Seroprevalence of Echinococcus spp. and Toxocara spp. in Invasive Non-native American Mink

Marta Kołodziej-Sobocińska,Katarína Reiterová,Zuzana Hurníková,Andrzej Zalewski,Emília Dvorožňáková

doi:10.1007/s10393-020-01470-3

Marta Kołodziej-Sobocińska, Katarína Reiterová + Show 3 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-020-01470-3

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Abstract

Invasive non-native species can become reservoirs of zoonotic pathogens and cause their spread during colonization, increasing the risk of zoonoses transmission to both wild hosts and humans. American mink (Neovison vison) are considered an important invasive mammal species responsible for carrying endoparasites. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of feral American mink as a possible transmission vector of Echinococcus spp. and Toxocara spp. in wildlife. We analysed the frequency of American mink exposure to both parasites, the spatial distribution in Poland, and the variability over time on the basis of specific antibody presence using ELISA and Western blot. Alimentary tract analyses revealed that American mink do not serve as definitive hosts for these parasites. Altogether, 1100 American mink were examined. The average seropositivity for American mink was 14.2% for echinococcosis and 21.7% for toxocarosis; dual-seropositivity was detected in only 6.0%. Seroprevalence of both parasites differed between study sites and significantly increased over time in Toxocara spp. Thus, our study revealed that free-living American mink are exposed to parasites and likely to be involved in the maintenance of both Echinococcus spp. and Toxocara spp. in the wild as paratenic hosts.

Highlights

Invasive non-native species are among the greatest threats to biodiversity, often causing a decrease in native species number and density in ecosystems (Vitousek et al 1996)
1100 muscle samples of American mink from seven feral populations were examined for the presence of specific anti-Echinococcus spp. and anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies
There were no significant differences between OD values for seropositive animals regardless of whether mono- or mixed infections had been demonstrated (Fig. 2a, b; generalized linear model (GLM) for anti-Echinococcus spp. antibodies: t = 1.71, p = 0.087 and for anti-Toxocara spp. antibodies: t = - 0.21, p = 0.833)

Summary

Introduction

Invasive non-native species are among the greatest threats to biodiversity, often causing a decrease in native species number and density in ecosystems (Vitousek et al 1996). The transmission rate of pathogens may be enhanced when introduced non-native invasive species reach high densities in newly colonized ecosystems (Kelly et al 2009; Strauss et al 2012; Carolus et al 2019). Likewise, this increases the risk of disease occurrence in wild native hosts, 14 M.

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