Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Parasitic infections detected by FLOTAC in zoo mammals from Warsaw, Poland.
- Journal:
- Acta parasitologica
- Year:
- 2014
- Authors:
- Maesano, Gianpaolo et al.
- Affiliation:
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Productions · Italy
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
In a study conducted at the Warsaw zoo in Poland, researchers looked for intestinal parasites in various mammals by analyzing 71 samples of their feces. They found that nearly half of the animals tested positive for parasites, with many having multiple types of infections. For example, a common parasite in cats was Toxocara cati, while marsupials were mostly infected with Coccidia. Primates had several types of parasites, including Giardia and Blastocystis, and ruminants showed a high prevalence of gastrointestinal strongyles. Interestingly, none of the animals displayed any symptoms related to these infections, but the study emphasized the importance of having programs in place to prevent and manage these parasites for the health of both animals and humans.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to estimate the occurrence of intestinal parasites in groups of mammals kept in the Warsaw zoological garden (Poland). 71 pools of fecal samples were analyzed using the FLOTAC techniques. 48% of animals were positive and 47% of positivities showed multiple infections. Toxocara cati (71.4%) was found in felines; marsupials were infected with Coccidia (90%). Giardia spp. (24.0%), Blastocystis spp. (12.3%), Iodamoeba spp. (10.0%), Enterobius vermicularis (6.0%) and Entamoeba coli (3.3%) were found in primates. Gastrointestinal strongyles (60.5%) were prevalent in ruminants which resulted positive also to Coccidia (Eimeria spp. = 50.0%), Trichuris spp. (25.0%) and Nematodirus (14.0%). Strongyles (34.0%) were the most frequent parasites in monogastric herbivores, followed by Parascaris equorum (17.0%). None of the animals showed any symptom associated with gastrointestinal parasitic infections. According to our results the need to prevent, diagnose, control, and treat intestinal parasitism trough specific control programs is mandatory for animal welfare in order to limit the spread of parasitic infections in animals and humans.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24827109/