Anthropogenic Drivers of Variation in Concentrations of Perfluoroalkyl Substances in Otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales

SUMMARYGall bladders from 273 otter carcasses, collected throughout England and Wales, were screened to assess the status of gall bladder parasites in the Eurasian otter, Lutra lutra. The digenean Pseudamphistomum truncatum had previously been found in UK otters collected between 2000 and 2007. The parasite was established in Somerset and Dorset but its distribution elsewhere in the UK was largely unknown. In the current study, P. truncatum was also found to be abundant in south Wales, with occasional cases elsewhere, but appears to be absent from the north of England. Overall, 11·7% of otters were infected with 1–238 P. truncatum. A second digenean, Metorchis albidus, previously unreported in British otters, was found in the biliary system of 6·6% of otters. M. albidus appears well established in Suffolk, Norfolk and north Essex but was recorded elsewhere rarely. Both parasites are associated with pathological damage to the otter gall bladder. The recent discovery of these two non-native parasites provides a unique opportunity to assess their impact on native British fauna.

Download Full-text

East-West Divide: temperature and land cover drive spatial variation of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Eurasian otters (Lutra lutra) from England and Wales

Parasitology ◽

10.1017/s0031182017000865 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 144 (11) ◽

pp. 1433-1440 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

WILLOW A. SMALLBONE ◽

ELIZABETH A. CHADWICK ◽

JANET FRANCIS ◽

EDWARD GUY ◽

SARAH E. PERKINS ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Land Cover ◽

Potential Effect ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Lutra Lutra ◽

England And Wales ◽

Zoonotic Parasite ◽

Lower Infection ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii Infection ◽

Host Death

SUMMARYToxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite of global importance, infects all endothermic vertebrates, with extensive health implications. The prevalence of this parasite is seldom monitored in wildlife. Here, a semi-aquatic species, the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra) was used as a model to assess the potential effect of climate, land cover and biotic factors on T. gondii seroprevalence in British wildlife. The Sabin–Feldman cytoplasm-modifying dye test identified T. gondii antibodies in 25·5% of blood samples from otters found dead, mainly as road kill, in England and Wales, between 2004 and 2010. Otters in the east of England were more likely to be infected with T. gondii than those in western regions. Land cover and temperature are key determinants of T. gondii infection risk, with more infection in arable areas and lower infection where temperatures are higher. The probability of T. gondii infection increased with host age, reflecting cumulative exposure with time, but there was no association between T. gondii seroprevalence and cause of host death.

Download Full-text