title: A coprological survey of parasites of wild carnivores in Ireland.
abstract: The increasing movement of people to wilderness areas, shrinking of wildlife habitats and the resulting urbanisation of wildlife has led to growing concerns about the transfer of parasitic diseases, particularly from contaminated faeces. Faecal samples from wild carnivores in Ireland were examined for the presence of protozoan and nematode parasites. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) samples (n = 91) were positive for Uncinaria stenocephala (38%), Eucoleus aerophilus (26%), Toxocara canis (20%), Trichuris vulpis (4%) and Isospora-like oocysts (9%). Badger (Meles meles) samples (n = 50) were positive for Uncinaria criniformis (40%), E. aerophilus (6%) and Isospora-like oocysts (16%). No parasites were observed in pine marten (n = 48; Martes martes) faeces. Approximately 5% of American mink (Mustela vison) samples were positive for Cryptosporidium by polymerase chain reaction (identified as Cryptosporidium andersoni (n = 3) and 'mink' genotype (n = 1)). The results suggest that wild carnivores in Ireland have a range of parasites, although it is unclear from the present study to what extent these infections are associated with morbidity. While it can be expected that, via their faeces, wild carnivores contribute to the spread of these parasites, they are unlikely the primary source of environmental contamination. Therefore, they should not always be the principal target of control measures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Botany and Zoology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic, peterdstuart@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stuart
authors.forename: Olwen
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Golden
authors.forename: Annetta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zintl
authors.forename: Theo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: de Waal
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mulcahy
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lawton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology*; D007494:Ireland / Q000453:epidemiology; D010273:Parasitic Diseases, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2008 May 31;153(3-4):363-7
references.pmid: 18343038
references.citation: Exp Parasitol. 2010 Jan;124(1):90-7
references.pmid: 19303009
references.citation: Z Parasitenkd. 1984;70(3):281-5
references.pmid: 6741217
references.citation: Lett Appl Microbiol. 1997 Nov;25(5):380-4
references.pmid: 9418076
references.citation: Exp Parasitol. 2010 Jan;124(1):128-37
references.pmid: 19084007
references.citation: Parasitol Res. 2007 Mar;100(4):877-9
references.pmid: 17111177
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2004 Dec;70(12):7574-7
references.pmid: 15574965
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2007 Oct;73(20):6475-83
references.pmid: 17720824
references.citation: J Helminthol. 1994 Dec;68(4):331-6
references.pmid: 7706682
references.citation: Parasitol Res. 2007 Aug;101(3):605-11
references.pmid: 17393184
references.citation: Prev Vet Med. 2007 Jun 15;80(1):65-73
references.pmid: 17324480
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2007 Mar 15;144(1-2):153-6
references.pmid: 17049745
references.citation: J Infect Dis. 2001 Feb 1;183(3):492-7
references.pmid: 11133382
references.citation: Epidemiol Infect. 2003 Jun;130(3):561-8
references.pmid: 12825742
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2000 Oct 20;92(4):245-51
references.pmid: 10996735
references.citation: Vet Rec. 2001 Dec 22-29;149(25):759-63
references.pmid: 11808662
references.citation: Int J Parasitol. 1995 Feb;25(2):139-95
references.pmid: 7622324
references.citation: Conserv Biol. 2006 Oct;20(5):1349-57
references.pmid: 17002752
references.citation: J R Soc Med. 1983 Jan;76(1):62-70
references.pmid: 6338228
references.citation: Vet Rec. 2009 Aug 29;165(9):258-61
references.pmid: 19717830
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2008 Jun 14;154(1-2):162-6
references.pmid: 18434024
references.citation: J Helminthol. 2008 Dec;82(4):293-6
references.pmid: 18577302
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 1995 Aug;59(1):39-51
references.pmid: 7571336
references.citation: Parasitology. 1993 Aug;107 ( Pt 2):167-73
references.pmid: 8414671
references.citation: Clin Microbiol Rev. 1992 Apr;5(2):120-9
references.pmid: 1576584
references.citation: J Helminthol. 1996 Sep;70(3):259-63
references.pmid: 8960222
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 1999 Oct;37(10):3153-8
references.pmid: 10488169
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2006 Mar 31;136(3-4):307-16
references.pmid: 16378689
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2003 Oct 8;116(2):97-113
references.pmid: 14519315
references.citation: Science. 2000 Jan 21;287(5452):443-9
references.pmid: 10642539
references.citation: J Helminthol. 2001 Jun;75(2):157-64
references.pmid: 11520440
references.citation: Trends Parasitol. 2005 Aug;21(8):370-6
references.pmid: 15982929
references.citation: J Clin Microbiol. 1990 Mar;28(3):495-503
references.pmid: 1691208
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2007 Feb 28;143(3-4):347-53
references.pmid: 17045400
references.citation: J Parasitol. 2006 Dec;92(6):1196-201
references.pmid: 17304794
references.citation: Exp Parasitol. 1956 Nov;5(6):587-621
references.pmid: 13375685
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2007 Jun 20;147(1-2):176-84
references.pmid: 17466459
references.citation: J Eukaryot Microbiol. 2000 Jan-Feb;47(1):91-5
references.pmid: 10651302
references.citation: J Helminthol. 2001 Jun;75(2):153-6
references.pmid: 11520439
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2003 Dec 1;118(1-2):133-42
references.pmid: 14651882
references.citation: Appl Environ Microbiol. 1999 Aug;65(8):3386-91
references.pmid: 10427023
references.citation: J Wildl Dis. 2009 Jul;45(3):881-5
references.pmid: 19617506
references.citation: Vet Parasitol. 2006 Jun 30;139(1-3):168-79
references.pmid: 16580775
references.citation: Thorax. 1987 Dec;42(12):990-1
references.pmid: 3438889
references.citation: J Vet Diagn Invest. 2005 Sep;17(5):486-9
references.pmid: 16312245