This study provides new faunistic data for helminths of muste lids in Lithuania. Twenty five mustelids were examined for hel minths: 2 pine martens (Martes martes), 4 stone martens (Mar tes foina), 9 American minks (Neovison vison) and 10 European polecats (Mustela putorius). Nine taxa of the parasitic worms were found: trematodes Isthmiophora melis (Schrank, 1788)

SummaryThis study presents the helminthological data on three mustelid species with overlapping ecological niches in Lithuania. In general, 14 helminth species or higher taxa were reported from all mustelids: Isthmiophora melis, Strigea strigis metacercariae, Pseudamphistomum truncatum, Alaria alata mesocercariae, Phyllodistomum folium, Opisthorchis felineus, Metametorchis skrjabini, Mesocestoides sp., Taenia martis, Aonchotheca putorii, Crenosoma schachmatovae, Eucoleus aerophilus, Molineus patens, and Nematoda g. sp. The largest number of helminths was detected in M. putorius (11) and N. vison (10) from wetlands; 7 helminths were detected in M. putorius from forests, and 8 in N. vison and 4 in L. lutra from water bodies. Habitat-related differences were found in the abundance and prevalence of E. aerophilus in M. putorius. M. putorius has higher indices of infection by I. melis, S. strigis metacercariae, and E. aerophilus compared to N. vison in wetlands. Differences in the abundance and prevalence of P. truncatum among N. vison and L. lutra in water bodies have been observed. Helminths detected in N. vison in the present study are native European parasites.

SummaryThe specimens collected from American mink (Neovison vison) and European polecat (Mustela putorius) in Lithuania were morphologically identifi ed as Isthmiophora melis (Schrank, 1788) Lühe, 1909 and were molecularly characterized through sequencing of partial 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 region, and ND1. Relations of I. melis to other species of the genus Isthmiophora Lühe 1909 were discussed. According to ITS1 and ND1 sequences the closest species to I. melis is Isthmiophora hortensis (Asada, 1926).

In the Baltic countries, the golden jackal (Canis aureus) was first recorded in Estonia on 28 February 2013 and three specimens of golden jackal were hunted in Latvia in 2014. The first golden jackal in Lithuania was hunted on 7 February 2015. The species of the golden jackal was identified using morphological and mitochondrial DNA control region (CR1) analysis. In Lithuania, hunting of these animals is permitted throughout the year. Few studies in the past revealed the potential role of the golden jackal as a carrier of intestinal helminths, parasites, and zoonotic diseases. In this study, the presence of tick-borne pathogens and other parasites in golden jackal specimen were investigated. No pathogens (Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia sp., Bartonella sp.) were found in the spleen of the golden jackal. However, the flukes Apophallus donicus, nematodes Uncinaria stenocephala, and unidentified individuals of class Cestoda were detected. Helminths A. donicus and U. stenocephala are not new species for Lithuania and neighbouring territories.