Abstract
The genus Pearsonema, in the nematode family Capillariidae, includes several species that parasitize the urinary bladders of wild and domestic carnivores. The infection has been reported worldwide from several wildlife species, including canids, mustelids, and felids, but the pathological aspects have seldom been investigated. In order to assess the presence and severity of the lesions in Pearsonema-infected wildlife, we performed a parasitological and pathological examination of urinary bladders from 72 animals, belonging to the families Canidae (red fox Vulpes vulpes, n = 28, and wolf Canis lupus, n = 29) and Mustelidae (beech marten Martes foina, n = 3; pine marten Martes martes, n = 2; and European badger Meles meles, n = 10). A greater prevalence of infection for canids (64.91%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 52.52–77.30%) than for mustelids (13.33%) (p < 0.001) was recorded. The prevalence of infection in red foxes was 75.0% (95% CI, 58.96–91.04%), in accordance with other reports from European countries, supporting the role of this species as a reservoir for infection. Eosinophilic cystitis was observed in 34 out of the 72 examined animals (47.22%). The influence of Pearsonema sp. infection on the occurrence of eosinophilic cystitis was statistically significant in wolves (p < 0.01), which were also affected by more severe histological lesions compared to foxes.
Highlights
IntroductionBeyond P. plica, several other species have been described in the genus Pearsonema, and all of them are parasites of the urinary bladder in carnivores [2]
The prevalence was higher for Canidae (64.91%; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 52.52–77.30%) than Mustelidae (13.33%) (p < 0.001), and the red fox resulted in being the most infected species (75%; 95% CI, 58.96– 91.04%), followed by the wolf (55.17%; 95% CI, 37.07–73.27%)
The histological examinations in our study revealed the presence of mild to severe eosinophilic cystitis in 70.27% of Pearsonema sp.-infected canids
Summary
Beyond P. plica, several other species have been described in the genus Pearsonema, and all of them are parasites of the urinary bladder in carnivores [2]. In P. plica and P. mucronata, the intermediate host has been identified in several earthworm species belonging to the family Lumbricidae, such as Lumbricus terrestris, L. rubellus, and Dendrodrilus rubidus [4], while the life cycle of P. feliscati is thought to be similar to that of P. plica [5]. In P. plica and P. mucronata, it has been observed that adult females shed their eggs in the urine of the definitive host. A first-stage larva (L1) develops within the egg in a span of time depending on environmental conditions, and it has to be ingested by an earthworm of the family Lumbricidae in order to become infective for the definitive host. The infective larvae are presumably carried from the small intestine to the urinary system by the lymph–bloodstream [1,4,5]
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