Intestinal parasites of dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris ) in Svalbard (Norway): low prevalence and limited transmission with wildlife

Domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758) are widely kept on all continents and could share parasites with free-living animals. To understand the transmission of intestinal parasites between dogs kept on the four dog stations and wildlife in Svalbard, 170 faecal samples from dogs and...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: Myšková, Eva, Brož, Marek, Kváč, Martin, Sak, Bohumil, Ditrich, Oleg
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2021
Subjects:
Animal Science and Zoology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Arctic
Svalbard
Norway
Galian
Alle alle
Anser brachyrhynchus
Arctic Fox
Black-legged Kittiwake
Canis lupus
little auk
Pink-footed Goose
Rangifer tarandus
Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus
rissa tridactyla
svalbard reindeer
Vulpes lagopus
sibling vole
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2020-0186
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjz-2020-0186
https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjz-2020-0186
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Summary:Domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris Linnaeus, 1758) are widely kept on all continents and could share parasites with free-living animals. To understand the transmission of intestinal parasites between dogs kept on the four dog stations and wildlife in Svalbard, 170 faecal samples from dogs and 203 faecal samples from wildlife, including Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus (Linnaeus, 1758); n = 62), Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus (Vrolik, 1829); n = 106), sibling vole (Microtus levis Miller, 1908; n = 63), Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus Baillon, 1834; n = 30), Little Auk (Alle alle (Linnaeus, 1758); n = 49), and Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla (Linnaeus, 1758); n = 18), were individually screened for the presence of intestinal parasites using microscopy and PCR and nucleotide sequencing methods. Additionally, the results of the study were compared with previous studies performed in the same area. The roundworm Toxascaris leonina (Linstow, 1902) was found microscopically and by PCR in a dog (n = 1). The specific DNA of three species of parasitic protists was detected in dogs from different yards. Phylogenetic analyses revealed the presence of Cryptosporidium canis Fayer, Trout, Xiao, Morgan, Lal and Dubey, 2001 (n = 1), Encephalitozoon cuniculi Levaditi, Nicolau and Schoen, 1923 genotype II (n = 4), and dog-specific Enterocytozoon bieneusi Desportes, Le Charpentier, Galian, Bernard, Cochand-Priollet, Lavergne, Ravisse and Modigliani, 1985 genotypes (n = 12). This study showed overall a low prevalence of intestinal parasites in dogs in Svalbard and possible but minimal transmission with wildlife.

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