<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>Protostrongylids, small nematode lungworms, are an integral part of the wild ruminant helminth community, which can damage animals’ health when they are held in captivity or semi-captive conditions. The Sahelo-Saharan antelope species dorcas gazelle (<italic>Gazella dorcas)</italic>, the scimitar-horned oryx <italic>(Oryx dammah)</italic>, and the addax <italic>(Addax nasomacculatus)</italic>, reintroduced to Souss-Massa National Park in Morocco, could be host to many species of Protostrongylids. This study was conducted from January to July 2015 to identify infecting parasite species, and determine their prevalence and abundance in all three antelope species. A total of 180 individual fecal samples were collected, morphologically examined by the Baermann technique, and molecularly identified by PCR amplification and sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA (ITS-2).</p>
<p>Two parasite species were found in the three antelope populations: <italic>Muellerius capillaris</italic> and <italic>Neostrongylus linearis</italic>. The prevalence scores recorded for <italic>M. capillaris</italic> were 98.40 % in the addax, 96.70 % in dorcas gazelle, and 28.40 % in the oryx. The prevalence rates of <italic>N. linearis</italic> were 60 % in the addax, 23.40 % in dorcas gazelle, and 90 % in the oryx. Excreted larvae were quantified by LPG (larvae per gram) counting: for <italic>M. capillaris</italic>, the LPG mean values were 92.94 in the addax, 133.09 in dorcas gazelle, and 1.48 in the oryx; and for <italic>N. linearis</italic>, the LPG mean values were 6.02 in the addax, 1.37 in dorcas gazelle, and 32.81 in the oryx. These findings indicate that the three species of antelopes are infected with <italic>Muellerius capillaris</italic> and <italic>Neostrongylus linearis</italic> to varying degrees in intensity and prevalence.</p></abstract>

Protostrongylids, small nematode lungworms, are an integral part of the wild ruminant helminth community, which can damage animals’ health when they are held in captivity or semi-captive conditions. The Sahelo-Saharan antelope species dorcas gazelle (Gazella dorcas), the scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah), and the addax (Addax nasomacculatus), reintroduced to Souss-Massa National Park in Morocco, could be host to many species of Protostrongylids. This study was conducted from January to July 2015 to identify infecting parasite species, and determine their prevalence and abundance in all three antelope species. A total of 180 individual fecal samples were collected, morphologically examined by the Baermann technique, and molecularly identified by PCR amplification and sequencing of the second internal transcribed spacer region of the rDNA (ITS-2).
Two parasite species were found in the three antelope populations: Muellerius capillaris and Neostrongylus linearis. The prevalence scores recorded for M. capillaris were 98.40 % in the addax, 96.70 % in dorcas gazelle, and 28.40 % in the oryx. The prevalence rates of N. linearis were 60 % in the addax, 23.40 % in dorcas gazelle, and 90 % in the oryx. Excreted larvae were quantified by LPG (larvae per gram) counting: for M. capillaris, the LPG mean values were 92.94 in the addax, 133.09 in dorcas gazelle, and 1.48 in the oryx; and for N. linearis, the LPG mean values were 6.02 in the addax, 1.37 in dorcas gazelle, and 32.81 in the oryx. These findings indicate that the three species of antelopes are infected with Muellerius capillaris and Neostrongylus linearis to varying degrees in intensity and prevalence.

Coprological survey of protostrongylid infections in antelopes from Souss-Massa National Park (Morocco)

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Protostrongylids, small nematode lungworms, are an integral part of the wild ruminant helminth community, which can damage animals’ health when they are held...

	Addax (n = 60)		Gazelle (n = 60)		Oryx (n = 60)
	M. capillaris	N. linearis	M. capillaris	N. linearis	M. capillaris	N. linearis
LPG Mean	92.94	6.02	133.09	1.37	1.48	32.81
LPG Max	542	40	951.7	20	20	838.4
LPG Min	0	0	0	0	0	0
Standard error	13.42	1.70	23.09	0.44	0.50	13.99
Prevalence %	98.40	60.00	96.70	23,40	28.40	90,00

Coprological survey of protostrongylid infections in antelopes from Souss-Massa National Park (Morocco)

Article Category: Research Note

Published Online: Nov 19, 2020

Page range: 306 - 313

Received: Jan 08, 2020

Accepted: May 04, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2020-0045

Keywords
prevalence, LPG, threatened antelopes, Souss-Massa National Park

© 2020 A. Saidi, R. Mimouni, F. Hamadi, W. Oubrou, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Prevalence rates and LPG values extracted from feces of each species of Protostrongylids for the three populations of antelopes.

Coprological survey of protostrongylid infections in antelopes from Souss-Massa National Park (Morocco)

Article Category: Research Note

Published Online: Nov 19, 2020

Page range: 306 - 313

Received: Jan 08, 2020

Accepted: May 04, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2020-0045

Keywordsprevalence, LPG, threatened antelopes, Souss-Massa National Park

© 2020 A. Saidi, R. Mimouni, F. Hamadi, W. Oubrou, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Fig. 3

Fig. 4

Fig. 5

Prevalence rates and LPG values extracted from feces of each species of Protostrongylids for the three populations of antelopes.

Keywords
prevalence, LPG, threatened antelopes, Souss-Massa National Park