Back to Search
Start Over
Nemabiome metabarcoding shows a high prevalence of Haemonchus contortus and predominance of Camelostrongylus mentulatus in alpaca herds in the northern UK.
- Source :
-
Parasitology research [Parasitol Res] 2024 May 03; Vol. 123 (5), pp. 201. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 May 03. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a common threat faced by pastoral livestock. Since their major introduction to the UK in the early 1990s, South American camelids have been cograzed with sheep, horses, and other livestock, allowing exposure to a range of GIN species. However, there have been no molecular-based studies to investigate the GIN populations present in these camelids. In the current study, we sampled nine alpaca herds from northern England and southern Scotland and used high-throughput metabarcoded sequencing to describe their GIN species composition. A total of 71 amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) were identified representing eight known GIN species. Haemonchus contortus was the most prevalent species found in almost all herds in significant proportions. The identification of H. contortus in other livestock species is unusual in the northern UK, implying that alpacas may be suitable hosts and potential reservoirs for infection in other hosts. In addition, the camelid-adapted GIN species Camelostrongylus mentulatus was identified predominantly in herds with higher faecal egg counts. These findings highlight the value of applying advanced molecular methods, such as nemabiome metabarcoding to describe the dynamics of gastrointestinal nematode infections in novel situations. The results provide a strong base for further studies involving cograzing animals to confirm the potential role of alpacas in transmitting GIN species between hosts.<br /> (© 2024. The Author(s).)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Prevalence
DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic
United Kingdom epidemiology
Strongylida Infections veterinary
Strongylida Infections parasitology
Strongylida Infections epidemiology
Feces parasitology
England epidemiology
Scotland epidemiology
Camelids, New World parasitology
Haemonchus genetics
Haemonchus classification
Haemonchus isolation & purification
Haemonchiasis veterinary
Haemonchiasis parasitology
Haemonchiasis epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1432-1955
- Volume :
- 123
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Parasitology research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 38698272
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-024-08226-w