The effect of urbanization on helminth communities in the Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula L.) from the eastern part of the Czech Republic.

In the present study we investigated two ecologically distinct populations of T. merula for the presence of helminths. We wished to determine whether urban populations of blackbirds had reduced helminth fauna compared to birds from forest habitats. Birds were caught in two ecologically distinct sites located in the eastern part of the Czech Republic. A total of 320 birds were examined. The first site was located in Prerov where the birds were obtained from a typical urban population, and the second site was Zahlinice, which constitutes a typical forest area. As a result of parasitological examination, 30 helminth species belonging to Digenea, Cestoda, Nematoda and Acanthocephala were recorded from both sites: 29 species were found in the forested site and 15 in the urban site. The overall prevalence of infection was 93.1% and differed significantly between the sites (Zahlinice 97.2%, Prerov 85.1%). The mean species richness was almost three times higher in the forest population (3.37 ± 0.10) than in the urban one (1.78 ± 0.11). The clear qualitative and quantitative differences in the helminth community of T. merula obtained from two ecologically disparate localities show that urbanization leads to a significant reduction in the helminth fauna of a bird which is highly adapted to synanthropic habitats, while still remaining common in its original forest habitat.

Small mammals: paratenic hosts for species of Toxocara in eastern Slovakia.

Toxocara spp., an aetiological agent of a serious helminthozoonosis, is a common roundworm of domestic and wild carnivores worldwide. The study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence of Toxocara in small mammals from different localities in eastern Slovakia. Anti-Toxocara antibodies were detected in 6.4% out of 2140 examined animals trapped in eastern Slovakia. Due to their high density and observed high seroprevalence of toxocariasis, Apodemus agrarius, A. flavicollis, Myodes glareolus and Mus spicilegus (10.9, 4.2, 3.6 and 11.2%, respectively) represent important sources of the infection. A significant correlation between type of food and Toxocara positivity was detected: granivores (7.2%) and invertebratophages (7.1%) were positive more frequently than herbivores (2.1%). In the years monitored, cyclic changes of seroprevalence were observed. A higher prevalence of antibodies in the spring was followed by a decrease in summer. In autumn, seroprevalence started to rise and stayed at a similar level through the winter. Seroprevalence of the examined animals confirms their contact with Toxocara spp. and demonstrates the presence of the aetiological agent in the monitored locality. Areas with a high prevalence of infected animals present constant infectious pressure on definitive hosts, thus also increasing infection risk for humans and paratenic hosts. The study confirmed the contact of small mammals with Toxocara spp. and demonstrated the presence and circulation of an aetiological agent in the localities monitored in eastern Slovakia.

Helminth infection in horses - a cross-sectional study from stables in Lower Silesia (Poland).

Parasitosis in horses may be uncontrolled and expose breeders and owners to serious financial losses or, possibly, to the loss of animals. Therefore, the prevention and monitoring of the development of parasitic diseases should play an important role in the breeding process. The aim of this study was to confirm the influence of factors such as age, breed, herd size, deworming program, and type of anthelmintics, on the prevalence and intensity of parasites (helminths) in domestic horses in Lower Silesia. The study was carried out between August and November of 2020. The samples of horse feces were collected from 50 different stables in the area of Lower Silesia, Poland. A total of 286 individuals from various breeds were examined. Detailed analysis revealed that the mean age of infected horses was significantly lower than in uninfected horses. The mean time since the last deworming procedure was almost twice as low in uninfected horses than in infected ones. Additionally, the deworming agent affects the prevalence of infection. The analysis was also performed for the same factors in reference to quantitative data. The mean EPG was four-fold higher in juvenile horses than in adults and three-fold higher when the horses were dewormed with the use of fenbendazole instead of ivermectin or ivermectin with praziquantel combined.

The Status of Heligmosomoides americanus, Representative of an American Clade of Vole-Infecting Nematodes.

Heligmosomoides americanus is shown by molecular phylogenetic analysis of 3 nuclear (28S, ITS1, and ITS2) and 2 mitochondrial (cytochrome oxidase 1 and cytochrome b) loci to be a distinct species of heligmosomid nematode with a long-independent evolutionary history, and not a subspecies of Heligmosomoides polygyrus . Rather than being a recent arrival in North America, the species probably originated as a Beringian immigrant with the host vole Phenacomys, approximately 2 million years ago (MYA).

Relationship between temporal abundance of ticks and incidence of Lyme borreliosis in Lower Silesia regions of Poland.

The aim of this study was to identify the factors determining the incidence of Lyme borreliosis (LB) in south-western Poland by estimating the prevalence of B. burgdorferi s. l. in I. ricinus, and to analyze the temporal abundance of ticks in relation to epidemiological data on LB incidence. Host-seeking ticks collected in 2011 in four districts in southwestern Poland were examined by nested PCR for the presence of B. burgdorferi s.l. In total, 2,507 host-seeking I. ricinus were collected. The temporal abundance of ticks varied between districts. The minimal infection rates with B. burgdorferi s.l. were 11.5% for nymphs and 37.7% for adults. There were no statistical differences in the level of infection between districts either for nymphs or for adults. Five different genospecies were identified within the B. burgdorferi s.l. complex: B. garinii, B. afzelii, B. lusitaniae, B. valasiana, and B. burgdorferi s.s., and additionally B. miyamotoi. Our results point to a relationship between tick temporal abundance and LB incidence both for adults and nymphs. The high abundance of ticks is positively correlated with the number of LB cases in humans. The tick's abundance may be considered as a major factor in determining the LB risk in southwestern Poland.

Molecular evidence for the presence of Dirofilaria repens in beech marten (Martes foina) from Slovakia.

Herein we present the first finding of Dirofilaria repens, agent of the subcutaneous form of dirofilariosis, in Martes foina. Molecular analyses from the spleen of 3 individuals originated from Tatra National Park, Northern Slovakia, confirmed the presence of D. repens in one of them. Finding of D. repens in beech marten instigates to more intense research on free living carnivores as the potential source of Dirofilaria parasites.