Endoparasites of Wild Mammals Sheltered in Wildlife Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centres in Greece
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View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Enlighten: Publications ORIGINAL RESEARCH published: 18 December 2017 doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00220 Endoparasites of Wild Mammals Sheltered in Wildlife Hospitals and Rehabilitation Centres in Greece Theophanes K. Liatis1, Antonios A. Monastiridis1, Panagiotis Birlis1, Sophia Prousali 2 and Anastasia Diakou1* 1 Laboratory of Parasites and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece, 2 Action for Wildlife, Thessaloniki, Greece Wildlife parasitic diseases represent an important field of investigation as they may have a significant impact on wild animals’ health and fitness, and may also have zoonotic implications. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of endoparasites in wild mammals admitted to wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres in Greece. Sixty-five animals belonging to 17 species and originated from various areas of continental and insular Greece were included in the survey. The most numerous animal species examined were hedgehogs (n = 19), red foxes (n = 16), and European roe deer (n = 6). Faecal sam- ples were collected individually and examined by floatation and sedimentation method. Parasites were found in 46 (70.7%) of the animals. Most parasites found in canids, Edited by: Donato Traversa, felids, and ruminants are of great relevance to the domestic animals’ health and some of Università di Teramo, Italy them are also of zoonotic importance. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the Reviewed by: first report of endoparasites in hedgehogs, roe deers, fallow deers, badgers, and bats, Fabrizia Veronesi, and the first report of the pulmonary nematode Troglostrongylus brevior in a wild cat in University of Perugia, Italy Jakub Gawor, Greece. The significance of the parasites found in each animal species in regard to their Witold Stefan´ ski Institute of health and their relevance to domestic animals and human health is discussed. Parasitology (PAN), Poland *Correspondence: Keywords: wildlife, mammals, Greece, endoparasites, zoonotic, rehabilitation centres, wildlife hospitals, wildlife– Anastasia Diakou domestic animal interface [email protected] Specialty section: INTRODUCTION This article was submitted to Parasitology, The importance of wildlife protection and conservation came under the spotlight several decades a section of the journal ago and today is more comprehensive and integrated than ever (1). Wildlife infectious diseases are a Frontiers in Veterinary Science key field of investigation with regard to robustness and conservation of wild animal populations, but Received: 04 November 2017 are also important as some of them may also affect domestic animals and where zoonotic pathogens Accepted: 04 December 2017 are involved, humans too. The study of such interactions constitutes the core of the One Health Published: 18 December 2017 approach. Citation: Parasitic diseases are among the most prevalent and important infectious diseases in wildlife. As Liatis TK, Monastiridis AA, Birlis P, far as free ranging and wild animals are concerned, parasitism is the norm rather than the exception. Prousali S and Diakou A (2017) Although almost always present, parasites are usually in balance with the host organism, doing little Endoparasites of Wild Mammals Sheltered in Wildlife Hospitals and damage or having little clinical impact (2, 3). As accurately described before, in every evaluation of Rehabilitation Centres in Greece. parasitism in wild animals three main points should be considered: the effect and importance of Front. Vet. Sci. 4:220. the parasites on the hosts themselves, the transmissibility of parasites to domestic animals, and the doi: 10.3389/fvets.2017.00220 relationship to public health (2). Frontiers in Veterinary Science | www.frontiersin.org 1 December 2017 | Volume 4 | Article 220 Liatis et al. Wild Mammals’ Endoparasites in Greece For areas with large populations of free roaming dogs and cats for Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation” based on the island of and open type herds of productive animals, wildlife and domestic Aegina were included in the survey. The animals originated from animal interactions and spillovers of parasitic infections are very various areas of continental and insular Greece and were admit- likely (4). Both of the abovementioned conditions are being met ted to the hospitals as victims of road accidents, due to injuries, in Greece. Greek wildlife is estimated to include 102 terrestrial mobility restriction, shock, poisoning, confusion, weakness and mammal species (5). Urbanisation, poisoned baits, land use exhaustion, disorientation or orphanage and illegal capture. The change, hybridism, and fires are among the most significant mammals examined belonged to the following 17 species (in order threats for wild animals in Greece, where many species are char- of number of animals examined): European hedgehog (Erinaceus acterised as endangered (5). At present, there are relatively few europaeus, n = 19), red fox (Vulpes vulpes, 16), European roe deer wildlife veterinary hospitals and rehabilitation centres, which are (Capreolus capreolus, 6), red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris, 4), brown not fully organised or funded by the state, but function mostly hare (Lepus europaeus, 3), grey wolf (Canis lupus, 3), beech mar- as non-governmental organisations or citizens’ associations, sup- ten (Martes foina, 2), Eurasian badger (Meles meles, 2), Eurasian ported exclusively by volunteers. Most of wild animals are admit- otter (Lutra lutra, 2), golden jackal (Canis aureus, 1), fallow deer ted to these hospitals due to injuries, disorientation, orphanage, (Dama dama, 1), European wild cat (Felis silvestris silvestris, 1), car accidents or infectious and parasitic diseases. The major role European mink (Mustela lutreola, 1), coypu (Myocastor coypus, of such centres is to preserve the national biodiversity through 1), common noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula, 1), greater noctule individual wild animal treatment and rehabilitation as well as to bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus, 1), and brown rat (Rattus norvegicus, 1) provide animal welfare during their convalescence. At the same (Table 1). For each animal, a record including available data such time, these organisations support research to study different as area where the animal was found, reason for admission, clinical aspects of wildlife biology, nutrition, disease epizootiology and signs, sex, and age, was kept. other biomedical factors of scientific interest. Parasites and parasitic diseases of wild mammals in Greece Parasitological Methods have been studied to a relatively small extent, in individual cases Faecal samples were collected from the boxes or cages where the or confined animal populations (6–12). Globally, one of the most animals were kept individually and were preserved at 4–7°C until significant challenges of carrying out a wildlife parasitological their transfer to the laboratory. In the case of a hare, the whole survey is the collecting of biological material from wild animals, gastrointestinal tract and liver were examined after the death of which is usually not an easy task. Wildlife hospitals provide the animal. access to such samples from various animal species, which in The faecal samples were examined by two standard para- most cases are species with closer interaction with domestic sitological methods, i.e., zinc sulphate (ZnSO4) flotation and animal and human populations and are thus of great interest merthiolate iodine formaldehyde (MIF)—ether sedimentation as far as the transmission of parasites between these groups of (13, 14). In brief, for the flotation method, approximately 1 g of hosts is concerned. In this context, this study aimed to investigate faecal material was diluted with tap water and passed through a the occurrence of endoparasites in wild mammals admitted to sieve (No. 150) into a centrifuge tube. The tube was centrifuged wildlife hospitals and rehabilitation centres in Greece and thus at 200 × g for 3 min, the supernatant fluid was discharged down to evaluate the possibility of transmission of parasites among to approximately 1 cm above the sediment and zinc sulphate wildlife and domestic animals and/or humans. (ZnSO4·7H2O) solution 33.2% (w/v) was added to the sediment. After thorough dilution of the sediment, zinc sulphate solution MATERIALS AND METHODS was added to just over the top of the tube and a cover slip was placed on the top of the tube. After centrifugation at 150 × g Bioethics for 1 min, the cover slip was carefully removed and placed on a microscope slide. For the sedimentation method, approximately This study was carried out in accordance with the recommenda- 1 g of the faecal material was diluted in MIF solution, passed tions of the Presidential Decree 56/13 “Bringing Greek legislation through a sieve (No. 150) into a centrifuge tube, 5 ml ether was into line with Directive 2010/63/EC of the European Parliament added, and the content of the tube was homogenised by vigorous and of the Council of 22nd September 2010 (L 276/33/20.10.2010) shaking. After centrifugation at 200 × g for 3 min, all the phases regarding the protection of animals used for experimental and of the centrifuged material, except the sediment, were discharged. other scientific purposes” that does not require approval by ethics Drops of the sediment were placed on a microscope slide and cov- committee, as it did not include