Parasites in wildlife in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

Abstract Parasitic diseases of wild animals represent an important area of research. In addition to a significant impact on wildlife health and fitness, many of parasitic diseases have zoonotic implications. Scientific information regarding parasitic diseases in wildlife in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) are scarce. Hence, the aim of this research was to investigate wildlife parasites in the Entity of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH), with an emphasis on zoonotic species. In the period April 2020 - November 2022, the research was performed in 9 species of wildlife. Out of a total of 1,278 collected samples, parasitic eggs or parasitic DNA were confirmed in 907 (70.9%). Parasitic infestations were confirmed in 15.9% of examined bears (11/69); 83.7% of examined red foxes (262/313); 67.6% of examined wolves (44/65); 25% of examined wild cats (1/4); 20% of examined badger (1/5); 43.7% of examined martens (7/16); 39.7% of examined wild boars (76/191); 84.5% of examined deer (350/414) and in 77.1% of examined rabbits (155/201) The finding of zoonotic parasites (Trichinella spp., Echinococcus multilocularis, Cryptosporidium spp.) is particularly important due to their potential detrimental effects on human health. Therefore, the monitoring of parasitic infections in wildlife has a paramount importance in developing the health care programs and control strategies.