Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2026 Jul 24;30:101267. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2026.101267. eCollection 2026 Aug.
ABSTRACT
Numbers of European bison (Bison bonasus) reintroduction programmes are increasing across Europe. Investigating potential health risks related to translocations is crucial for the long-term success of such programmes. Parasitological analyses play a central role in monitoring the health status and assessing disease transmission risks during the translocation of European bison herds. This study monitored the endoparasite fauna of both a newly relocated European bison herd (n = 7 animals), and of the neighbouring suckler cow herd (n = 25 animals), over the course of one year. The aim of the study was to compare the parasite populations of these two closely related ruminant species kept under similar management conditions, and to assess the risk of parasite transmission by shared grazing areas. From April 2023 to March 2024, faecal samples from both herds were analysed monthly, using direct detection methods such as sedimentation, combined sedimentation-flotation, Baermann funnel, McMaster, and copro-antigen tests (total n = 72 samples). A total of seven helminth groups and four protozoan genera were thereby identified, with a richer parasite diversity in the bison samples. Eggs of Trichuris spp., Nematodirus spp., Moniezia spp., and cysts of Giardia sp. were exclusively shed by the European bison. On the other hand, cysts of Buxtonella sp. were only found in cattle samples. Paramphistomidae eggs and Cryptosporidium spp. were significantly more frequently detected in cattle samples. Both, the suckler cow and the European bison herd, showed constant infection with gastrointestinal strongylids, but the faecal egg counts were tenfold higher in the bison. Infections with Eimeria spp., Strongyloides spp., and Dicrocoelium dendriticum were detected in both species, and no lungworm larvae were detected in either species. Further investigations should include identification of the parasites to species level, and the parasitological monitoring in the two herds should be continued to assess if the observed differences persist or disappear over time.
PMID:42548953 | PMC:PMC13430202 | DOI:10.1016/j.ijppaw.2026.101267