Open Access
Research
(Published
online: 15-09-2016)
9.
Gastrointestinal helminths of Coyotes (Canis
latrans)
from Southeast Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa -
Whitni K. Redman, Jay E. Bryant and Gul Ahmad
Veterinary World, 9(9): 970-975
doi:
10.14202/vetworld.2016.970-975
Whitni K. Redman:
Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru
State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA;
whitni.redman26254@campus.peru.edu
Jay E. Bryant:
Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru
State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA; jay.bryant08293@campus.peru.edu
Gul Ahmad:
Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Peru
State College, Peru Nebraska 68421-0010, USA; gahmad@peru.edu
Received: 17-05-2016, Accepted: 08-08-2016, Published online:
15-09-2016
Corresponding author:
Gul Ahmad, e-mail: gahmad@peru.edu
Citation:
Redman WK, Bryant JE, Ahmad G (2016) Gastrointestinal helminths
of Coyotes (Canis
latrans)
from Southeast Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa,
Veterinary World, 9(9):
970-975.
Abstract
Aim:
This survey was carried out on the carcasses of 29 coyotes from
Southeastern Nebraska and Shenandoah area of Iowa to document
the helminths present in the intestinal track of these
carnivorous animals.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 29 adult coyote carcasses were generously donated in
the autumn and winter (November-February) of 2014-2015 by
trappers, fur buyers and hunters of Southeast Nebraska and
Shenandoah area of Iowa. The intestine of individual animals
were examined for the recovery of helminth parasites as per the
established procedures.
Results:
We found that as many as 93.10% of the investigated coyotes were
infected with one or more helminth infections. A total of 10
different species of helminth parasites were recovered from the
intestines of coyotes under investigation. Among the 10 species
of helminths, 5 were identified as cestodes while the remaining
5 were nematodes. A total of 82.75% of the animals were infected
with one or more species of nematodes, while 75.86% of them were
colonized with one or more species of cestode parasites. The
most abundant species in coyotes were
Toxascaris leonina
(68.95%) closely followed by
Taenia hydatigena
(58.62%). The prevalence of
Ancylostoma caninum
and
Taenia pisiformis
were recorded at 31.03%, followed by those of
Toxocara canis
and
Echinococcus
spp. at 24.13%, respectively. Three animals were infected with
Trichuris vulpis
while three other coyotes each were found to be harboring
Uncinaria stenocephala,
Dipylidium caninum,
or
Hymenolepis diminuta.
The presence of
H. diminuta
might have been the result of the ingestion of a rodent by the
respective coyotes.
Conclusion:
From the overall analysis of the present data and comparing it
with the previous reports of various scientists over several
decades, we can conclude that intestinal helminths are still
very much prevalent among the coyote population in the Southeast
Nebraska and Iowa area. The relatively high prevalence of the
zoonotic parasite species further warrants a more comprehensive
investigation with larger numbers of wild predators from the
region to ascertain the possible contribution of coyotes to the
disease cycle as these animals are more frequently spotted in
and around the densely populated urban areas.
Keywords:
cestode, coyotes, helminths, infection, intestinal, nematode.
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