HELMINTH FAUNA OF WILD BOARS (SUS SCROFA): A COPROLOGICAL SURVEY FROM SOUTHERN ITALY

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) populations have increased worldwide, causing sanitary and environmental concerns. These ungulates can harbor a wide range of pathogens that should be carefully monitored due to the zoonotic potential and risk of transmission to domestic pigs. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and distribution of helminth infections among wild boars in southern Italy and to explore associated risk factors for infections. A total of 369 wild boars were culled during one hunting season in four hunting districts in the Campania region, and individual fecal egg counts were performed by Mini-FLOTAC technique. Gastrointestinal strongyles (GIS) were the most common parasites detected (65.9%), followed by Metastrongylus spp. (48.8%), Ascaris suum (9.2%), Strongyloides ransomi and Trichuris suis (4.6% each), Capillaria (syn. Eucoleus) spp. (4.3%), Dicrocoelium dendriticum (1.6%), and Physocephalus sexalatus and Ascarops strongylina (0.5% each). Statistically significant differences (P<0.05) were found for GIS, Metastrongylus spp., and A. suum infections by boar hunting district, and for GIS and Metastrongylus spp. by age class. These results confirm wild boar competence to host diverse helminth species and their potential role as a reservoir for domestic pigs, primarily when bred in extensive production systems. The parasitologic monitoring of wild boars is a key step toward a deeper understanding of the relationship between wild and domestic pigs, safeguarding the health of farm animals.