New records of helminth parasites of nine species of waterfowl in Mexico, and a checklist of the helminth fauna of Anatidae occurring in Mexican wetlands

Abstract

Abstract Wild and domestic populations of waterfowl garner economic benefits, as they are hunted for human consumption or as a recreational activity. Waterfowl migrate to their wintering grounds in Mexican wetlands where habitat conditions are more favourable. In this study, we present a list of helminth species sampled from the gastrointestinal tract of 59 wild birds belonging to the family Anatidae in three localities of Mexico, and a checklist of the helminth parasite fauna of the members of the family in the whole country, built from literature records. After helminthological examination, 25 taxa were identified: eight trematodes; four cestodes; 12 nematodes; and one acanthocephalan. Obtained records dated from 1943 to 2019. Our literature search yielded 563 records corresponding to 95 parasite taxa: 38 trematodes, 24 cestodes, 23 nematodes and ten acanthocephalans. In Mexico, 17 anatid species have been studied for helminths. Records correspond to 55 locations from 20 Mexican states. An insight gained from the collated literature and recent records was that trematodes represent the most diverse parasite group in anatids in Mexico. We briefly discuss that the information about helminths parasitizing waterfowl will be useful for understanding the effect of habitat loss and pollution of wetlands where migratory birds spend the breeding season, for addressing ecological programs aimed to guarantee the health and conservation of North American migratory birds or the effect of bird migration in the composition of the helminth parasite communities, and for freshwater biologists interested in the understanding of freshwater ecosystem health.