Background The Père David’s deer (Elaphurus davidianus) population was established from only a small number of individuals. Their genetic diversity is therefore relatively low and transmissible (parasitic) diseases affecting them merit further attention. Parasitic infections can affect the health, survival, and population development of the host. However, few reports have been published on the gastrointestinal parasites of Père David’s deer. The aims of this study were: (1) to identify the intestinal parasites groups in Père David’s deer; (2) to determine their prevalence and burden and clarify the effects of different seasons and regions on various indicators of Père David’s deer intestinal parasites; (3) to evaluate the effects of the Père David’s deer reproductive period on these parasites; (4) to reveal the regularity of the parasites in space and time. Methods In total, 1,345 Père David’s deer faecal samples from four regions during four seasons were tested using the flotation (saturated sodium nitrate solution) to identify parasites of different genus or group, and the McMaster technique to count the number of eggs or oocysts. Results Four groups of gastrointestinal parasites were found, of which strongyles were dominant; their prevalence and burden were significantly higher than other groups. Significant temporal and spatial effects on gastrointestinal parasitic infection were found. Parasite diversity, prevalence, parasite burden, and aggregation were the highest in summer. Among the four regions, parasite diversity, prevalence, and burden were the highest in the Dongting Lake area. In addition, parasite diversity and burden during the reproductive period of Père David’s deer was significantly higher than during the post-reproductive period. Conclusions The summer season and the reproductive period of Père David’s deer had great potential for parasite transmission, and there is a high risk of parasite outbreaks in the Dongting Lake area.

中文翻译：

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Père David 鹿胃肠道寄生虫感染的时空动态

背景 Père David 的鹿 (Elaphurus davidianus) 种群仅由少数个体建立。因此，它们的遗传多样性相对较低，影响它们的传染性（寄生虫）疾病值得进一步关注。寄生虫感染会影响宿主的健康、生存和种群发展。然而，关于 Père David 鹿的胃肠道寄生虫的报道很少。本研究的目的是： (1) 确定 Père David 鹿的肠道寄生虫群；(2) 确定其流行率和负担，阐明不同季节和地区对Père David 鹿肠道寄生虫各项指标的影响；(3) 评估 Père David 的鹿繁殖期对这些寄生虫的影响；(4)揭示寄生虫在空间和时间上的规律性。方法 采用浮选法（饱和硝酸钠溶液）对4个季节1345个Père David的鹿粪便样本进行不同属或群的寄生虫鉴定，并采用McMaster技术计数卵或卵囊数。结果共检出4组胃肠道寄生虫，以圆线虫为主；他们的患病率和负担明显高于其他群体。发现了对胃肠道寄生虫感染的显着时间和空间影响。夏季寄生虫多样性、流行率、寄生虫负担和聚集性最高。在四个区域中，寄生虫多样性、流行率和负担以洞庭湖地区最高。此外，Père David 鹿繁殖期的寄生虫多样性和负担明显高于繁殖后期。结论 大卫伯爵鹿的夏季和繁殖期具有很大的寄生虫传播潜力，洞庭湖地区存在寄生虫暴发的高风险。