Helminth diversity and seasonality of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in hedgehogs from Mallorca.

ABSTRACT: Sentinel surveillance plays a critical role in monitoring pathogen circulation, assessing potential threats for species conservation, and evaluating the risk of spillover to human populations. This study provides a comprehensive exploration of helminth parasites in the Mediterranean-distributed hedgehog species Atelerix algirus in Mallorca, Balearic Islands. Using an integrated approach that combines necropsies and morphological and molecular identifications using the COI gene, we identified 11 helminth taxa in 135 hedgehogs, representing half of those that died at the local wildlife hospital in Mallorca between 2019 and 2022. We report an overall A. cantonensis prevalence of 11.5% and confirm the first case of a subclinical neuroangiostrongyliasis infection in a wildlife host. Infection p

SUBMITTER: Delgado-Serra S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11540299 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature