Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Department of Veterinary Science, University of Turin, 10090, Grugliasco, Italy.
Vet Res Commun. 2022 Dec;46(4):1051-1062. doi: 10.1007/s11259-022-09968-7. Epub 2022 Jul 7.
Red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) populations are currently declining in the Iberian Peninsula, mainly due to habitat degradation and hunting pressure. In addition, the release of farm-reared partridges may introduce pathogens, including parasites, to wild populations. The presence of digestive parasites in red-legged partridges hunted in fifteen Spanish provinces was studied. Fecal samples and gastrointestinal tracts were collected, analyzed, and the morphometric identification of parasites was carried out. Eimeria spp. oocysts, nematode, cestode and trematode eggs were observed in fecal samples. Adult nematodes (Ascaridia galli, Ascaridia compar, Heterakis gallinarum, Heterakis tenuicauda, Trichostrongylus tenuis, Subulura spp., Cyrnea spp. and Aonchotheca caudinflata), tapeworms (Raillietina tetragona, R. echinobothrida, R. micracantha, Rhabdometra nigropunctata, and Choanotaenia infundibulum), and trematodes (Brachylaima spp., Brachylecithum spp., Dicrocoelium spp.) were identified in the gastrointestinal tracts. Significant statistical differences were found among climatic regions in the prevalence and intensity of Eimeria spp. infection, median intensity and the prevalence of indirect life cycle helminths, with Southern areas always showing higher infection values. The study provides information of the health status of red-legged partridges in Spain, highlighting the risk associated with the release of farm-reared partridges for restocking purposes. This should be taken into account to improve management strategies for the long-term conservation of the species.
红腿石鸡（Alectoris rufa）在伊比利亚半岛的数量目前正在下降，主要原因是栖息地退化和狩猎压力。此外，养殖石鸡的释放可能会将病原体（包括寄生虫）引入野生种群。本研究调查了在西班牙 15 个省份狩猎的红腿石鸡体内的消化寄生虫。采集粪便样本和胃肠道样本，进行分析，并对寄生虫进行形态学鉴定。在粪便样本中观察到艾美球虫属卵囊、线虫、绦虫和吸虫卵。在胃肠道中鉴定出成年线虫（Ascaridia galli、Ascaridia compar、Heterakis gallinarum、Heterakis tenuicauda、Trichostrongylus tenuis、Subulura spp.、Cyrnea spp. 和 Aonchotheca caudinflata）、绦虫（Raillietina tetragona、R. echinobothrida、R. micracantha、Rhabdometra nigropunctata 和 Choanotaenia infundibulum）和吸虫（Brachylaima spp.、Brachylecithum spp.、Dicrocoelium spp.）。在艾美球虫属感染的流行率和强度、间接生活史寄生虫的中位数强度和流行率方面，不同气候区之间存在显著的统计学差异，南部地区的感染值总是较高。本研究提供了西班牙红腿石鸡健康状况的信息，强调了为重新引入目的而释放养殖石鸡所带来的风险。这应该在考虑长期保护该物种的管理策略时加以考虑。
