Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska
Giardia and Cryptosporidium are zoonotic protozoan parasites that can infect humans and other taxa, including wildlife, often causing gastrointestinal illness. Both have been identified as One Health priorities in the Arctic, where climate change is expected to influence the distribution of many wil...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Food and Waterborne Parasitology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676623000197 |
| _version_ | 1797688356887330816 |
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| author | Caroline Van Hemert Lora R. Ballweber David R. Sinnett Todd C. Atwood Anthony Fischbach David D. Gustine Kristy L. Pabilonia |
| author_facet | Caroline Van Hemert Lora R. Ballweber David R. Sinnett Todd C. Atwood Anthony Fischbach David D. Gustine Kristy L. Pabilonia |
| author_sort | Caroline Van Hemert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Giardia and Cryptosporidium are zoonotic protozoan parasites that can infect humans and other taxa, including wildlife, often causing gastrointestinal illness. Both have been identified as One Health priorities in the Arctic, where climate change is expected to influence the distribution of many wildlife and zoonotic diseases, but little is known about their prevalence in local wildlife. To help fill information gaps, we collected fecal samples from four wildlife species that occur seasonally on the northern Alaska coastline or in nearshore marine waters—Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus)—and used immunofluorescence assays to screen for Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. We detected Giardia cysts in 18.3% and Cryptosporidium oocysts in 16.5% of Arctic foxes (n = 109), suggesting that foxes may be potentially important hosts in this region. We also detected Giardia cysts in a single polar bear (12.5%; n = 8), which to our knowledge represents the first such report for this species. Neither parasite was detected in walruses or caribou. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:29:59Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-22d4d6e76e3c477fad1e81ed78b4db2c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2405-6766 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T01:29:59Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Food and Waterborne Parasitology |
| spelling | doaj.art-22d4d6e76e3c477fad1e81ed78b4db2c2023-09-12T04:16:16ZengElsevierFood and Waterborne Parasitology2405-67662023-09-0132e00206Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic AlaskaCaroline Van Hemert0Lora R. Ballweber1David R. Sinnett2Todd C. Atwood3Anthony Fischbach4David D. Gustine5Kristy L. Pabilonia6U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USA; Corresponding author.Colorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Fort Collins, CO, USAU.S. Department of Agriculture APHIS Wildlife Services, Palmer, AK, USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USAU.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, AK, USA; Current affiliation: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine Mammals Management—Polar Bears, Anchorage, AK, USAColorado State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, Fort Collins, CO, USAGiardia and Cryptosporidium are zoonotic protozoan parasites that can infect humans and other taxa, including wildlife, often causing gastrointestinal illness. Both have been identified as One Health priorities in the Arctic, where climate change is expected to influence the distribution of many wildlife and zoonotic diseases, but little is known about their prevalence in local wildlife. To help fill information gaps, we collected fecal samples from four wildlife species that occur seasonally on the northern Alaska coastline or in nearshore marine waters—Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus), polar bear (Ursus maritimus), Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens), and caribou (Rangifer tarandus)—and used immunofluorescence assays to screen for Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts. We detected Giardia cysts in 18.3% and Cryptosporidium oocysts in 16.5% of Arctic foxes (n = 109), suggesting that foxes may be potentially important hosts in this region. We also detected Giardia cysts in a single polar bear (12.5%; n = 8), which to our knowledge represents the first such report for this species. Neither parasite was detected in walruses or caribou.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676623000197Arctic foxCaribouCryptosporidiumGiardiaPolar bearPacific walrus |
| spellingShingle | Caroline Van Hemert Lora R. Ballweber David R. Sinnett Todd C. Atwood Anthony Fischbach David D. Gustine Kristy L. Pabilonia Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska Food and Waterborne Parasitology Arctic fox Caribou Cryptosporidium Giardia Polar bear Pacific walrus |
| title | Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska |
| title_full | Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska |
| title_fullStr | Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska |
| title_full_unstemmed | Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska |
| title_short | Giardia and Cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in Arctic Alaska |
| title_sort | giardia and cryptosporidium in resident wildlife species in arctic alaska |
| topic | Arctic fox Caribou Cryptosporidium Giardia Polar bear Pacific walrus |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405676623000197 |
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