Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-14T04:20:18.835Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Patterns of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in the bushbuck Tragelaphus scriptus from the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 April 2024

A. Apio*
Affiliation:
Mbarara University of Science and Technology, PO Box 1410, Mbarara, Uganda
M. Palth
Affiliation:
Universität Potsdam, Institut für Biochemie/Biologie, Abteilung für Evolutionsbiologie/Spezielle Zoologie, Karl-Liebknecht Str. 24–25, 14496 Potsdam, Germany Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, 730 Van Vleet Oval, Norman, OK 73019 USA
T. Wronski
Affiliation:
Universität Hamburg, Biozentrum Grindel & Zoologisches Museum, Martin Luther King-Platz 3, 20146 Hamburg, Germany
*
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Seasonal, host sex and age-related variations in helminth egg and coccidian oocyst counts were investigated in a naturally infected wild bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus) population in Queen Elizabeth National Park, western Uganda from April 2000 to February 2002. The prevalence and mean intensity quantified as the number of eggs and oocysts per gram of faeces were taken as a measure of parasite burdens. Host sex and age-related differences in prevalence values were not found but the overall prevalence of Eimeria sp. was significantly higher during the rainy season, and peak counts were recorded either during or soon after a peak rainfall. A similar trend was observed for Moniezia spp., although the results were marginally not significant. There were also no significant differences in mean intensity values, relative to host sex, age or season.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2006

References

Apio, A. (2003) Foraging behaviour and gastrointestinal tract parasitic infections of the bushbuck (Tragelaphusscriptus) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, western Uganda. MSc thesis, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda.Google Scholar
Amour, J. (1980) The epidemiology of helminth disease in farm animals. Veterinary Parasitology 6, 746.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Barth, D. (1967) Parasitologische Diagnostik (Teil 1), Koprologische Untersuchungen Therapogen Praxisdienst 2. Sharp & Dohme GmbH, München.Google Scholar
Boomker, J., Keep, M.E., Flamand, J.R. & Horak, I.G. (1984) The helminths of various antelope species from Natal. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 51, 253256.Google ScholarPubMed
Boomker, J., Horak, I.G. & de Vos, V. (1986) The helminth parasites of various artiodactylids from some South African nature reserves. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 53, 93102.Google ScholarPubMed
Boomker, J., Keep, M.E. & Horak, I.G. (1987) Parasites of South African wildlife. I. Helminths of bushbuck, Tragelaphus scriptus, and grey duiker, Sylvicapra grimmia, from the Weza State Forest, Natal. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Research 54, 131134.Google ScholarPubMed
Carius, H.J., Little, T. & Ebert, D. (2001) Genetic variation in a host–parasite association: potential for coevolution and frequency-dependent selection. International Journal for Organic Evolution 55, 11361145.Google Scholar
Crofton, H.D. (1957) Nematode parasite populations in sheep on lowland farms. III. The seasonal incidence of species. Parasitology 47, 304318.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dinnik, J.A. & Sachs, R. (1968) A gigantic Protostrongylus, P. africanus sp. nov., and other lung nematodes of antelopes in the Serengeti, Tanzania. Parasitology 58, 819829.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dinnik, J.A., Walker, J.B., Barnett, S.F. & Brocklesby, D.W. (1963) Some parasites obtained from game animals in western Uganda. Bulletin of Epizootic Diseases of Africa 11, 3744.Google ScholarPubMed
Dunn, A.M. (1978) Veterinary helminthology. London, William Heinemann Medical Books Ltd.Google Scholar
Foreyt, W.J. (1986) Recovery of nematode eggs and larvae in deer: evaluation of faecal preservation methods. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 189, 10651067.Google ScholarPubMed
Georgi, J.R. (1990) Veterinary parasitology. Philadelphia, Saunders Publishing.Google Scholar
Gunn, A. & Irvine, R.J. (2003) Subclinical parasitism and ruminant foraging strategies – a review. Wildlife Society Bulletin 31, 117126.Google Scholar
Hansen, J. & Perry, B. (1990) The epidemiology, diagnosis and control of gastrointestinal parasites of ruminants in Africa. A handbook. International Laboratory for Research on Animal Diseases, Nairobi.Google Scholar
Halvorsen, O. (1986) Epidemiology of reindeer parasites. Parasitology Today 2, 334339.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Halvorsen, O., Stien, A., Irvine, R.J., Langvatn, R. & Albon, S. (1999) Evidence for continued transmission of parasitic nematodes in reindeer during the Arctic winter. International Journal for Parasitology 29, 567579.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Irvine, R.J., Stien, A., Halvorsen, O., Langvatn, R. & Albon, S. (2000) Life-history strategies and population dynamics of abomasal nematodes in Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus). Parasitology 120, 297311.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koelle, K. & Pascual, M. (2004) Disentangling extrinsic from intrinsic factors in disease dynamics: a nonlinear time series approach with an application to cholera. American Naturalist 163, 901913.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Koelle, K., Rodo, X., Pascual, M., Yunus, M. & Mostafa, G. (2005) Refractory periods and climate forcing in cholera dynamics. Nature 436, 696700.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Legendre, P., Desdevises, Y. & Bazin, E. (2002) A statistical test for host–parasite coevolution. Systematic Biology 51, 217234.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Liang-Sheng, Y. (1956) On a collection of helminths from Thomson's gazelle, Gazella thomsoni, from Tanganyika. Journal of Helminthology 24, 203228.Google Scholar
Lock, J.M. (1977) The vegetation of the Rwenzori National Park, Uganda. Botanische Jahrbücher für Systematik 98, 372418.Google Scholar
Mares, R.C., Amaral, L. & Fachada, L.C. (1984) Helminth parasites of game in Transkei. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association 55, 7374.Google ScholarPubMed
Michel, J.F. (1976) The epdemiology and control of some nematode infections in grazing animals. Advances in Parasitology 14, 355397.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mönnig, H.O. (1933) Wild antelopes as carriers of nematode parasites of domestic ruminants, Part III. Onderstepoort Journal of Veterinary Science and Animal Industry 1, 7792.Google Scholar
Pullan, N.B., Burridge, M.J. & Reid, H.W. (1971) Some helminths of bushbuck, waterbuck and sitatunga in Busoga district, Uganda. Bulletin of Epizootic Diseases of Africa 19, 123125.Google ScholarPubMed
Round, M.C. (1968) Check list of the helminth parasites of African mammals of the orders Carnivora, Tubulidentata, Proboscidea, Hyracoidea, Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla. Technical Communication No. 38, United Kingdom, Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Rowcliffe, S.A. & Ollerenshaw, C.B. (1960) Observations on the biomics of the eggs of Fasciola hepatica. Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology 54, 172181.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sachs, R. & Sachs, C. (1968) A survey of parasitic infestation of wild herbivores in the Serengeti region in northern Tanzania and the Lake Rukwa region in southern Tanzania. Bulletin of Epizootic Diseases of Africa 16, 455472.Google ScholarPubMed
Simpson, C.D. (1973) Tooth replacement, growth and ageing criteria for the Zambezi bushbuck – Tragelaphus scriptus ornatus Pocock. Arnoldia 6, 125.Google Scholar
Soulsby, E.J.L. (1968) Helminths, arthropods and protozoa of domestic animals. London, Bailliere, Tindall and Cassell Ltd. Google Scholar
Spinage, C.A. (1968) The autoecology of the Uganda waterbuck (Kobus defassa ugandae) with special reference to territoriality and population controls. PhD thesis, London University.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodford, M.H. (1976) A survey of parasitic infestation of wild herbivores and their predators in the Rwenzori National Park, Uganda. Report to the Uganda Institute of Ecology, Rwenzori National Park, Kasese, Uganda.Google Scholar
Wronski, T. (2004) The social and spatial organisation of bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus Pallas, 1766) in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. Dissertation, de Verlag im Internet, Berlin.Google Scholar
Zajac, A.M. (1994) Fecal examination in the diagnosis of parasitism. pp. 389 in Sloss, M., Kemp, R. & Zajac, A.M. (Eds) Veterinary clinical parasitology. Ames, Iowa, Iowa State University Press.Google Scholar
Zandri, E. & Viskanic, P. (1992) Vegetation and mapping in the Queen Elizabeth National Park, Kyambura Game Reserve and Kigezi Game Reserve. Uganda National Parks Technical Assistance to the Uganda Institute of Ecology, Agriconsulting, Italy. (Commission of the European Communities, EDF Project 6100.037.42.031)Google Scholar