Gastrointestinal parasites in captive wild animals from two Brazilian Zoological Gardens

Abstract

Keeping animals in zoos is important for the preservation of endangered species. However, captive animals can also be affected by different species of parasites. Herein, we aimed to evaluate the occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in wild and exotic animals from two zoos in the state of Sergipe, Northeastern Brazil. Fecal samples were obtained by spontaneous defecation of 287 specimens, grouped into mammals (n = 101), birds (n = 99), and reptiles (n = 87). The samples were assessed using two techniques, Mini-FLOTAC and Ziehl-Neelsen, to identify helminths and protozoa, respectively. In total, 60.2% (173/287) of the animals evaluated were positive for some type of gastrointestinal parasite. Among the classes evaluated, mammals (81.1%; 82/101; p-value <0.0001) were mostly affected, followed by birds (56.6%; 56/99) and reptiles (40.2%; 35/87). Furthermore, our findings showed that the parasites Ancylostomatidae and coccidian oocysts were the most abundant among the species. It is important to highlight the first record of some parasites in species in the South America, such as: Ancylostomatidae in Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) and Brown Bear (Ursus arctos); Toxascaris leonina in Leo (Panthera leo); and Trichostrongyloidea and Ascarididae in Equus quagga burchellii and Lama glama. Taken together, our data showed a high occurrence of gastrointestinal parasites in captive animals, including zoonotic species, which may pose a risk to animal and human public health.

Wild Animals in Captivity: An Analysis of Parasite Biodiversity and Transmission among Animals at Two Zoological Institutions with Different Typologies

“…With a few exceptions noted below, all the intestinal parasites identified in this study have been previously described in captive animals housed in zoological gardens [ 9 , 26 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ]. We should note that this study had some limitations: no specific stainings were performed to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts or microsporidia spores, and the presence of Blastocystis was not routinely investigated.…”

“…We should note that this study had some limitations: no specific stainings were performed to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium oocysts or microsporidia spores, and the presence of Blastocystis was not routinely investigated. These parasites are mostly considered in specific studies, but only Cryptosporidium is sometimes investigated in broad host-range studies in zoos [ 6 , 7 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Another limitation is that no genetic studies have been conducted except in specific cases, thus preventing the precise identification of the species found.…”

Gastrointestinal parasites in wild and exotic animals from a zoo in the State of Bahia, Brazil - first record

“…Coproparasitological assessments in Brazilian zoos are sparse and spaced (Barbosa et al, 2019), with records for the states of Goiás (Melo et al, 2021), São Paulo (Hofstatter & Guaraldo, 2015;Rodrigues et al, 2020), Paraíba (Batista et al, 2021), Paraná (Hofstatter & Guaraldo, 2015;Snak et al, 2017) Rio de Janeiro (Barros et al, 2017;Barbosa et al, 2019), Rio Grande do Sul (Mewius et al, 2021), Santa Catarina (Muller et al, 2005 and Sergipe (Santos et al, 2022).…”

A Importância Da Proteína Dietética No Metabolismo Energético Dos Gatos: Revisão De Literatura

“…Espécies do gênero como M. pachydermatis já foram descritas em felino doméstico tanto na forma comensal como em parasitismo(SILVA et al 2022), como também já foi descrita em animais silvestres, isolados a partir de amostras de pelos de animal facilitando o surgimento de afecções(KHAN et al 2022). Perturbação esta que, manifestam uma relação estreita em animais nesta situação, ainda que, sob o rígido manejo sanitário e ambiente controlado como nos casos de zoológicos, centros de triagens, santuários, dentre outros(BRENER et al 2022;SANTOS (a) et al 2022). Desta forma, investigar a epidemiologia das injúrias que acometem animais silvestres de cativeiro ou vida livre, implica em grande importância para melhor compreender os focos naturais, evidenciando os principais fatores de risco existentes conforme cada ecossistema.…”

“…Aspergillus(SANTOS et al 2022;MARQUES et al 2022; ZUCHI e DOS REIS, 2022;SOUZA et al 2022;SILVEIRA et al 2022;ABREU et al 2022), este protocolo apresentou eficácia satisfatória no tratamento de malasseziose em P. onca melanica. Nesta terapêutica adotada não houve tratamento tópico, uma vez que o exemplar deste estudo apresentava elevada agressividade ao manejo, e dificuldade para administrar medicamentos de apresentação injetável (CZARNIESKI e RIBEIRO, 2020), levando a escolha do tratamento sistêmico por via oral, utilizando a apresentação em cápsula, administrados de forma escondida no interior de uma porção pequena de carne(MALLMANN, 2018).…”