Prevalence of Haemogregarina stepanowi and Assessment of Some Risk Factors in Mauremys rivulata (Valenciennes, 1833) Freshwater Turtles (Testudines: Geoemydidae)

The Balkan terrapin, , is a freshwater turtle. This reptile is exposed to many environmental pollutants and some infectious agents, including parasite. This study was conducted to determine the microscopic prevalence of haemogregarine infection in caught in three different localities (Bozcaada, Gökçeada, and Dardanos) in Çanakkale province of Turkey, and assessment of some risk factors. Twenty-four blood samples were collected, thin blood smears were prepared, and the presence of haemogregarine parasites microscopically was screened. Water samples were also taken from the habitats, and these samples were analyzed physiochemically and microbiologically. Morphological identification was made by detecting the sausage-shaped intra-cytoplasmic developmental stages of , and thirteen of twenty-four turtles (54.2%) were found to be infected. The prevalence of was detected as the highest (90.0%) in the Gökçeada district, where the water pollution is higher than in the other localities. A statistically significant relationship was observed between the distribution of the infection and the gender of the turtles, the temperature of the water, the number of faecal coliforms in water and the amount of dissolved oxygen in the water. A statistically significant difference was found between the localities in terms of the prevalence of infection, and the infection was primarily detected in the Gökçeada district. This study has significance in providing information regarding haemoparasitic diseases of freshwater turtle, , in Turkey.