Abstract:
A total number of twenty two (22) toads from the genus Sclerophrys and 8 frogs from the genera Hemisus, Ptychadena and Rana were collected from the six selected habitats in Akure North Local Government Area, Ondo state. Nigeria. The anurans were brought in sealed but ventilated containers to the laboratory, anaesthetized in absolute chloroform soaked in cotton wool placed inside kill-jar for 3 minutes. For each specimen, the snout vent length was measured, sex determined and identified to species level using standard identification keys. The specimens were dissected and the gastrointestinal tracts (oesophagus, stomach and intestine) were placed in separate dishes containing normal saline and examined for the presence of helminths. The body cavity was examined directly under dissecting microscope for monogeneans. Nine (9) species of Nematodes recovered from this research were Cosmocercacummutata, Cosmocercaornata, Paracosmocercamucronata, Ampliceacumafricanum, Camallanusdimitrovi, Procamallusbrevis, Gendrialiberrei, Chenospiruraasturi and Oswaldocruzia species. Only two (2) species of Cestodes recovered wereProteocephalid cestodes and Cephalochlamyscompactus. The trematode seen was a Polystoma species. The highest prevalence of infection was observed in anurans collected at Odegede. The lowest mean intensity of infection was 0.25 and highest was 17. The overall prevalence showed that Sclerophrysregularis had the highest parasite burden and the least parasite burden found in Sclerophryspentoni. In conclusion, 90% of anurans examined in this research were infected with one helminths or the other, co-infection was also observed in almost all the anurans examined. Some of the parasites (Procamallusbrevis, Camallanusdimitrovi, Gendrialiberrei, Oswaldocuzia species, Proteocephalid cestodes, Cephalochlamyscompactus and Polystomaspecies) recovered from this research, infected non edible anuransand has no serious public health importance while some (Ampliceacum africanum, Cosmocerca cummutata, C. ornata, Paracosmocercamucronataand Chenospiruraasturi) infected edible frogs and maybe zoonotic and as a result may be of serious public health concern. Polystomaspecies encountered in this research was different from the ones already described in literature.
