A comparative study of parasitic fauna in Amietophrynus regularis (Reuss, 1833) from natural habitats and dumpsites within Lagos Metropolis, Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Background Amphibian parasites have been used as models for understanding important issues about host activity and sensitivity to environmental perturbations and amphibian decline. With the aim of comparing the parasitic fauna in Amietophrynus regularis from natural habitat and dumpsites within Lagos metropolis, a total of 172 toads were sampled to determine the occurrence of the gastrointestinal tract and blood parasites. Methods The liver, lungs, intestine and intestinal fluids, and blood were collected for parasitological determination. Histopathological analysis was carried out on the intestinal tracts. Results Helminths recovered from the gastrointestinal tract belonged to the family Nematoda, and they included Cosmocerca spp., Amplicaecum spp., Strongyloides spp., and oxyurides. Cosmocerca spp. was most abundant with a parasite load of 2304 and a prevalence of 70.93%. Protozoans recovered from the gastrointestinal fluids include Opalina spp. (7.5%) and Balantidium spp. (11.05%). The only protozoan recovered from blood was a species of Hepatozoon. Although parasite intensity was higher in larger females, comparison of parasites prevalence with morphometrics of Amietophrynus regularis was not significant at p = 0.05. There was also no significant difference (p = 0.05) between the parasite abundance and the location of collection. Histopathological findings revealed stunting of the villi with a high level of intestinal tissue alterations in infected Amietophrynus regularis from the natural habitat. Conclusions The high levels of parasitic infection together with the histopathological findings are indicative that the natural habitats of Amietophrynus regularis are being perturbed and this is of concern considering the prevailing issues of amphibian decline.