Ectoparasite infestation patterns, haematology and serum biochemistry of urban‐dwelling common brushtail possums

Abstract

Urban environments support high concentrations of humans, domestic pets and introduced animals, creating conditions conducive to the transmission of parasites. This study compared patterns of ectoparasite infestation of the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula in urbanised Sydney (n = 161) to those from a remote woodland site (n = 18) from February 2005 – November 2006. We found diff erences in ectoparasite species prevalence between the two groups: the flea Echidnophaga myrmecobii was only found on urban possums and the tick Ixodes trichosuri was much more prevalent in the urban habitat, while the mite Atellana papilio was more prevalent on woodland possums. E. myrmecobii and I. trichosuri diff ered from other ectoparasites by showing an association with host sex and host age. Potential physiological costs of ectoparasitism to urban‐dwelling possums were determined using multivariate analysis of haematology, serum biochemistry and body condition. Changes in serum iron levels were seen in the presence of both the tick Ixodes trichosuri and the flea E. myrmecobii, and E. myrmecobii was associated with elevated serum levels of the liver enzyme ALT. However, ectoparasite‐related changes in haematology and serum biochemistry were not indicative of long‐term pathology. In this urban possum population, the costs of ectoparasitism appear to be limited and unlikely to pose a major threat to the health of the population.

Parasitic infections of brushtail possums Trichosurus vulpecula in urbanised environments and bushland in the greater Perth region, Western Australia

“…The higher tick infection prevalence identified in possums in bushland compared to urbanised environments in this study contrasts to findings of tick parasitism between brushtail possums in urban Sydney and a New South Wales bushland population (Webster et al 2014), and may reflect a variety of environmental and brushtail possum population heterogeneities between the states and locations. For example, brushtail possum population density is thought to be substantially higher in urban Sydney than it is in urban Perth.…”

“…Current knowledge of parasitic infections in brushtail possums inhabiting urbanised environments in Australia is limited to studies focussed on the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii (Eymann et al 2006, Hill et al 2008a, Neospora caninum (Eymann et al 2006) and Cryptosporidium spp. (Hill et al 2008b) in urban Sydney, and ectoparasites on brushtail possums in a zoological park and surrounds in Sydney (Webster et al 2014). There is currently limited published information regarding parasites infecting brushtail possums in Western Australia (Viggers and Spratt 1995, Obendorf et al 1998, Adams 2003, Thompson et al 2010, Clarke 2011, and no studies have investigated parasites of brushtail possums in urban areas of the state.…”

Molecular surveillance of piroplasms in ticks from small and medium-sized urban and peri-urban mammals in Australia

“…As a consequence, there is potential for humans to interact with these possums, and indirectly with their ticks. Unlike their rural counterparts, urban possums have been reported to host more than three ectoparasites species, and can have significant tick infestations ( Webster et al, 2014 ; Hillman et al, 2017 ). In these environments, possums frequently inhabit food spaces in homes and damage gardens ( Hill et al, 2007 ).…”

Ectoparasites associated with a Great Horned Owl nesting population in fragmented landscape of Baja California peninsula, México

“…It has been also found that the variations in the level of infestation seem to be correlated with temperature and humidity, climate and age of hosts (Young et al, 1993;Skoruppa et al, 2006). For instance, prevalence of parasites and intensity of infestation in wild animals may be affected by habitat loss and fragmentation (Collinge, 2009), because host individuals concentrate in smaller areas than in continuous habitat, then favoring the exchange and transmission between hosts, and survival of ectoparasites as well (Greer & Collins, 2008;Lüdtke et al, 2013;Webstern et al, 2014).…”