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. 2024 Jan 2;17(1):2.
doi: 10.1186/s13071-023-06081-9.

Ectoparasites of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Germany and their health impact

Karolin Schütte  1   2 , Andrea Springer  1 , Florian Brandes  2 , Maximilian Reuschel  3 , Michael Fehr  3 , Christina Strube  4
Affiliations

Ectoparasites of European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) in Germany and their health impact

Karolin Schütte et al. Parasit Vectors. .

Abstract

Background: The European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is known for high levels of ectoparasitism that not only represents a health risk for the animals themselves, but also for pet animals and humans as hedgehogs are frequently taken into human care. In the present study, patterns of ectoparasite infestation were assessed in hedgehogs taken into care at northern German animal rehabilitation centres.

Methods: Ectoparasites (ticks, fleas and mites) of 498 hedgehogs were collected over a period of 3 years from July 2018 to May 2021. Species were identified based on morphological characteristics and also via amplification and sequencing of the partial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 2 (COX-2) gene for fleas of the family Ceratophyllidae. Seasonal changes in infestation patterns as well as correlations with animal age, body weight and health status were assessed using generalised linear models.

Results: Infestation with ticks, fleas and mites occurred throughout the year. Overall, 86.5% (431/498) of the examined hedgehogs were infested with ticks, 91.4% (455/498) with fleas and 17.7% (88/498) with mites. Ixodes ricinus and Ixodes hexagonus/Ixodes canisuga were the most common tick species detected, with the additional occurrence of one Ixodes frontalis. Significant seasonal changes were observed for I. ricinus, but not for I. hexagonus/I. canisuga. Additionally, I. ricinus nymph prevalence declined significantly as of 2020, probably as a consequence of the climate change-related drought as of 2018. In hedgehogs with flea infestations, Archaeopsylla erinacei, Ceratophyllus sciurorum, Nosopsyllus fasciatus and Ctenocephalides felis were identified. In all cases of mite infestation, Caparinia tripilis was detected, in addition to specimens of the family Macronyssidae and free-living mites of the family Acaridae. Statistical analyses showed correlations regarding the factors month, year, body weight and age, but no correlation was evident regarding the health status of the animals.

Conclusions: With a detected infestation rate of 98.6%, almost all of the examined hedgehogs were infested with at least one ectoparasite species. The seasonal activity patterns of the different ectoparasite species together with the complex annual cycle of hedgehogs lead to different seasonal patterns in ectoparasite prevalence and infestation intensities. Due to the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens as well as the possible negative impact on the host itself, hedgehogs should be treated against ectoparasites when taken into care facilities.

Keywords: Archaeopsylla erinacei; Caparinia tripilis; Fleas; Infestation intensity; Ixodes hexagonus; Ixodes ricinus; Mites; Ticks.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Origin of studied European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) (blue shading) and location of rehabilitation centres (red arrows) in the federal state of Lower Saxony, Germany. Uppercase A indicates the location of the Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (Sachsenhagen); uppercase B, Aktiontier Hedgehog Center (Laatzen); uppercase C, the Department of Small Mammal, Reptile and Avian Diseases of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Monthly age distribution of sampled European hedgehogs. Total numbers of examined animals each month are shown above the bars. The graph includes the age of 492 hedgehogs as the age of 6 animals was not determined
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Seasonal distribution of tick, flea and mite prevalence among 498 European hedgehogs in northern Germany during the study period 2018–2021
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Prevalence of Ixodes ricinus nymphs on European hedgehogs in northern Germany during the study years 2018–2021. No animals were examined in the months December 2020 and January 2021
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Boxplot of flea infestation intensity according to the age of the hedgehogs (a), weight of subadult hedgehogs (b) and weight of adult hedgehogs (c)
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Male specimen of Caparinia tripilis (a), mite of the family Macronyssidae (b) and free-living mite of the family Acaridae (c) recovered from European hedgehogs in northern Germany
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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