Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic
The nutria was introduced to Europe from South America and kept for the fur industry. This semiaquatic rodent became a well-established species in the Czech Republic; however, it still poses a significant threat to the native fauna, not only as a natural competitor but also as a vector of non-indige...
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Cambridge University Press
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| Series: | Parasitology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024001628/type/journal_article |
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| author | Michal Benovics Eva Nosková Anna Klimešová Lucie Škorpíková Ema Jaššová Jakub Drimaj Jan Slováček Ondřej Mikulka |
| author_facet | Michal Benovics Eva Nosková Anna Klimešová Lucie Škorpíková Ema Jaššová Jakub Drimaj Jan Slováček Ondřej Mikulka |
| author_sort | Michal Benovics |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The nutria was introduced to Europe from South America and kept for the fur industry. This semiaquatic rodent became a well-established species in the Czech Republic; however, it still poses a significant threat to the native fauna, not only as a natural competitor but also as a vector of non-indigenous parasites. Our research aimed to investigate the diversity of endoparasitic helminths in nutria, with a particular focus on assessing the risk posed by helminth species with zoonotic potential. A total of 46 nutria cadavers were collected at 8 locations in the Morava River basin and examined using standard parasitological post-mortem procedures. Additionally, coprological and molecular methods were used to identify the parasites. The presence of 6 helminth species was revealed. The highest prevalence was observed for Strongyloides myopotami (78.3%) and Trichuris myocastoris (37.0%), both of which are host-specific nematodes of nutria. Only 2 trematode taxa were recorded (Echinostoma sp. and a representative of the family Psilostomidae). The presence of alveolar hydatid cysts of Echinococcus multilocularis in the livers of 5 nutria specimens was also recorded. Herein, we provide novel molecular data for each parasite species collected, which is valuable for future phylogenetic analyses. Our findings also demonstrate that nutria in the Czech Republic serve as a carrier of helminths with zoonotic potential, particularly E. multilocularis and S. myopotami. Although the nutria is a relatively new species in local fauna, its synanthropic behaviour raises concerns about potential threats to human health, underscoring the importance of exercising caution when handling these animals. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9ccb4a1022574e48a7e92b6645079f5f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0031-1820 1469-8161 |
| language | English |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasitology |
| spelling | doaj-art-9ccb4a1022574e48a7e92b6645079f5f2025-01-22T08:48:26ZengCambridge University PressParasitology0031-18201469-816111110.1017/S0031182024001628Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech RepublicMichal Benovics0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4358-9332Eva Nosková1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6257-4972Anna Klimešová2Lucie Škorpíková3Ema Jaššová4Jakub Drimaj5Jan Slováček6Ondřej Mikulka7Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University in Bratislava, Bratislava, SlovakiaDepartment of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Food Technology, Faculty of AgriSciences, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech RepublicDepartment of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Mendel University in Brno, Brno, Czech Republic Forestry and Game Management Research Institute, Jíloviště, Czech RepublicThe nutria was introduced to Europe from South America and kept for the fur industry. This semiaquatic rodent became a well-established species in the Czech Republic; however, it still poses a significant threat to the native fauna, not only as a natural competitor but also as a vector of non-indigenous parasites. Our research aimed to investigate the diversity of endoparasitic helminths in nutria, with a particular focus on assessing the risk posed by helminth species with zoonotic potential. A total of 46 nutria cadavers were collected at 8 locations in the Morava River basin and examined using standard parasitological post-mortem procedures. Additionally, coprological and molecular methods were used to identify the parasites. The presence of 6 helminth species was revealed. The highest prevalence was observed for Strongyloides myopotami (78.3%) and Trichuris myocastoris (37.0%), both of which are host-specific nematodes of nutria. Only 2 trematode taxa were recorded (Echinostoma sp. and a representative of the family Psilostomidae). The presence of alveolar hydatid cysts of Echinococcus multilocularis in the livers of 5 nutria specimens was also recorded. Herein, we provide novel molecular data for each parasite species collected, which is valuable for future phylogenetic analyses. Our findings also demonstrate that nutria in the Czech Republic serve as a carrier of helminths with zoonotic potential, particularly E. multilocularis and S. myopotami. Although the nutria is a relatively new species in local fauna, its synanthropic behaviour raises concerns about potential threats to human health, underscoring the importance of exercising caution when handling these animals.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024001628/type/journal_articlebiological invasionscoypuEchinococcus multilocularisparasitesStrongyloidesTrichostrongylidae |
| spellingShingle | Michal Benovics Eva Nosková Anna Klimešová Lucie Škorpíková Ema Jaššová Jakub Drimaj Jan Slováček Ondřej Mikulka Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic Parasitology biological invasions coypu Echinococcus multilocularis parasites Strongyloides Trichostrongylidae |
| title | Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic |
| title_full | Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic |
| title_fullStr | Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic |
| title_short | Helminth diversity of nutria (Myocastor coypus) across the Morava basin in the Czech Republic |
| title_sort | helminth diversity of nutria myocastor coypus across the morava basin in the czech republic |
| topic | biological invasions coypu Echinococcus multilocularis parasites Strongyloides Trichostrongylidae |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0031182024001628/type/journal_article |
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