Full Text Available

Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.

Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)

Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Scholtz, Clarke H.
Format: Thesis
Published: University of Pretoria 2013
Subjects:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1867613673811345408
access_status_str Open Access
author2 Scholtz, Clarke H.
author_browse Scholtz, Clarke H.
author_facet Scholtz, Clarke H.
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv © 2011 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
description Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
format Thesis
id oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24915
institution University of Pretoria (South Africa)
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:39:53.658Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
publishDate 2013
publishDateRange 2013
publishDateSort 2013
publisher University of Pretoria
publisherStr University of Pretoria
record_format dspace
source_str UPSpace — University of Pretoria Institutional Repository
spelling oai:repository.up.ac.za:2263/24915 Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae) Scholtz, Clarke H. Lutermann, Heike cdutoit@zoology.up.ac.za DuToit, Cornelius Andries Dung beetles Spirocercosis Spirocerca lupi UCTD Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2012. Spirocercosis is a canine disease caused by the nematode parasite Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi, 1809) (Spirurida: Spirocercidae) and is a potentially fatal condition in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). The larval life cycle of this parasite involves intermediate and paratenic (transport) hosts. Various species of coprophagous dung beetles (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) serve as the principle intermediate hosts. Despite extraordinary advances in biomedical research, it is unlikely that these alone will alleviate the burden of this parasitic disease in dogs. Recently, there has been growing concern over the upsurge in incidence and reported cases of spirocercosis in domestic dogs in South Africa. There is a plethora of literature on the clinical, diagnostic and epidemiological aspects of this disease in dogs, yet no study has aimed at fully understanding the dynamic interactions between the various hosts and S. lupi, governed by the consequences of their behaviour under different and ever-changing environmental conditions. It is most likely that the impact of this disease is accentuated by constant changes in human demographics and behaviour. Studies on spirocercosis in dogs have considered the consumption of the various paratenic hosts or the deliberate ingestion of dung beetles to be the main cause of the transmission of S. lupi to dogs. However this study suggests that the coprohagous behaviour of dogs and the subsequent accidental ingestion of coprophagous dung beetles in or on faeces are mainly responsible for the transmission of this parasitic nematode to dogs. Changes in urban land use and subsequent changes along urban-rural gradients influence the nature of biological interactions partly due to changes in species assemblage structure and composition. Such alterations in assemblage structure of species pose a particular risk to altered rates of parasitism and disease transmission. It is concluded that these changes in landscape use coupled to altered dung beetle species assemblage structure have influenced the pattern of events observed in this host – parasite relationship. Furthermore, the social organization of domestic dogs (pets versus feral animals) and the availability of exposed excrement as a direct or indirect consequence of human behaviour played a pivotal role in the rate these parasites are transmitted to dogs. Zoology and Entomology unrestricted 2013-09-06T18:49:13Z 2012-06-07 2013-09-06T18:49:13Z 2012-04-19 2012-06-07 2012-05-23 Thesis Du Toit, CA 2011, Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae) , PhD thesis, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd < http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24915 > D12/4/444/ag http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24915 http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05232012-171549/ © 2011 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria. application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf application/pdf University of Pretoria
spellingShingle Dung beetles
Spirocercosis
Spirocerca lupi
UCTD
Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title_full Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title_fullStr Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title_short Dynamics of the association between dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) and the dog parasite Spirocerca lupi (Nematoda: Spiruromorpha: Spirocercidae)
title_sort dynamics of the association between dung beetles coleoptera scarabaeidae and the dog parasite spirocerca lupi nematoda spiruromorpha spirocercidae
topic Dung beetles
Spirocercosis
Spirocerca lupi
UCTD
url http://hdl.handle.net/2263/24915
http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05232012-171549/