International Journal for Parasitology. Parasites and Wildlife

Natural history museums worldwide house billions of apposite specimens, offering the potential for cost-free parasitological datasets. Herein, we provide novel morphological and molecular data (28S and cox 1) for the polyopisthocotylean Plectanocotyle gurnardi sensu stricto from the type-host Eutrigla gurnardus from Sweden based on newly collected specimens from the Northeast Atlantic, and specimen from T. Odhner's collections at the Swedish Museum of Natural History (Stockholm, Sweden). The newly generated 28S sequences of P...

In the fall of 2021, California Department of Fish and Wildlife reported larval and adult California giant salamanders ( Dicamptodon ensatus Eschscholtz, 1833) with skin lesions at multiple creeks in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties, California, USA. Field signs in both stages included rough, lumpy textured skin, and larvae with tails that were disproportionately long, flat, wavy, and flaccid. Presence of large-bodied larvae suggested delayed metamorphosis, with some larvae having cloudy eyes and suspected blindness...

Transmission of Echinococcus spp. in life cycles that involve mainly wildlife is well recognized for those species with small mammals as intermediate hosts (e. g. E. multilocularis ), as well as for E. felidis and the 'northern' genotypes of E. canadensis (G8 and G10). In contrast, the remaining taxa of E. granulosus sensu lato are best known for their domestic life cycles, and the numerous wild mammal species (mainly ungulates) that have been recorded with cystic echinococcosis in the past were mainly considered a result of spill-over from the dog-livestock transmission system...

This study aimed to investigate the variations of parasites in the feces of brown bears Ursus arctos inhabiting the Cantabrian Mountains (NW Spain). A total of 248 bear fecal samples were collected throughout one year, spanning from August 2018 to September 2019, at an approximate frequency of 20 samples per month. The results were analyzed in relation to both the season and the biological activity of the brown bears, i.e., hibernation, mating and hyperphagia. Among the examined samples, eggs of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (32...

Soft ticks (Ixodida: Argasidae) are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates with worldwide distributions. As one representative group of Argasidae, the genus Argas has an important vectorial role in transmitting zoonotic diseases. However, our knowledge of the subgenus Argas in China is still limited, as most literature only lists occurrence records or describes specific case reports without providing detailed morphological characteristics and further molecular data. This study aims to characterize Argas vulgaris through complete mitochondrial sequencing and morphological diagnostic techniques based on a batch of adult specimens collected from Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regions (NXHAR), North China...

The eyeworms of the subgenus Thelaziella infect orbital cavities, conjunctival sacs and lachrymal ducts of many wild birds, being able to cause conjunctivitis. In Brazil, at least 10 species of Thelaziella have been described. Here we present a brief review of cases of Thelazia ( Thelaziella ) aquilina and describe the infection of this parasite in Harpia harpyja , as a new host record. Two nematodes were collected from the surface of the cornea of an adult female H. harpyja in the Amazon region (Brazil) and were morphologically identified as two males of T...

Based on spore morphology and small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences, we describe a new Myxobolus species, Myxobolus tihanyensis n. sp., parasitizing the European perch ( Perca fluviatilis ) from Lake Balaton in Hungary. The brownish plasmodia were found in various locations of the body, mainly in the muscle adjacent with fins and vertebrae. The spores were ovoid, and measured 9.84 ± 0.38 μm in length, 7.69 ± 0.23 μm in width, and 5.35 ± 0.21 μm in thickness, with 8-10 sutural (edge) markings...

The raccoon Procyon lotor (Carnivora: Procyonidae) is an invasive species of growing importance for the introduction of alien pathogens or as additional hosts for autochthonous pathogens in Europe, including zoonotic parasites. As the population is steadily increasing and outcompeting the red fox ( Vulpes vulpes ) in Germany, the consumption of raccoon meat raises concerns about pathogens they may transmit. Therefore the presence of Trichinella larvae was here investigated in muscle samples (n = 904) of raccoons from northern Germany...

This review summarizes published records on the prevalence, species diversity, geographical distribution, mixed infections, co-infections with other trematodes and intermediate hosts (IHs) of amphistomes (rumen flukes) of wild ruminants in Africa. Literature search was conducted on Google Scholar, PubMed and JSTOR, using a combination of predetermined search terms and Boolean operators. Of the 54 African countries searched, results showed that occurrence of amphistome infections in wild ruminants have only been reported in 23 countries...

Blastocystis is a genus of intestinal stramenopiles that infect vertebrates, and may cause disease of the alimentary tract. Currently, at least 40 genotypes ("subtypes") of Blastocystis are recognised worldwide based on sequence data for the small subunit of the nuclear ribosomal RNA ( SSU-rRNA ) gene. Despite the numerous studies of Blastocystis worldwide, very few studies have explored Blastocystis in wild animals, particularly in Australia. Here, we used a PCR-based next generation sequencing (NGS)-phylogenetic approach to genetically characterise and classify Blastocystis variants from selected wildlife in the Australian state of Victoria...

Neglected avian blood parasites of the genus Haemoproteus (Haemoproteidae) have recently attracted attention due to the application of molecular diagnostic tools, which unravelled remarkable diversity of their exo-erythrocytic (or tissue) stages both regarding morphology and organ tropism levels. The development of haemoproteids might result in pathologies of internal organs, however the exo-erythrocytic development (EED) of most Haemoproteus species remains unknown. Seven individual birds - Curruca communis (1) and Phylloscopus trochilus (6) - with high gametocytaemia (between 1% and 24%) of Haemoproteus angustus n...

Although the idea of conserving parasites as part of biodiversity is not new, these in general and lice in particular, are not included in the threatened list of invertebrate fauna. Assuming that the conservation status of a lice species is similar to that of its host, the number of threatened lice within the Spanish entomofauna was estimated based on the known host-lice assemblages. The lice parasitizing many of the Spanish birds and mammals are unknown. Overall, I found 6 extinct (EX) species; 4 critically endangered (CR); 15 endangered (EN), 7 vulnerable (VU) and 1 species near threatened (NT), at regional level...

Dermacentor nuttalli , a member of family Ixodidae and genus Dermacentor, is predominantly found in North Asia. It transmits various pathogens of human and animal diseases, such as Lymphocytic choriomeningitis mammarenavirus and Brucella ovis , leading to severe symptoms in patients and posing serious hazards to livestock husbandry. To profile pathogen abundances of wild D. nuttalli , metagenomic sequencing was performed of four field-collected tick samples, revealing that Rickettsia , Streptomyces, and Pseudomonas were the most abundant bacterial genera in D...

The ectoparasitic seal louse, Echinophthirius horridus infects harbour ( Phoca vitulina ) and grey seals ( Halichoerus grypus ) in the North and Baltic Sea. The endoparasitic heartworm Acanthocheilonema spirocauda parasitizes the right heart and blood vessels of harbour seals. The complete lifecycle of the heartworm is not entirely understood although the seal louse is assumed to serve as vector for its transmission. Knowledge about the impact of both parasite species on host health are scarce. In this study, necropsy data and archived parasites of harbour and grey seals in German waters were analysed to determine long-term seal louse (SLP) and heartworm prevalence (HWP) from 2014 to 2021...

Moxidectin (MOX) is a macrocyclic lactone used to eliminate endo and ectoparasites in many mammalian species. It is notably the active ingredient of the anti-parasitic drug Cydectin®, manufactured by Virbac, and is frequently used to treat sarcoptic mange in Australian wildlife. Protein binding plays a significant role in the efficacy of a drug, as the unbound/free drug in plasma ultimately reflects the pharmacologically relevant concentration. This study aimed to investigate the free drug percentage of Moxidectin after in vitro spiking into the sera of four sarcoptic mange-susceptible Australian wildlife species; the koala ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), the bare-nosed wombat ( Vombatus ursinus ), the eastern grey kangaroo ( Macropus giganteus ), and the mountain brushtail possum ( Trichosurus cunninghami )...

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic parasite worldwide, but it has received limited attention in Ukraine. A seroepidemiological study was conducted and samples from 452 wild boars that had been hunted in 2006-2011 in 23 of the 25 regions of Ukraine were tested to estimate T . gondii seroprevalence. A locally available commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used for the investigation. Additionally, we tested 92 of the sera using a widely used commercial multi-species ELISA and an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT)...

The winter tick, Dermacentor albipictus (Ixodidae), commonly infests a wide variety of wild and domestic ungulates throughout North America. This one-host-tick infests animals from October to April, with moose ( Alces alces ) particularly affected. Animals highly infested may present with anemia, tick-induced alopecia, and alterations in thermoregulation, often resulting in death . Mortality from winter tick infestation has been reported in free-ranging woodland caribou ( Rangifer tarandus caribou ) and captive reindeer in Alberta, Canada...

Bats have been reported as reservoir host of Leishmania spp. worldwide, mostly by molecular detection. However, it is still unclear whether bats act as reservoirs of Leishmania infantum to sandflies vectors. In this sense, the investigation of amastigotes forms in the target organs, and the characterization of their associated inflammation, may help to clarify the epidemiological importance of bats in endemic areas for leishmaniasis. The aim of this work was to investigate the host-parasite relationships under microscopic evaluation and predict the epidemiological role of two phyllostomid bats species naturally infected by L...

Francisella tularensis , causative agent of tularemia, is a contagious zoonotic ailment. This study was aimed to molecularly detect F. tularensis in tortoise blood (n = 100) and ticks (n = 100) collected in the West Azerbaijan province, Iran suing a 16SrRNA gene of the Francisella genus through employment of the Nested-PCR technique. The identified ticks were s Hyalomma aegyptium by morphological analysis. Seven percent (with a 95% CI: 3.5%-13.75%) of animal blood samples yielded positive results for the presence of the Francisella ...

Alpine swifts ( Tachymarptis melba ) are sub-Saharan migratory birds, which, in Switzerland, nest in colonies that have been continuously monitored for over 40 years. In the summer of 2022, despite favourable environmental conditions, an unexpectedly high number of sudden mortalities (30-80%) occurred in 20 to 45-day-old nestlings from several nesting sites, of which 3 were monitored in detail. Nestlings submitted for post-mortem analysis (n = 5) were in good body condition but exhibited extensive subcutaneous haematomas (n = 5), myocardial petechiae (n = 2) and stunted growth of primary feathers (n = 1)...