Echinococcus and Taenia spp. from captive mammals in the United Kingdom

• Published in: Veterinary parasitology Vol. 190; no. 1-2; pp. 95 - 103
• Main Authors: Boufana, B., Stidworthy, M.F., Bell, S., Chantrey, J., Masters, N., Unwin, S., Wood, R., Lawrence, R.P., Potter, A., McGarry, J., Redrobe, S., Killick, R., Foster, A.P., Mitchell, S., Greenwood, A.G., Sako, Y., Nakao, M., Ito, A., Wyatt, K., Lord, B., Craig, P.S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 23-11-2012
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Zoo - parasitology; Base Sequence; Captive mammals; Cercopithecus - parasitology; Cestode diagnostics; Deer - parasitology; DNA, Helminth - genetics; Echinococcosis - epidemiology; Echinococcosis - parasitology; Echinococcosis - pathology; Echinococcosis - veterinary; Echinococcus - genetics; Echinococcus - isolation & purification; Echinococcus spp; Equidae - parasitology; Female; Genotype; Lemuridae - parasitology; Liver - parasitology; Liver - pathology; Lung - parasitology; Lung - pathology; Macaca - parasitology; Male; Mammals - parasitology; Molecular Sequence Data; Primate Diseases - epidemiology; Primate Diseases - parasitology; Primate Diseases - pathology; Rodentia; Sequence Analysis, DNA; Taenia - genetics; Taenia - isolation & purification; Taenia polyacantha; Taeniasis - epidemiology; Taeniasis - parasitology; Taeniasis - pathology; Taeniasis - veterinary; United Kingdom; United Kingdom - epidemiology; Echinococcus spp; United Kingdom; Taenia polyacantha; Cestode diagnostics; Captive mammals
• ISSN: 0304-4017; 1873-2550
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2012.05.023

Taeniid tapeworms which include Echinococcus and Taenia spp. are obligatory parasites of mammals with pathogenicity usually related to the larval stages of the life cycle. Two species (or genotypes) of Echinococcus, E. granulosus sensu stricto and E. equinus, as well as several Taenia spp. are endemic in the UK. Here we report on the occurrence of larval cystic stages of Echinococcus and Taenia spp. in captive mammals in the UK. Using molecular techniques we have identified E. granulosus (G1 genotype) in a guenon monkey and a Philippine spotted deer; E. equinus in a zebra and a lemur; E. ortleppi in a Philippine spotted deer; E. multilocularis in a macaque monkey and Taenia polyacantha in jumping rats. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report of E. multilocularis in a captive primate translocated to the UK. As far as we know these are the first reports of E. equinus in a primate (lemur) and in a zebra; as well as E. granulosus (G1 genotype) and E. ortleppi in a cervid translocated to the UK. These infections and implications of the potential establishment of exotic species of cestodes are discussed.