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Beyond the epistaxis: voluntary nasal leech (Dinobdella ferox) infestation revealed the leech behaviours and the host symptoms through the parasitic period

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 June 2019

Yi-Te Lai Open the ORCID record for Yi-Te Lai [Opens in a new window]
Yi-Te Lai*
Affiliation:
Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, No.1, Sec.4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei 10617, Taiwan
*
Author for correspondence: Yi-Te Lai, E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

Dinobdella ferox is the most reported and studied leech species parasitizing mammalian mucus membranes. However, our knowledge of D. ferox during parasitizing and its effects on hosts has remained limited. To investigate the behaviour of D. ferox in the parasitic period and the subsequent host symptoms, the author was infested voluntarily with three juvenile leeches under regularly-conducted examinations of complete blood count (CBC) and nasal endoscopy (NE). After the first head protrusion of the parasitizing leech at the host nostril, the occurrence of bleeding-related symptoms decreased and ceased completely weeks before the end of the parasitic period. Negligible impacts of the parasitizing leech on the host were shown by CBCs, and a parasitizing leech was able to hide from NE despite being so large it at times protrudes out of the host nostril. Finally, parasitizing D. ferox were coaxed to emerge at the nostril by water only after their first head protrusion, indicating that non-invasive removal of parasitizing D. ferox before head protrusion might be difficult. Through the voluntary infestation, the full documentation of behaviours of D. ferox in the parasitic period and host symptoms shown in this study will promote better diagnoses and treatments of nasal leech infestation.

Keywords

Dinobdella feroxhead protrusionhost symptomnasal leechparasitic periodvoluntary infestation
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 146 , Issue 11 , September 2019 , pp. 1477 - 1485
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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