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A deadly parasite turns jaguar conservation into a human health priority

In Brazil‘s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, Paul Raad crouched in the undergrowth, scanning the ground for signs of jaguar activity. He wasn’t looking for the big cats themselves; instead, the veterinarian from São Paulo State University (UNESP) was searching for fresh jaguar feces. Spotting a recent sample, Raad carefully collected it, stored it […]

In Brazil‘s Pantanal, the world’s largest tropical wetland, Paul Raad crouched in the undergrowth, scanning the ground for signs of jaguar activity. He wasn’t looking for the big cats themselves; instead, the veterinarian from São Paulo State University (UNESP) was searching for fresh jaguar feces. Spotting a recent sample, Raad carefully collected it, stored it in a sterile container, and sent it to a lab to be analyzed. It was one sample of dozens that he’s collected since 2022.

TheteamoftechniciansatthewildlifepostgraduateprogramatUNESPmadeasurprisingdiscoveryinthejaguarscat:thepresenceofthetapewormgenusSpirometra.WhileSpirometrahavebeenwidelydocumentedinscatfromwildlifeinAsiaandEurope,thismarkedtheirfirstdetectioninjaguardroppi