A checklist of helminths from the respiratory system and gastrointestinal tracts of African Anatidae

Abstract

A literature survey revealed that 72 helminth species, including 14 known only to the generic level, had been reported from the digestive or respiratory tracts of 28 species of Anatidae in Africa. Most of the digeneans and nematodes reported, were cosmopolitan species that occur in a range of hosts. However, two groups of cestodes, one consisting of cosmopolitan or Eurasian species and the other consisting of species restricted mainly to sub-Saharan Africa, were apparent. A host-parasite list and a detailed parasite-host list provide the synyonomies related to African records, the host and geographical distribution of each species, and the authority and country of origin for each record.