Patterns of intestinal parasite prevalence in brown bears (<i>Ursus arctos</i>) revealed by a 3-year survey on the Shiretoko peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan.

ABSTRACT: This study examined the parasite fauna of wild brown bears and differences in the likelihood of parasite detection by season (summer vs autumn), year, and host factors (sex and age class). From June 2022 to November 2024, 334 fecal samples were collected from the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, and examined for parasites using the centrifugal flotation technique. Fecal DNA analysis and data from a long-term field monitoring survey led to the identification of 49 individuals, which were further classified based on sex and age. Parasites detected in the feces included Uncinaria sp. (35.0% of total samples), Baylisascaris transfuga (13.5%), Dibothriocephalus nihonkaiensis (8.4%), Strongylida (2.7%), Capillariidae (0.6%), and coccidia (0.6%). The prevalence of detect

SUBMITTER: Moriyoshi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11910688 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature