Doctoral defence: Ants Tull “Domesticated and wild mammals as reservoirs for zoonotic helminth parasites in Estonia”

On 31 August at 9:15 Ants Tull will defend his doctoral thesis “Domesticated and wild mammals as reservoirs for zoonotic helminth parasites in Estonia” for obtaining the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (in Zoology and Ecology).

Supervisors:
Professor Urmas Saarma, University of Tartu
Doctor Epp Moks, Veterinary and Food Laboratory

Opponent:
Doctor Smaragda Sotiraki, Hellenic Agricultural Organization (Greece)

Summary
Nowadays, the bond between humans and pets is beneficial for human`s health. Most of people consider pets as family members, living in the same space, sharing the same food and pathogens. The latter also includes zoonotic endoparasites that are distributed from wildlife animals (red fox, golden jackal) to pets and from pets (cats and dogs) to humans. The aims of the present dissertation were to study zoonotic endoparasites distributed by domesticated and wildlife animals, and to determine the main endoparasite taxa as well as their potential transmission routes. In addition, the parasite fauna of rural and urban cats and dogs was studied. Lastly, it was estimated how diet affects predator`s endoparasite fauna, whereas the endoparasite overlap between wildlife (red fox, golden jackal) and pet (dog) animals were assessed. The results of our work imply that the infection is highest in rural areas, followed by smaller towns and it is lowest in larger towns. The results reveal that pets and wildlife animals have high infection prevalence with zoonotic endoparasites (tapeworms and ascarids). Rural dogs were 9 times more infected with parasites than urban dogs, the first having high endoparasite overlap with wildlife predators. Shelter cats had overall infection prevalence of 50% and the main risk groups included young age and cats ready for adoption, the latter being especially significant, as they spread zoonotic parasites. Predators preying on specific food objects (e.g. rodents, game) increased their infection risk with endoparasites. To conclude, domesticated animals obtain parasites from environment or via predation and can spread parasites of zoonotic importance. The results emphasize the risk of pathogen transmission from wildlife to pets, and from them to humans, making wildlife parasitic diseases a One Health concern. Reducing helminth infections in companion animals and limiting their access to wild areas are the key measures to control the transmission of zoonotic helminths.