Intestinal parasites of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Slovenia
Open accessAbstract
In the present study, 428 foxes were collected and examined for intestinal helminths using the washing-out method. Parasites were found in 93.2% of the examined animals. The most frequently identified nematodes were Uncinaria stenocephala (58.9%), Toxocara canis (38.3%) and Molineus patens (30.6%). Other nematodes found were Pterygodermatites affinis (4.2%), Capillaria sp. (2.8%), Crenosoma vulpis (2.8%), Toxascaris leonina (2.5%), Trichuris vulpis (0.7%) and Physaloptera sp. (0.2%). Mesocestoides sp. (27.6%) and Taenia crassiceps (22.2%) were the most prevalent cestodes, followed by T. polyacantha (6.5%), Hymenolepis nana (2.1%), T. pisiformis (2.1%) and Dipylidium caninum (1.4%). The study also revealed four trematode species: Rossicotrema donicum (1.6%), Heterophyes heterophyes (1.1%), Metagonimus yokogawai (1.1%), Prohemistomum appendiculatum (0.4%) and two protozoan species: oocysts of Sarcocystis (2.8%) and Isospora (0.4%). This is the first extensive study on the intestinal parasites of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Slovenia. The 2.6% prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in the same sample population as investigated herein has been reported previously (Vergles Rataj et al., 2010).
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The analysis of all Taenia tapeworms together without distinguishing species makes it hard to conclude definitely about regional differences.
“It is hard to conclude definitely because we analyzed all tapeworms from Taenia genus together without distinguishing species (e.g., T. crassiceps, T. pisiformis, T. polyacantha, T. hydatigena, and T. taeniaeformis) [1,8,16] which have different lifecycles with various intermediate hosts.”
From Distribution of Parasitic Helminths in the Small Intestine of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) (2020) · cites this paper as [16]
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“In contrast, Schoffel et al. (1991) and Smith et al. (2003) reported a more frequent occurrence of T. canis than of U. stenocephala.”
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InfluentialVeronesi, F., Deak, G., & Diakou, Α. (2023) · Pathogens · doi:10.3390/pathogens12020178 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
“, Taenia crassiceps, Taenia pisiformis [151,152], and Mesocestoides spp.”
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Distribution of Parasitic Helminths in the Small Intestine of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes)
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“tapeworms were reported frequently at different prevalence (from 8% to 62%) [3,8,12,13,16,17].”
BackgroundKaramon, J., Samorek-Pieróg, M., Moskwa, B., Różycki, M., Bilska-Zając, E., Zdybel, J., & Włodarczyk, M. (2016) · Journal of Veterinary Research · doi:10.1515/jvetres-2016-0042 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“However, in Slovenia about 30% of red foxes were infected with this parasite (28).”
BackgroundIntestinal helminths of red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) in north-west Italy
Magi, M., Guardone, L., Mignone, W., Prati, M. C., & Macchioni, F. (2016) · Helminthologia · doi:10.1515/helmin-2015-0073 · Cited by 17 · see citing works
“For example the prevalence in Slovenia was 58.9 % (Vergles Rataj et al., 2013), in Denmark 54.4 % or 84.1 % respectively (Al-Sabi et al., 2013; Franssen et al., 2014), and in Lithuania 76.9 % (Bružinskaitė-Schmidhalter et al., 2012).”
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Significance of the red fox as a natural reservoir of intestinal zoonoses in Vojvodina, Serbia.
Miljević, M., Čabrilo, O. B., Simin, V., Čabrilo, B., Miljević, J., & Lalošević, D. (2019) · Acta Veterinaria Hungarica · doi:10.1556/004.2019.055 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“The intestinal helminth fauna of red foxes has been well researched throughout Europe (Vervaeke et al., 2005; Eira et al., 2006; Magi et al., 2009; Miterpakova et al., 2009; Vergles-Rataj et al., 2013).”
BackgroundInfluentialUmhang, G., Duchamp, C., Boucher, J.-M., Caillot, C., Legras, L., Demerson, J., Lucas, J., Gauthier, D., & Boué, F. (2023) · International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife · doi:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2023.09.007 · Cited by 13
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Ilić, T., Becskei, Z., Tasić, A., Stepanović, P., Nenadović, K., Đurić, B., & Dimitrijević, S. (2016) · Journal of Veterinary Research · doi:10.1515/jvetres-2016-0022 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“As the data on the occurrence of respiratory parasitic infections of wild carnivores in the region are insufficient (7, 8, 12, 20, 29), the aim of this survey was to establish the presence, distribution, and prevalence of respiratory capillariosis in fox populations in six different epizootiological regions in Serbia.”
BackgroundWhen things go wrong: Cysticercus longicollis in an adult wild red fox (Vulpes vulpes)
Konjević, D., Živičnjak, T., Kurilj, A. G., Sindičić, M., Martinkovic, F., & Jan, D. S. (2016) · Parasitology Research · doi:10.1007/s00436-015-4894-0 · Cited by 11
“Nature ParkMedvednica”
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“Rataj et al. (2013) reported Uncinaria stenocephala as the most frequently identifi ed nematodes in red foxes from Slovenia.”
BackgroundInfluentialThe prevalence of intestinal nematodes among red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in north-western Poland
Tylkowska, A., Pilarczyk, B., Tomza-Marciniak, A., & Pilarczyk, R. (2021) · Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica · doi:10.1186/s13028-021-00584-0 · Cited by 10
The Prevalence of Intestinal Helminths in Free-Ranging Canids of Mazandaran, Northern Iran
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“90% of examined canids had intestinal nematodes (12).”
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“patens was detected not only in Mustelidae but also in Canidae: red fox Vulpes vulpes, raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides, dog Canis familiaris, Gliridae: Eliomys quercinus, and Ursidae – Ursus arctos (Borgsteede, 1984; Durette-Desset and Pesson, 1987; Jones et al., 1980; Kozlov, 1963, 1977; Rataj et al., 2013; Raus…”
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“(Rostov Oblast [85]), Serbia* [11, 19, 72], Slovakia* [71, 91, 97 – 100], Slovenia [78], Turkey [16] (as M. ciureanus from Sapanca), Ukraine* [10, 17, 23, 37 – 39, 46, 59, 86], former Yugoslavia – Croatia and/or Slovenia [6 – 8].”
Sanchis-Monsonís, G., Fanelli, A., Martínez‐Carrasco, C., & Tizzani, P. (2020) · Veterinary Parasitology · doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2020.109168 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
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“Molineus patens is a common intestinal parasite of mustelids; it can impair the health of skunks, affecting their population size [78,79].”
BackgroundNew host and distribution expansion for Pterygodermatites (Multipectines) affinis
Scioscia, N. P., Beldomenico, P., & Denegri, G. (2016) · Helminthologia · doi:10.1515/helmin-2015-0076 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Epidemiological coherency of vulpine dirofilariosis in environmental conditions of Slovakia
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Red Fox Vulpes vulpes (Linnaeus, 1758)
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“…with 31.3% [36] and Belarus with 25.5% [37], lower infection rates were reported in Italy with 9.1% [38], and others have demonstrated much higher rates of infection: the UK, i.e., 61.6% [39], the Netherlands, 61% [40], Denmark, around 60.9% [41], Switzerland, 44.3% [42] and Slovenia, 38.3% [43].”
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Parasitary Infestation In A Fox
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“These included Oslerus rostratus (feline lungworm: [ 82 ]), Creno-soma vulpis (lungworm: [ 83 ]), Metastrongylus pudendo-tectus (lungworm: [ 84 ]), Molineus patens (gastrointestinal nematode: [ 85 ]), and Prestwoodia delicata (gastrointestinal nematode: [ 86 ]).”
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“…[33], Denmark [34, 35], Estonia [36], Germany [37, 38], Hungary [37, 38], Ireland [39], Italy [40, 41], Lat-via [42], Lithuania [43, 44], Poland [45, 46], Romania [9, 47], Serbia [48, 49], Slovakia [50], Slovenia [51], Spain [52], Sweden [53], Switzerland [54], Ukraine [55], and the UK [56].”
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Prevalence of intestinal nematodes of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in north-west Poland
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“Discussion In Europe, the most commonly found gastrointestinal nematode in foxes is Uncinaria stenocephala (3, 26, 27, 28, 29).”
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The helminth fauna of intestinal canal of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Kharkiv oblast
Lyulin, P., Prykhodko, Y. O., & Fedorova, O. (2018) · doi:10.31073/vet_biotech32(2)-40
- Authors
- Vergles Rataj, A., Posedi, J., Žele, D., & Vengušt, G.
- Affiliations
- 1 University of Ljubljana Institute of Microbiology and Parasitology, Veterinary Faculty Gerbičeva 60 1115 Ljubljana Slovenia
- University of Ljubljana (SI)
- Venue
- Acta Veterinaria Hungarica
- Publisher
- Akademiai Kiado Zrt.
- Published
- 2013-12-01
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 454-462
- ISSN
- 0236-6290 (ISSN-L)
- 1588-2705
- OpenAlex
- W2080081624
- Cited by
- 54
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 4 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 6 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 10 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 7.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Acta Veterinaria Hungarica (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Repository of the University of Ljubljana (University of Ljubljana) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Repository of the Academy's Library (Library of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) (acceptedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Veterinary › Small Animals › Helminth infection and control
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Parasitic infections in humans and animals
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Keywords
- red fox, intestinal parasites, helminths, nematodes, cestodes, trematodes, protozoa, Uncinaria stenocephala, Toxocara canis, Mesocestoides, Taenia crassiceps, Echinococcus multilocularis, parasite prevalence, Slovenia
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Animals, Wild, Cestoda, Foxes, Helminths, Parasites, Prevalence, Slovenia
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