Molecular Evidence of the Role of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Epidemiology of Ungulate-Related Sarcocystis Species in Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal

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dc.contributor.authorGudiškis, Naglis
dc.contributor.authorPrakas, Petras
dc.contributor.authorBeck, Relja
dc.contributor.authorFigueiredo, Ana
dc.contributor.authorJuozaitytė-Ngugu, Evelina
dc.contributor.authorBalčiauskas, Linas
dc.contributor.authorCalero Bernal, Rafael
dc.contributor.authorGagović, Ema
dc.contributor.authorTorres, Rita T.
dc.contributor.authorHipólito, Dário
dc.contributor.authorCarmena, David
dc.contributor.authorStirkė, Vitalijus
dc.contributor.authorButkauskas, Dalius
dc.date.accessioned2026-03-17T18:24:26Z
dc.date.available2026-03-17T18:24:26Z
dc.date.issued2026
dc.descriptionAuthor Contributions Conceptualization, N.G., P.P. and D.B.; methodology, N.G. and P.P.; formal analysis, N.G., R.B., A.F., E.J.-N. and D.C.; investigation, N.G., R.B., A.F., E.J.-N. and D.C.; resources, E.J.-N., R.C.-B., E.G., R.T.T., D.H. and V.S.; writing—original draft preparation, N.G., P.P., A.F., L.B., R.C.-B. and D.B.; writing—review and editing, N.G., P.P., R.B., A.F., E.J.-N., L.B., R.C.-B., E.G., R.T.T., D.H., D.C., V.S. and D.B.; supervision, N.G., P.P. and D.B.; funding acquisition, D.B. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
dc.description.abstractSarcocystis spp. (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae) are globally distributed protozoan parasites with an obligatory two-host prey–predator life cycle involving intermediate (IHs) and definitive hosts (DHs). Canids, including the red fox (Vulpes vulpes), often serve as DHs for species infecting various ungulates. This study identified Sarcocystis species in red foxes from Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal. Between 2021 and 2024, 164 faecal samples (80 from Croatia, 50 from Portugal, and 34 from Lithuania) were analysed using nested PCR targeting the cox1 gene. Twelve Sarcocystis species were detected: S. arieticanis, S. capracanis, S. capreolicanis, S. cruzi, S. gracilis, S. hjorti, S. iberica, S. linearis, S. miescheriana, S. morae, S. rossii, and S. tenella. The overall prevalence was highest in Croatia (78%) and Lithuania (62%) and lowest in Portugal (30%). Phylogenetic and haplotype analyses revealed high homogeneity and absence of geographic structuring. These results confirm the red fox as a key DH for multiple Sarcocystis species infecting European ungulates and underscore its epidemiological importance in parasite transmission across diverse ecosystems
dc.description.departmentDepto. de Sanidad Animal
dc.description.facultyFac. de Veterinaria
dc.description.refereedTRUE
dc.description.sponsorshipResearch Council of Lithuania
dc.description.sponsorshipFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (Portugal)
dc.description.statuspub
dc.identifier.citationGudiškis, N., Prakas, P., Beck, R., Figueiredo, A., Juozaitytė-Ngugu, E., Balčiauskas, L., Calero-Bernal, R., Gagović, E., Torres, R. T., Hipólito, D., Carmena, D., Stirkė, V., & Butkauskas, D. (2026). Molecular Evidence of the Role of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Epidemiology of Ungulate-Related Sarcocystis Species in Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal. Animals, 16(4), 538. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040538
dc.identifier.doi10.3390/ani16040538
dc.identifier.essn2076-2615
dc.identifier.officialurlhttps://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040538
dc.identifier.pmid41751000
dc.identifier.relatedurlhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/16/4/538
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/134086
dc.issue.number538
dc.journal.titleAnimals
dc.language.isoeng
dc.page.final18
dc.page.initial1
dc.publisherMDPI
dc.relation.projectIDS-MIP-23-3
dc.relation.projectIDUID/50006
dc.relation.projectIDLA/P/0094/2020
dc.relation.projectIDSFRH/BD/144437/2019
dc.relation.projectID2021.00690.CEECIND
dc.rightsAttribution 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.accessRightsopen access
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
dc.subject.cdu579.62
dc.subject.keywordVulpes vulpes
dc.subject.keywordSarcocystis spp
dc.subject.keywordDefinitive host
dc.subject.keywordMolecular identification
dc.subject.keywordCox1
dc.subject.keywordEpidemiology
dc.subject.ucmMicrobiología (Veterinaria)
dc.subject.unesco3109.05 Microbiología
dc.titleMolecular Evidence of the Role of the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Epidemiology of Ungulate-Related Sarcocystis Species in Croatia, Lithuania, and Portugal
dc.typejournal article
dc.type.hasVersionVoR
dc.volume.number16(4)
dspace.entity.typePublication
relation.isAuthorOfPublicationddeaf49e-38b4-40ed-98fa-0031ae42f6eb
relation.isAuthorOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryddeaf49e-38b4-40ed-98fa-0031ae42f6eb

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