Intestinal endoparasitism in wild cat (Felis silvestris) from Banat area (Romania).

The wild cat (Felis silvestris), spread in Romania from the Danube Delta to the mountain range is present in the Banat area, on the hunting ground that can be contaminated with different stage developmental forms of parasites, some of them having real zoonotic potential. The wild cat is an animal protected by the Romanian law of protection animals. Coprological samples from 88 wild cats from 16 hunting grounds, as well as the gastrointestinal tract collected from six wild cats cadavers and the molecular characterization of the cestodes identified in their intestines, allowed us to establish intestinal parasitic fauna. During coprological examination Isospora oocysts, tapeworm eggs, eggs of Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma spp. and Capillaria spp were found. At the same time, the form of genera Mesocestoides, Taenia, Toxocara/Toxascaris and Ancylostoma were identified at necropsy. Further polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification revealed the species of Taenia taenieformis, and Mesocestoides litteratus, the latter providing a zoonotic potential. This study, the first in the western part of the country (Banat area, Timis County), provides information about the parasitic fauna of wild cats and underlines the importance of the human contamination risk.

Survey of anthelmintic resistance in a Romanian horse stud using three different methods.

Resistance of cyathostomins to benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics is widespread in horses in many parts of the world. This study compared three methods for the determination of benzimidazole resistance of Cyathostominae in 18 horses from a stud farm in Romania. The horses were treated with Fenbendazole. The resistance test was performed by FECRT, ERP and PCR. On Day 0, larvae of species belonging to the Cyathostominae subfamily, types A, B, C, D and Gyalocephalus, as well as Strongylus vulgaris species of the Strongylinae subfamily, were identified. At 42 days post treatment with fenbendazole only larvae of Cyathostominae, types A and D were identified. Resistance to Fenbendazole was found in one horse, using the FECRT and ERP tests. Both genetic resistance and susceptibility to BZ anthelmintics was observed in 13 samples (72.22%) using the PCR test. However, three samples (16.67%) showed only the BZ-susceptibility gene. In 2 samples, (11.11%) only the resistance gene to BZ anthelmintics was identified. Several inconsistencies in the evidence of resistance to benzimidazole were observed between the PCR test and the other two methods, which indicates that several methods for determining and controlling the resistance should be used in practice.

Frequency of gastrointestinal and pulmonary helminth infections in wild deer from western Romania.

A survey was carried out to assess the prevalence and the intensity of helminth infections in the roe deer (Capreolus capreolus L.), red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and fallow deer (Dama dama L.) from 16 hunting areas in western Romania. Overall, 122 deer shot during the hunting season 2013-2015 were examined. Haemonchus contortus, Nematodirus filicollis, Oesophagostomum venulosum and Dictyocalus spp. were found in all the deer species. Trichuris spp. and Dicrocoelium dendriticum were found in the roe deer and red deer and Moniezia expansa in roe deer, only. Overall, the prevalences (<35%) and the mean intensities (<20) were quite low in the abomasums and intestine, but H. contortus in fallow deer (>50%). No >2 or 3 helminth species were found in the abomasum, small and large intestine. Lung helminthes in the roe deer and follow deer accounted for 57.1% and 71.4%, respectively. The only specie with a prevalence >50% was in the red deer. D. dendriticum was found in the liver of roe deer and fallow deer.