Arcenillas-Hernández I, Ruiz de Ybáñez M R, Tizzani P, Pérez-Cutillas P, Martínez-Carrasco C
Department of Animal Health, Regional Campus of International Excellence 'Campus Mare Nostrum', University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini, 2, 10095, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2022 Aug 24;19:78-83. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.08.005. eCollection 2022 Dec.
The nematode is a parasite infecting the urinary bladder of carnivores, with a described prevalence ranging from 1 to 90%. This parasite needs earthworms as intermediate host to complete its life cycle, being the red fox () a definitive host. The objective of this study was to analyse the prevalence and intensity of in the red fox population from the Region of Murcia (SE Spain), an area with semi-arid Mediterranean climate. The urinary bladder, kidneys and ureters of 167 red foxes were collected at necropsy, opened and observed to detect adult parasites. The influence of host variables (sex, age and body condition using Kidney Fat Index) and environmental variables (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, Normalized Difference Moisture Index, Bare Soil Index, temperature, radiation, evapotranspiration, precipitation, Corine Land Cover categories and distance to urban areas) were evaluated using a Generalised Linear Model. Moran index was used to evaluate the parasite spatial aggregation. The prevalence found was very low (2.4%; median abundance 0 nematodes per fox; median intensity 7.5 nematodes per parasitized fox), which contrast with those described in other red fox populations in Europe. Environmental variables had a significant influence on the occurrence of , being NDMI, mean summer precipitation, percentage of forest and agricultural areas positively associated with . abundance. The south-eastern Iberian Peninsula has a semi-arid climate that hinders the development of the life cycle of this nematode, which justifies its occurrence in specific areas where there are the suitable environmental conditions for the presence of earthworms. However, although semi-arid Mediterranean areas do not seem to be favourable carnivores to be parasitized by , we cannot underestimate the risk that exists in those areas where, either naturally or by human activity, there are environmental factors that favor the presence of this nematode.
这种线虫是一种寄生于食肉动物膀胱的寄生虫，其报道的感染率在1%至90%之间。这种寄生虫需要蚯蚓作为中间宿主来完成其生命周期，赤狐（ ）是其终末宿主。本研究的目的是分析穆尔西亚地区（西班牙东南部）赤狐种群中该线虫的感染率和感染强度，该地区属于半干旱地中海气候。在尸检时收集了167只赤狐的膀胱、肾脏和输尿管，打开并观察以检测成虫寄生虫。使用广义线性模型评估宿主变量（性别、年龄和使用肾脂肪指数的身体状况）和环境变量（归一化植被指数、归一化湿度指数、裸土指数、温度、辐射、蒸散量、降水量、土地覆盖类别和距市区距离）的影响。使用莫兰指数评估寄生虫的空间聚集情况。发现的感染率非常低（2.4%；每只狐狸的线虫丰度中位数为0；每只感染狐狸的线虫强度中位数为7.5），这与欧洲其他赤狐种群中描述的情况形成对比。环境变量对该线虫的出现有显著影响，归一化湿度指数、夏季平均降水量、森林和农业区域的百分比与该线虫的丰度呈正相关。伊比利亚半岛东南部具有半干旱气候，这阻碍了这种线虫生命周期的发展，这解释了它在有适合蚯蚓生存的特定环境条件的地区出现的原因。然而，尽管半干旱地中海地区似乎不是这种线虫寄生食肉动物的有利环境，但我们不能低估那些自然或人为活动存在有利于这种线虫生存的环境因素的地区所存在的风险。
