Resumen de Effects of helminth co-infections on tuberculosis status in a wildlife reservoir
This thesis uses basic parasitology studies of wild boar (Sus scrofa) to focus on a more ecological view of their pathogen populations, co-infections that arise and effects on health status. Specifically, six investigations were conducted with the first three aimed at reviewing aspects of the wild boar parasitofauna. In particular, a key to identifying the five most common species of lung nematodes (Chapter 1), the real prevalence of the Acanthocephala Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus challenging the underestimation of this species (Chapter 2) and a review of the uses and limitations of faecal egg count for assessing worm burden in wild boars (Chapter 3) are presented. Furthermore, the levels of oxidative stress in a population of feral pigs infected naturally and experimentally by Mycobacterium bovis (Chapter 4) and the effect of co-infection between helminths and tuberculosis in terms of physiological cost of health in a wild boar population naturally infected by the M. tuberculosis complex (Chapter 5) were addressed. Finally, the effect of an antiparasite drug treatment on the helminth community structure and on the outcome of disease infection in a wild boar population naturally infected by M. bovis (Chapter 6) was studied.
Keywords: Co-Infection, Faecal egg count, Mycobacterium bovis, Oxidative stress, Worms.
