Myocastor coypus as a reservoir host of Fasciola hepatica in France

Abstract

-To clarify the role of the nutria Myocastor coypus in the epidemiology of domestic fasciolosis in Loire-Atlantique (department of western France), 438 nutrias were trapped in 9 humid areas of the department and 304 nutrias were trapped in 3 farms where Fasciola hepatica was present; all animals were necropsied. Liver flukes were found in 160 nutrias: 38 nutrias randomly taken in the department (8.7%) and 122 trapped in fasciolosis areas (40.1%). The average parasitic burden was 5.7 flukes per nutria. Sixty-five percent of the liver flukes measured more than 18 mm (size of sexual maturity). The coproscopic examinations carried out on 144 infected nutrias showed that 90% of the infected nutrias shed fluke eggs. The hatching rate was 39.6%. Two groups of 100 Lymnaea truncatula snails, originating from 2 different populations, were exposed to F. hepatica miracidiae hatched from eggs collected from infected nutrias. The prevalence of the infection was 74% and 58.6% in the 2 groups of snails. The average redial burden was 6.2 rediae per snail. The total number of metacercariae was 72.4 metacercariae per snail producing cercariae. Two groups of 5 sheep were orally infected by 150 metacercariae of nutria or sheep origin, respectively. The installation rates of F. hepatica in sheep were respectively 31.6% and 29.6% for the two groups. Specific antibody kinetics of sheep were similar whether the metacercariae were of nutria or sheep origin. M. coypus allows the complete development of F. hepatica and releases parasitic elements that are infective for domestic ruminants. Because of its eco-ethologic characteristics, the nutria could be a potential wild reservoir of F. hepatica in France.epidemiology / Fasciola hepatica / wild fauna / Myocastor coypus / rodent Résumé -Le ragondin, hôte réservoir de Fasciola hepatica en France. Pour préciser le rôle du ragondin Myocastor coypus dans l'épidémiologie de la fasciolose domestique en Loire-Atlantique (département de l'ouest de la France), 438 ragondins provenant de 9 zones humides du département Vet. Res. 32 (2001) 499-508 499

A dual anthelmintic treatment strategic scheme for the control of fasciolosis in dairy sheep farms

“…A similar lack of total effectiveness has been reported in previous studies (Torgerson and Claxton 1999). In the present study, the residual presence of this parasite was probably due to contamination of the pasture by infected hares, which may act as competent reservoirs, as found for the nutria (Myocastor cypus) by Ménard et al (2001) in France and for the black rat (Rattus rattus) by Adela Valero et al (2002) in Corsica.…”

Note on the occurrence of parasites of the wild nutria (Myocastor coypus, Molina, 1782)

“…Fascioliasis was known to occur in nutria from a number of countries including both American and European countries to which this rodent has been introduced (Pridham, 1966;Pascal et al, 2003;Pelloté et al, 2008). In fact, because of its eco-ethologic characteristic, the nutria could be a potential wild reservoir of F. hepatica in Brazil (Santos, 1992) and in France (Menard et al, 2001) where a prevalence of 36%, the triple of our figures, was reported. Examinations of faecal samples have also revealed the presence of Sporozoa, being coccidia (Eimeria myopotami and E. nutriae) the most prevalent.…”

Parasitic and Bacterial Infections of Myocastor coypus in a Metropolitan Area of Northwestern Italy

“…For example, S. myopotami is a zoonotic parasite that causes a severe itchy cutaneous rash some hours after contact with water or soil contaminated by its larvae (Bonilla et al 2000). In contrast with previous studies in Europe, hepatic flukes were not found in the coypus (Menard et al 2001). The antibody prevalence (30%) of the cosmopolitan zoonotic protozoan T. gondii confirmed the wide presence of this parasite in coypus.…”