International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife最新文献

{"title":"Epidemiology and risk factors for endoparasite infection in subtropical feral cattle in Hong Kong","authors":"Tania A. Perroux ,&nbsp;Samantha S.Y. Lie ,&nbsp;Alan G. McElligott ,&nbsp;Danchen A. Yang ,&nbsp;Fraser I. Hill ,&nbsp;George M.W. Hodgson ,&nbsp;Wing S. Wong ,&nbsp;Kate J. Flay","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101082","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101082","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding parasite epidemiology is essential for managing endoparasite infections in free-ranging animals. However, such epidemiological knowledge is limited for feral cattle and is usually derived from farmed populations. We assessed endoparasite infection in a feral cattle population in Hong Kong. This population does not receive any routine care or anthelminthic treatment, although some cattle are provisioned with water and hay by local citizens. We assessed three indices of endoparasite infection (parasite richness, prevalence and fecal egg/oocyst count) and their associated risk factors (season, provisioning, marshland access, group size, sex and body condition) in adult cattle.</div><div>We conducted sedimentation, McMaster and coproculture techniques on 262 samples collected from 177 cattle. We identified eleven taxa of nematodes, two taxa of trematodes, one taxon of protozoan and one taxon of cestode. Median parasite richness was two parasite taxa per individual. Trematode infections were the most prevalent (91.22 %), followed by protozoan (67.17 %), nematode (23.22 %) and cestode (12.97 %) infections. Counts averaged 144.85 oocysts per gram for <em>Eimeria</em> oocysts<em>,</em> 20.61 eggs per gram (EPG) for strongyle-type eggs, 11.83 EPG for <em>Moniezia</em> and 1.91 EPG for <em>Trichuris</em>. Provisioned herds were more likely to be infected with <em>Eimeria</em>, but had lower prevalence of <em>Trichostrongylus</em>. <em>Eimeria</em> prevalence and strongyle-type egg counts were higher in the wet season, while <em>Fasciola</em> eggs, <em>Cooperia</em> and <em>Trichostrongylus</em> larvae were more prevalent in the dry season. Larger herds had higher <em>Eimeria</em> oocyst prevalence but lower <em>Fasciola</em> egg prevalence. Marshland access decreased <em>Fasciola</em> egg prevalence while it increased prevalence of <em>Cooperia</em> larvae. Males were more infected with strongyle-type eggs than female cattle.</div><div>We show that the seasonal dynamics of infection and consequences of provisioning differ between endoparasite taxa. Our findings highlight complex interactions between endoparasites and their hosts, providing new insights into wild ruminants’ health and the impacts of anthropogenic provisioning.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101082"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144099759","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fatal babesiosis in a free-ranging iberian wolf co-infected with Hepatozoon canis and Leishmania infantum: Epidemiological implications for the cantabrian wolf population","authors":"Manena Fayos ,&nbsp;Natalia Sastre ,&nbsp;Ana M. Palomar ,&nbsp;Carlos Sacristán ,&nbsp;Irene Sacristán ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Ewbank ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Serrano ,&nbsp;Roser Velarde","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101080","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101080","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Health surveillance of large carnivores, such as the Iberian wolf (<em>Canis lupus signatus</em>), allows the early detection of emerging and established pathogens in natural environments, due to their position in the top of the food chain. In 2022, the carcass of a wild wolf was found in Cantabria, Northwest Spain. A complete post-mortem investigation, including full necropsy, histopathological and molecular analysis concluded that the cause of death was a systemic hemolytic disease caused by <em>Babesia canis</em>. Furthermore, the wolf was co-infected with <em>Hepatozoon canis</em> and <em>Leishmania infantum</em>. Consequently, a molecular investigation of <em>Babesia</em> spp., <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp., <em>Leishmania</em> spp., <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp., <em>Anaplasma</em> spp., and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. was performed in the Cantabrian wolf population (n = 91). The prevalences found were 6.3 % (5/79) for <em>B. canis</em>, 96.3 % (78/81) for <em>H. canis</em>, and 23.8 % (21/88) for <em>L. infantum</em>. None of the wolves were positive to <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp., <em>Anaplasma</em> spp., or <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. The co-infection prevalences were also investigated. To our knowledge, this is the first description of a fatal babesiosis in a wild wolf, as well as the first detection of <em>B. canis</em> and <em>H. canis</em> infection in the Iberian wolf population. We have found a low <em>B. canis</em> prevalence, while the <em>H. canis</em> prevalence is the highest recorded so far. The detection of <em>L. infantum</em> highlights the circulation of this zoonotic pathogen in a non-endemic region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101080"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116312","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Host-related genetic differentiation of a polyxenic avian ectoparasite, Ornithomya avicularia (Hippoboscidae)","authors":"Aleksandra Janiszewska ,&nbsp;Tomasz Rewicz ,&nbsp;Piotr Minias ,&nbsp;Radosław Włodarczyk ,&nbsp;Maciej Kamiński ,&nbsp;Patryk Fiutek ,&nbsp;Dariusz Jakubas ,&nbsp;Jan Rapczyński ,&nbsp;Magdalena Remisiewicz ,&nbsp;Hanna Sztwiertnia ,&nbsp;Maciej Bartos","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101081","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101081","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ectoparasites play a key role in ecosystems, affecting the health, behaviour, and reproductive success of their hosts. The parasite-host relationships are complex and dynamic, and selective pressures exerted by the hosts can lead to local adaptations and changes in the genetic structure of the parasite population. Our aim was to investigate how parasitism on a diverse range of avian hosts with varying ecology and habitat preferences shapes the genetic variation of the parasite. For this purpose, we quantified the genetic structure and differentiation of host-related populations of a common polyxenic avian ectoparasite <em>Ornithomya avicularia</em> (Hippoboscidae, Ornithomyinae), a louse fly species parasitizing various bird species occupying diverse ecological niches. Using 20 polymorphic microsatellite markers, we genotyped louse flies collected from four phylogenetically (passerine and non-passerine) and ecologically (wetland vs. forest) divergent avian hosts caught during autumn migration. Despite the ecological and phylogenetic differences among hosts, the genetic differentiation among louse fly populations was modest, indicating ongoing gene flow. Bayesian clustering and discriminant analysis identified two genetic clusters with relatively weak barriers to gene flow, but this clustering reflected neither phylogenetic nor ecological differences between hosts. We suggest that the high dispersal abilities and the specific reproductive strategy of <em>O. avicularia</em> likely contribute to the genetic homogeneity of its populations across ecologically and phylogenetically distant hosts. This study provides novel insights into the population genetics of an understudied ectoparasite, with implications for understanding host-parasite interactions and disease transmission in avian systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101081"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The epidemiology of a novel Leucocytozoon parasite in an endangered population of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) on the Oregon coast","authors":"Miranda Michlanski ,&nbsp;Jonathan Dachenhaus ,&nbsp;Jennifer Johns ,&nbsp;S. Kim Nelson ,&nbsp;Shannon Phelps ,&nbsp;James W. Rivers ,&nbsp;Daniel D. Roby ,&nbsp;Ethan Woodis ,&nbsp;Kelsey Ryan ,&nbsp;Lindsay J. Adrean ,&nbsp;Justin L. Sanders ,&nbsp;Brianna R. Beechler","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101078","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101078","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasitism is a known cause of morbidity and mortality in wildlife species and may exacerbate population declines in species threatened by changing landscapes. The marbled murrelet (<em>Brachyramphus marmoratus</em>) is an unusual seabird that forages in the ocean but uses trees in old growth and late successional forests for nesting. Populations have declined in some areas due to both changing ocean conditions and reduction in breeding habitat, making it important to consider the impacts of other factors, such as parasites and pathogens, on murrelet health and reproduction. In this study we describe a novel blood parasite (<em>Leucocytozoon marmoratus</em> sp. nov.<em>)</em> found in a murrelet population on the Oregon coast, USA and quantify its prevalence and burden in 374 individuals along the Oregon coast over a 6-year period. Genetic sequencing revealed that the species of <em>Leucocytozoon</em> we identified has a mitochondrial lineage most closely related to a <em>Leucocytozoon</em> found in yellow-eyed penguins (<em>Megadyptes antipodes</em>) of New Zealand. The prevalence of <em>Leucocytozoon</em> in murrelets was 62 % (233/374) and within an infected individual the mean burden of parasitism was 7.1 parasites/100 white blood cells, with substantial variation between individuals (from 1 to 113 parasites/100 white blood cells). Both parasite prevalence and burden varied across years and were higher in years of poorer ocean conditions suggesting that birds experiencing poor conditions may have had reduced ability to fight infection. Male murrelets had significantly lower parasite burdens than females, which may be due to energetic constraints of egg production in breeding females. Importantly, murrelets that did not attempt a nest were associated with higher parasite burdens at the time of capture, perhaps due to correlations between parasitism and systemic health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101078"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144070703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"European Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) as an accidental host of Trypanosoma pestanai","authors":"Lucie Veitova ,&nbsp;Jiri Pikula ,&nbsp;Jan Votýpka ,&nbsp;Petr Linhart ,&nbsp;Vendula Kokesova ,&nbsp;Paulina Maria Lesiczka ,&nbsp;Vladimir Piacek ,&nbsp;Jana Sedlackova ,&nbsp;Anna Sindelarova ,&nbsp;Tomas Heger ,&nbsp;Hana Bandouchova","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101079","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101079","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In Europe, trypanosomes are not considered a serious threat to humans or domestic animals; however, their potential ecological impact on wildlife remains largely unknown. This study investigates presence of trypanosomes in European brown hare (<em>Lepus europaeus</em>) in Czechia, where this species is an important game species and plays a significant role in ecosystems. Using nested PCR targeting 18S rDNA, trypanosome DNA was detected in two of 435 blood samples, representing the first confirmation of trypanosomes in the genus <em>Lepus</em>. Subsequent sequencing identified <em>Trypanosoma pestanai</em>, a species previously reported in the European badger (<em>Meles meles</em>). These findings suggest that <em>T. pestanai</em> may have a broader host range than previously recognized, emphasizing the need for further research into its ecological impact and its potential transmission dynamics in wildlife populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101079"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143929594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of latitude, host body size and host body weight on helminth species richness and abundance in two Neotropical marsupials","authors":"Bruna Silva Cirino ,&nbsp;Sócrates Fraga da Costa Neto ,&nbsp;Thiago dos Santos Cardoso ,&nbsp;Arnaldo Maldonado Júnior ,&nbsp;Rosana Gentile","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101077","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101077","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasite species richness can be influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors of their hosts, such as host body size and latitude. Although these factors have been studied for several taxa, few studies have investigated them for helminths of wild mammals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of host body size, body weight and latitude on the species richness and abundance of the helminths of <em>Didelphis aurita</em> and <em>Didelphis albiventris.</em> Data on helminths and the geographic coordinates of the collection localities of the hosts were obtained from the Collection of Wild Mammal Reservoirs and the database of the Laboratory of Biology and Parasitology of Wild Mammal Reservoirs. The influences of latitude and host body size and body weight on helminth species richness (HSR) and helminth abundance were analysed using linear regressions. We evaluated the effect of latitude on helminth species composition using redundancy analysis followed by ANOVA. The HSR ranged from 1 to 9 for <em>D. aurita</em> and from 1 to 7 for <em>D. albiventris</em>. We found a positive relationship between latitude and total HSR for <em>D. aurita</em> (<em>p</em> = 0.012). The ANOVA revealed the influence of latitudinal variation on the species composition variation of helminths only for <em>D. aurita</em> (<em>p</em> = 0.001). With respect to body size, we did not find a significant relationship between this variable and HSR or abundance for either species. However, we found a positive relationship between host body weight and helminth abundance for <em>D. aurita</em> (<em>p</em> = 0.004). We conclude that the increase in latitude was an explanatory factor for the increasing HSR along infracommunities, contradicting the general pattern of increasing species with decreasing latitude observed in free-living species. Moreover, host intrinsic factors may be more relevant to endoparasite occurrence and development than latitude because they directly influence the parasite niche.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101077"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116313","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diphyllobothrium stemmacephalum infections in harbor porpoises (Phocoena Phocoena) in German waters","authors":"Lotte C. Striewe ,&nbsp;Peter Wohlsein ,&nbsp;Ursula Siebert ,&nbsp;Kristina Lehnert","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101076","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101076","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Harbor porpoises (<em>Phocoena</em>) are definitive hosts for intestinal <em>Diphyllobothrium</em> sp. cestodes, zoonotic parasites with a heterogeneous life cycle and fishes as second intermediate hosts. Prevalence and level of infection of Diphyllobothrium cestodes in 661 dead-found harbor porpoises from the German North and Baltic Seas within a 30-year period were investigated. Molecular species identification of cestodes was carried out, using ribosomal and mitochondrial gene markers. Pathogenic impact of cestodes on intestinal tissue was analyzed by using review of histopathological records. With 18 cestode-infected harbor porpoises, prevalence was low (3 %) in both ecosystems. Infected animals were mostly young and exhibited mild infection levels. Cestode infection did not contribute significantly to cause of death and disease of the infected individuals and histopathological alterations of intestinal tissue were mostly mild. Tapeworms were molecularly identified as <em>D. stemmacephalum</em>. The findings validate past morphological records in the study area for the first time and confirm harbor porpoises as definitive hosts for <em>D. stemmacephalum</em>. <em>D. stemmacephalum</em> can accidentally infect humans. Future research on cetacean definitive host populations and species-specificity as well as life cycle and intermediate host species of <em>D. stemmacephalum</em> is crucial for a risk assessment in the sense of the One Health concept.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101076"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143921568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Drivers and consequences of nest ectoparasite pressure in tit nestlings","authors":"Sofía I. Arce ,&nbsp;Jorge Garrido-Bautista ,&nbsp;Catarina G. Cascão ,&nbsp;Inês S.C. Vilhena ,&nbsp;José Manuel Arjona ,&nbsp;Ana Rita Cabral ,&nbsp;Fábio Marengo ,&nbsp;Joana Girão ,&nbsp;Gregorio Moreno-Rueda ,&nbsp;Jaime A. Ramos ,&nbsp;Ana Cláudia Norte","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101075","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101075","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ectoparasites impose significant costs to their hosts and modulate their life-history traits. We evaluated the prevalence and abundance of louse flies, blowflies, fleas and mites in great tits (<em>Parus major</em>) and blue tits (<em>Cyanistes caeruleus</em>) breeding in nest boxes in Central Portugal during two consecutive breeding seasons and assessed: (a) the potential physiological consequences of infestation for nestlings; (b) how nest box re-use and presence of anthropogenic materials in nests affected the ectoparasite abundance; (c) how host reproductive parameters were related to ectoparasitism; and (d) how different nest-dwelling arthropod groups, including ectoparasites, and their diversity correlated. Tit nestlings reared in nests with more blowflies showed symptoms of anaemia, such as lower haemoglobin levels and high erythrocyte maturation index, and tended to grow less. Nestlings from nests with higher number of obligatory parasitic mites had increased polychromasia, and blue tits tended to have lower probability to fledge. Great tit nestlings from nests with fleas also had increased polychromasia compared with those from non-infested nests. Nest box re-use increased the probability of infestation by louse flies and obligatory parasitic mites. In both tit species, broods that were reared later in the season had higher abundance of blowflies and obligatory parasitic mites in their nests. In great tit nests, anthropogenic materials were negatively correlated with flea abundance, and positively correlated with the abundance of Histeridae coleopterans. In great and blue tit nests, obligatory parasitic mites were less abundant when nests showed a higher abundance of Staphylinidae coleopterans and Collembola. Overall, this study shows strong negative effects of nest ectoparasite pressure, particularly blowflies and obligatory parasitic mites, on physiological and fitness measures of hole nesting birds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101075"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143881767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trypanosoma cruzi in wild mammals from an endemic area of Chagas disease on the coast of Ecuador","authors":"Ana Soto-Vivas ,&nbsp;Alexander Nicolalde ,&nbsp;María Mercedes Gavilanez ,&nbsp;Juan Carlos Benalcázar ,&nbsp;Camila Acosta-López ,&nbsp;Jhocelyn Chiluiza ,&nbsp;María Isabel Calvopiña ,&nbsp;Édison Encalada ,&nbsp;Germán Jacóme ,&nbsp;Jonathan Liria","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101073","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101073","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> is a protozoan parasite that causes Chagas disease, endemic in Ecuador. In the province of Los Ríos, where the vector <em>Triatoma dimidiata</em> is present, vector-borne transmission is considered the primary route of infection. Many mammalian are involved in the transmission cycle of <em>T. cruzi</em>. Nonetheless, significant gaps remain regarding mammalian reservoirs along the Ecuadorian coast, especially in ecologically altered areas. To investigate the role of wild and domestic mammals as hosts, we assessed the presence of <em>T. cruzi</em> in two localities of Quevedo canton. Sampling focused on wild, domestic, and peridomestic mammals using live capture techniques such as mist nets for bats and Sherman and Tomahawk traps for terrestrial mammals. Blood samples were collected from all individuals, and DNA was extracted using a commercial kit. PCR was performed targeting three regions of the <em>T. cruzi</em> genome. In total, 383 mammals were sampled: 66 domestic animals, 6 peridomestic, and 317 wild individuals. Of the wild mammals, 216 were captured in La Virginia 2 and 95 in the Jacome Forest. Four wild individuals tested positive for <em>T. cruzi</em>, including three <em>Glossophaga soricina</em> and one <em>Marmosa simonsi</em>, all collected from La Virginia 2, a peri-urban community. None of the domestic or peridomestic animals were infected. This study reports, for the first time, the infection of <em>M. simonsi</em> with <em>T. cruzi</em>. The presence of positive cases exclusively in an area close to human settlements raises concern about the risk of parasite transmission in transitional landscapes. Transmission cycles of the parasite are known to be influenced by land-use change, deforestation, and host community composition. These factors may alter ecological interactions between vectors and hosts, potentially favoring transmission. Further research is needed in Ecuador to understand how ecosystem alterations shape the sylvatic cycle of <em>T. cruzi</em>, particularly the role of bats in disease maintenance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101073"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143851769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular diagnosis of trypanosomatids in Didelphis marsupialis reveals risk areas for Trypanosoma cruzi transmission and sympatric circulation with T. rangeli in the metropolitan area of Bucaramanga, Santander, Colombia","authors":"Jeiczon Elim Jaimes-Dueñez ,&nbsp;Vladimir Quintero-Sánchez ,&nbsp;Andrea Ardila-Gélvez ,&nbsp;Luz H. Patiño ,&nbsp;Carlos M. Ospina ,&nbsp;Ángela Patricia Jiménez-Leaño ,&nbsp;Ian Sebastián Murcia-Cueto ,&nbsp;Juan David Ramírez","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101072","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101072","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The adaptation of wild animals to urban environments can lead to increased contact with humans and a higher risk of exposure to zoonotic agents. <em>Didelphis marsupialis</em> (common opossum) is an important reservoir of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> and <em>Leishmania</em> spp., which commonly affect human populations in Latin America. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the frequency of trypanosomatid infections and characterize <em>T. cruzi</em> DTUs in common opossums from the Metropolitan Area of Bucaramanga (MAB), Santander, Colombia. A total of 70 individuals from four municipalities (Bucaramanga, Floridablanca, Girón, and Piedecuesta) were analyzed by PCR using blood samples, of which 14.3 % (95 % CI: 7.95–24.3 %) tested positive for trypanosomatids. Next-generation sequencing of 18S and Hsp70 genes in positive samples identified <em>T. cruzi</em> DTU TcI and <em>T. rangeli</em> in nine (12.9 %, 95 % CI: 6.91–22.66 %) and two (2.86 %, 95 % CI: 0.79–9.83 %) samples, respectively, including one case of co-infection (1.43 %, 95 % CI: 0.04–7.7 %). A heatmap revealed a high concentration of <em>T. cruzi</em>-positive cases in peripheral neighborhoods of Bucaramanga adjacent to forested areas. This study confirms the presence of an enzootic transmission cycle of <em>T. cruzi</em> in the MAB, highlighting the role of <em>D. marsupialis</em> as an important reservoir, particularly in peripheral neighborhoods of Bucaramanga. The sympatric circulation of <em>T. cruzi</em> and <em>T. rangeli</em> in opossums from the MAB introduces new epidemiological challenges for Chagas disease control in these areas, emphasizing the need for improved diagnostic strategies to differentiate both parasites in patients and epidemiological studies including vectors and reservoirs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article 101072"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143839074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}