Endoparasites of wildcats in Croatia

Reports on the parasitic fauna of wildcats (Fells silvestris) are rare and often based on a small sample size, therefore the goal of this research was to investigate the prevalence of endoparasites in wildcats in Croatia. Necropsy was conducted on 34 adult wildcats killed in traffic or provided by hunters following regular hunting operations. All animals tested negative for rabies. The contents of the stomach and intestine were examined under a microscope. Feces from the rectum were analyzed using flotation with a saturated ZnSO, solution, while the diaphragm was examined using artificial digestion. Direct immunofluorescence was used for the first time to detect Giardia sp. cysts in wildcats. All animals were infected with at least one species of parasites, while the most diverse infestation included six different species ol parasites in a single animal. The following parasite species were found (% ol prevalence of adult parasites and their developmental stages in all analyzed samples): Taenia taentaelbrmis (55.9%), CapiNaria sp. (50%), Toxocara cad (50%), Isospora sp. (29.4%) 9rongylat des sp. (23.5%), Giardia sp. (17.6%), Ancylostoma tubaelbrmae (14.7%), Physaloptera sp. (11.8%), Hymenolepididae (8.8%), Alaria alata (5.9%), Aelurostrongylus a bstrusus (5.9%), Toxascaris leonina (5.9%), Trichinella sp. (5.9%), Ivlesocestoides lineatus (5.9%), Anoplocephalidae (2.9%), Dipyliclium caninum (2.9%), Trichuris sp. (2.9%), Isospora Eimeria sp. (2.9%) and Sarcocystis sp. (2.9'1.4 Among those, Eimeria sp., Triclmris sp. eggs, anoplocephalid and hymenolepidid type eggs are spurious parasites, coming from ingested prey. Four of the identified species have never been previously reported in wildcats Giardia sp. SYrongyloides sp., Sarcocystis sp. and Dipylidium caninum.