Parasite Spillover from Domestic Sheep to Wild Reindeer-The Role of Salt Licks.

ABSTRACT: Attraction sites are important for environmental pathogen transmission and spillover. Yet, their role in wildlife disease dynamics is often poorly substantiated. Herein, we study the role of salt licks as potential attraction sites for the spillover of gastrointestinal parasites from domestic sheep to wild reindeer. Eggs from the introduced sheep nematode Nematodirus battus were found in faecal samples of both species, suggestive of spillover. DNA metabarcoding of soil, collected at salt licks, revealed that N. battus, in addition to Teladorsagia circumcincta, were the most frequently occurring parasitic nematodes, with a significantly higher prevalence of nematodal DNA in salt lick soil compared to soil from control sites nearby. The finding of similar DNA haplotypes

SUBMITTER: Utaaker KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9959430 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature