Specialeprojekt Frederik Meyland-Smith (KU-LIFE), Jesper Monrad (KU-LIFE), Jakob Willesen (KU-LIFE), Mads Bertelsen
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is a herbivorous carnivore. It is the only member of the family Ailuridae in the superfamily Musteloidea, closely related to the raccoons (Procyonidae) and weasels (Mustelidae). In the wild the red panda is found in the Himalaya of Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Yunnan and Sichuan provinces of China and the Meghalaya plateau of India. The red panda has been kept and bred in European zoos since 1869.
There are several reports of metastrongyloid parasites in the red panda. In a survey of North American zoos in 1982 lungworms were detected in all zoos that used the Baermann method for coprological examinations. In Europe Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma striatum have been diagnosed in red pandas.
Angiostrongylus vasorum and Angiostrongylus cantonensis are metastrongyloid parasites which inhabit the pulmonary arteries and right ventricle of the heart of their definitive hosts. They both use mollusks as intermediary host. Angiostrongylus vasorum develop into adult worms in the mesenteric lymph nodes of the definitive host, while A. cantonensis undergo development in the brain of its definitive host. First stage larvae are shed in the feces of the definitive host and can be detected with the Baermann method. Aelurostrongylus falciformis, Crenosoma vulpis, C. striatum and Crenosoma melesi are all metastrongyloid parasites which inhabit the bronchial tree of its definitive host. Terrestrial mollusks serve as intermediate hosts and development into adult worms takes places in the lungs of their definitive hosts. Using the Baermann method, first stage larvae of these parasites can be detected in the feces of infected definitive hosts.
A study of the prevalence of metastrongyloid parasites in the red panda population in zoos within the European Association of Zoos and Aquariums was conducted during the winter of 2008/2009. A total of 113 red pandas from 53 zoos were included in the study. An overall prevalence for metastrongyloid parasites of 34.5 % (39/113) was found. Three categories of metastrongyloid first stage larvae were found. Angiostrongylus vasorum was diagnosed in 2.65 % (3/113), Crenosoma spp. was diagnosed in 4.42 % (5/113) and unidentified metastrongyloid parasites was diagnosed in 27.4 % (31/113) of the animals. The isolated first stage larvae of each of the parasite categories were morphologically described. The significance of the parasitological findings in the present study was unclear and further investigations are warranted as well as further description of the unidentified metastrongyloid found. Experimental infections of laboratory animals to describe the life cycle and adult morphology of the parasite as well as genetic sequencing are suggested.