Aim: The present pilot study examined for
the first time an overview of special human
pathogen parasites in zoo animals of an Austrian
zoo. The attention was focussed on the
diagnosis of stool parasites. Most of the parasites
are transmitted through dirt and smear
infection. Further causes of infection are faeces,
contaminated food and water. Zoo employees
and visitors are permanently very close
to these infectious organisms. For their safety
it is necessary to know the development cycle
of each present parasite and to inform employees
and visitors without alarming them.
Methods: 300 stool specimens of the zoo
animals were examined and prepared for the
light microscope with the sodium-acetateformaldehyde
method (SAF).
Results: Thirteen different species of parasites
were found in the stool specimens of
51 different species of zoo animals. The most
important human pathogen parasites were
Balantidum sp., Toxocara sp. and Capillaria sp.
Conclusion: This study shows that there is
still not enough knowledge about the existence
of current human parasites at the workplace
of the zoological garden. Further research
should focus on microbiological studies
on human beings in order to gain knowledge
of whether and how zoo employees
and visitors are infected by parasites.
