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New records of parasites in free-ranging Andean bears from Peru

New records of parasites in free-ranging Andean bears from Peru

I analyzed 28 fecal samples from Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) collected between 2003 and 2007 from the Laquipampa Wildlife Refuge and Yanachaga Chemillén National Park, Peru. I used the direct faeces test and spontaneous sedimentation tube technique to detect cysts, ova, and larvae. To detect intestinal coccidia, I applied acid stain using the Ziehl-Neelsen modified method. I detected parasites in 16 scats (57.1%), identifying 3 protozoa for the first time in the Andean bear: Blastocystis sp., Cryptosporidium sp., and Giardia sp.; as well as 3 nematodes: Strongyloides sp., an undetermined species of Ascarididae, and Ancylostomatidae. The greatest prevalence of parasites were of the family Strongyloididae (25.0%), followed by Ascarididae (21.4%), and Cryptosporidiidae (14.3%). Parasites were found in a greater percentage of scats collected during the dry season (87.5%) compared with the rainy season (16.7%). Overall, 8 species of endoparasites and 1 species of ectoparasite have been identified in Andean bears.

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