ABSTRACT
Abstract The occurrence of ectoparasites in wild nutria is poorly understood. Fifty-five livetrapped wild nutria (Myocastor coypus) from its indigenous region were examined for ectoparasites after capture from December 2013 to December 2014. The captures came from the Buenos Aires Province, by far the area of the country most densely populated by nutria, characterized as a temperate grassland, which are prime areas for sustained agriculture. Only one species of chewing lice (Pitrufquenia coypus, Marelli, 1932), one flea (Nosopsyllus fasciatus, Bosc, 1800) and one tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Latreille, 1806) were collected. Fourteen percent of the animals were infested and P.coypus, an obligate parasite of the nutria, which was the most prevalent ectoparasite. N. fasciatus and R. sanguineus occurrence remains controversial as they may or may not be some accidental host species. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive and systematic survey of ectoparasites in wild nutria from the southern hemisphere, the indigenous region of this species.
Resumo A ocorrência de ectoparasitas em nutria selvagem é pouco compreendido. Cinquenta e cinco nutria selvagem capturadas (Myocastor coypus) de sua região indígena foram examinados para os ectoparasitas após até captura a partir de dezembro de 2013 a dezembro de 2014. As capturas ocorreram no estado de Buenos Aires, a área mais densamente povoada do país por nutria, caraterizada como uma pastagem temperada, que se tornou área principal para a agricultura sustentável. Uma espécie de piolhos de mastigação (Pitrufquenia coypus, Marelli, 1932), uma pulga (Nosopsyllus fasciatus, Bosc, 1800) e um carrapato (Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Latreille, 1806) foram recolhidos. Catorze por cento dos animais foram infestadas pelo P.coypus, um parasita obrigatório do nutria, sendo o ectoparasita mais prevalente. A ocorrência de N. fasciatus e R. sanguineus continua controversa, pois podem ou não ser algumas espécies hospedeiras acidentais. Para nosso conhecimento, este é o primeiro estudo abrangente e sistemático de ectoparasitas em nutria selvagem do hemisfério sul, a região indígena desta espécie.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rodentia/parasitology , Mite Infestations/veterinary , Argentina/epidemiology , Prevalence , Mite InfestationsABSTRACT
The occurrence of ectoparasites in wild nutria is poorly understood. Fifty-five livetrapped wild nutria (Myocastor coypus) from its indigenous region were examined for ectoparasites after capture from December 2013 to December 2014. The captures came from the Buenos Aires Province, by far the area of the country most densely populated by nutria, characterized as a temperate grassland, which are prime areas for sustained agriculture. Only one species of chewing lice (Pitrufquenia coypus, Marelli, 1932), one flea (Nosopsyllus fasciatus, Bosc, 1800) and one tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus, Latreille, 1806) were collected. Fourteen percent of the animals were infested and P.coypus, an obligate parasite of the nutria, which was the most prevalent ectoparasite. N. fasciatus and R. sanguineus occurrence remains controversial as they may or may not be some accidental host species. To our knowledge, this is the first comprehensive and systematic survey of ectoparasites in wild nutria from the southern hemisphere, the indigenous region of this species.
Subject(s)
Mite Infestations/veterinary , Rodentia/parasitology , Animals , Argentina/epidemiology , Mite Infestations/epidemiology , PrevalenceABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Basic pathologic characteristics for farmed minks were previously reported worldwide. However, its status in the wild has not been studied in detail. OBJECTIVE: Serology and electrophoresis were carried out for evidence of exposure to 12 mink pathogens on two different locations. ANIMALS AND METHODS: Serology was done in 87 wild minks by reference techniques against Toxoplasma gondii, Encephalitozoon cuniculi, Neospora caninum, Brucella abortus, Mycobacterium bovis, Leptospira interrogans, canine distemper virus (CDV), canine adenovirus (CAV), canine parvovirus (CPV), rabies virus (RV), Influenza A virus (FLUAV) and Aleutian disease virus (ADV). Hypergammaglobulinemia, the ADV main clinical feature, was determined by conventional electrophoresis. RESULTS: Seventy-one percent of the 87 sera had antibodies against one or more pathogens. ADV accounted for the highest seroprevalence (29%), followed by T. gondii (26%), L. interrogans (14%), M. bovis (12%), B. abortus (9%), N. caninum (3%), CPV (3%) and CDV (2%). Seroprevalence was influenced by location but not sex or age. Additionally, 16% of the seropositive samples for ADV had gammaglobulin levels >40.0 g/L. Antibody titers for CDV and CPV were low and difficult to interpret as almost all these cases had borderline concentrations. CONCLUSION: A cautious interpretation of the results is urged as the epidemiological role of the wild mink is largely unexplored for most of these agents. Nevertheless, the information may be clinically relevant..
