Work

First Report of Troglotrema acutum Trematoda Parasitizing a European Polecat (Mustela putorius) in Bulgaria

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The finding also represents the first detection of this trematode on the Balkan Peninsula. The study was conducted between 2014 and 2023. Nineteen road-killed polecats, mainly from southern Bulgaria, were examined. A four-year-old male polecat road-killed near Chepelare, a town in the Somlyan Province in the Rhodope Mountains, was infested with six adult Troglotrema acutum within its frontal sinus. The skull exhibited only weakly developed lesions. The prevalence of 5.26% observed in this sample was lower than values reported from other European countries. This finding extends the known southeastern distribution range of T. acutum by over 700 km.

Source: Parasitologia

DOI: 10.3390/parasitologia4040032

Author: Mike Heddergott

Institution: Musée national d'histoire naturelle Luxembourg

Language: English

Topic: Parasite Biology and Host Interactions

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,137