Observations on the prevalence and possible infection source of Toxocara pteropodis (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea) in Queensland flying-foxes.

Abstract

The ascaridoid nematode, Toxocara pteropodis, was found in all four Australian Pteropus species. Its eggs were recovered in large numbers from foliage in a coastal flying fox camp, and presumably this is where adult bats acquire infection. In Pteropus poliocephalus, northern P. alecto and P. conspicillatus, the nematode is maintained by a seasonally recurring life cycle. Adult P. scapulatus are exposed to infection when they share camps with these coastal species in late summer, but this species is probably unable to maintain the parasite in its own populations. The prevalence in southern P. alecto may be lower than in other coastal groups.