INFLUENCE OF EXTRAORDINARY FLOODS ON WILDLIFE PARASITES: THE CASE OF GASTROINTESTINAL HELMINHS AND PROTOZOA OF WILD CANIDS FROM THE IBERA ECOREGION, ARGENTINA

NATALINI, BELEN M.; CUERVO, PABLO F.; GENNUSO, SOL; ROMERO, VERONICA L.; BAY JULIÁ, RODRIGO; BELDOMENICO, PABLO M.; KOWALEWSKI, MARTIN M

PARASITOLOGY RESEARCH

SPRINGER

Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2021

0932-0113

Parasites are natural components of ecosystems and play a significant role in the dynamics of wild animal populations. Although a parasite?s environment is primarily defined by the host, transmission stages in different life cycles must also endure external conditions. Rainfall and flooding events are important factors influencing the transport of parasitic stages, altering the balance of the environment and soil moisture levels, and resulting in a favorable environment for helminth development. We assessed whether extraordinary flood events modified the presence of moisture-dependent direct cycle parasites (nematodes and protozoans) in wild canids in two protected areas in northern Argentina. Across two consecutive years, we collected faecal samples from two species of foxes, Lycalopex gymnocercus and Cerdocyon thous, and examined the presence of gastrointestinal nematodes and protozoans. We explored for associations with a flood event, normalized difference water index, and monthly average temperature. We found that the presence of nematodes after flooding was higher than before flooding, while the flood event was not relevant for the presence of protozoans. In conclusion, we found that flood events have an effect on some parasitic groups, dependent on their life cycle and the association of their development with soil moisture. Stronger and long-lasting flood events are expected due to the effect of global warming over El Niño episodes, which will increase in frequency, intensity and duration. Therefore, this may increase and intensify the spread of infectious diseases affecting wildlife and public health.