Helminth parasites of the red fox Vulpes vulpes (L., 1758) and the wolf Canis lupus italicus Altobello, 1921 in Emilia-Romagna, Italy

In the period 2013–2014 a survey was carried out on the helminthic fauna of 60 wild canids, 57 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and three wolves (Canis lupus italicus), collected in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. The study focused mainly on the gastrointestinal and hepatic helminths. Parasites were reco...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Italian Journal of Zoology
Main Authors: FIOCCHI, ALFREDO, GUSTINELLI, ANDREA, Gelmini, L., Rugna, G., Renzi, M., Fontana, M. C., POGLAYEN, GIOVANNI
Other Authors: Fiocchi, Alfredo, Gustinelli, Andrea, Poglayen, Giovanni
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: 2016
Subjects:
Emilia-Romagna
helminth
Italy
Red fox
wolf
Animal Science and Zoology
Canis lupus
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11585/588714
https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2016.1249966
http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/11250003.asp
Description
Summary:In the period 2013–2014 a survey was carried out on the helminthic fauna of 60 wild canids, 57 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and three wolves (Canis lupus italicus), collected in the Emilia-Romagna region, Italy. The study focused mainly on the gastrointestinal and hepatic helminths. Parasites were recovered in 91.2% of the red foxes and in all the wolves examined. Multiple infections were found in the majority of the animals (71.9% of the foxes and 100% of the wolves). In total, 14 intestinal helminth species were identified, two trematodes (Alaria alata, Brachylaima spp.), seven cestodes (Mesocestoides spp., Taenia crassiceps, Taenia pisiformis, Taenia polyacantha, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia ovis, Taenia hydatigena) and five nematodes (Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Trichuris vulpis, Pterigodermatites affinis, Ancylostoma caninum). The heartworm Dirofilaria immitis was also recovered in two foxes. No Echinococcus spp. were found. Our study shows that foxes are reservoir hosts of zoonotic parasites, including A. alata, a rare digenean trematode in the Italian paeninsula. Results are compared with those of other surveys on helminths of wild canids carried out in Italy and other European countries.

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