Gray Wolf (Canis lupus italicus) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) Parasite Survey in Anthropized and Natural Areas of Central Italy

Abstract

Gastrointestinal nematodes and protozoa and other parasite occurrences were evaluated in free-ranging wolf (Canis lupus italicus) and red fox (Vulpes vulpes) populations from natural and anthropized areas of Central Italy. Analyzed fecal samples were collected from 60 foxes and 40 wolves in the anthropized areas, and 41 foxes and 39 wolves in the natural areas. In foxes, hookworm infections (p < 0.0001) were more frequently recorded in the anthropized environment, while coccidia (p < 0.05) and Cryptosporidium spp. (p < 0.0001) were more frequent in the natural area. In wolves, a higher frequency of hookworms (p < 0.0001) was observed in natural areas, while coccidia were more common in the anthropized area (p < 0.05). Moreover, in the natural environment, trichuroid nematodes (p < 0.0001) were significantly more frequent in wolves than in foxes, while Cryptosporidium (p < 0.001) and Giardia duodenalis (p < 0.001) were more common in foxes. In the anthropic area, the occurrence of hookworms was found to be significantly higher in foxes (p < 0.0001), while trichuroid nematodes were more common in wolves (p < 0.0001). The obtained data are indicative of a different diffusion of specific parasite taxa in wolves and foxes living in the natural and/or anthropized environments examined herein.

First Molecular Detection of Neospora caninum in Feces of Grey Wolf (Canis lupus) and Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) Populations in Slovenia

“…A recent study from Italy reported the presence of Neospora/Hammondia spp. oocysts in only one fecal sample (1.3%) [43], while in Croatia their presence was confirmed for 2.6% fecal samples using non-molecular coprological methods [44]. Both studies could benefit from the use of molecular methods to determine the prevalence of N. caninum in their samples.…”

Gastrointestinal Helminths in Wild Felids in the Cerrado and Pantanal: Zoonotic Bioindicators in Important Brazilian Biomes

“…Furthermore, human-induced environmental changes increase the incidence of diseases, notably zoonotic infections, with approximately 61% of human pathogens being zoonotic and 71.8% of emerging human diseases originating from wildlife [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. Concurrently, the process of spillback or zooanthroponosis complicates wildlife conservation efforts, presenting a novel concern about transmission of pathogens from humans to wild animals [ 15 ].…”