Tarantobelus sp. fonalféreg-fertőzöttség első hazai megállapítása Chilobrachys dyscolus (Simon, 1886) madárpókban

Abstract

ÖSSZEFOGLALÁS A madárpókok mint házikedvencek régóta jelen vannak Magyarországon, azonban betegségeikről kevés ismeret áll rendelkezésre. Az Állatorvostudományi Egyetem Egzotikusállat-, Vad-, Hal- és Méhegészségügyi Tanszékének klinikájára egy Chilobrachys dyscolus (Simon, 1886) madárpók érkezett, ami a tulajdonosok szerint étvágytalan volt. Az izofluránnal történő altatást követően a szerzők a csáprágók körül a szőr csapzottságát, ill. fehér váladék megjelenését figyelték meg. Az állat szájüregéből apró férgeket mostak ki, amelyeket tejsavas kezelést követően mikroszkópos vizsgálatnak vetettek alá. Morfológiai határozókulcsok és a tünetek alapján a férgeket a Tarantobelus nemzetségbe sorolták. SUMMARY Background: Tarantulas (or bird-eating spiders), as exotic pets, have long been kept in Hungary. Nevertheless, our knowledge regarding their pathogens remains limited. Viruses, bacteria, mites and endoparasitic nematodes have been associated with tarantula diseases. Among the latter, members of the Tarantobelus genus, specifically Tarantobelus arachnicide and Tarantobelus jeffdanielsi deserve particular attention. Both species can infect tarantulas, causing similar clinical symptoms, most commonly manifesting as loss of appetite. Another characteristic symptom is the appearance of a white secretion around the mouth opening and chelicerae. Materials and methods: In the autumn of 2024, a Chilobrachys dyscolus (Simon, 1886) tarantula was presented at the Clinic of the Department of Exotic Animal, Wildlife, Fish, and Bee Health at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Budapest. According to the owners, the spider had a loss of appetite. After observation in an awake state, the animal was anesthetized using 5% isoflurane gas mixture with an oxygen flow rate of 2000 cc/min. Following anesthesia, matting of the hairs and the presence of a white secretion around the mouth opening and chelicerae were observed. The oral cavity of the spider was rinsed with warm physiological saline solution. The collected rinse fluid contained small, worm-like structures, approximately 1 mm in size. Conventional light microscopy confirmed the presence of helminth infection, prompting further examination at the Parasitology and Zoology Laboratory of the University of Veterinary Medicine. The nematodes were treated with approximately 24% lactic acid and subsequently examined under light microscope. Results and Discussion: With the light microscopic examination, the detected nematodes were classified within the Tarantobelus genus. The morphological characteristics of male and female parasites found and their reproductive structures were the same as the worms that we lavaged from the spider's mouth. Our case was the first diagnosed infection in a tarantula.