Coprological prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in carnivores and small mammals at Dhaka zoo, Bangladesh

Nurjahan Begum,Anita Rani Dey,Uzzal Kumar Kundu,M.M Rokib Ur Raja,Faishal Al Ashad

doi:10.11609/jott.o3569.5574-9

Abstract

A study on the coprological prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites using 94 faecal samples from different carnivores (n=32) and small mammals (n=15) was undertaken from January to May 2012 at Dhaka Zoo. The overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 78.72%, with a prevalence of 51.06% for helminths and 27.66% for protozoa. The identified parasites includedâ€”Toxascaris leonina (9.57%), Balantidium coli (25.53%) Spirometra sp. (10.64%), Toxocara cati (12.76%), Hook worm (4.26%), unidentified strongyles (3.19%), Trichuris sp. (7.45%), Coccidia sp. (2.12%), Capillaria sp. (1.06%), Trichostrongylus sp. (1.06%), and Physaloptera sp. (1.06%). Mixed infection was observed in Indian Lion (Toxascaris leonina and Spirometra sp.), Royal Bengal Tiger (Balantidium coli and Toxocara cati), Spotted Hyena (Balantidium coli and hook worm), Leopard (Balantidium coli and Spirometra/I> sp.), Rhesus Macaque (Trichuris sp. and Coccidia sp.), Pig-tailed Macaque (Balantidium coli and Trichuris sp.), Hamadryas Baboon (Balantidium coli and Trichuris sp.), Golden Mangabey (Trichuris sp., Balantidium coli and unidentified strongyles), Large Indian Civet (Balantidium coli and unidentified strongyles), Torior Dog (Balantidium coli and Physaloptera), Rabbit (Balantidium coli and Hook worm), Hanuman Langur (Balantidium coli and Capillaria sp.). Due to the high prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites, the present study suggests to apply control measures against these parasites in order to safeguard the health of housed wild animals, especially in case of threatened species.

Highlights

The results indicated that helminthic infections were more common than protozoan infections in carnivores and small mammals
The highest eggs per gram (EPG) was found in Leopard for Spirometra sp. as 6200
In this study we found 78.72% of the faceal samples infected with parasites

Summary

Introduction

ĎƐƚƌĂĐƚ ƐƚƵĚLJ ŽŶ ƚŚĞ ĐŽƉƌŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŐĂƐƚƌŽŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĂů ƉĂƌĂƐŝƚĞƐ ƵƐŝŶŐ εκ ĨĂĞĐĂů ƐĂŵƉůĞƐ ĨƌŽŵ ĚŝīĞƌĞŶƚ ĐĂƌŶŝǀŽƌĞƐ ;ŶсϯϮͿ ĂŶĚ ƐŵĂůů ŵĂŵŵĂůƐ ;ŶсϭρͿ ǁĂƐ ƵŶĚĞƌƚĂŬĞŶ ĨƌŽŵ :ĂŶƵĂƌLJ ƚŽ DĂLJ ϮϬϭϮ Ăƚ ŚĂŬĂ ŽŽ dŚĞ ŽǀĞƌĂůů ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ƉĂƌĂƐŝƟĐ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ϳΘϳϮй ǁŝƚŚ Ă ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ρϭϬςй ĨŽƌ ŚĞůŵŝŶƚŚƐ ĂŶĚ Ϯϳςςй ĨŽƌ ƉƌŽƚŽnjŽĂ dŚĞ ŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚ ƉĂƌĂƐŝƚĞƐ ŝŶĐůƵĚĞĚͶToxascaris leonina ;ερϳйͿĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝ;ϮρρϯйͿ^ƉŝƌŽŵĞƚƌĂƐƉ;ϭϬςκйͿToxocara ĐĂƟ ;ϭϮϳςйͿ ,ŽŽŬ ǁŽƌŵ ;κϮςйͿ ƵŶŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚ ƐƚƌŽŶŐLJůĞƐ ;ϯϭεйͿ Trichuris ƐƉ ;ϳκρйͿ Coccidia ƐƉ ;ϮϭϮйͿ Capillaria ƐƉ ;ϭϬςйͿ Trichostrongylus ƐƉ ;ϭϬςйͿ ĂŶĚ Physaloptera ƐƉ ;ϭϬςйͿ DŝdžĞĚ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶ ǁĂƐ ŽďƐĞƌǀĞĚ ŝŶ /ŶĚŝĂŶ >ŝŽŶ ;Toxascaris leonina and ^ƉŝƌŽŵĞƚƌĂ sp.)͕ ZŽLJĂů ĞŶŐĂů dŝŐĞƌ ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵ ĐŽůŝ and Toxocara ĐĂƟ Ϳ ^ƉŽƩĞĚ ,LJĞŶĂ ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵ ĐŽůŝ ĂŶĚ ŚŽŽŬ ǁŽƌŵͿ >ĞŽƉĂƌĚ (ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝand^ƉŝƌŽŵĞƚƌĂƐƉͿZŚĞƐƵƐDĂĐĂƋƵĞ (Trichuris sp. and Coccidia ƐƉͿ WŝŐͲƚĂŝůĞĚ DĂĐĂƋƵĞ ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵ ĐŽůŝ and Trichuris ƐƉͿ ,ĂŵĂĚƌLJĂƐ ĂďŽŽŶ ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵ ĐŽůŝ and Trichuris sp.), Golden Mangabey (Trichuris sp., ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝĂŶĚƵŶŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚƐƚƌŽŶŐLJůĞƐͿ >ĂƌŐĞ/ŶĚŝĂŶŝǀĞƚ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝĂŶĚƵŶŝĚĞŶƟĮĞĚƐƚƌŽŶŐLJůĞƐͿdŽƌŝŽƌ Dog (ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝand PhysalopteraͿZĂďďŝƚ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵĐŽůŝand ,ŽŽŬ ǁŽƌŵͿ ,ĂŶƵŵĂŶ >ĂŶŐƵƌ ;ĂůĂŶƟĚŝƵŵ ĐŽůŝ and Capillaria sp.). ƵĞ ƚŽ ƚŚĞ ŚŝŐŚ ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶĐĞ ŽĨ ŐĂƐƚƌŽŝŶƚĞƐƟŶĂů ƉĂƌĂƐŝƚĞƐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ study suggests to apply control measures against these parasites in ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ ƐĂĨĞŐƵĂƌĚ ƚŚĞ ŚĞĂůƚŚ ŽĨ ŚŽƵƐĞĚ ǁŝůĚ ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ ĞƐƉĞĐŝĂůůLJ ŝŶ case of threatened species. ŽŽůŽŐŝĐĂůŐĂƌĚĞŶƐĞdžŚŝďŝƚǁŝůĚĂŶŝŵĂůƐĨŽƌĂĞƐƚŚĞƟĐ ĞĚƵĐĂƟŽŶĂůĂŶĚĐŽŶƐĞƌǀĂƟŽŶƉƵƌƉŽƐĞƐ;sĂƌĂĚŚĂƌĂũĂŶΘ WLJƚŚĂů ϭεεεͿ dŚĞ ŵĂŝŶ Ăŝŵ ŽĨ njŽŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ŐĂƌĚĞŶƐ ŝƐ ƚŽ ƉƌĞƐĞƌǀĞƌĂƌĞĂŶĚĞŶĚĂŶŐĞƌĞĚƐƉĞĐŝĞƐWĂƌĂƐŝƟĐĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐ ĐŽŶƐƟƚƵƚĞ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵĂũŽƌ ƉƌŽďůĞŵƐ ĂŶĚ ĐĂƵƐĞƐ ŽĨ ŵŽƌƚĂůŝƚLJ ŝŶ ƚŚĞƐĞ ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ ;ZĂŽ Θ ĐŚĂƌũLJŽ ϭεΘκͿ /Ŷ ŶĂƚƵƌĞǁŝůĚĂŶŝŵĂůƐƌĂŶŐĞĂĐĐƌŽƐƐůĂƌŐĞĂƌĞĂƐĂŶĚŚĂǀĞ ĐŽŶƐĞƋƵĞŶƚůLJ Ă ůŽǁ ŐĞŶĞƟĐ ƌĞƐŝƐƚĂŶĐĞ ĂŐĂŝŶƐƚ ƉĂƌĂƐŝƟĐ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐ ďĞĐĂƵƐĞ ŽĨ ůŽǁ ĞdžƉŽƐƵƌĞ tŚĞŶ ŚĞƌĚƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞƐĞ ǁŝůĚ ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ ĂƌĞ ŬĞƉƚ ŝŶ Ă ƌĞůĂƟǀĞůLJ ƐŵĂůů ƐƉĂĐĞ ŝŶ njŽŽůŽŐŝĐĂů ŐĂƌĚĞŶƐ ƚŚĞ ƉƌŽďůĞŵ ŽĨ ǀĂƌŝŽƵƐ ƉĂƌĂƐŝƟĐ ŝŶĨĞĐƟŽŶƐ ĐĂŶ ĂŐŐƌĂǀĂƚĞ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƐĞ Ă ƐĞƌŝŽƵƐ ƚŚƌĞĂƚ ƚŽ endangered species, occasionally causing sudden and ƵŶĞdžƉĞĐƚĞĚ ůŽĐĂů ĚĞĐůŝŶĞƐ ŝŶ ĂďƵŶĚĂŶĐĞ ;DƵŽƌŝĂ Ğƚ Ăů ϮϬϬρͿdŚĞŽĐĐƵƌƌĞŶĐĞŽĨƉĂƌĂƐŝƚĞƐŝŶĂŶŝŵĂůƐŚŽƵƐĞĚŝŶ njŽŽƐǀĂƌŝĞƐĂĐĐŽƌĚŝŶŐƚŽƚŚĞŚƵƐďĂŶĚƌLJƉƌĂĐƟĐĞƐĚŝƐĞĂƐĞ ƉƌŽƉŚLJůĂdžŝƐ ĂŶĚ ƚƌĞĂƚŵĞŶƚ ĂĚŵŝŶŝƐƚĞƌĞĚ /ŶĂĚĞƋƵĂƚĞ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĂƟŽŶ ŽŶ ĚŝƐĞĂƐĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƉĂƌĂƐŝƚĞƐ ŽĨ njŽŽ ĂŶŝŵĂůƐ ŝƐ Ă ŵĂũŽƌ ůŝŵŝƟŶŐ ĨĂĐƚŽƌ ŝŶ ĂĚŽƉƟŶŐ ƉƌŽƉŚLJůĂĐƟĐ ŵĞĂƐƵƌĞƐŝŶnjŽŽůŽŐŝĐĂůŐĂƌĚĞŶƐ/ŶǀĞƐƟŐĂƟŽŶƐƌĞŐĂƌĚŝŶŐ ĞŶĚŽƉĂƌĂƐŝƟĐ ĨĂƵŶĂ ĂƌĞ ŝŵƉŽƌƚĂŶƚ ĨŽƌ ƚŚĞ ƐƚƵĚLJ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƉƌĞǀĂůĞŶĐĞ ŐĞŽŐƌĂƉŚŝĐĂů ĚŝƐƚƌŝďƵƟŽŶ ƐLJƐƚĞŵĂƟĐƐ ĂŶĚ biology of parasites (Zasityte & Grikienciene 2002). Research on gastro-intestinal parasites has been carried out on Common Mole, Cane Rat, Gorilla, birds in captivity (e.g., Chaunha et al 1973), reptiles, ungulates and many zoo animals across the globe (e.g., Kumar et al 2005; Singh et al 2006)

Methods

Results

Conclusion