A High Prevalence of Cardiopulmonary Worms Detected in the Iberian Wolf (Canis lupus): A Threat for Wild and Domestic Canids

• Published in: Animals
• Main Authors: Estévez-Sánchez, Efrén, Checa, Rocío, Montoya, Ana, Barrera, Juan Pedro, López-Beceiro, Ana María, Fidalgo, Luis Eusebio, Miró, Guadalupe
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI 2022
• Subjects: Article; Canis lupus
• Online Access: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9454501/; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12172289

SIMPLE SUMMARY: The Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) is a recognized reservoir of some zoonotic parasites that cause diseases transmissible to domestic animals and/or humans. The objective of this study was to determine the diversity of species of cardiopulmonary nematode parasites that affect wolves in northwestern Spain, and to estimate their prevalence and the relationship between these parasites and various epidemiological variables. The cardiopulmonary systems of 57 wolves from Galicia were examined using dissection and cup sedimentation techniques, and the collected worms were then morphologically identified. The overall prevalence of infection by cardiopulmonary nematodes was 24.5%, and the parasite species identified were Angiostrongylus vasorum (19.3%), Crenosoma vulpis (7%) and Eucoleus aerophilus (3.5%). The latter is of zoonotic interest. A significant relationship was found between age and C. vulpis infection, which was only found in animals under one year of age. Our findings indicate that the Iberian wolf could play an important role in maintaining cardiopulmonary parasites in the wild, and they highlight a need to identify potential risks for veterinary and public health. ABSTRACT: Cardiopulmonary nematodes are highly pathogenic parasites affecting domestic and wild canids. As the result of conservation programs, the Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) population has recently expanded, and its distribution range covers lands from where it had long disappeared. However, the exact epidemiological role of the wolf in the life cycle of zoonotic parasites causing diseases transmissible to pets and/or humans is largely unknown. This study sought to determine the diversity of cardiopulmonary nematode parasite species that affect wolves inhabiting northwestern areas of the Iberian Peninsula, and to estimate their prevalence and the relationship between these parasites and several epidemiological variables. For this purpose, we examined the cardiopulmonary systems of 57 wolves from Galicia (from the ...