AbstractOne hundred and eighty specimens of sigmodontine rodents living in sympatric conditions were collected in the Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (25Akodon cursor, 98Akodon montensisand 57Oligoryzomys nigripes) to examine whether the helminth structure and component communities can be characterized among these three closely related rodents. The parasite species richness was 9 inA. cursor, 12 inA. montensisand 12 inO. nigripes. Five species were common to the three rodent species, and eight were common toA. cursorandA. montensis. The trichostrongylids –Stilestrongylus etainA. cursor,S. aculeatainA. montensisandS. lanfrediaeinO. nigripes– were the species with highest dominance frequency and determined the characterization of individual community structures. The prevalence and abundance of concurrent helminth species among rodents were significantly different. Canonical multivariate analysis demonstrated a similar helminth community structure betweenA. cursorandA. montensisbut a high discrepancy betweenAkodonspp.and O. nigripes. Thus, the data indicated that small rodents such asA. cursor,A. montenisandO. nigripesthat are sympatric and phylogenetically related have a different community structure, but similar component community, suggesting the role of helminth specificity and the hosts' habitats as determinants in structuring their helminth communities.
Isolation and characterization of trypanosomatids, including Crithidia mellificae, in bats from the Atlantic Forest of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
