- Title
- Wild deer as potential reservoirs of economically important gastrointestinal parasites in South Eastern Australia
- Creator
- Panozzo, Jacqueline
- Date
- 2018
- Type
- Text; Thesis; PhD
- Identifier
- http://researchonline.federation.edu.au/vital/access/HandleResolver/1959.17/170422
- Identifier
- vital:14172
- Identifier
- https://library.federation.edu.au/record=b2848946
- Abstract
- Gastrointestinal (GI) parasite infection of ruminant livestock can be a source of significant economic loss for farmers. Appropriate animal management and drug treatments can reduce the transmission and subsequent effect of GI parasite infections on ruminant livestock productivity. However, transmission of infection from outside sources, such as wildlife, can make GI parasite control measures in livestock ineffective. In Australia, particularly Victoria, the large population of wild deer now represents a significant biosecurity risk due to the potential ability of economically important GI parasites of livestock to infect deer. This thesis aimed to investigate the presence of GI parasites in three species of Victorian wild deer (fallow, hog and sambar) by screening deer faecal samples through the traditional parasitology technique of faecal egg count (FEC) and through DNA-based molecular techniques of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and next-generation sequencing (NGS). Screening wild deer faecal samples for strongyle parasites via FEC resulted in 15.1% positive samples. DNA based techniques were significantly more sensitive than FEC, with 60.0% deer faecal samples positive for strongyles. NGS detected DNA of eleven different strongyle species in wild deer faecal samples, including the economically important parasite species of livestock of O. ostertagi, O. leptospicularis, Haemonchus spp., O. radiatum, Trichostrongylus spp. and C. oncophora. Infection with the economically important trematode parasite of livestock, Fasciola hepatica, was also confirmed by worm recovery in hog deer. The same economically important strongyle species were also detected in faecal samples from wild deer co-grazing with cattle. Collectively, this study has indicated that wild deer in Victoria may be significant reservoirs of parasitic diseases of livestock and warrants further investigation.; Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- Federation University Australia
- Rights
- Copyright Jacqueline Panozzo
- Rights
- Open Access
- Rights
- This metadata is freely available under a CCO license
- Subject
- Wild deer; Gastrointestinal parasite infection; South Eastern Australia; Biosecurity
- Full Text
- Thesis Supervisor
- Piedrafita, David
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