Open AccessParasitic helminths in snakes from the global legal trade
Author(s) -
M. Halán,
Lucia Kottferová
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
helminthologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.378
H-Index - 28
eISSN - 1336-9083
pISSN - 0440-6605
DOI - 10.2478/helm-2021-0041
Subject(s) - helminths , biology , capillaria , zoology , veterinary medicine , strongyloides , medicine
Summary In recent years, the demand for snakes imported from different countries around the world has increased in Slovakia. However, such snakes can be infected with a wide variety of parasites. We have been focused on monitoring the prevalence of parasitic helminths of snakes imported to Slovakia. From 2015 to 2020, 205 samples were collected. We examined faecal samples of 185 live snakes, and a parasitological autopsy was performed on 20 carcasses. Out of a total of 205 snakes, parasitic helminths were found in 44 individuals (21.46 %). Coprological examination of live snakes confirmed positivity for the presence of helminths in 38 snakes (20.54 %). Through parasitological autopsy of all the dead snakes, we found helminths or their eggs in 6 carcasses (30.00 %). The genera of helminths found in the positive snakes were: Ophiotaenia spp., Kapsulotaenia spp., Strongyloides spp. , Rhabdias spp., Ophidascaris spp., Ascaridia spp., f. Heterakidae, Kalicephalus spp., Capillaria spp., order Oxyurida and stages of the plerocercoid of an unidentifi ed species of tapeworm in the subcutaneous tissue.