Abstract
From 2016 to 2020, an investigation was carried out to identify the rate of Angiostrongylus spp. infections in European badgers in Hungary. During the study, the hearts and lungs of 50 animals were dissected in order to collect adult worms, the morphometrical characteristics of which were used for species identification. PCR amplification and an 18S rDNA-sequencing analysis were also carried out. Global and local spatial autocorrelation methods were used to detect high-rated and low-rated infected animal clusters. We conducted a binary logistic regression analysis along with hierarchical agglomerative clustering to determine the relation between selected biotic and abiotic variables, and the prevalence of an A. daskalovi infection. We found a high prevalence (72%) and moderate mean intensity (14.1) of Angiostrongylus sp. infection. Morphology and sequencing revealed that all animals were infected by A. daskalovi. The results of both spatial autocorrelations suggested that the spatial distribution of infected badgers was more spatially clustered than random. The results of an analysis of the correlation between habitat characteristics and infection showed that the infected animals could be associated with dry and open landscape habitats without extended and connected canopy. It is suggested that the territorial behaviour of badgers and the landscape-directed aggregation of potential intermediate hosts might be the drivers of an A. daskalovi infection.
Highlights
Members of the Angiostrongylus genus, which belongs to the Metastrongyloidea superfamily, often referred to as “lungworms”, may cause severe symptoms in the infected hosts [1]
They can be found in different definitive hosts, e.g., carnivores, rodents or tupaniids, and in intermediate hosts such as slugs and aquatic or terrestrial snails
Based on the observed morphological features, we revealed that all of the animals had an A. daskalovi infection and A. vasorum was not detected in any specimens (Figure 1)
Summary
Members of the Angiostrongylus genus, which belongs to the Metastrongyloidea superfamily, often referred to as “lungworms”, may cause severe symptoms in the infected hosts [1]. During their life cycle, they can be found in different definitive hosts, e.g., carnivores, rodents or tupaniids, and in intermediate hosts such as slugs and aquatic or terrestrial snails. Angiostrongylus chabaudi and Angiostrongylus daskalovi are widespread exclusively on the European continent, while Angiostrongylus vasorum has been isolated in the Americas, Australia and certain parts of Africa. The prevalence of the A. daskalovi infection ranged from 16.95–37.5%, while little is known about the mean intensity (Table 1)
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