Parásitos Gastrointestinales En Zarigüeyas Comunes ( Didelphis Marsupialis ) En Áreas Naturales Urbanas De Antioquia, Colombia

La zarigüeya común ( Didelphis marsupialis) is a generalist species that has been reported as a host of several parasites, but there is no information on the parasites that this species may host in natural urban areas. In this study we evaluated the presence and frequency of gastrointestinal parasites of opossums inhabiting natural urban areas in the Aburrá valley, Antioquia, Colombia. A total of 70 opossums were captured from 6 natural protected areas using tomahawk traps during 6 months. From these opossums we obtained 65 fecal samples, which were fixed with SAF solution and analyzed with direct smear and sedimentation technique. From the 65 fecal samples 61 were positive to at least one parasite (frequency = 93,9%), and 60 were positive to two or more parasites, with an average of five parasites. Specifically, we observed nematode parasites in 58 samples (89,2%), protozoa in 46 samples (70,7%), acanthocephalans in 29 samples (44,6%), and cestodes in 8 samples (12,3%). The most frequent parasite was Aspidodera spp. in 52 samples (80%). We report for the first time in D. marsupialis, the presence of eggs of Toxocara spp., Hymenolepis spp., an Oxyuridae parasite, and the coccidians Eimeria didelphidis, E. caluromydis and Eimeria marmosopos, the latter is reported in Colombia for the first time. We also report the infection of adults of Oligacanthorhynchus microcephalus, Trichuris reesali, Trichuris urichi, Aspidodera raillieti, Cruzia tentaculata and Turgida turgida, which were found in necropsies of two opossums. Importantly this report present hookworms, Toxocara spp. and Hymenolepis spp., parásitos potencialmente zoonóticos. Este estudio luego confirma la alta frecuencia de parásitos gastrointestinales nuevos y ya reportados en zarigüeyas urbanas y hace un llamado a las autoridades dadas las altas interacciones entre la vida silvestre y los humanos que se presentan en las áreas urbanas naturales.