Vasiliu Oana Cristiana, Mitrea Ioan Liviu, Gavril Viorel Dumitru, Ionita Mariana
University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, Parasitic Diseases & Animal Biology, 105 Splaiul Independentei, Bucharest, Romania.
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre - "Visul Luanei" Foundation, Cheiul Dambovitei, Popesti-Leordeni, 077160, Romania.
Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2025 May 20;27:101084. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101084. eCollection 2025 Aug.
The northern white-breasted hedgehog () is a widely distributed species in Romania, inhabiting diverse environments, including urban areas where contact with humans and domestic animals may facilitate zoonotic pathogen circulation. Despite its ecological significance, data on its ectoparasitic fauna in Romania remain scarce. This study assessed the diversity, prevalence, and infestation patterns of ectoparasites in , considering habitat type, biogeographical region, and seasonality. A total of 222 hedgehogs from the "Visul Luanei" Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre were examined for ectoparasites. Of these, 53 were included in parasitological analyses, while an additional 15 opportunistic samples contributed to faunistic assessments. Among the 68 tick-infested hedgehogs, 1793 ixodid ticks from 12 species across five genera were identified. The most abundant species were (n = 1289; 71.91 %), (8.87 %), (8.81 %), and (4.69 %). Tick prevalence was 23.87 % (95 % CI: 18.74-29.90 %), peaking in the Steppic region (38.10 %), with highest intensity in natural habitats (77.67 ± 118.08 ticks/host). Peak tick activity occurred in spring (32.63 %). Other identified ectoparasites included fleas (, s.l.) and mites (, , ). Notably, three new host-parasite associations were recorded in Romania: , , and . This study provides the first comprehensive characterization of the ectoparasite fauna of in Romania, emphasizing its role as a reservoir of ectoparasites relevant to veterinary and public health. These findings support using as a sentinel species for monitoring ectoparasite diversity and zoonotic risks in changing environments.
北非白胸刺猬（）是罗马尼亚一种分布广泛的物种，栖息于包括城市地区在内的各种环境中，在城市地区它与人类和家畜的接触可能会促进人畜共患病原体的传播。尽管其具有生态意义，但罗马尼亚关于其体外寄生虫动物群的数据仍然稀少。本研究评估了北非白胸刺猬体外寄生虫的多样性、流行率和感染模式，同时考虑了栖息地类型、生物地理区域和季节性。对“维苏尔卢阿内伊”野生动物康复中心的总共222只刺猬进行了体外寄生虫检查。其中，53只被纳入寄生虫学分析，另外15份机会性样本用于动物区系评估。在68只感染蜱的刺猬中，鉴定出了来自五个属12个物种的1793只硬蜱。最常见的物种是（n = 1289；71.91%）、（8.87%）、（8.81%）和（4.69%）。蜱的流行率为23.87%（95%置信区间：18.74 - 29.90%），在草原地区达到峰值（38.10%），在自然栖息地强度最高（77.67 ± 118.08只蜱/宿主）。蜱的活动高峰期出现在春季（32.63%）。其他鉴定出的体外寄生虫包括跳蚤（，狭义）和螨（，，）。值得注意的是，在罗马尼亚记录到了三种新的宿主 - 寄生虫关联：，和。本研究首次全面描述了罗马尼亚北非白胸刺猬的体外寄生虫动物群，强调了其作为与兽医和公共卫生相关的体外寄生虫宿主的作用。这些发现支持将北非白胸刺猬用作监测不断变化环境中体外寄生虫多样性和人畜共患病风险的哨兵物种。
