Lea-Christina Murnik , Ronald Schmäschke , Andreas Bernhard , Jens Thielebein , Klaus Eulenberger , Nadine Barownick , Sandra Gawlowska , Cora Delling
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Parasitic infections in zoo animals are a critical concern for both animal health and management. The aim of this study was to assess the occurrence of endo- and ectoparasites among zoo animals in Germany. A retrospective analysis of the submitted samples of a diverse range of zoo animals (5768) from a ten-year period (2012–2022) was conducted. Overall, 31.1% of those samples tested positive for at least one parasite. In the examined samples, helminths (28.4%) were found more often than protozoans (10.3%) or ectoparasites (0.8%). Among the various animal groups the following parasites were found most commonly: Artiodactyla: Coccidia (34.6%), Strongylida (23.4%); Perissodactyla: Strongylida (19.3%), Ascaridida (12.0%); Carnivora: Ascaridida (16.6%), Coccidia (8.1%); Rodentia: Oxyurida (18.2%), Coccidia (10.5%); Marsupialia: Coccidia (9.4%), Oxyurida (5.9%); Primates: Trichuris spp. (9.7%), Oxyurida (2.2%); Aves: Capillaria (7.8%), Ascaridida (7.6%); Reptilia, Amphibia, Insecta: Oxyurida (18.7%); Pisces: Ciliates (6.2%). Furthermore, potentially zoonotic parasites were identified, including Toxoplasma gondii (0.1%), Cryptosporidium sp. (0.1%). By examining the occurrence of specific parasites, these findings demonstrate the importance of parasites in the context of zoo animal health. They also highlight the need for effective strategies to control parasite burden to improve the overall welfare of zoo animals.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife (IJP-PAW) publishes the results of original research on parasites of all wildlife, invertebrate and vertebrate. This includes free-ranging, wild populations, as well as captive wildlife, semi-domesticated species (e.g. reindeer) and farmed populations of recently domesticated or wild-captured species (e.g. cultured fishes). Articles on all aspects of wildlife parasitology are welcomed including taxonomy, biodiversity and distribution, ecology and epidemiology, population biology and host-parasite relationships. The impact of parasites on the health and conservation of wildlife is seen as an important area covered by the journal especially the potential role of environmental factors, for example climate. Also important to the journal is ''one health'' and the nature of interactions between wildlife, people and domestic animals, including disease emergence and zoonoses.