Preparing Collared Peccary (<i>Pecari tajacu</i> Linnaeus, 1758) for Reintroduction into the Wild: A Screening for Parasites and Hemopathogens of a Captive Population.

Abstract

The reintroduction of captive animals to the wild helps restore endangered species, but it risks pathogen transmission, harming wild populations. Such transmission can impact the genetic diversity and long-term viability of these populations. This study assessed parasite diversity and load in captive <i>Pecari tajacu</i>, a species native to the Americas and culturally significant to Brazilian indigenous culture, prior to reintroduction. Samples from 24 peccaries were analyzed for ectoparasites, hemopathogens, and stool parasites with direct and molecular analysis. Findings showed that various parasites were present. Two peccaries (8.3%) were infested by the adult tick <i>Amblyomma sculptum</i>. Six (25.0%) tested positive for <i>Trypanosoma evansi</i>, four (16.7%) for hemobacteria of the family Anaplasmataceae, twelve (50.0%) for hemotropic <i>Mycoplasma</i>, and seven (29.2%) for <i>Leishmania braziliensis</i>. Stool samples indicated multiple parasites, with sixteen (66.7%) peccaries infected by Strongylida order parasites, Spiruridae in three (12.5%), and <i>Ascaris suum</i> in one (4.2%) animal. Cysts of <i>Balantidium</i> sp. were found in twenty (83.3%), <i>Entamoeba polecki</i> in five (20.8%), and <i>Iodamoeba bütschlii</i> in two (8.3%) peccaries. To our current knowledge, this is the first global report of <i>Leishmania braziliensis</i>, <i>Iodamoeba bütschlii</i>, and <i>Entamoeba polecki</i> in <i>P. tajacu</i>, irrespective of the environment, including both captivity and wild conditions. Some of these parasites are common in domestic animals, and others are zoonotic, indicating potential interspecies pathogen transmission.