Back to Search Start Over

European Hares, Lepus europaeus, Represent a Reservoir Host for Thelazia callipaeda in Romania

Authors :
Vlad-Dan Cotuțiu
Andrei Daniel Mihalca
Katarzyna Anna Hołówka
Angela Monica Ionică
Cristina Daniela Cazan
Călin Mircea Gherman
Source :
Pathogens; Volume 11; Issue 11; Pages: 1225
Publication Year :
2022
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2022.

Abstract

Thelaziosis caused by Thelazia callipaeda is an emerging disease in Europe. Only two reports of naturally infected lagomorphs have been published so far. The aim of this study was to evaluate the status of the Romanian populations of European brown hares, Lepus europaeus as reservoir hosts for T. callipaeda. Between November 2019 and November 2021, the eyes of 326 L. europaeus carcasses were examined for the presence of ocular parasites. Nematodes were stored in plastic vials with physiological saline, followed by morphological and molecular identification. QGis 3.20 and EpiInfoTM 7 were used for mapping and statistical analysis. Four (1.23%) hares harbored T. callipaeda infection, with a total of 84 nematodes collected (mean intensity 21 nematodes/host), with 45 males, 39 females (two sexually immature, seven with only eggs, and 30 with eggs and larvae). One specimen from each host was successfully sequenced resulting in a 100% similarity with several other sequences of T. callipaeda haplotype 1. Statistical analysis revealed no significant results. The current study represents a first report of T. callipaeda in the European brown hare in Romania, and the second in Europe, also reiterating the role of lagomorphs as reservoir hosts for this zoonotic ocular nematode.

Details

ISSN :
20760817
Volume :
11
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Pathogens
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....d8e9ff54b8ab2c08f0922ec70bed27cb
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11111225