High Prevalence and Genetic Variability of Hepatozoon canis in Grey Wolf ( Canis lupus L. 1758) Population in Serbia

Wild canids are globally recognised as hosts and reservoirs of a large number of ecto- and endoparasites. Data that reveal the importance of the grey wolf ( L.1758) in the spread of hepatozoonosis are very scarce. There are a large number of different potential host species that can be infected by ,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animals (Basel) 2022-11, Vol.12 (23), p.3335
Main Authors: Kuručki, Milica, Tomanović, Snežana, Sukara, Ratko, Ćirović, Duško
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal populations
Animal species
Arachnids
Canidae
Canis lupus
Carnivores
Disease
Endoparasites
Epidemiology
Females
Genetic analysis
Genetic diversity
Genetic variability
grey wolf
Grooming
Hepatozoon
Hepatozoon canis
Heterogeneity
Ingestion
Laboratories
Nucleotides
Parasites
Pathogens
Populations
Serbia
Software
Spleen
Vector-borne diseases
Wolves
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Wild canids are globally recognised as hosts and reservoirs of a large number of ecto- and endoparasites. Data that reveal the importance of the grey wolf ( L.1758) in the spread of hepatozoonosis are very scarce. There are a large number of different potential host species that can be infected by , but the most common are domestic and wild carnivores, such as dogs, jackals, foxes, and wolves. In this study, the epidemiological significance of the grey wolf as a host for the pathogen was analysed for the first time in Serbia, as well as the genetic variability of . The presence of in wolf spleens has been demonstrated using molecular methods. A total of 107 wolf spleen samples from 30 localities in Serbia were analysed. The presence of was confirmed in 62 (57.94%) individuals from 26 out of 30 localities. According to the analysis, the sampled sequences were found to be characterised by a certain heterogeneity. Based on five mutated nucleotide sites in the sequences, could be divided into five sequence types, S1 to S5. The five sequence types can potentially circulate in grey wolf populations as well as among other domestic and wild canids. This study is the first confirmation of the presence of in grey wolf populations in Serbia. Considering that the role of this vector-borne disease is poorly researched in wild carnivores, it is very important to indicate the role of this species in the circulation of this pathogen in natural ecosystems.
ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani12233335