# Taenia martis (Cestoda) in captive exotic animals and wild beech marten (Martes foina) from the Czech Republic

## TL;DR

This study reports the presence of Taenia martis in captive exotic animals and wild beech martens in the Czech Republic, highlighting its potential impact on human and animal health.

## Contribution

The first molecular confirmation of T. martis in the beech marten (Martes foina) in the Czech Republic and the identification of new haplotypes.

## Key findings

- T. martis was detected in 10 out of 32 examined animals, including gundis, hutias, a squirrel, and a lemur.
- A beech marten was found to host adult T. martis, confirmed through molecular analysis.
- New and multiple haplotypes of T. martis were identified using cox1 mtDNA gene analysis.

## Abstract

Studies focusing on the larval stages of Taenia martis remain limited compared with other taeniid species; however, its repeated detection over the past decade highlights its significance for human and animal health, emphasizing the need for further infection-focused research.

Data from 32 dead animals, including nine common gundis (Ctenodactylus gundi), 19 Cuban hutias (Capromys pilorides), one Himalayan striped squirrel (Tamiops mcclellandii), and three ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta), which were examined for cysticercosis following necropsy, are presented.

In 10 cases, animals (including four gundis, one squirrel, four hutias, and one lemur) were found positive, with infection intensities ranging from a single larval cyst in the liver to two and 10 metacestodes in the pleural and/or peritoneal cavities. Additionally, one beech marten (Martes foina) was found positive for adult cestode, which was molecularly identified as T. martis for the first time from this definitive host in the Czech Republic.

Molecular tools were employed for accurate species- and haplotype-level identification through characterization of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mtDNA gene, revealing new and multiple haplotypes, the prevalence of T. martis in the studied rodent species, and its first recorded occurrence in M. foina in the Czech Republic. Notably, epidemiological and molecular data on these parasites in exotic animals under human care remain limited.