Diverzita endoparazitů lišek polárních

The foxes represent a reservoir of zoonotic infections therefore it is important to be familiar with an occurrence of possible diseases. Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) faeces were collected between 2003 and 2011 from various locations on Bylot Island, Canada. These samples were consequently treated with microscopic and molecular methods to prove the presence of microsporidia, cryptosporidia and giardia. The presence of a specific DNA of Cryptosporidium was detected in two samples and specific DNA of Microsporidia was detected in 34 samples for genus Encephalitozoon and in five samples for genus Enterocytozoon. None of the animals showed any symptoms of a diarrhoea. Subsequent analyses showed the presence of the Cryptosporidium canis fox genotype, Encephalitozoon cuniculi II and III genotypes and Encephalitozoon hellem genotype 1A. None of the examined faeces samples were positive for the presence of specific G. intestinalis DNA. Results of the thesis show that Artic foxes are mainly infected by microsporidia of the genus Encephalitozoon, while the occurrence of other observed parasites was rare