Figueiredo Ana, Oliveira Lucia, Madeira de Carvalho Luís, Fonseca Carlos, Torres Rita Tinoco
Department of Biology & CESAM, University of Aveiro, Campus de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal.
Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2016 Apr 13;5(2):164-7. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2016.04.002. eCollection 2016 Aug.
Parasites have a profound impact on wildlife population dynamics. However, until some years ago, studies on the occurrence and prevalence of wildlife parasites were neglected comparatively with the studies on humans and domestic animals. In this study, we determined the parasite prevalence of two sympatric wild canids: the endangered Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) and the widespread red fox (Vulpes vulpes), in central Portugal. From November 2014 to July 2015, fresh fecal samples from both species were collected monthly in several transects distributed throughout the study area. All samples were submitted to several coprological techniques. In total, 6 helminth parasites (Crenosoma vulpis, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Toxocara canis, Trichuris vulpis, Ancylostomatidae, Toxascaris leonina), and a protozoa (Balantidium coli) were identified based on size and morphology. The red fox was infected by seven different parasites while the Iberian wolf was infected by four. All parasites present in wolf were also present in the red fox. C. vulpis had the higher prevalence in red fox, while Ancylostomatidae were the most prevalent parasites in wolf. To our knowledge, this is the first study in this isolated subpopulation of the Iberian wolf. Our results show that both carnivores carry parasites that are of concern as they are pathogenic to humans and other wild and domestic animals. We suggest that surveillance programs must also include monitoring protocols of wildlife; particularly endangered species.
寄生虫对野生动物种群动态有着深远影响。然而，直到几年前，与对人类和家畜的研究相比，野生动物寄生虫的发生和流行情况的研究相对被忽视。在本研究中，我们确定了葡萄牙中部两种同域分布的野生犬科动物的寄生虫流行情况：濒危的伊比利亚狼（Canis lupus signatus）和分布广泛的赤狐（Vulpes vulpes）。2014年11月至2015年7月，每月在整个研究区域分布的几个样带中收集这两个物种的新鲜粪便样本。所有样本都采用了几种粪便学技术进行检测。基于大小和形态，总共鉴定出6种蠕虫寄生虫（狐杯尾线虫、血管圆线虫、犬弓首蛔虫、狐毛首线虫、钩口科线虫、狮弓蛔虫）和1种原生动物（结肠小袋纤毛虫）。赤狐感染了7种不同的寄生虫，而伊比利亚狼感染了4种。狼体内存在的所有寄生虫在赤狐体内也都存在。狐杯尾线虫在赤狐中的流行率较高，而钩口科线虫是狼体内最普遍的寄生虫。据我们所知，这是对伊比利亚狼这个孤立亚种群的首次研究。我们的结果表明，这两种食肉动物都携带对人类以及其他野生动物和家畜具有致病性的寄生虫，令人担忧。我们建议监测计划还必须包括野生动物，特别是濒危物种的监测方案。
