Toxocara vitulorum infection in German beef cattle

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Tropical Medicine
• Molecular Diagnostics

Background:

• Toxocara vitulorum is a common ascarid parasite in subtropical regions.
• Limited data exists on T. vitulorum prevalence in temperate climates.
• Cattle are susceptible to various gastrointestinal nematodes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report the occurrence of Toxocara vitulorum in a beef cattle herd in eastern Germany.
• To confirm the identification of T. vitulorum using morphological and molecular methods.
• To assess the potential impact of T. vitulorum in a non-tropical environment.

Main Methods:

• Morphological identification of adult worms recovered from feces.
• Detection of T. vitulorum eggs in pooled fecal samples.
• Molecular analysis using cytochrome c oxidase I and internal transcribed spacer 1 gene sequencing.

Main Results:

• Adult T. vitulorum worms (14-20 cm) were observed in feces of young calves.
• T. vitulorum eggs were detected across multiple farm sites.
• Morphological and molecular analyses confirmed the parasite's identity.
• No clinical signs of toxocariasis, like diarrhea or weight loss, were observed.

Conclusions:

• This study confirms the presence of Toxocara vitulorum in a temperate region of Germany.
• The findings suggest T. vitulorum can establish infections in cattle outside its typical subtropical range.
• Further research is needed to understand the epidemiology and clinical significance of T. vitulorum in temperate cattle populations.