A New Soil-Based Solution for Reducing the Persistence of Parasites in Zoos
Controlling parasites in zoo animals is a significant challenge, making practical infection prevention methods essential. This study evaluated a novel solution using parasitophagous fungi-treated forage seeds to reduce soil parasite persistence. We conducted two experiments to assess the soil distri...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2673-5636/5/4/54 |
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| Summary: | Controlling parasites in zoo animals is a significant challenge, making practical infection prevention methods essential. This study evaluated a novel solution using parasitophagous fungi-treated forage seeds to reduce soil parasite persistence. We conducted two experiments to assess the soil distribution of the fungi <i>Mucor circinelloides</i> (ovicidal) and <i>Duddingtonia flagrans</i> (larvicidal). Forage seeds were immersed in a submerged culture containing 10<sup>6</sup> spores/mL and subsequently sown in plastic trays (trial 1) and demarcated ground plots (40 × 30 cm) framed with wood (trial 2). Fifteen days later, <i>Ascaris suum</i> and cyathostomin eggs were placed above the germinated vegetation. After a 25–30-day period, the viability of roundworm eggs reduced by 62%, and half of them remained undeveloped; a 64% reduction in the counts of L3 cyathostomins was recorded. In trial 2, viability decreased by 55% in roundworm eggs, with an infectivity rate of 30%, while L3 counts lessened by 57%. It has been concluded that the risk of infection by ascarids and cyathostomins can be reduced by at least half by sowing the soil with forage seeds pre-treated with fungi, providing a practical solution for parasite control in zoos. |
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| ISSN: | 2673-5636 |