A synoptic overview of golden jackal parasites reveals high diversity of species

Abstract

The golden jackal (Canis aureus) is a species under significant and fast geographic expansion. Various parasites are known from golden jackals across their geographic range, and certain groups can be spread during their expansion, increasing the risk of cross-infection with other carnivores or even humans. The current list of the golden jackal parasites includes 194 species and was compiled on the basis of an extensive literature search published from historical times until April 2017, and is shown herein in synoptic tables followed by critical comments of the various findings. This large variety of parasites is related to the extensive geographic range, territorial mobility and a very unselective diet. The vast majority of these parasites are shared with domestic dogs or cats. The zoonotic potential is the most important aspect of species reported in the golden jackal, some of them, such as Echinococcus spp., hookworms, Toxocara spp., or Trichinella spp., having a great public health impact. Our review brings overwhelming evidence on the importance of Canis aureus as a wild reservoir of human and animal parasites.

Prevalence of Toxocara and Toxascaris infection among human and animals in Iran with meta-analysis approach

“…Regarding golden jackal (Canis aureus) moderate prevalence rates of Toxascaris leonina have been reported around the world, such as in Azerbaijan (31.8%), Bulgaria (36%) and Russia (43.5%). The prevalence of T. canis in this wildlife species ranges 40-61% in Asia and 20-54.5% in European countries, whereas T. cati was only detected in jackals dwelling in Russia (5-26%) [49,62]. Considering that there are only 4 golden jackal studies and 2 red fox (Vulpes vulpes) studies, there exist paucity of data on Toxocara/Toxascaris prevalence in wild canine and feline fauna of Iran, which highlights more subtle investigations.…”

High mitochondrial sequence divergence in synanthropic flea species (Insecta: Siphonaptera) from Europe and the Mediterranean

“…Among the flea species of wild carnivores, P. irritans was collected here from the golden jackal. Based on a recent review [ 20 ], the golden jackal was not reported to be a host of P. irritans in central Europe. Thus, the present findings contribute to the increasingly recognized epidemiological significance of this wild carnivore, which has an expanding geographical range in Europe [ 21 ].…”

Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus granulosus in canines in North-Khorasan Province, northeastern Iran, identified using morphology and genetic characterization of mitochondrial DNA

“…In jackals, both E. multilocularis (13.1%) and E. granulosus (3.3%) were found. Infection of this canid with these species of Echinococcus has been reported on multiple occasions and across a wide geographical range [52]. In Iran, infections in jackals with E. multilocularis has been reported from Ardabil Province in the northwest [32] and Razavi Khorasan Province in the northeast of Iran [33].…”

“…In Hungary, the jackal was recently reported as a new host record for E. multilocularis [53]. The jackal is under significant and fast geographical expansion [52] and can migrate long distances through ecological corridors [53]. Since this species is an important definitive host for echinococcosis, it can serve as a potential source of infection to humans and domestic animals in endemic areas.…”