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The avian acanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Palaeacanthocephala) parasitizing the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Europe and New Zealand

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Abstract

The palaeacanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus is a common intestinal parasite of passerine birds, which can also occur parenterally or in the intestinal tract of mammals, often as an invading species in many countries worldwide. In this survey, introduced hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus, n = 183) killed in New Zealand during a biocontrol campaign and conspecifics (n = 174) that had died in hedgehog rehabilitation centers in Germany and Britain were examined for this parasite. In New Zealand, P. cylindraceus is recorded for the first time here, in the vicinity of Auckland. In Europe, prevalences ranged from 4.2% up to 47.6%, while in New Zealand, only 1.6% (Auckland 7.9%). Most of the worms occurred inside the peritoneal cavity where they had partly degenerated. Since hedgehogs are seldom preyed upon in continental Europe but often become traffic victims, we hypothesize that the worms inside them, whether extra- or intraperitoneally, contribute to the abundance and persistence of the parasite by being ingested by scavenging birds. Accordingly, we consider P. cylindraceus as a “modern parasite” taking advantage of two aspects of global change: anthropogenic promoted transmission (road kills) and the transcontinental spread of infected intermediate and/or final hosts caused by humans.

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Acknowledgments

We wish to thank all people running hedgehog care centers in Germany and the UK, especially Heiko and Sigrun Goroncy (“Komittee für Igelschutz Hamburg”), Elisabeth Swoboda (“Igelkrankenhaus Stocksberg”), Manfred Kolb (“NaBu Berlin”), Dora Lambert (“Igelkreis Berlin”), Ulrike Pachzelt (“Igelinsel Mühlheim”), Dru Burdon (“Jersey Hedgehog Preservation Group”), Jill Carey (“Wildlife Rescue & Care Centre”), Iris Davidson, Dr. Wieland Beck (“Tierrettung München”), and all the others for their help in obtaining hedgehogs for dissection. Dr. Thomas Bücher provided support in dissecting hedgehogs in Karlsruhe.

We thank Mark Mitchell (Biosecurity, Auckland Regional Council) and Daniel Tompkins for sampling hedgehogs in New Zealand, as well as, Chris Jones and Dave Leathwick who provided two of us (JS, MP) with the opportunity to work at their facilities. Funding was provided by grants from the Landesgraduiertenförderung BW, the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), Krieger Foundation, and LBBW Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Zoological Institute, Department of Ecology and Parasitology, Kornblumenstrasse 13, 76131, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Jasmin Skuballa, Horst Taraschewski, Trevor N. Petney & Miriam Pfäffle

  2. School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central Queensland University, Rockhampton, QLD, 4700, Australia

    Lesley R. Smales

  3. South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia

    Lesley R. Smales

Authors
  1. Jasmin Skuballa
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  2. Horst Taraschewski
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  3. Trevor N. Petney
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  4. Miriam Pfäffle
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  5. Lesley R. Smales
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Correspondence to Horst Taraschewski.

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Skuballa, J., Taraschewski, H., Petney, T.N. et al. The avian acanthocephalan Plagiorhynchus cylindraceus (Palaeacanthocephala) parasitizing the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) in Europe and New Zealand. Parasitol Res 106, 431–437 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-009-1681-9

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