Levels of infection of intestinal helminth species in the golden jackal Canis aureus from Serbia

Abstract

During the past decade, golden jackal populations have substantially increased, yet little is known of their potential for transmitting parasites within animal and human hosts. In the present study, between 2005 and 2010, 447 jackals from six localities in Serbia were examined for intestinal parasites. Two species of trematodes (Alaria alata, Pseudamphistomum truncatum), three nematodes (Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Gongylonema sp.), and seven cestodes (Taenia pisiformis, Taenia hydatigena, Multiceps multiceps, Multiceps serialis, Mesocestoides lineatus, Mesocestoides litteratus, Dipylidium caninum) were identified. Pseudamphistomum truncatum and M. serialis species were recorded for the first time. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 10.3%. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of infection between males and females (P>0.817), between localities (P>0.502), or with regard to annual cycles (P>0.502). In the infected jackal population, 65% harboured multiple infections and one individual was a host to five different types of parasite species, the highest number of parasites we recorded in a single host. These findings indicate that although the prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths in the jackal population in Serbia is significantly lower than expected from earlier studies, further monitoring is required given the jackal's rapid population increase.

A European Concern? Genetic Structure and Expansion of Golden Jackals (Canis aureus) in Europe and the Caucasus

“…Furthemore, the parasite load in the European golden jackal is similar to or lower than that in other carnivores (e.g. the red fox, grey wolf, and wild cat [ Felis silvestris ]) in the region [ 140 – 143 ], and no attacks by jackals on people are known. For these various reasons, concerns regarding serious negative impacts of the expansion of the golden jackal in Europe appear to be unfounded as yet.…”

Wildlife-transmitted Taenia and Versteria cysticercosis and coenurosis in humans and other primates

“…Interestingly, golden jackals ( C. aureus) from Italy as well as from the western part of Iran were negative for T. multiceps and T. serialis (Dalimi et al, 2006; Nabavi et al, 2014; Paoletti et al, 2017). In Serbia, however, T. multiceps was found in 1.6% of golden jackals , another wild carnivore of eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia (Cirovic et al, 2015b). These tapeworm species were absent in 80 brown bears in a T. multiceps / T. serialis endemic region in central Italy (Paoletti et al, 2017).…”

“…Hence, wolf migration might be a risk for the dissemination of T. serialis from the southern and eastern parts of Europe to new areas. In this sense, T. serialis was found in 1.1% of 447 golden jackals from Serbia, a species migrating into Central Europe (Cirovic et al, 2015b). A survey in Germany could not find adult T. serialis in 84 badgers, 47 stone marten, and 387 cats (Loos-Frank and Zeyhle, 1982).…”

İki Altın Çakal’da (Canis aureus Linnaeus, 1758) Bulunan Helmint Enfeksiyonları ve Zoonotik Önemi

“…Tespit edilen trematod ve cestod örnekleri Borax Carmen ile boyanırken [11] [28] türleri bildirilmiştir. Sırbistan'da 447 altın çakalda 12 helmint türü saptanırken, en yaygın türlerin Mesocestoides lineatus, Alaria alata ve Toxocara canis olduğu kaydedilmiştir [6]. Ayrıca 60 altın çakalda yapılan başka bir çalışmada ise, 6 helmint türü teşhis edilmiş, bunlardan A. alata, Ancylostomatidae, T. canis en yaygın türler olarak kaydedilmiştir [14].…”