The use of parasites as bioindicators of pesticide exposure

Organisms used in risk assessment of pesticides must be the most sensitive ones to pesticides exposure. The aim of this study was to observe the effect of two commercial pesticide products (containing glyphosate and tolylfluanid) to larval stages of parasites Cooperia curticei, Ostertagia circumcincta, Haemonchus contortus and Trichostrongylus axei. There were two concentrations tested for each product vs. control group. Larvae (500 individuals/Petri dish) were incubated at 27 °C and observed daily for 42 days

Sarkocistoza papkarske divljači u Slovačkoj

In this paper, we analyze the results of surveys of Sarcocystis spp. carried out on heart and skeletal muscles from 71 ex. of cloven-hoofed game hunted in Central and Eastern Slovakia between 2005 and 2007. Sarcocystis infection was determined among 91.5 % of the 71 cloven-hoofed game animals (deer, mouflon, chamois, wild boar): 100% in 13 roe deer, 10 mouflons, 8 fallow deer, and 6 chamois; 85.0 % in 20 wild boars, 78.6 % in 14 red deer. In examined cloven-hoofed game in Slovakia a high intensity of infection of Sarcocystis spp., was recorded. The highest intensity of infection was in wild boars (up to 1,495 microcysts per gram) and roe deer (903 microcysts per gram). Animals under one year of age showed low intensity of infection in comparison with adults: red deer (19/g), mouflon (19/g), chamois (19/g) and wild boar (52/g). Muscle samples of males had a significantly higher intensity of infection than females. Intensity of infection was statistically significant in red deer male versus calves p<0.05; chamois male versus lamb p<0.001, chamois female versus lamb p<0.001, chamois male versus female p<0.05, wild boar male versus female p<0.01, wild boar female versus piglet p<0.05. We also present the morphology of thin-walled microcysts of Sarcocystis spp. according to histological sections. Light microscopy showed typical features of Sarcocystis spp. microcysts in skeletal muscles and myocardium. Thin-walled microcysts were filled with numerous bradyzoites, which are situated inside chamber-like hollows in the cysts.U radu je istraživana prisutnost parazita Sarcocystis spp. u poprečno-prugastom srčanom i skeletnom mišićju 71 primjerka papkarske divljači odstrijeljene u razdoblju od 2005. do 2007. na području središnje i istočne Slovačke. Invazija sarkocistama je utvrđena u 91% pregledane divljači (jelenska divljač, muflon, divokoza, divlja svinja), i to u 100% od pregledanih 13 srna, 10 muflona, 8 jelena lopatara i 6 divokoza; 85.0% u 20 pregledanih divljih svinja; 78.6% u pregledanih 14 jelena običnih. Također je u pretražene papkarske divljači zabilježen i visoki intenzitet invazije, najviši u divljih svinja (do 1.495 mikrocista po gramu) i srna (903 mikrociste po gramu). Niži intenzitet invazije zabilježen je u mladunčadi u odnosu na odrasle životinje; jelen obični (19/g), muflon (19/g), divokoza (19/g) i divlja svinja (52/g). Statistički značajno jača invazija utvrđena je u mužjaka negoli u ženki. Nadalje, statistički značajne razlike uočene su u intenzitetu invazije kod mužjaka jelena običnog u odnosu na telad p<0.05; divojaraca u odnosu na janjad p<0.001, divokoza u odnosu na janjad p<0.001, divojaraca u odnosu na divokoze p<0.05, veprova u odnosu na krmače p<0.01 te krmača u odnosu na prasad p<0.05. U radu su također prikazane i morfološke osobitosti mikrocista parazita Sarcocystis spp. u poprečno-prugastom skeletnom i srčanom mišićju, prema histološkom prikazu. Mikrociste su bile ispunjene brojnim bradizoitima, smještenima unutar komorica

Parasitofauna of Brown Bear (Ursus arctos) in the Protected Landscape Area CHKO — Poľana

During the years 2015—2016 we obtained 15 samples of faeces of brown bears (Ursus arctos) and 2 samples of gastrointestinal (GI) tracts of young female brown bears for helminthological examinations. The samples of faeces were collected from various sites in the protected landscape area CHKO-Poľana, and the gastrointestinal tracts originated from bears hunted down in the same area within permitted regulation of bear population for 2015. Of the 17 samples collected from the CHKO-Poľana area, 13 were positive for the presence of parasites (76.47 %). Parasitological examinations revealed the presence of 5 species of endoparasites: Eimeria, Cryptosporidium, Sarcocystis, Baylisascaris and Ancylostoma. Roundworms Baylisascaris transfuga (46.15 %) and Ancylostoma spp. (30.77 %) were the dominant species. Observation of the seasonal dynamics showed the highest prevalence of parasites during autumn and winter

Sarkocistoza papkarske divljači u Slovačkoj

In this paper, we analyze the results of surveys of Sarcocystis spp. carried out on heart and skeletal muscles from 71 ex. of cloven-hoofed game hunted in Central and Eastern Slovakia between 2005 and 2007. Sarcocystis infection was determined among 91.5 % of the 71 cloven-hoofed game animals (deer, mouflon, chamois, wild boar): 100% in 13 roe deer, 10 mouflons, 8 fallow deer, and 6 chamois; 85.0 % in 20 wild boars, 78.6 % in 14 red deer. In examined cloven-hoofed game in Slovakia a high intensity of infection of Sarcocystis spp., was recorded. The highest intensity of infection was in wild boars (up to 1,495 microcysts per gram) and roe deer (903 microcysts per gram). Animals under one year of age showed low intensity of infection in comparison with adults: red deer (19/g), mouflon (19/g), chamois (19/g) and wild boar (52/g). Muscle samples of males had a significantly higher intensity of infection than females. Intensity of infection was statistically significant in red deer male versus calves p<0.05; chamois male versus lamb p<0.001, chamois female versus lamb p<0.001, chamois male versus female p<0.05, wild boar male versus female p<0.01, wild boar female versus piglet p<0.05. We also present the morphology of thin-walled microcysts of Sarcocystis spp. according to histological sections. Light microscopy showed typical features of Sarcocystis spp. microcysts in skeletal muscles and myocardium. Thin-walled microcysts were filled with numerous bradyzoites, which are situated inside chamber-like hollows in the cysts.U radu je istraživana prisutnost parazita Sarcocystis spp. u poprečno-prugastom srčanom i skeletnom mišićju 71 primjerka papkarske divljači odstrijeljene u razdoblju od 2005. do 2007. na području središnje i istočne Slovačke. Invazija sarkocistama je utvrđena u 91% pregledane divljači (jelenska divljač, muflon, divokoza, divlja svinja), i to u 100% od pregledanih 13 srna, 10 muflona, 8 jelena lopatara i 6 divokoza; 85.0% u 20 pregledanih divljih svinja; 78.6% u pregledanih 14 jelena običnih. Također je u pretražene papkarske divljači zabilježen i visoki intenzitet invazije, najviši u divljih svinja (do 1.495 mikrocista po gramu) i srna (903 mikrociste po gramu). Niži intenzitet invazije zabilježen je u mladunčadi u odnosu na odrasle životinje; jelen obični (19/g), muflon (19/g), divokoza (19/g) i divlja svinja (52/g). Statistički značajno jača invazija utvrđena je u mužjaka negoli u ženki. Nadalje, statistički značajne razlike uočene su u intenzitetu invazije kod mužjaka jelena običnog u odnosu na telad p<0.05; divojaraca u odnosu na janjad p<0.001, divokoza u odnosu na janjad p<0.001, divojaraca u odnosu na divokoze p<0.05, veprova u odnosu na krmače p<0.01 te krmača u odnosu na prasad p<0.05. U radu su također prikazane i morfološke osobitosti mikrocista parazita Sarcocystis spp. u poprečno-prugastom skeletnom i srčanom mišićju, prema histološkom prikazu. Mikrociste su bile ispunjene brojnim bradizoitima, smještenima unutar komorica

Traces of human-mediated selection in the gene pool of red deer populations

This article belongs to the Section Animal Genetics and Genomics.In this study, we analysed the effect of human-mediated selection on the gene pool of wild and farmed red deer populations based on genotyping-by-sequencing data. The farmed red deer sample covered populations spread across seven countries and two continents (France, Germany, Hungary, Latvia, New Zealand, Poland, and Slovakia). The Slovak and Spain wild red deer populations (the latter one in a large game estate) were used as control outgroups. The gene flow intensity, relationship and admixture among populations were tested by the Bayesian approach and discriminant analysis of principal components (DAPC). The highest gene diversity (He = 0.19) and the lowest genomic inbreeding (FHOM = 0.04) found in Slovak wild population confirmed our hypothesis that artificial selection accompanied by bottlenecks has led to the increase in overall genomic homozygosity. The Bayesian approach and DAPC consistently identified three separate genetic groups. As expected, the farmed populations were clustered together, while the Slovak and Spanish populations formed two separate clusters. Identified traces of genetic admixture in the gene pool of farmed populations reflected a strong contemporary migration rate between them. This study suggests that even if the history of deer farming has been shorter than traditional livestock species, it may leave significant traces in the genome structure.[Simple Summary] Human activities have left indelible traces in the gene pool of livestock as well as recently domesticated wild animal species which are manifested by changes in their genome structure, often accompanied by the significant loss of biodiversity, especially in the case of small local populations. Despite the benefits of deer farming, intensive artificial selection associated with domestication can lead to several negative effects, including founder effects, inbreeding depression, or rapid decline in effective population size, which are also often present in traditional livestock. This study investigates the effect of human-mediated selection on the diversity of seven farmed red deer populations compared to two wild populations through the quantification of the level of genomic heterozygosity, inbreeding, admixture, and gene flow. These results will help to improve traditional breeding schemes and assist in a more sustainable utilisation of available animal genetic resources.This research was funded by Slovak Research and Development Agency (grant numbers APVV-20-0161 and APVV-17-0060). T.L.-C. and L.C. were funded by UCLM project 2022-GRIN-34319, whereas L.C. was supported by a postdoctoral contract for scientific excellence from the UCLM plan (co-financed by the European Social Fund).Peer reviewe