International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife最新文献

{"title":"Gastrointestinal parasites of harbour seal (Phoca vitulina L.) in Danish marine waters: Prevalence, abundance, intensity and reproductive potential","authors":"Kaan Kumas,&nbsp;Carlota Marola Fernandez Gonzalez,&nbsp;Per Walter Kania,&nbsp;Kurt Buchmann","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101066","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101066","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Populations of harbour seal (<em>Phoca vitulina</em>) in Danish marine areas have increased markedly during recent decades, but their associated parasite populations have remained unknown. In February 2024 we collected 13 harbour seals from the western part of Limfjorden (Denmark), a marine area connecting the North Sea with the Kattegat Sea. The animals were subjected to a parasitological examination (including morphological and molecular methods), which confirmed that this seal species acts as a definitive hosts for the gastrointestinal nematodes <em>Contracaecum osculatum s.s.</em>, <em>Anisakis simplex</em>, <em>Phocanema decipiens s.s.</em> and <em>P. krabbei</em>; all nematodes were at prevalences of 100 %. The seals also harboured the intestinal acanthocephalan <em>Corynosoma strumosum</em> (100 % prevalence) and the cestode <em>Dibothriocephalus schistochilus</em> (7.7 % prevalence). The nematode intensities ranged from 4 to 1790 individuals per host, whereas acanthocephalans occurred in lower numbers (range 4–222 per host) and a single seal was infected with three cestodes. The reproductive potential of the nematodes was evaluated by counting mature eggs in female worms, which indicated that each of the female worms could release between 7202 and 72,810 eggs per day. Infection intensities revealed that a single harbour seal on average releases more than 3 × 10⁵ eggs per day. In more heavily infected seals, the potential release of anisakid eggs to the environment exceeds 2.4 × 10⁶ eggs per day, each of which, after hatching and invasion of the first paratenic host, represents a potential infection risk for fish and humans. Some of the anisakid parasites are potentially infective to human consumers, and we discuss the potential spread of infection to fish and humans at different infection levels and seal population sizes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101066"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143768407","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological and molecular identification of amphistomes of wild ruminants from selected conservancies of Matebeleland region of Zimbabwe","authors":"Madeline Siyazisiwe Sibula ,&nbsp;Mokgadi Pulane Malatji ,&nbsp;Ignore Nyagura ,&nbsp;Pinky Ndlovu ,&nbsp;Thulani Jele ,&nbsp;Mukhululi Ndlovu ,&nbsp;Samson Mukaratirwa","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101065","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101065","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Amphistomosis is a poorly understood trematode disease of domestic and wild ruminants whose effect has been underestimated. To date, there is limited information on the taxonomic status of amphistome species, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa which is home to diverse species infecting domestic and wild ruminants. In view of this, a survey was conducted in wildlife conservancies and national parks located in Beitbridge, Nyamandlovu, and Hwange in the Matebeleland region of Zimbabwe during the 2019–2021 game hunting seasons. Gastrointestinal tract of 329 carcasses of wild ruminants were examined for amphistome infections and 33/329 (10 %) of the animals were infected and the highest prevalence per locality was in Hwange (35 %; 7/20). A high prevalence of 63 % was recorded in <em>Kobus ellipsiprymnus</em> (waterbuck) from Beitbridge, accompanied with a high parasitic burden of more than 10 000 parasites per animal. The lowest parasitic burden was observed in <em>Connochaetes taurinus taurinus</em> (blue wildebeest) and <em>Hippotragus niger</em> (sable), each with less than 10 amphistomes. A total of 86 amphistome specimens from <em>Syncerus caffer</em> (African buffalo) (n = 27), <em>Aepyceros melampus</em> (impala) (n = 17), <em>Tragelaphus strepsiceros</em> (kudu) (n = 16), waterbuck (n = 10), sable (n = 7), <em>Redunca arundinum</em> (reedbuck) (n = 7), and <em>Connochaetes taurinus taurinus</em> (blue wildebeest) (n = 2) were randomly selected for morphological and molecular identification. Using a combination of both histological technique and ITS-2 rDNA marker, the following seven amphistome species were identified; <em>Leiperocotyle (L.) gretillati, Calicophoron (C.) microbothrium</em>, <em>C. raja</em>, <em>C. clavula</em>, <em>C. phillerouxi, Gigantocotyle</em> (<em>Gi</em>.) <em>symmeri</em>, and <em>Gastrothylax</em> (<em>G.</em>) <em>crumenifer</em> which are pouched amphistome species. <em>Orthocoelium dicranocoelium</em> identification was based on morphological characters only. Although the ITS-2 is a widely used marker, it may not be useful in discriminating cryptic species in the <em>Calicophoron</em> genus. <em>Orthocoelium (O.) dicranocoelium</em>, <em>G. crumenifer and L. gretillati</em> are first records in wild ruminants in Zimbabwe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101065"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143791148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Renal myxosporidiosis by an unknown Bivalvulidan myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (Emydura macquarii) in Australia","authors":"Zachary Low ,&nbsp;Telleasha L. Greay ,&nbsp;Swaid Abdullah ,&nbsp;Phoebe A. Chapman ,&nbsp;Viviana Gonzalez-Astudillo","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101061","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101061","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This case series provides the first published record of a myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (<em>Emydura macquarii</em>) in Australia. Thirteen turtles were captured for an eco-toxicology study and underwent postmortem examinations. From these, three were found to have interstitial nephritis and spores within the affected renal tubules. Molecular characterisation was performed with PCR which yielded positive results for myxozoan DNA in the three infected samples. DNA sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 18S rRNA sequences positioned the unknown species in a distinct clade, closely related to, but separate from, histozoic clades II and III. This discovery contributes significantly to the understanding of myxozoan diversity and ecology, highlighting a potential new threat to the health of Murray River turtle populations and possibly other aquatic reptiles. The discovery of this myxozoan species not only broadens the known host range of myxozoans but also raises concerns about the conservation of affected turtle populations due to its possible pathogenic nature.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101061"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143735005","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sarcoptic mange in a guanaco (Lama guanicoe) of northwestern Argentina: Clinical, histopathological and molecular studies","authors":"Fabiana E. Sosa ,&nbsp;Melina Anello ,&nbsp;Hebe del Valle Ferreyra ,&nbsp;Diego M. Medina ,&nbsp;Juan F. Micheloud ,&nbsp;Hugo M. Borsetti ,&nbsp;Nancy Hernández ,&nbsp;Mónica Florin-Christensen ,&nbsp;Sandra R. Romero","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101062","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sarcoptic mange, caused by the mite <em>Sarcoptes scabiei</em>, is a highly contagious and potentially fatal skin disease that affects a wide range of mammals, including South American Camelids (SAC). Although the presence of mange has been described in vicuñas and llamas in northwestern Argentina, there are no previous records documenting its presence in guanacos (<em>Lama guanicoe</em>) of this region. We here describe a case of <em>S. scabiei</em> in a free-ranging guanaco in the Department of Tilcara, Jujuy Province. The animal presented alopecic, erythematous and hyperkeratotic lesions with abundant crusts in the ventral region of the body and limbs. Histopathology revealed periadnexal dermatitis with inflammatory infiltrate, severe hyperemia, orthokeratotic and parakeratotic epidermal hyperplasia, and stratum corneum thickening. The etiological agent was identified as <em>S. scabiei</em> by microscopic examination of adult mites. This result was confirmed by sequencing of a cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene fragment, that showed 100 % identity with sequences of isolates from SAC and other mammals. Genotyping of three mites isolated from different parts of the guanaco's body using a set of ten microsatellite markers indicated the infection with a single genetic variant that showed a similar profile to those found in <em>S. scabiei</em> isolates from vicuñas and llamas of the same region. However, genetic differences with guanaco isolates from midwestern Argentina were observed. This work presents the first record of sarcoptic mange in a guanaco in Jujuy Province and in the northwestern region of Argentina, as well as the molecular characterization of the etiological agent. The case highlights an uncertain scenario regarding the health situation of the guanaco population in this region, which is small, fragmented, and locally categorized as endangered. Epidemiological surveillance programs for guanacos and further research on the impact of sarcoptic mange on the conservation of this species are needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101062"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143785454","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exposure of Eurasian blackbird (Turdus merula) to Toxoplasma gondii in an urban area in Thuringia, Germany","authors":"Mike Heddergott ,&nbsp;Rainer Hunold ,&nbsp;Natalia Osten-Sacken","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101060","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101060","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is a zoonotic, globally distributed, obligate intracellular protozoan. Within the context of the ‘One Health’ approach, studies on toxoplasmosis are essential as it affects humans as well as domestic and wild animals, including birds. The Eurasian blackbird (<em>Turdus merula</em>) is one of the most common songbird species in Germany and previous studies have shown that they can be infected with <em>T. gondii</em>. The aim of the present study was to analyze <em>T. gondii</em> exposure in an urban blackbird population in Germany. Between 2018 and 2022, we collected fresh blackbird carcasses from an urban population in Heilbad Heiligenstadt, a small town in the German state of Thuringia. Altogether 112 blackbirds were analyzed for the presence of antibodies using a commercial indirect modified agglutination test (MAT) and parasite DNA (qPCR; brain and heart). The present study reports a high <em>T. gondii</em> seroprevalence as antibodies were detected in 50.9 % (57/112; 95 % CI: 41.6–60.2 %) of the urban blackbirds. However, <em>T. gondii</em> DNA was not detected in any of the samples analyzed. Body weight was identified as a risk factor, with heavier birds, both juveniles and adults, being more likely to test positive. Additionally, there was a significant interaction between body weight and sex. Our results suggest that <em>T. gondii</em> infection is widespread in the urban blackbird population, indicating a high parasite circulation in the environment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101060"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143760576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Statewide surveillance of tick-borne pathogens in ticks collected in Delaware using novel multiplex PCR assays","authors":"Michael H. Buoni ,&nbsp;Ashley C. Kennedy ,&nbsp;Virginia Hughes ,&nbsp;Esther Biswas-Fiss","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101058","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101058","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne pathogens are responsible for most vector-borne human diseases in the United States. With the growing recognition of tick-borne diseases and the expanding range of ticks, it is imperative to understand which pathogens, and in what prevalence, are carried by tick species in areas populated by humans. Few studies exist surveying the presence and distribution of tick-borne pathogens in the state of Delaware. The goal of this study was to create multiplex real-time PCR assays to identify <em>Borrelia burgdorferi sensu stricto, Babesia microti, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia chaffeensis,</em> and <em>Ehrlichia ewingii</em> from their respective tick vectors collected across the state of Delaware.</div><div>Two multiplex, real-time PCR assays were developed and tested on 1027 ticks comprising <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> and <em>Amblyomma americanum</em>, two species of ticks commonly encountered in Delaware. The results showed that in a sample of 500 <em>Ixodes scapularis</em> ticks, 30.20 % were positive for <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, 2.60 % were positive for <em>Babesia microti</em>, and 1 % were positive for <em>Anaplasma phagocytophilum</em>. Testing of 527 <em>A. americanum</em> ticks showed that 4.74 % were positive for <em>E. chaffeensis</em> and 1.14 % were positive for <em>E. ewingii</em>. These findings suggest that these five tick-borne pathogens are present across the state of Delaware and therefore pose a risk to the public.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101058"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host personality and seasonal parasitism risk do not account for egg rejection behavior in the azure-winged magpie","authors":"Xingyi Jiang ,&nbsp;Wei Liang ,&nbsp;Yanyun Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101056","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101056","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Brood parasitism reduces the reproductive success of hosts and many host birds have evolved a range of anti-parasitism strategies, including egg recognition and egg rejection. Recent studies have shown that host egg rejection behavior can vary according to personality traits and parasitism risk. However, these relationships have not been clearly determined. The aim of this study was to further investigate the influence of seasonal parasitism pressure and host personality traits on egg rejection behavior in the azure-winged magpie (<em>Cyanopica cyanus</em>). Our results showed no significant difference in the proportion of egg rejection between hosts with low (before the arrival of cuckoos) and high (after the arrival of cuckoos) parasitism pressure. In addition, no significant difference was detected in the proportion of egg rejection between bold individuals (shorter flight initiation distance, FID) and shy individuals (longer FID). We hypothesized that the relatively weak effect of the presence or absence of cuckoos on this species could be attributed to their inherently strong egg recognition abilities. Moreover, the quantification of host behavior along a single personality axis (boldness-shyness) may be insufficient to capture behavioral differences that arise from the combined effects of various personality traits. Our study provides novel insights into the influence of seasonal parasitism risk and personality traits on host egg rejection behavior.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101056"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143682784","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acanthostomum yahuarcaquense n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) infecting the intestine of an aquatic coral snake, Micrurus surinamensis (Cuvier, 1817) (Serpentes: Elapidae) from the flooded rainforest habitat of the Yahuarcaca Lake System (Amazon River, Colombia) and phylogenetic analysis of Cryptogonimidae","authors":"Kamila Cajiao-Mora ,&nbsp;John H. Brule ,&nbsp;Haley R. Dutton ,&nbsp;José Rancés Caicedo-Portilla ,&nbsp;Stephen A. Bullard","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101055","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101055","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We herein describe <em>Acanthostomum yahuarcaquense</em> Cajiao-Mora and Bullard n. sp. (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae) based on specimens we collected from the intestine of an aquatic coral snake, <em>Micrurus surinamensis</em> (Cuvier, 1817) (Serpentes: Elapidae) captured within the flooded rainforest habitat of the Yahuarcaca Lake System (Amazon River) Leticia, Amazonas, Colombia. We assign the new species to <em>Acanthostomum</em> Looss, 1899because it lacks a gonotyl and has an elongate body, spinose tegument, funnel-shaped oral sucker with circumoral spines, ceca each having a posterolateral and nearly terminal pore, and excretory vesicle arms reaching anteriad to the pharynx. The new species differs from its 19 accepted congeners by having 24–30 circumoral spines (vs. fewer than 20 or aspinose), a vitellarium extending from the anterior margin of the ovary to the posterior half of the body (vs. from testis or ovary but ending in anterior half of body), and paired elongate, symmetrical ceca each having an anal pore (vs. asymmetrical ceca, a single cecum, or lacking anal pores). Our <em>28S</em> phylogenetic analysis recovered a paraphyletic <em>Acanthostomum</em> (including <em>Neocladocystis</em> spp. and <em>Tanganyikatrema fusiforme</em> Kmentová, Georgieva, and Bray, 2020; both Cryptogonimidae) within a clade sister to other cryptogonimids. We discuss the implications of using nonugens and excessively short nucleotide sequences to compare species and to test phylogenetic relationships. Regarding advancing the systematics of the family, we discuss oral sucker shape and position, circumoral spine distribution, tegumental spine distribution, ceca symmetry, anal pore presence/absence and position, and gonotyl presence/absence and position as useful genus-level features. Many of these features remain indeterminate for several species. This is the first published study of a parasite infecting a tetrapod in the Yahuarcaca Lake System, first to record a parasite infecting a coral snake (<em>Micrurus</em> spp.) in Colombia, and only the second trematode species reported from the aquatic coral snake.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101055"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143704229","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demodex galagoensis sp. nov. (Acariformes: Demodecidae) from the Senegal bushbaby Galago senegalensis in the light of the current understanding of the demodecid mite fauna of primates, with notes on a case report","authors":"Joanna N. Izdebska ,&nbsp;Leszek Rolbiecki ,&nbsp;Łukasz Skomorucha","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Demodecidae fauna of primates is very poorly known, not only with regard to its host range, but also the possibility of the co-occurrence of different mite species in individual host species. So far, only seven species, from five host species, have been described from primates, including five species identified in three species from the suborder Haplorrhini, including <em>Demodex brevis</em>, <em>D. folliculorum</em>, which are associated with humans, in whom they can cause various disease symptoms. The three remaining species have been found only once in captivity: in the rhesus macaque <em>Macaca mulatta</em>, the Guianan squirrel monkey <em>Saimiri sciureus</em> and the red-handed tamarin <em>Saguinus midas</em>. However, two species were found in one representative of the suborder Strepsirrhini, the moholi bushbaby <em>Galago moholi</em> from Rwanda. A new species, <em>Demodex galagoensis</em> sp. nov, has now been described from the Senegal bushbaby <em>Galago senegalensis</em>, kept as a pet; the demodecid mites caused disease symptoms in the skin of the head. Studies highlight the importance of coordinating veterinary examinations with correct identification and taxonomic analyses; such an approach contributes new data to our understanding of biodiversity, and consequently, correct identification is an important factor in the development of effective treatment methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101053"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143593452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Different drivers, same tick: Effect of host traits, habitat, and climate on the infestation of three rodent species by larval Dermacentor ticks","authors":"Gabriel P. Andrade-Ponce ,&nbsp;Brandi G. Giles ,&nbsp;Brent C. Newman ,&nbsp;Andrés M. López-Pérez ,&nbsp;Cord B. Eversole","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne diseases (TBDs) pose a growing concern for public and wildlife health. Understanding how host traits and environmental factors influence tick infestation in small mammals is critical for improving TBD management strategies. We investigated the presence and load of <em>Dermacentor</em> spp. Larvae on three rodent species: <em>Peromyscus leucopus, Sigmodon hispidus,</em> and <em>Onychomys leucogaster</em>, in the arid brushland ecosystem of South Texas. We used generalized linear models to quantify how host, habitat structure, and climatic variables impact tick presence and load. Our results show that different drivers influenced tick infestation across species; <em>O. leucogaster</em> experienced higher tick loads in smaller individuals and habitats with more leaf litter, whereas for <em>P. leucopus,</em> infestation was determined by the reproductive state and sex of the host as well as larval activity throughout the year. None of the variables measured in this study adequately explained the presence and parasite load in <em>S. hispidus</em>. These findings highlight the importance of considering species-specific interactions between host traits and environmental factors for understanding the dynamics of ticks infestation in rodents. Our results contribute to a growing body of evidence on the complexity of tick-rodent host dynamics and offer insights for predicting changes in parasitism patterns and managing wildlife health in response to a changing environment in South Texas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101054"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143579143","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}