Intestinal Parasites of Neotropical Wild Jaguars, Pumas, Ocelots, and Jaguarundis in Colombia: Old Friends Brought Back from Oblivion and New Insights.

Manuel Uribe,Jenny J Chaparro-Gutiérrez,Juan Vélez,Carlos Hermosilla,Esteban Payán,Jan Brabec,Anja Taubert

doi:10.3390/pathogens10070822

Abstract

Neotropical wild felids (NWF) are obligate carnivore species present in Central and South America, and some are considered endangered due to constantly decreasing populations. NWF can become infected by a wide range of protozoan and metazoan parasites, some of them affecting their health conditions and others having anthropozoonotic relevance. Parasitological studies on NWF are still very scarce, and most data originated from dead or captive animals. On this account, the current study aimed to characterize gastrointestinal parasites of free-ranging jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), ocelots (Leopardus pardalis), and jaguarundis (Herpailurus yagouaroundi), i.e., four out of six NWF species endemic to Colombia. Fecal samples from jaguars (n = 10) and ocelots (n = 4) were collected between 2012 and 2017 as part of the Jaguar Corridor Initiative from six geographic locations in Colombia. In addition, cestode specimens were obtained during puma and jaguarundi necropsies. Scat samples were processed by standardized sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin (SAF), sedimentation, and flotation techniques and by carbol fuchsin-stained fecal smears. Morphological evaluation of feces showed the presence of one cestode (Spirometra sp.), a nematode (Toxocara cati), an acanthocephalan (Oncicola sp.), and one cyst-forming coccidian (Cystoisospora-like oocysts). Feces oocysts were submitted to a Toxoplasma gondii-specific PCR for species identification, but no product was amplified. The cestodes isolated from a puma and jaguarundi were molecularly characterized by sequencing cytochrome c oxidase subunit I, identifying them as Taenia omissa and as a T. omissa sister lineage, respectively. These results collectively demonstrate the potential role of NWF as natural reservoir hosts for neglected zoonotic parasites (e.g., Spirometra sp., T. cati) and highlight their possible role in parasite transmission to human communities. Due to public health concerns, the occurrence of these parasites should be monitored in the future for appropriate zoonotic management practices in conservation strategies and wild felid health management programs.

Highlights

The family Felidae is currently composed of 45 recognized nonhybrid extant wild species with a worldwide distribution throughout all biomes except the Antarctic polar ice caps and insular Oceania [1,2]
We describe free-ranging wild felid parasites, including zoonotic parasites, heightening the importance of Neotropical wild felids (NWF) living in human-modified landscapes and highlighting the need for appropriate zoonotic management practices in wild felid health management programs, due to public health concern and conservation
Sparganosis is a globally distributed neglected water- and food-borne disease caused by larval stages of Spirometra sp. located in various human body tissues [34]

Summary

Introduction

The family Felidae (order: Carnivora) is currently composed of 45 recognized nonhybrid extant wild species with a worldwide distribution throughout all biomes except the Antarctic polar ice caps and insular Oceania [1,2]. Large wild felids serve as effective umbrella and keystone species, contributing to maintaining and regulating associated biodiversity and ecosystems where they occur [3]. Neotropical wild felids (NWF) are well-known hosts of important zoonotic protozoan parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii [4,5], Cryptosporidium sp., and Giardia sp. The presence of metazoan parasites has been reported in non-domestic NWF, showing them as feasible hosts of gastropodborne metastrongyloid lungworms [11,12] or Dirofilaria immitis, the causative agent of heartworm disease [13]. For instance, hookworms [14], trematodes [15], and cestodes, [13,16,17,18] have been reported in non-domestic wild felids as well as ectoparasites like ticks, mites, and fleas [19]. Several of these species co-occur or are wholly sympatric; for example, puma, jaguarundi, and ocelot are sympatric to jaguar ranges in Colombia, but not necessarily the other way round [24,25,26]

Methods

Results

Conclusion