Trichuris spp. in Animals, with Specific Reference to Neo-Tropical Rodents.

Kegan Romelle Jones

doi:10.3390/vetsci8020015

Abstract

Trichuriasis is the clinical disease of animals infected with the parasite of the genus Trichuris. This review attempts to present information on Trichuris spp. infestation in neo-tropical rodents that are utilized for meat consumption by humans. Neo-tropical rodents utilized for meat production can be divided into two categories: those that have been domesticated, which include the guinea pig (Cavia porcellus), and those that are on the verge of domestication, such as the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), lappe (Cuniculus paca/Agouti paca), and agouti (Dasyprocta leporina). This document reviews the literature on the species of Trichuris that affects the rodents mentioned above, as well as the clinical signs observed. The literature obtained spans over sixty years, from 1951 to 2020. Trichuris spp. was found in these neo-tropical rodents mentioned. However, there is a dearth of information on the species of Trichuris that parasitize these animals. The capybara was the only rodent where some molecular techniques were used to identify a new species named T. cutillasae. In most cases, Trichuris spp. was found in combination with other endoparasites, and was found at a low prevalence in the lappe and guinea pig. The presence of Trichuris spp. ranged from 4.62–53.85% in the agouti, 4.21–10.00% in the lappe, 50% in the capybaras, and 1–31% in guinea pigs. Further work must be done towards molecular identification of various Trichuris spp. present in these rodents, as well as the clinical effect of infection on the performance of agouti, lappe, capybara, and guinea pigs.

Highlights

IntroductionDomesticated neo-tropical rodents, such as the guinea pig, are utilized in South America for their meat and are reared in captivity to provide meat protein for rural villages
The neo-tropics is a geographical region located in the western hemisphere between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn
This review revealed that Trichuris has been found in the guinea pig (C. porcellus), agouti (D. leporina), lappe (A. paca/C. paca), and capybara (H. hydrochaeris)

Summary

Introduction

Domesticated neo-tropical rodents, such as the guinea pig, are utilized in South America for their meat and are reared in captivity to provide meat protein for rural villages. Neo-tropical rodents on the verge of domestication are the agouti, lappe, and capybara These animals have been reared in captivity in South America and the Caribbean for their meat [1]. These animals have been able to breed in captivity: the agouti produces four offspring per year [7], the lappe produces two offspring per year [8], and the capybara can produce eight offspring per year [9,10]. The objective of this review is to summarize the species of Trichuris that parasitizes these rodents, the effect of this parasite on these animals, and the zoonotic potential of this pathogen

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion