Report of a protozoan of the phylum Ciliophora compatible with Balantioides coli in feces of white-lipped peccaries in Brazil

Abstract

Balantioides coli is a ciliated protozoan with worldwide distribution, which parasites several species, especially the pig. In this work, it was presented the first possible case of parasitism by B. coli in white-lipped peccaries in Brazil. The 13 fecal samples were collected from white-lipped peccaries kept in the Zoológico Municipal de Curitiba, Brazil. The feces were processed using flotation and spontaneous sedimentation techniques. All of them were positive for parasites of the phylum Ciliophora similar to B. coli. As the animals did not show clinical signs of balantidiasis, they may be acting as reservoirs, which is worrying because of the proximity of white-lipped peccaries created as a means of subsistence by human population. Thus, we emphasize the importance of documenting these reports in order to understand the expansion of the parasite, mainly due to zoonotic potential of B. coli and implications for public health.