TITLE:
Abundance, Diversity, and Distribution of Platyhelminthes of the African Tiger Frog (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis Günther 1858) from Two Climatic Zones in Burkina Faso (West Africa)
AUTHORS:
Patricia Soubeiga, Magloire Boungou, Yamba Sinare, Salam Sankara, Noel Gabiliga Thiombiano, Awa Gnémé
KEYWORDS:
Amphibians, Anurans, Conservation, Helminthes, Parasites, Burkina Faso
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Ecology,
Vol.15 No.4,
April
27,
2025
ABSTRACT: From June 2022 to November 2023, frogs (Hoplobatrachus occipitalis) from the urban and peri-urban areas of Ouagadougou, Ganzourgou, and Bobo-Dioulasso were examined for Platyhelminthes. The aim was to inventory frog Platyhelminthes in two climatic zones in Burkina Faso. The collection method used was a visual and acoustic approach. After each collection, the frogs were euthanized and dissected to examine the lungs, bladder, digestive tract, and general cavity for Platyhelminthes. 1203 Platyhelminthes in 14 species were collected from 238 frog specimens. The Platyhelminthes collected belonged to five (05) genera: Diplodiscus, Ganeo, Halipegus, Haematoloechus, and Cephalochlamys. The overall prevalence of Platyhelminthes was high (69.75%) in the 10 sites surveyed. Of the 238 specimens examined, 166 were infested with Platyhelminthes. The frog’s small intestine was the preferred zone for most of these Platyhelminthes. These results could be used for large-scale studies to assess the impact of these Platyhelminthes on frog morbidity and mortality.