title: Gastrointestinal helminths of Coyotes (Canis latrans) from Southeast Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This survey was carried out on the carcasses of 29 coyotes from Southeastern Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa to document the helminths present in the intestinal track of these carnivorous animals.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 29 adult coyote carcasses were generously donated in the autumn and winter (November-February) of 2014-2015 by trappers, fur buyers and hunters of Southeast Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa. The intestine of individual animals were examined for the recovery of helminth parasites as per the established procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that as many as 93.10% of the investigated coyotes were infected with one or more helminth infections. A total of 10 different species of helminth parasites were recovered from the intestines of coyotes under investigation. Among the 10 species of helminths, 5 were identified as cestodes while the remaining 5 were nematodes. A total of 82.75% of the animals were infected with one or more species of nematodes, while 75.86% of them were colonized with one or more species of cestode parasites. The most abundant species in coyotes wereToxascaris leonina(68.95%) closely followed byTaenia hydatigena(58.62%). The prevalence ofAncylostoma caninumandTaenia pisiformiswere recorded at 31.03%, followed by those ofToxocara canisandEchinococcusspp. at 24.13%, respectively. Three animals were infected withTrichuris vulpiswhile three other coyotes each were found to be harboringUncinaria stenocephala,Dipylidium caninum, orHymenolepis diminuta. The presence ofH. diminutamight have been the result of the ingestion of a rodent by the respective coyotes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  From the overall analysis of the present data and comparing it with the previous reports of various scientists over several decades, we can conclude that intestinal helminths are still very much prevalent among the coyote population in the Southeast Nebraska and Iowa area. The relatively high prevalence of the zoonotic parasite species further warrants a more comprehensive investigation with larger numbers of wild predators from the region to ascertain the possible contribution of coyotes to the disease cycle as these animals are more frequently spotted in and around the densely populated urban areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA.
authors.forename: Whitni K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Redman
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA.
authors.forename: Jay E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA.
authors.forename: Gul
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ahmad
keywords: cestode; coyotes; helminths; infection; intestinal; nematode