Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-t5tsf Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T18:40:45.163Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Influence of host weight, sex and reproductive status on helminth parasites of the wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus, in Navarra, Spain

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 April 2024

X. Molina*
Affiliation:
Laboratori de Parasitologia Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Juan XXIII, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
J.C. Casanova
Affiliation:
Laboratori de Parasitologia Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Juan XXIII, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
C. Feliu
Affiliation:
Laboratori de Parasitologia Departament de Microbiologia i Parasitologia Sanitàries, Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Juan XXIII, s/n, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
*
*Fax: 93 402 45 04 E-mail: casanova@farmacia.far.ub.es
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A study was carried out in Navarra (northern Spain) on the influence of the weight, sex and reproductive status (lactant, pregnant or lactant + pregnant females and testicular weight for males) of the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on two cestodes species: Andrya cuniculi and Mosgovoyia ctenoides and four intestinal nematodes: Graphidium strigosum, Trichostrongylus retortaeformis, Nematodiroides zembrae and Dermatoxys hispaniensis. A significantly higher prevalence of A. cuniculi was detected in lactant + pregnant females compared with non-breeding females. Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and N. zembrae showed a significantly higher mean intensity in lactant and lactant + pregnant females than in non-reproductive females. Trichostrongylus retortaeformis presented a higher mean intensity in females than in males, and the mean intensity of the same parasite species was significantly lower in active and inactive males compared with lactant and lactant + pregnant females. There were no significant differences between sexes in the prevalence of helminth parasites. No significant correlation was detected between host weight and the intensity (of infection) of helminths studied. No significant differences in the prevalence and mean intensity of the two cestode species were observed in the three weight categories studied (kittens, juveniles and adults). The prevalence of G. strigosum and mean intensity of T. retortaeformis were significantly higher in older heavier animals than in juveniles.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1999

References

Alfonso Roque, M.M. & Barata, M.C. (1984) Observations on the species of genus Dermatoxys Schneider, 1866 (Nematoda: Oxyuridea) from wild rabbit occurring in Iberian peninsula. Revista Ibérica de Parasitología 44, 139145.Google Scholar
Bernard, J. (1965) Contribution à la connaissance de la faune parasitaire de l'île de Zembra. I. Parasites du lapin, Oryctolagus cuniculus L. Archives de l'Institut Pasteur de Tunis 42, 193204.Google Scholar
Beveridge, I. (1994) Family Anoplocephalidae Cholodkovsky, 1902. pp. 315366 in Khalil, L.F., Jones, A. & Bray, R.A. (Eds) Keys to the cestode parasites of vertebrates . Wallingford, CAB International.Google Scholar
Blasco, S., Torres, J., Feliu, C., Casanova, J.C., Miquel, J. & Moreno, S. (1996) The helminth fauna of Oryctolagus cuniculus (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Iberian Peninsula. Faunistic and ecological considerations. Parasite 4, 327333.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boag, B. (1985) The incidence of helminth parasites from wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) in Eastern Scotland. Journal of Helminthology 59, 6169.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boag, B. (1987) Helminth parasites of the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus and the brown hare Lepus capensis from the Isle of Coll, Scotland. Journal of Zoology 212, 352355.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boag, B. & Garson, P.J. (1993) Helminth infections of weaning rabbits from Holy Island, Northumberland. Journal of Zoology 230, 323327.Google Scholar
Boag, B. & Iason, G. (1986) The occurrence and abundance of helminth parasites of the mountain hare Lepus timidus (L.) and the wild rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Journal of Helminthology 60, 9298.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boag, B. & Kolb, H.H. (1989) Influence of host age and sex on nematode populations in the wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus L.). Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington 56, 116119.Google Scholar
Bull, P.C. (1959) A seasonal sex difference in the infestation of rabbits with the nematode Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (Zeder, 1800). Nature 184, 281282.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bush, A.O., Lafferty, K.D., Lotz, J.M. & Shostak, A.W. (1997) Parasitology meets ecology on its own terms: Margolis et al. revisited. Journal of Parasitology 83, 575583.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Butler, F.T. (1994) Arthropod and helminth parasites from rabbits Oryctolagus cuniculus in south-west Ireland. Irish Naturalists' Journal 24, 392395.Google Scholar
Carvalho Varela, M. (1967) L'helminthofaune du lapin de garenne, Oryctolagus cuniculus au Portugal. Finnish Game Research 30, 271.Google Scholar
Ceballos, O., Leránoz, I., Urmeneta, A. & Albizu, C. (1997) Estudio del ciclo biológico del conejo de monte en Navarra. pp. 122128 in Estudios sobre el conejo silvestre, gestión de la población en Navarra. Boletîn de información técnica sobre especies cinegéticas. Dirección General del Medio Ambiente, Gobierno de Navarra.Google Scholar
Cordero, del, Campillo, M., Castañón, L. & Reguera, A. (1994) Índice-catálogo de zooparásitos Ibéricos. 2nd edn. 650 pp. Universidad de León, Secretariado de Publicaciones.Google Scholar
Dudzinski, M.L. & Mykytowycz, R. (1963) Relationship between sex and age of rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), and infection with nematodes, Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and Graphidium strigosum . Journal of Parasitology 49, 5559.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunsmore, J.D. (1966a) Influence of host reproduction on numbers of trichostrongylid nematodes in the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.) Journal of Parasitology 52, 11291133.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dunsmore, J.D. (1966b) Nematode parasites of free-living rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), in eastern Australia. II. Variations in the number of Graphidium strigosum (Dujardin) Railliet & Henry. Australian Journal of Zoology 14, 625634.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunsmore, J.D. (1966c) Nematode parasites of free-living rabbits, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), in eastern Australia. I. Variations in the numbers of Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (Zeder). Australian Journal of Zoology 14, 185199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunsmore, J.D. & Dudzinski, M.L. (1968) Relationship of numbers of nematode parasites in wild rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus (L.), to host, sex and season. Journal of Parasitology 54, 462474.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Durette-Desset, M.C. (1979) Les Nematodirinae (Nematoda) chez les ruminants et chez les lagomorphes. Annales de Parasitologie Humane et Comparée 54, 313329.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genov, T., Murai, E., Georgiev, B. & Harris, E. (1990) The erection of Leporidotaenia n.g. (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) for Anoplocephaloides spp. parasitising Leporidae (Lagomorpha). Systematic Parasitology 26, 107126.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Haupt, W. & Hartung, J. (1980) Investigations on infection by endoparasites of the alimentary canal of wild rabbits in the Leipzig area. Angewandte Parasitologie 21, 6972.Google Scholar
Haupt, W. & Hartung, J. (1984) Gastrointestinal parasites of wild rabbit in the Leipzig area. Angewandte Parasitologie 25, 6571.Google Scholar
Mead-Briggs, A.R. & Page, R.J.C. (1975) Records of anoplocephaline cestodes from wild rabbits and hares collected throughout Great Britain. Journal of Helminthology 49, 4956.Google ScholarPubMed
Mead-Briggs, A.R. & Vaughan, J.A. (1973) The incidence of anoplocephaline cestodes in a population of rabbits in Surrey, England. Parasitology 67, 351364.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mendoça, M.M. & Varela, M.C. (1971) Occurrence of the cestode Andrya cuniculi (Blanchard, 1891) Railliet, 1893 (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae) in the Iberian peninsula in rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus Linnaeus, 1758). Anais da Escola Superior de Medicina Veterinária 13, 173185.Google Scholar
Michel, J.F. (1952a) Self-cure in infections of Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and its causation. Nature 169, 881.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Michel, J.F. (1952b) Inhibition of development of Trichostrongylus retortaeformis . Nature 169, 933934.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Molina, X., Casanova, J.C., Feliu, C. & Castién, E. (1998) Studies of wild rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations in Navarra (Spain). III. Qualitative and quantitative composition of the rabbit parasitic helminthfauna. Gibier Faune Sauvage 15, 123133.Google Scholar
Reina, D., Navarrete, I., Hernández-Rodr, íguez, S. & Habela, M. (1987) Contribución al conocimiento de la parasitofauna de Cáceres. Primera relación. II. Helmintos. Revista Ibérica de Parasitología Vol. extra, 8590.Google Scholar
Romero Rodríguez, J., Guevara Pozo, D. & Lizcaino Herrera, J. (1973) Estudios sobre el género Passalurus Dujardin, 1845, parasitando al Oryctolagus cuniculus domestica (L.) y Lepus granatensis (R.). Revista Ibérica de Parasitología 33, 315329.Google Scholar
Simón Vicente, F. (1969) On Dermatoxys hispaniensis n.sp. (Nematoda, Oxyuridea) from Oryctolagus cuniculus and Lepus timidus of Spain. Journal of Helminthology 43, 417426.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skrjabin, K.I., Shikhobalova, N.P. & Schulz, R.S. (1960) Trichostrongylids of animals and man. pp. 704 in Skrjabin, K.I. (Ed.) Essentials of nematodology, Vol. III. Israel program for scientific translations, Jerusalem.Google Scholar
Sugar, L., Murai, E. & Meszaros, F. (1978) Endoparasites of wild Leporidae in Hungary. Parasitologia Hungarica 11, 6385.Google Scholar