Echinococcus granulosus (Cestoda, Taeniidae) in the Iberian wolf

The intestinal contents of 27 Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) from Spain were screened for the presence of the taenid cestode Echinococcus granulosus. Four animals were found positive (15% prevalence). The intensity of parasitation was variable (mean 71, range 1–147 E. granulosus per host). Gr...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Parasitology Research
Main Authors: Sobrino, Raquel, González, Luis Mariano, Vicente, Joaquín, Fernández de Luco, Daniel, Garate, T., Gortázar, Christian
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Springer Nature 2006
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Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10261/282044
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-006-0229-5
Description
Summary:The intestinal contents of 27 Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) from Spain were screened for the presence of the taenid cestode Echinococcus granulosus. Four animals were found positive (15% prevalence). The intensity of parasitation was variable (mean 71, range 1–147 E. granulosus per host). Gravid individuals were found in all wolves positive with the parasite. Molecular characterization of the parasite material showed that the wolf strain belongs to the G1 genotype. According to the results, we conclude that the Iberian wolf takes part in the maintenance of the life cycle of this zoonotic parasite in Spain and that this fact could have public health relevance. Peer reviewed