Purpose

To date, little is still known on parasite infections affecting free-living large whale populations worldwide. Data presented should be considered as a baseline study for future monitoring surveys on endoparasites affecting whales, thereby enhancing investigations on impacts of zoonotic parasitoses not only on vulnerable or endangered baleen whale population health but also on public health.

Methods

The presented study is a first report on gastrointestinal parasites infecting different free-living baleen whales inhabiting East Canadian waters using non-invasive methods. Individual faecal samples from fin (n = 3; Balaenoptera physalus), humpback (n = 4; Megaptera novaeangliae) and North Atlantic right whales (n = 1; Eubalaena glacialis) were collected without animal disturbance, within their natural habitats on an ecological expedition during annual surveys in summer 2017. Faecal samples were assessed by standardized diagnostic methods, such as sodium acetate acetic formalin (SAF) technique, carbol fuchsin-stained faecal smears, Giardia/Cryptosporidium coproantigen ELISAs and were applied for further identification.

Results

Parasitological infections included three different potentially zoonotic parasite species, one protozoa (Entamoeba spp.) and two metazoans (Diphyllobothriidae gen. sp., Ascaridida indet.). No positive Giardia/Cryptosporidium coproantigen ELISA could be found in the studied whales.

Conclusion

This study adds to the current knowledge of intestinal and zoonotic parasite infections of vulnerable to partly endangered free-ranging baleen whales. Only few or no parasitological studies exist for these whale species, usually dealing with only one dead specimen. We call for more research in this field especially for the importance of conservation of free-living marine mammals using non-invasive methods.

中文翻译：

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来自加拿大东部水域的自由生活鳍（Balaenoptera physalus）、座头鲸（Megaptera novaeangliae）和北大西洋露脊鲸（Eubalaena glacialis）的内寄生洞察

目的

迄今为止，对影响全世界自由生活的大型鲸鱼种群的寄生虫感染知之甚少。所提供的数据应被视为未来对影响鲸鱼的体内寄生虫进行监测调查的基线研究，从而加强对人畜共患病寄生虫影响的调查，不仅对脆弱或濒临灭绝的须鲸种群健康，而且对公共健康的影响。

方法

所呈现的研究是关于使用非侵入性方法感染栖息在加拿大东部水域的不同自由生活须鲸的胃肠寄生虫的第一份报告。在生态探险的自然栖息地内，在没有动物干扰的情况下收集了来自鳍（n  = 3；Balaenoptera physalus）、座头鲸（n  = 4；Megaptera novaeangliae）和北大西洋露脊鲸（n  = 1；Eubalaena glacialis）的个体粪便样本在 2017 年夏季的年度调查期间。粪便样本通过标准化的诊断方法进行评估，例如醋酸钠醋酸福尔马林 (SAF) 技术、石炭酸品红染色的粪便涂片、贾第鞭毛虫/隐孢子虫粪抗原 ELISA 并用于进一步鉴定。

结果

寄生虫感染包括三个不同的潜在的人畜共患寄生虫种类中，一个原生动物（阿米巴属。）和两个后生动物（Diphyllobothriidae根。属，蛔虫indet）。在所研究的鲸鱼中未发现贾第虫/隐孢子虫粪抗原 ELISA阳性。

结论

这项研究增加了目前对部分濒临灭绝的自由放养须鲸易受肠道和人畜共患寄生虫感染的了解。对于这些鲸鱼物种，只有很少或根本没有寄生虫学研究，通常只处理一个死标本。我们呼吁在这一领域开展更多研究，特别是使用非侵入性方法保护自由生活的海洋哺乳动物的重要性。