Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and Cryptosporidium in Feral and Farmed American Mink (Neovison vison) in Denmark

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Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection and Toxoplasma gondii antibodies in farmed and feral mink in Denmark. Methods: We examined meat juice from 235 feral mink and 306 farmed mink for T. gondii antibodies, and faecal samples from 113 feral mink and 166 farmed mink for Cryptosporidium oocyst excretion. Meat juice was analysed using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and oocyst excretion was identified by a modified Ziehl–Neelsen method. Results: All farmed mink tested sero-negative, while 53.6% of feral mink were T. gondii sero-positive. The probability of being sero-positive for T. gondii was not associated with recent escapes from farms (p = 0.468), but was significantly higher for male feral mink (64.2%) than female feral mink (42.5%) (p = 0.0008). Only one feral mink and four farmed mink (2.4%) excreted Cryptosporidium oocysts. Conclusion: Farmed mink were all T. gondii sero-negative, whereas approximately half the feral mink were sero-positive. Cryptosporidium prevalence in farmed and feral mink were low. Overall, the public health risk of transmission of these two parasites via mink in Denmark is low.

Original languageEnglish
JournalActa Parasitologica
Volume66
Pages (from-to)1285–1291
ISSN1230-2821
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences.

    Research areas

  • Cryptosporidium, Farmed American mink, Feral mink, Neovison vison, Prevalence, Toxoplasma gondii

ID: 272063395