title: Having bird schistosomes in mind-the first detection of Bilharziella polonica (Kowalewski 1895) in the bird neural system.
abstract: Nasal bird schistosomes can cause bilharziosis in birds and have the potential to cause swimmer's itch in humans. We determined the prevalence of bird schistosomes in 106 mallards (Anas plathyrhynchos) from 11 water sources in Germany from 2014. Dissections were performed focusing on parasitic infections of the neural system. Infections with Trichobilharzia regenti (Horák et al. 1998) were found in 21% of the birds (n = 22), whereas Bilharziella polonica (Kowalewski 1895) were found between the brain membranes (meninges) and the brain, in the spinal cord or in the intestine of 12% of the mallards (n = 13). No significant influence of sex, age, and body condition between infected and non-infected animals was observed. Our study provides the first description of B. polonica from the neural system of birds and provides an epidemiological understanding of a parasite of human health concern.
authors.affiliation: Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany. prueter@izw-berlin.de.
authors.forename: Hanna
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1844-4481
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prüter
authors.affiliation: Komenský Museum, Horní nám. 7, 750 11, Přerov 2, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jiljí
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sitko
authors.affiliation: Department of Wildlife Diseases, Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Alfred-Kowalke-Straße 17, 10315, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Krone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001715:Bird Diseases / Q000469:parasitology*; D004372:Ducks / Q000469:parasitology*; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D009420:Nervous System / Q000469:parasitology*; D012547:Schistosoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D012551:Schistosomatidae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000502:physiology; D014201:Trematode Infections / Q000469:parasitology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Bilharziella polonica; Bird schistosomes; Mallard; Trichobilharzia regenti