Animals (May 2024)

Gastrointestinal Helminths in Wild Felids in the Cerrado and Pantanal: Zoonotic Bioindicators in Important Brazilian Biomes

  • Iago de Sá Moraes,
  • Victória Luiza de Barros Silva,
  • Beatriz Elise de Andrade-Silva,
  • Ana Paula Nascimento Gomes,
  • Nicoly Ferreira de Urzedo,
  • Vitória Breda Abolis,
  • Renata de Souza Gonçalves,
  • Karina Varella Arpon,
  • Zara Mariana de Assis-Silva,
  • Lizandra Fernandes da Silva,
  • Ellen Amanda Zago,
  • Michelle Benevides Gonçalves,
  • Ísis Assis Braga,
  • Klaus Casaro Saturnino,
  • Edson Moleta Colodel,
  • Arnaldo Maldonado Júnior,
  • Richard de Campos Pacheco,
  • Dirceu Guilherme de Souza Ramos

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14111622
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 14, no. 11
p. 1622

Abstract

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Environmental changes in the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado facilitate the spread of parasitic diseases in wildlife, with significant implications for public health owing to their zoonotic potential. This study aimed to examine the occurrence and diversity of gastrointestinal parasites in wild felids within these regions to assess their ecological and health impacts. We collected and analyzed helminth-positive samples from 27 wild felids using specific taxonomic keys. Diverse parasitic taxa were detected, including zoonotic helminths, such as Ancylostoma braziliense, Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma pluridentatum, Toxocara cati, Toxocara canis, Dipylidium caninum, Taenia spp., Echinococcus spp., and Spirometra spp. Other nematodes, such as Physaloptera praeputialis and Physaloptera anomala, were identified, along with acanthocephalans from the genus Oncicola and a trematode, Neodiplostomum spp. (potentially the first record of this parasite in wild felids in the Americas). Human encroachment into natural habitats has profound effects on wild populations, influencing parasitic infection rates and patterns. This study underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and research on parasitic infections as a means of safeguarding both wildlife and human populations and highlights the role of wild felids as bioindicators of environmental health.

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