{"id":8408,"date":"2025-04-10T15:57:32","date_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:57:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/8408\/"},"modified":"2025-04-10T15:57:32","modified_gmt":"2025-04-10T15:57:32","slug":"spain-parasite-warning-as-wild-animals-run-rampant-in-towns-world-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/8408\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain ‘parasite’ warning as wild animals run rampant in towns | World | News"},"content":{"rendered":"

Wild boars have been venturing more frequently into urban areas across Spain<\/a> in recent years, a trend largely driven by prolonged drought conditions. The ongoing climate challenges have led to a decline in natural vegetation, forcing the animals<\/a> to search for food in towns and cities.<\/p>\n

This growing presence has led to a number of serious issues, including a spike in road traffic accidents involving boars, damage to crops, and a potentially significant public health concern: the transmission of parasites to humans. A recent study published in the journal Veterinary Research<\/a> has identified the Blastocystis parasite<\/a>, found in wild boars, as a new and emerging public health challenge. This intestinal parasite can be transmitted to humans and other animals primarily through contact with contaminated faeces.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The research, carried out by an international team of scientists (including experts from Spain and Portugal<\/a>), was conducted between 2014 and 2021. In total, 459 wild boar faecal samples were analysed\u2014360 from various regions in Spain and 99 from Portugal.<\/p>\n

The study found that 15.3% of the Spanish wild boars were infected with Blastocystis, while the prevalence was significantly higher in Portugal, where 34.3% of the sampled boars tested positive.<\/p>\n

Importantly, researchers identified seven different subtypes of the parasite, reflecting a notable level of genetic diversity.<\/p>\n

All infected animals shared a specific subtype known as ST5, which appears to have adapted particularly well to the wild boar’s physiology. This same subtype is commonly found in domestic pigs, suggesting a possible link between wild and domesticated animal populations in terms of disease transmission<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The scientists are now urging the implementation of broader and more systematic monitoring of wild boar populations, as well as livestock that might come into contact with them.<\/p>\n

They recommend regular faecal sampling and genetic analysis to detect parasitic outbreaks early and minimise risk to public health.<\/p>\n

The study emphasises the importance of incorporating Blastocystis detection and surveillance into a wider One Health strategy, an approach that recognises the interconnected nature of human, animal, and environmental health.<\/p>\n

This model is increasingly seen as essential in tackling emerging zoonotic threats, particularly as climate change and habitat loss drive wildlife closer to human populations.<\/p>\n

Wild boars<\/a>, which are considered invasive in some regions, are known not only for their resilience and adaptability but also for their ability to thrive in peri-urban and urban landscapes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Wild boars have been venturing more frequently into urban areas across Spain in recent years, a trend largely…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8409,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5312],"tags":[933,5475,5474,2000,299,104,5472,5478,5477,5476,5473],"class_list":{"0":"post-8408","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-spain","8":"tag-animals","9":"tag-blastocystis-parasite","10":"tag-boars","11":"tag-eu","12":"tag-europe","13":"tag-spain","14":"tag-spain-parasite-warning","15":"tag-spanish-parasite","16":"tag-spanish-scientists","17":"tag-veterinary-research","18":"tag-wild-animals"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114314493485890680","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8408","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8408"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8408\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8409"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8408"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8408"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8408"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}