Conservation Medicine and parasitic diseases on captive animals kept in zoos and aquariums

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26460513
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Parasitology (including sanitary zoology)
• Research Institution: Rakuno Gakuen University
• Principal Investigator: Asakawa Mitsuhiko 酪農学園大学, 獣医学群, 教授 (30184138)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 動物園 / 水族館 / 寄生虫 / 寄生虫病 / 生息地外保全 / 保全 / 疫学 / 生態

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Most parasitic animals including helminths, e.g., trematodes, cestodes, nematodes, acanthocephalans, leeches etc, and arthropods, e.g., ticks, mites and tongue worms, are component parts of the ecosystems in which their wild animals (hosts) occur, they have co-evolved, and the infectious agents do not necessarily cause disease. However, some individuals become sick and in extreme cases die, especially, under captive conditions in zoos and/or aquariums. These events are absolutely negative effect for conservation, because the mortality or subclinical diseases due to the parasitic diseases have not so far significantly impacted populations of the free-ranging animals. Adding to this, some agents responsible for the dieases could may infect to human and livestock. The present research project, viz., the systematic diseases epidemiology and agent ecology for the captive animals in facilities of not only Japan but also oversea, with One Health approach has been given.

Free Research Field

保全医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本課題はこれまでの二つの科研費課題『野生動物および動物園動物の保護増殖計画上問題になる寄生線虫症に関する疫学的研究』(2003年度～2007年度)、『陸上脊椎動物と線虫の宿主-寄生体関係に関する保全医学的な試み』(2008年度～2012年度)に連続したものであった。保全医学とは医学、保全生態学および獣医学等（農学・水産学・応用動物学・動物看護学等、動物を直接対象にする分野）の重なりに生じたワンヘルスOne Healthを標的にした科学で、特に、今回の研究課題により、この分野のモデル事例が得られ、生物資源としての動物の保全に寄与した。還元事業も行い、国民の底上げにも貢献した。