Helminths in Wild Canids from Three Brazilian Biomes: Parasitological and Pathological Records

Wild canids inhabiting anthropized landscapes can act as environmental indicators and potential reservoirs of zoonotic parasites, connecting transmission cycles among wild, domestic, and human hosts. We aimed to identify and characterize helminths in wild canids from the Cerrado, Pantanal, and Amazon biomes of Brazil, describing occurrence patterns and ecological and One Health implications. A total of 19 individuals belonging to four wild canid species (Cerdocyon thous, Chrysocyon brachyurus, Lycalopex vetulus, and Speothos venaticus) were examined, yielding 1041 helminths representing 17 taxa, with nematodes predominating. Several taxa of recognized zoonotic importance were recovered, including Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma spp., Dioctophyme renale, and Spirometra spp. These are agents associated with visceral and cutaneous larva migrans, dioctophymosis, and sparganosis. Novel host records were documented, including Athesmia foxi and Pterygodermatites affinis in L. vetulus, a sparganum infection in C. thous, and the first report of Spirocerca lupi in the stomach of S. venaticus in the Brazilian Cerrado. These findings expand the knowledge of the helminth fauna of Neotropical wild canids and reinforce the relevance of parasitological surveillance in wildlife as a tool for zoonotic disease monitoring, biodiversity conservation, and environmental health assessment, reaffirming the role of wild canids as ecological indicators.