Trichuris spp. in Animals, with Specific Reference to Neo-Tropical Rodents

Abstract

Trichuriasis is the clinical disease of animals infected with the parasite of the genus Trichuris. This review attempts to present information on Trichuris spp. infestation in neo-tropical rodents that are utilized for meat consumption by humans. Neo-tropical rodents utilized for meat production can be divided into two categories: those that have been domesticated, which include the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), and those that are on the verge of domestication, such as the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), lappe (Cuniculus paca/Agouti paca), and agouti (Dasyprocta leporina). This document reviews the literature on the species of Trichuris that affects the rodents mentioned above, as well as the clinical signs observed. The literature obtained spans over sixty years, from 1951 to 2020. Trichuris spp. was found in these neo-tropical rodents mentioned. However, there is a dearth of information on the species of Trichuris that parasitize these animals. The capybara was the only rodent where some molecular techniques were used to identify a new species named T. cutillasae. In most cases, Trichuris spp. was found in combination with other endoparasites, and was found at a low prevalence in the lappe and guinea pig. The presence of Trichuris spp. ranged from 4.62–53.85% in the agouti, 4.21–10.00% in the lappe, 50% in the capybaras, and 1–31% in guinea pigs. Further work must be done towards molecular identification of various Trichuris spp. present in these rodents, as well as the clinical effect of infection on the performance of agouti, lappe, capybara, and guinea pigs.

Prevalences and characteristics of Trichuris spp. infection in sheep in pastoral areas of the Tianshan, Xinjiang, China

“…The prevalences of Trichuris species and their infection intensities in sheep were investigated in the northern Xinjiang region. Existing studies have confirmed that there are approximately 24 species of Trichuris which parasitise ruminants (11,26,27). In this epidemiological survey, 6 documented species and 1 undefined species of Trichuris were found in sheep in Xinjiang and characterised.…”

“…In the present study, distinguishing Trichuris females corresponding to each species of male was difficult because of coinfection with several species. Therefore, females were not identified in this study, and the identification of Trichuris species was based on the key characteristics of the reproductive organs of adult males as is common practice (6,11,15,20). Studies have revealed that the features such as the body length, the whip length to body length proportion, the length of the spicule and its sheath, and the morphometric characteristics of the spines of the spicule sheath are of high discriminatory value in differentiating Trichuris species (6,11).…”

“…The morphological identification of Trichuris spp. was based on the size of the adult male worm, the ratio of whip to body, the length of the copulatory spine, and the shape and size of the spiny sheath (6,11,20,22,26,27). All individuals of Trichuris spp.…”

“…The Trichuris genus includes several species such as T. trichiura, T. suis and T. vulpis, which can infect humans and various animals and are rightfully accorded medical and veterinary importance (9,11,14,18). Since Roederer first named the genus in 1761, so far at least 24 Trichuris species have been documented in ruminants (26,27).…”

Trichuriasis in Selected Deer (Cervidae) Species: A Geographical Perspective

“…present in its gastrointestinal tract but the species was not identified. Further to this, Jones [2] reviewed Trichuris spp. found in rodents.…”