Parasites of the Giant Panda: A Risk Factor in the Conservation of a Species

Abstract

The giant panda, with an estimated population size of 2239 in the world (in 2015), is a global symbol of wildlife conservation that is threatened by habitat loss, poor reproduction and limited resistance to some infectious diseases. Of these factors, some diseases caused by parasites are considered as the foremost threat to its conservation. However, there is surprisingly little published information on the parasites of the giant panda, most of which has been disseminated in the Chinese literature. Herein, we review all peer-reviewed publications (in English or Chinese language) and governmental documents for information on parasites of the giant pandas, with an emphasis on the intestinal nematode Baylisascaris schroederi (McIntosh, 1939) as it dominates published literature. The purpose of this chapter is to: (i) review the parasites recorded in the giant panda and describe what is known about their biology; (ii) discuss key aspects of the pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and control of key parasites that are reported to cause clinical problems and (iii) conclude by making some suggestions for future research. This chapter shows that we are only just 'scratching the surface' when it comes to parasites and parasitological research of the giant panda. Clearly, there needs to be a concerted research effort to support the conservation of this iconic species.

Keywords: Acarina; Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Baylisascaris schroederi; Conservation; Giant panda; Parasites.

Fig. 1

Distribution of wild giant pandas in six mountain regions (Qinling, Minshan, Qionglai, Liangshan, Daxiangling and Xiaoxiangling) in China.

Fig. 2

Selected parasites of the giant panda. (A) The parasitic nematode Baylisascaris schroederi in the gastrointestinal tract of the giant panda, causing obstruction. (B) Baylisascaris schroederi expelled from an infected giant panda following anthelmintic treatment. (C) The mite Chorioptes panda and its typical predilections sites on the eyelid and/or lips (D). Red arrows indicating B. schroederi (B) or skin affected by C. panda (C and D).

Fig. 3

A phylogenetic tree showing the position of Baylisascaris schroederi in relation to all other species of Baylisascaris for which nucleotide sequence data are available, using Ascaris lumbricoides (from human) and Toxascaris leonina as outgroups. This tree is based on the analysis of 28S rRNA gene sequence data using the neighbour joining method. All data were obtained from the GenBank database, and accession numbers precede species names in the phylogenetic tree.