Gastrointestinal Nematode Infections in Antelopes from Morocco: A Coprological Survey

Abstract

This study examined the gastrointestinal parasitological status of three endangered Sub-Saharan antelope species (Addax nasomaculatus, Oryx dammah, Gazella dorcas) hosted at Souss-Massa National Park in Morocco. A total of 254 faecal samples (80 samples from the addax population, 81 from the oryx population and 93 from the dorcas population) were analysed to determine the prevalence and the intensity of the parasites in host faeces (expressed as the mean EPG: egg per gram), using microscopic methods (Flotation and McMaster) and the molecular identification of parasites using PCR and sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA (ITS-2).

Keywords

• african threatened antelopes
• camelostrongylus mentulatus
• gastrointestinal nematodes
• its-2 rdna
• morocco
• nematodirus spathiger