Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation
Parasite monitoring is considered an important issue for wildlife conservation as well as for veterinary and public health. In Italy, data on endoparasites of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) are still limited. A copro-microscopical study was performed to investigate endoparasites of grey wolf communitie...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000574 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849771761775673344 |
|---|---|
| author | Salvatore Andrea Cafiero Luca Petroni Luca Natucci Luigi Casale Marta Raffaelli Debora Baldacci Alessia Di Rosso Chiara Rossi Adriano Casulli Alessandro Massolo Heidi Christine Hauffe Stefania Perrucci |
| author_facet | Salvatore Andrea Cafiero Luca Petroni Luca Natucci Luigi Casale Marta Raffaelli Debora Baldacci Alessia Di Rosso Chiara Rossi Adriano Casulli Alessandro Massolo Heidi Christine Hauffe Stefania Perrucci |
| author_sort | Salvatore Andrea Cafiero |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Parasite monitoring is considered an important issue for wildlife conservation as well as for veterinary and public health. In Italy, data on endoparasites of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) are still limited. A copro-microscopical study was performed to investigate endoparasites of grey wolf communities in three Apennine natural reserves and a hilly area in northern Tuscany, central Italy. A total of 66 fresh faecal samples were collected and examined using the Mini-FLOTAC technique with a high-density flotation solution. Apparent prevalence and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for each parasite taxon, while true parasite prevalence rates were assessed for individual wolves identified after molecular analyses in one of the three natural areas (Apuan Alps Regional Park, AARP). Overall, a high prevalence of endoparasites was estimated (92.4 %, 95 % CI 83.2–97.5), and most samples were found positive for respiratory capillariids (81.8 %), i.e., Eucoleus boehmi (66.7 %) and Eucoleus aerophilus (31.8 %), Sarcocystis spp. (36.4 %) and hookworms (21.2 %). Physaloptera spp. (7.6 %), Toxocara canis (1.5 %), Spirocerca lupi (1.5 %) Crenosoma vulpis (1.5 %), Angiostrongylus vasorum (1.5 %), Opistorchis felineus (3 %), Alaria alata (1.5 %), Taeniids (12.1 %), and Cystoisospora spp. (6.1 %) were also identified. Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs and Demodex spp. mites were detected in few samples. No significant differences emerged between faecal and population prevalence for any of the parasite species identified in AARP. Findings from this study add new information on grey wolf endoparasite infections in Italy and confirm the high prevalence of respiratory capillariids circulating among wild canids in Europe. Our results highlight the important role grey wolves may play in the transmission of these capillariid species between wild and domestic canids as well as of potentially zoonotic parasites in examined areas. Moreover, some endoparasites identified in this study may negatively affect the health of infected wolves. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8d48bda96470442b81d1906368dcbdb5 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2213-2244 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife |
| spelling | doaj-art-8d48bda96470442b81d1906368dcbdb52025-08-20T03:02:30ZengElsevierInternational Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife2213-22442025-08-012710109210.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101092Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigationSalvatore Andrea Cafiero0Luca Petroni1Luca Natucci2Luigi Casale3Marta Raffaelli4Debora Baldacci5Alessia Di Rosso6Chiara Rossi7Adriano Casulli8Alessandro Massolo9Heidi Christine Hauffe10Stefania Perrucci11Ethology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyEthology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyEthology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyConservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All’Adige, Italy; Unit for Conservation Genetics (BIO-CGE), Italian Institute for Environmental Protection and Research (ISPRA), Ozzano dell’Emilia, Bologna, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyConservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All’Adige, ItalyEuropean Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites (EURL-P), Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy; WHO Collaborating Centre for the Epidemiology, Detection and Control of Cystic and Alveolar Echinococcosis (One Health). Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ItalyEthology Unit, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada; Chrono-environnement (UMR 6249), CNRS, Université Marie et Louis Pasteur, F-25000 Besançon, FranceConservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele All’Adige, Italy; National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC), Palermo, Italy; Corresponding author. Conservation Genomics Research Unit, Centre for Research and Innovation, Fondazione Edmund Mach, Via E. Mach 1, San Michele All’Adige, 38098, Italy.Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy; Corresponding author. Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, Viale delle Piagge n.2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.Parasite monitoring is considered an important issue for wildlife conservation as well as for veterinary and public health. In Italy, data on endoparasites of the grey wolf (Canis lupus) are still limited. A copro-microscopical study was performed to investigate endoparasites of grey wolf communities in three Apennine natural reserves and a hilly area in northern Tuscany, central Italy. A total of 66 fresh faecal samples were collected and examined using the Mini-FLOTAC technique with a high-density flotation solution. Apparent prevalence and 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for each parasite taxon, while true parasite prevalence rates were assessed for individual wolves identified after molecular analyses in one of the three natural areas (Apuan Alps Regional Park, AARP). Overall, a high prevalence of endoparasites was estimated (92.4 %, 95 % CI 83.2–97.5), and most samples were found positive for respiratory capillariids (81.8 %), i.e., Eucoleus boehmi (66.7 %) and Eucoleus aerophilus (31.8 %), Sarcocystis spp. (36.4 %) and hookworms (21.2 %). Physaloptera spp. (7.6 %), Toxocara canis (1.5 %), Spirocerca lupi (1.5 %) Crenosoma vulpis (1.5 %), Angiostrongylus vasorum (1.5 %), Opistorchis felineus (3 %), Alaria alata (1.5 %), Taeniids (12.1 %), and Cystoisospora spp. (6.1 %) were also identified. Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs and Demodex spp. mites were detected in few samples. No significant differences emerged between faecal and population prevalence for any of the parasite species identified in AARP. Findings from this study add new information on grey wolf endoparasite infections in Italy and confirm the high prevalence of respiratory capillariids circulating among wild canids in Europe. Our results highlight the important role grey wolves may play in the transmission of these capillariid species between wild and domestic canids as well as of potentially zoonotic parasites in examined areas. Moreover, some endoparasites identified in this study may negatively affect the health of infected wolves.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000574WolfHelminthsProtozoaZoonosisFaecal analysis |
| spellingShingle | Salvatore Andrea Cafiero Luca Petroni Luca Natucci Luigi Casale Marta Raffaelli Debora Baldacci Alessia Di Rosso Chiara Rossi Adriano Casulli Alessandro Massolo Heidi Christine Hauffe Stefania Perrucci Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Wolf Helminths Protozoa Zoonosis Faecal analysis |
| title | Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation |
| title_full | Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation |
| title_fullStr | Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation |
| title_short | Parasite diversity in grey wolves (Canis lupus) from Tuscany, central Italy: a copromicroscopical investigation |
| title_sort | parasite diversity in grey wolves canis lupus from tuscany central italy a copromicroscopical investigation |
| topic | Wolf Helminths Protozoa Zoonosis Faecal analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213224425000574 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT salvatoreandreacafiero parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT lucapetroni parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT lucanatucci parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT luigicasale parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT martaraffaelli parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT deborabaldacci parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT alessiadirosso parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT chiararossi parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT adrianocasulli parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT alessandromassolo parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT heidichristinehauffe parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation AT stefaniaperrucci parasitediversityingreywolvescanislupusfromtuscanycentralitalyacopromicroscopicalinvestigation |