Occurrence of hematozoa in armadillo (Dasypus novemcintus, Linnaeus, 1758) in Rio Branco, Acre, Brazil

The armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is widely distributed and has a relevant parasitic fauna, being a potential disseminator of zoonoses and playing a significant role in the epidemiology of parasitic diseases. This study analyzed blood samples from individuals of the species to investigate the presence of hematozoa, the percentage of leukocytes and erythrocyte morphometry. The specimens were captured with the aid of sniffer dogs, manually removed from their burrows, restrained, identified and submitted to blood collection. Five thin-drop smear slides were prepared, three stained with LABORCLIN® Rapid Panotic and two with Giemsa RenyLab®. The analysis took place at the Wildlife Support Laboratory of the Federal University of Acre, where the slides were observed under light microscopy. The erythrocyte description included the count of 1,000 erythrocytes, photographed by the LAZ EZ software. The percentage of leukocytes was determined by counting 100 cells, considering nuclear morphology. The results indicated that the percentages of leukocytes were similar to those of other mammals, and the mean diameter of erythrocytes was 6.9 µm. It was found that 85.7% of the animals were parasitized, with a prevalence of 28.57% for Plasmodium and Trypanosoma. The record of Plasmodium sp. in D. novemcinctus is unprecedented, highlighting the relevance of this study for public health and conservation of the species, in addition emphasizing the importance of monitoring wildlife in epidemiological surveillance.