Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559, Hanover, Germany.
Institute for Terrestrial and Aquatic Wildlife Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Werftstrasse 6, 25761, Buesum, Germany.
Parasit Vectors. 2024 Nov 18;17(1):473. doi: 10.1186/s13071-024-06571-4.
For several decades, the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) has gradually been returning to the forests of Germany, mainly in the central and southwestern regions. To increase the knowledge about this threatened species, the endoparasite status of dead found specimens from Germany was surveyed.
A total of 118 wildcats were examined for endoparasites in peritoneal organs and skeletal muscles. Owing to decomposition or incomplete carcasses, 104 gastrointestinal tracts (stomachs and intestines), 101 livers with gallbladders, 99 urinary bladders, as well as kidneys of 95 and skeletal muscles of 112 specimens were available for examination. All detected parasites were identified morphologically to genus or species level, followed by molecular examinations of one to ten specimens of each parasite species.
Overall endoparasite prevalence in peritoneal organs was 99.0% (103/104). Among the 99.0% (103/104) infected gastrointestinal tracts, the most frequent species were Toxocara cati (95.2% [99/104]), Hydatigera kamiyai (84.6% [88/104]), Mesocestoides litteratus (69.2% [72/104]), Strongyloides spp. (58.7% [61/104]), Cylicospirura petrowi (37.5% [39/104]), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (31.7% [33/104]), Capillaria putorii (24.0% [25/104]), and Echinococcus multilocularis (18.3% [19/104]). In 77.8% (77/99) of the urinary bladders, Capillaria plica and/or Capillaria feliscati were detected. Moreover, the liver fluke Metorchis bilis occurred in 2.0% (2/101) of the livers, and roundworm larvae (presumably Toxocara spp.) were detected in 33.0% (37/112) of the muscle samples.
These results show a broad spectrum of endoparasite species infecting European wildcats in Germany. It might be assumed that some of the endoparasites could pose a risk to domestic cats (Felis catus) and humans through spillover events, or may be transmitted from domestic cats to the free-ranging population, posing a potential risk to wildcats.
几十年来，欧洲野猫（Felis silvestris）逐渐返回德国的森林，主要集中在中南部地区。为了增加对这一受威胁物种的了解，对德国发现的死体标本的内寄生虫状况进行了调查。
共检查了 118 只野生猫的腹膜器官和骨骼肌中的内寄生虫。由于分解或不完全的尸体，可用于检查的有 104 个胃肠道（胃和肠）、101 个带有胆囊的肝脏、99 个尿囊，以及 95 个肾脏和 112 个骨骼肌标本。所有检测到的寄生虫都通过形态学鉴定到属或种的水平，然后对每个寄生虫种的一到十个标本进行分子检查。
腹膜器官的总体内寄生虫患病率为 99.0%（103/104）。在 99.0%（103/104）受感染的胃肠道中，最常见的物种是猫弓首蛔虫（95.2%[104/104]）、日本分体吸虫（84.6%[88/104]）、中殖孔绦虫（69.2%[72/104]）、类圆线虫属（58.7%[61/104]）、旋尾线虫（37.5%[39/104]）、毛细线虫（24.0%[25/104]）和多房棘球绦虫（18.3%[19/104]）。在 77.8%（77/99）的尿囊中检测到旋尾线虫和/或猫毛细线虫。此外，肝吸虫曼氏迭宫绦虫在 2.0%（2/101）的肝脏中出现，肌肉样本中检测到圆线虫幼虫（推测为弓首蛔虫属）33.0%（37/112）。
这些结果显示了德国欧洲野生猫感染的内寄生虫种类广泛。可以假设，一些内寄生虫可能通过溢出事件对家猫（Felis catus）和人类构成风险，或者可能从家猫传播到自由放养的种群，对野生猫构成潜在风险。
