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. 2016 Jul-Sep;11(3):377-382.

Helminth Parasites of Wild Boars, Sus scrofa, in Bushehr Province, Southwestern Iran

Majid Mansouri  1 , Bahador Sarkari  2 , Gholam Reza Mowlavi  3
Affiliations

Helminth Parasites of Wild Boars, Sus scrofa, in Bushehr Province, Southwestern Iran

Majid Mansouri et al. Iran J Parasitol. 2016 Jul-Sep.

Abstract

Background: Wild boars, Sus scrofa, of wide distribution considered as a potential source of zoonotic parasites. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of helminth infections in wild boars in the Persian Gulf coastal area (Bushehr Province), Southwestern Iran.

Methods: Twenty-five wild boars, including 11 males and 14 females, were collected during a course of vertebrate pest control in the Bushehr Province, southwestern Iran in 2013. The specimen were immediately dissected and carefully searched for the parasites. During necropsy, each organ was examined macroscopically for presence of any helminthic agents. Tissue samples were taken from each organ. Moreover, samples were taken from the content of digestive system. Blood samples were also collected from each boar. All the samples were evaluated for helminth infections by parasitological methods.

Results: Twenty-two (88%) of the wild boars were infected with at least one helminth. Out of 25 wild boars, 1 (4%) were infected with Cysticercus tenuicollis, the larval stage of Taenia hydatigena, 13 (52%) with Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus, 17 (68%) with Metastrongylus spp, and 20 (80%) with Ascarops spp. Hydatid cyst was detected in the lung of one of the wild boars. No Trichinella spp. larvae were detected in any of the tissues of the animals when evaluated by artificial digestion method. In addition, no contamination with microfilaria was detected in any of animals when the blood samples were tested with Knott's method.

Conclusion: Wild boars are contaminated by some helminthes including zoonotic ones. These animals could be involved in the epidemiology of zoonotic helminth by acting as reservoir hosts. This in turn may bring potential risk for locals and residents of the Bushehr Province, Southwestern Iran.

Keywords: Helminthic parasites; Iran; Sus scrofa; Wild boar.

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Figures

Fig. 1:
Fig. 1:
Features of Metastrongylus isolated from the wild boars in southwestern Iran. A: Posterior end of female’s worm; B: Anterior part of the worm; C: Posterior part of male’s worm showing copulatory bursa; D: posterior part of male’s worm showing the equal size spicules
Fig. 2:
Fig. 2:
Features of Ascarops spp. isolated from the wild boars in southwestern Iran. A: Posterior end of male’s worm showing unequal spicules; B: Posterior part of female’s worm; C: Middle part of the body of female’s worm, showing vulva; D: Anterior part of the worm
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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