Helminths of the Florida manatee, Trichechus manatus latirostris, with a discussion and summary of the parasites of sirenians

We examined 215 Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) at necropsy to determine the helminth fauna. Six species were identified: Heterocheilus tunicatus (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea); Anoplocephala sp. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea); and 4 species of trematodes, Cochleotrema cochleotrema (Digenea: Opisthotrematidae), Chiorchis fabaceus (Digenea: Paramphistomatidae), Nudacotyle undicola (Digenea: Nudacotylidae), and Moniligerum blairi (Digenea: Opisthotrematidae). Seventy-three percent of the manatees examined were infected with at least 1 species of helminth. The mean number of species of helminths per infected manatee was 1.9 with a range of 1-4. Fifty-nine manatees were helminth-free; 30 of these were calves. No associations were found between the intensity of helminth infections and host sex, age class, season, and geographic location of recovery, or cause of death. Differences in parasite prevalence between age classes were highly significant for Chiorchis, Cochleotrema, and Heterocheilus, due to a low number of infected calves. A higher prevalence of Cochleotrema was found in manatees recovered from eastern Florida, and Heterocheilus was evident in significantly more manatees from western and souther Florida. Comparisons in the parasite fauna are made among Florida manatees and other sirenian populations, and a brief review of sirenian parasites is included.     

Avian pox in Florida sandhill cranes.

Cutaneous elevations were present on the feet, legs and heads of four Florida sandhill cranes, Grus canadensis pratensis, (one free-living, three penreared birds). As a result of examination of the elevations by light- and electron microscopy, it was determined that the lesions were caused by poxvirus. This is the first record of pox in cranes in North America.     

Retina contains endogenous heparinase activity

Heparin binding growth factors (HBGF), a major component of retinal endothelial cell growth factor activity, have been located particularly to a storage site in the vascular basement membrane, where they are bound to heparan sulphate in a relatively inactive state. It has been suggested that angiogenic activity in the retina may be released, during basement membrane degradation, by heparinase enzymes. We now report that mitogenic saline extracts of retina contain heparinase-like activity, whereas non-mitogenic retinal homogenate does not. However, heparinase-like activity may only account for part of the mitogenic activity in retinal extract. In previous studies we have shown that the absence of mitogenic activity in retinal homogenate is due to a heat-labile inhibitor. Heat-treatment of retinal homogenate is due to a heat-labile inhibitor. Heat-treatment of retinal homogenate restored mitogenic activity to 60% of that in retinal extract, but this heat-treated homogenate still lacked heparinase activity.