Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 May 3;78(4):719-21.
doi: 10.1292/jvms.15-0546. Epub 2015 Dec 25.

A survey of gastrointestinal parasites of alpacas (Vicugna pacos) raised in Japan

Ayako Hyuga  1 , Jun Matsumoto
Affiliations

A survey of gastrointestinal parasites of alpacas (Vicugna pacos) raised in Japan

Ayako Hyuga et al. J Vet Med Sci. .

Abstract

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in alpacas raised in Japan. From December 2010 to October 2011, 53 alpacas (Vicugna pacos) raised at a farm in the Kanto region, Japan, were examined for gastrointestinal parasites by 3 fecal tests: direct smear, centrifuged flotation and formalin-ether sedimentation. Eggs of Nematodirus sp. were found in 13.2%, Trichuris sp. in 11.3%, Capillaria spp. in 5.7%, strongyle-type in 50.9% and Moniezia sp. in 1.9%. Oocysts of Eimeria punoensis and/or E. alpacae were found in 69.8%, E. lamae in 1.9% and E. macusaniensis in 7.5%. We found that alpacas raised in Japan have gastrointestinal parasitic fauna similar to those in other countries.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Parasite eggs found in feces of alpacas raised in Japan. A) Trichuris sp., B) Capillaria sp., C) Capillaria sp., D) Nematodirus sp., E) Moniezia sp.
Fig. 2.
Fig. 2.
Eimeriid oocysts found in feces of alpacas raised in Japan. A) Eimeria punoensis, B) E. alpacae, C) E. lamae, D) E. macusaniensis. A–C are sporulated, whereas D is unsporulated.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ballweber L. R.2009. Ecto- and endoparasites of new world camelids. Vet. Clin. North Am. Food Anim. Pract. 25: 295–310. doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2009.02.003 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Burton A. J., Nydam D. V., Mitchell K. J., Bowman D. D.2012. Fecal shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts in healthy alpaca crias and their dams. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 241: 496–498. doi: 10.2460/javma.241.4.496 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cafrune M. M., Marín R. E., Rigalt F. A., Romero S. R., Aguirre D. H.2009. Prevalence of Eimeria macusaniensis and Eimeria ivitaensis in South American camelids of Northwest Argentina. Vet. Parasitol. 162: 338–341. doi: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2009.03.006 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Cebra C. K., Stang B. V.2008. Comparison of methods to detect gastrointestinal parasites in llamas and alpacas. J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 232: 733–741. doi: 10.2460/javma.232.5.733 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fowler M. E.2010. Parasites. pp. 231–270. In: Medicine and Surgery of Camelids, 3rd ed., Wiley-Blackwell, Ames.