Publication detail

Effect of Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Red Fox Intestine on the Prevalence of Its Intestinal Parasites

BORKOVCOVÁ, M. FIŠER, V. BEDNÁŘOVÁ, M. ADÁMKOVÁ, A. MLČEK, J. JUŘÍKOVÁ, T. BALLA, Š. ADÁMEK, M. HAVLÍČEK, Z.

Original Title

Effect of Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Red Fox Intestine on the Prevalence of Its Intestinal Parasites

Type

journal article in Web of Science

Language

English

Original Abstract

Simple Summary Heavy metal pollution of environmental ecosystems has become rather a significant factor in assessing them, as heavy metals can significantly influence animal health. The objective of this study was to examine a possible association between contents of selected heavy metals such as cadmium, copper, lead, chrome, zinc, and manganese in intestines of foxes and between prevalence of fox intestinal parasites. The association was not fully proven. On the contrary, sensitivity of parasites to cadmium was demonstrated; with increasing cadmium content in the intestine of the host, prevalence of parasites decreased to zero. No parasites were found in the intestine, when concentration of accumulated cadmium exceeded the level of 0.05 milligrams per kilogram, which represents the limit for meat (excluding offal) of bovine animals, sheep, pig, and poultry according to the Regulation (EU) No. 488/2014 amending the Regulation (EC) No. 1881/2006). Thus, even cadmium content below the above limit showed an impact on parasite biodiversity. The aim of this study was (i) to compare levels of accumulated heavy metals in the fox intestines with and without parasites. Moreover, our research also dealt with (ii) examination of the relationship between heavy metal content in fox intestines and between the presence of fox intestinal parasites. The intestines of 34 hunter-killed foxes were dissected to detect the occurrence of parasites. In 15 intestinal samples, parasitic intestinal helminths were found. Heavy metal content in small intestine tissue and in parasites was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The prevalence of parasites was significantly dependent on Cd content in the host's small intestine (p < 0.01). To conclude, the authors suggest that parasites are sensitive to Cd levels; their prevalence in the intestines of the fox host decreases to zero with increasing Cd content.

Keywords

accumulation; metals; red fox; intestinal parasites

Authors

BORKOVCOVÁ, M.; FIŠER, V.; BEDNÁŘOVÁ, M.; ADÁMKOVÁ, A.; MLČEK, J.; JUŘÍKOVÁ, T.; BALLA, Š.; ADÁMEK, M.; HAVLÍČEK, Z.

Released

21. 2. 2020

Publisher

MDPI

Location

BASEL, SWITZERLAND

ISBN

2076-2615

Periodical

Animals

Year of study

10

Number

2

State

Swiss Confederation

Pages from

1

Pages to

11

Pages count

11

URL

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/343

Full text in the Digital Library

http://hdl.handle.net/11012/195246

BibTex

@article{BUT165618,
  author="Marie {Borkovcová} and Vladimír {Fišer} and Martina {Bednářová} and Zdeněk {Havlíček} and Anna {Adámková} and Jiří {Mlček} and Tunde {Juříková} and Štefan {Balla} and Martin {Adámek}",
  title="Effect of Accumulation of Heavy Metals in the Red Fox Intestine on the Prevalence of Its Intestinal Parasites",
  journal="Animals",
  year="2020",
  volume="10",
  number="2",
  pages="1--11",
  doi="10.3390/ani10020343",
  issn="2076-2615",
  url="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/343"
}