril, from $%%4 to
$%0%
%
0%
$%
:%
;%
/ampaigns
8revalence (B'
%
D
0%
0D
$%
/ampaigns
8revalence (B'
8revalence of infection by O.
margoi
8revalence of infection by O.
margoi
>n presence of the other parasite (O. branchiatus' it is more probably the presence of O.
margoi
Jeavier animals were more susceptible to infection by this species of leech (pS%,%D'#
(he prevalence of infection by O. margoi tends to decrease from Qanuary to +pril#
8revalence of infection by O.
branchiatus
8revalence of infection by O.
branchiatus
>n the presence of O. margoi it is more li9ely to fnd this species
Josts with higher <M> has a higher prevalence of infection with O. branchiatus#
+lso, the probability to be infected with O. branchiatus increases since Qanuary to +pril#
%
D
0%
0D
$%
$D
:%
:D
/ampaigns
8revalence (B'
(Aigure 0'
(he probability to be infected with leeches increases when the <M> of turtles increases (p S
%,%D'#
(he probability to be infected with leeches increases between Qanuary and +pril in each
season (p S %,%D'#
-iven its direct development, infection with leeches could depends on the probability of direct
transmission to another host#
(he increase prevalence of infection with individuals of genus Ozobranchus from Qanuary to
+pril each season, could be associated with the coincidence of the reproductive period of
parasites with increasing relative abundance of sea turtles in the area and his congregation on
roc9y points, increasing the probability that the leeches fnd a suitable host to infect#
((able 0 and Aigure
$'
((able $ and Aigure
:'
((able : and Aigure
;'
Aigure :# 8revalence of infection by O. margoi bye campaigns and by month
Aigure ;# 8revalence of infection by O. branchiatus bye campaign and by month.
Aigure $# 8revalence of infection by Ozobranchs spp. bye campaign and by month
/,?/L1*>,?
leeches
leeches eggs