Publication details
Monitoring of alien parasites Ashworthius sidemi and Fascioloides magna in wild ruminants in the Czech republic using real-time PCR
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| Year of publication | 2023 |
| Type | Conference abstract |
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| Description | Infections by non-native parasites can endanger entire native host populations. An example of such a parasite introduced into the Czech Republic is a pathogenic blood-sucking nematode Ashworthius sidemi, which has been imported via the East Asian sika deer (Cervus nippon). Similarly, the liver fluke Fascioloides magna spread to the Czech territory during the introduction of the North American white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Ignorance of the parasite burden and prevalence, coupled with a lack of reliable diagnostic methods, has led to a significant underestimation of the impact of these parasitoses in the past. In fact, invasive species can cause severe to fatal infections especially in new, atypical hosts (e.g., endangered species or farm ruminants) and predisposed individuals (young, sick animals). It has also been confirmed that non-native parasites may displace native parasite species and significantly affect the parasitofauna of native wild ruminants. The aim of this study was: i) to provide a comprehensive insight into the current spread of the invasive parasites Ashworthius sidemi and Fascioloides magna and ii) to reveal impact of these parasites on populations of the endangered European bison (Bison bonasus) and other wild ruminant species (e.g., red deer Cervus elaphus, roe deer Capreolus capreolus, fallow deer Dama dama, and others) in game reserves and hunting grounds in the Czech Republic. To achieve this objective, an intravital diagnostic tool based on molecular detection of parasite DNA directly from animal faeces by real-time PCR was designed and optimised. |
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