New Insights into the Parasites of the Eurasian Beaver
Thanks to successful reintroduction efforts and natural population growth, the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is becoming an expanding species in Europe. Beavers spread rapidly in the second half of the 20th century, especially in areas within the Danube river basin. Today, most of the continuous population is found in the central and eastern parts of the European continent, as well as in large populations in Norway and Sweden. Despite the growing beaver population, the role of beavers as potential sources of waterborne pathogens is not yet fully understood or is often inferred from indirect data.
"To expand our knowledge about the parasitofauna of protected beavers occurring in Slovakia, we examined fecal samples from free-living beavers collected near beaver lodges and dams at three sites – within the watersheds of the Topľa, Poprad, and Danube rivers – using microscopy and DNA analysis. The analyzed samples contained unicellular parasitic organisms that pose an increased risk of transmission to other animal species and humans – microsporidia Enterocytozoon bieneusi (genotype D) and Encephalitozoon intestinalis, as well as the potentially zoonotic species Cryptosporidium proliferans," report researchers from the Laboratory of Environmental Parasitology of the Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), in Košice.
They also recorded a new subtype of the genus Blastocystis, which represents the first detection of this parasite species in beavers.
"Our findings suggest that nature conservation efforts focused on restoring beaver populations should not only aim to increase the numbers of endangered animal species in the wild but also include monitoring of their pathogens, which can impact the health of other animals and humans. More detailed research on pathogens in aquatic mammals will contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology of waterborne diseases with potential for zoonotic or interspecies transmission," adds the research team.
Source of information: Assoc. Prof. RNDr. Ingrid Papajová, PhD., Head of the Laboratory of Environmental Parasitology, Institute of Parasitology, SAS
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