RT Journal Article
T1 Cytauxzoon europaeus, Babesia vulpes, and Hepatozoon felis circulating simultaneously in a European wildcat (Felis silvestris) population in northern Spain
A1 Muñoz Hernández, Clara
A1 Villanúa, Diego
A1 Checa Herráiz, Rocío
A1 Sánchez Sánchez, Marta
A1 Estévez Sánchez, Efrén
A1 Moraga Fernández, Alberto
A1 Urra, Fermín
A1 Miró Corrales, Guadalupe
A1 Fernández de Mera, Isabel G
A1 Millán, Javier
AB The Iberian population of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is undergoing a decline and is highly fragmented. This study aimed to determine the occurrence and identity of tick-borne parasites (piroplasms and Hepatozoon spp.) in Navarre, one of the strongholds for wildcats in Spain. DNA was extracted from spleen samples of 63 road-killed wildcats and analyzed using a suite of molecular protocols targeting the 18S rRNA and CytB gene fragments. Eighty percent of the wildcats tested positive for at least one parasite. Cytauxzoon spp. was detected in 65 % of the individuals. Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the presence of Cytauxzoon europaeus in nine samples, representing the first report of this species in the Iberian Peninsula. Hepatozoon spp. was found in 46 % of the wildcats, and molecular characterization of four cases identified Hepatozoon felis. Babesia vulpes was detected in a single individual. Coinfection with Cytauxzoon sp. and Hepatozoon sp. was observed in 32 % of the wildcats, while one individual was coinfected with C. europaeus and B. vulpes. Occurrence of H. felis was higher in adult wildcats. No spatial structure or correlation with body condition was observed for any of the parasites. Given the widespread presence of Cytauxzoon and other parasites in this and other wildcat populations, their impact on wildcat health, if any, is likely to be minimal. However, wildcats appear to serve as important maintenance hosts for these parasites.
PB Elsevier
SN 0034-5288
YR 2025
FD 2025
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/119818
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/119818
LA eng
NO Muñoz-Hernández, C., Villanúa, D., Checa, R., Sánchez-Sánchez, M., Estévez-Sánchez, E., Moraga-Fernández, A., Urra, F., Miró, G., Fernández de Mera, I. G., & Millán, J. (2025). Cytauxzoon europaeus, Babesia vulpes, and Hepatozoon felis circulating simultaneously in a European wildcat (Felis silvestris) population in northern Spain. Research in veterinary science, 190, 105653. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rvsc.2025.105653
NO CRediT authorship contribution statement: Clara Muñoz-Hernández: ´ Writing – review & editing, Visualization, Methodology. Diego Villanúa: Writing – review & editing, Resources, Investigation. Rocío Checa: Writing – review & editing, Investigation. Marta Sanchez-S ´ anchez: ´ Writing – review & editing, Investigation. Efren ´ Estevez-S ´ anchez: ´ Writing – review & editing, Investigation. Alberto Moraga-Fernandez: ´ Writing – review & editing, Investigation. Fermín Urra: Writing – review & editing, Investigation. Guadalupe Miro: ´ Writing – review & editing, Resources, Investigation. Isabel G. Fernandez ´ de Mera: Writing – review & editing, Resources, Investigation. Javier Millan: ´ Writing – original draft, Investigation, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization.
NO Gobierno de Aragón
NO Universidad de Castilla  La Mancha
NO Universidad de Murcia
NO European Commission
DS Docta Complutense
RD 20 abr 2026