From the New World to the Old World: endoparasites of South American Camelids in Austria

South American camelids (SACs) are receiving increasing interest in Europe. One of the main health problems in SAC management worldwide is the control of endoparasites that may cause economic losses or even overt disease. To estimate the prevalence and distribution of endoparasites of SACs kept in Austria for future recommendations for parasite control measures, a nationwide survey was conducted. Faecal samples from 469 clinically healthy SACs in all federal states were examined. The most frequently detected endoparasites were GIS (82.8% of the samples), followed by Eimeria (77.2%). Although the comparison of southern, northern, western and eastern regions of Austria did not show statistically significant differences in distribution of parasites, E. macusaniensis clustered in the south and Nematodirus spp. and Capillaria spp. in the north, while D. dendriticum was much more prevalent in the south and west. Lung worms, tapeworms and the large liver fluke appear prevalence in ruminants in Austria. While coccidia of the genus Eimeria are strictly host-specific, nematodes of various genera as well as small liver flukes are probably cross-transmitted from ruminants and may cause considerable health problems and productivity losses.