Monitoring Campaign over an Edible Dormouse Population (; Rodentia: Gliridae) in Sicily: First Report of Mesocestodiasis

Overview

Journal Animals (Basel)

Date 2021 Apr 3

PMID 33806043

Authors

Giorgia Schiro

Domenico Pieri

Mario Lo Valvo

Luigi Gradoni

Simone Mario Caccio

Francesco Severini

Gianluca Marucci

Lucia Galuppo

Valentina Cumbo

Roberto Puleio

Guido Ruggero Loria

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

This study reports on the health status of the edible dormouse () living in Nebrodi Park (Sicily, Italy), responsible for nut crop damage in the area. In the frame of a monitoring campaign for potential zoonotic risk involving 30 dormice, rectal and conjunctival swabs and fur and nest content were collected for bacteriological and parasitological examinations, respectively. A large presence of fleas belonging to was found. Necropsy of a dead dormouse revealed an infection of , whose cysts were found in the abdomen cavity and on the liver; this is the first report of this in this species. Further studies are necessary to identify their role in the environment, considering the limited knowledge of this species in Italy.

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