<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">Brown hare (<italic>Lepus europaeus</italic>) populations in Europe have declined through decades due to several, but not clear yet, factors. Parasite infections and diseases are some of the causes that directly affected the survival and breeding rates of animal population.A study on the endoparasites of 70 hares (37 hunted free-living hares, and 33 bred on farms hares) was performed between 2015 - 2017 in the province of Grosseto (central Italy), an area where the impact of parasites in the hare population has never been investigated. During necroscopic analysis of hunted hares the following helminthes were found: <italic>Trichostrongylus retortaeformis</italic> (87.1 %), <italic>Passalurus ambiguus</italic> (12.9 %) and <italic>Andrya</italic> spp. (6.4 %) in the intestinal tract, <italic>Protostrongylus cuniculorum</italic> (8.3 %) in lungs and <italic>Dicrocoelium dendriticum</italic> (16.7 %) in livers. The prevalences of the intestinal helminthes in bred hares were: 12.1 % for <italic>Passalurus ambiguus</italic> and 3 % for <italic>Trichostrongylus retortaeformis</italic>. The coprological analysis showed prevalences of 64.9 % for coccidia in the 37 hunted hares and 45.5 % in the 33 bred hares. The relationship between the intensities of parasitic infections and body weight was evaluated.The results of the present study in the Grosseto area indicate that free-living hares have few species of parasites and that the intensities of parasitic infection did not affect their general condition and health, suggesting that endoparasites played no detectable role in the dynamics of this hare population.</abstract>

Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations in Europe have declined through decades due to several, but not clear yet, factors. Parasite infections and diseases are some of the causes that directly affected the survival and breeding rates of animal population.A study on the endoparasites of 70 hares (37 hunted free-living hares, and 33 bred on farms hares) was performed between 2015 - 2017 in the province of Grosseto (central Italy), an area where the impact of parasites in the hare population has never been investigated. During necroscopic analysis of hunted hares the following helminthes were found: Trichostrongylus retortaeformis (87.1 %), Passalurus ambiguus (12.9 %) and Andrya spp. (6.4 %) in the intestinal tract, Protostrongylus cuniculorum (8.3 %) in lungs and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (16.7 %) in livers. The prevalences of the intestinal helminthes in bred hares were: 12.1 % for Passalurus ambiguus and 3 % for Trichostrongylus retortaeformis. The coprological analysis showed prevalences of 64.9 % for coccidia in the 37 hunted hares and 45.5 % in the 33 bred hares. The relationship between the intensities of parasitic infections and body weight was evaluated.The results of the present study in the Grosseto area indicate that free-living hares have few species of parasites and that the intensities of parasitic infection did not affect their general condition and health, suggesting that endoparasites played no detectable role in the dynamics of this hare population.

Endoparasites of the European hare (<italic>Lepus europaeus</italic>) (Pallas, 1778) in central Italy

Office for Hunting and Fishing Activities of Grosseto Regional Administration

Helminthologia

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Endoparasites of the European hare () (Pallas, 1778) in central Italy

Brown hare (Lepus europaeus) populations in Europe have declined through decades due to several, but not clear yet, factors. Parasite infections and diseases...

Endoparasites of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) (Pallas, 1778) in central Italy

Published Online: Apr 26, 2018

Page range: 127 - 133

Received: Sep 27, 2017

Accepted: Feb 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0011

Keywords
Brown hare, necroscopical analysis, coprological analysis, host-parasite

© 2018 V. Sergi et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Endoparasites of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) (Pallas, 1778) in central Italy

Published Online: Apr 26, 2018

Page range: 127 - 133

Received: Sep 27, 2017

Accepted: Feb 22, 2018

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2018-0011

KeywordsBrown hare, necroscopical analysis, coprological analysis, host-parasite

© 2018 V. Sergi et al., published by De Gruyter Open

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Brown hare, necroscopical analysis, coprological analysis, host-parasite