“The early bird catches the worm” as the saying goes. Well, the wriggly (earth)worm you find in your flower bed might be a tasty snack for a hungry Blackbird, but that’s not the sort of worms we’re talking about here.
Worms are parasites. Most spend their lives inside the digestive tracts of their hosts, only emerging to the outside world as eggs or larva which soon locate a new host. Pet owners know that checking your pets for worms and treating them when required helps to keep their pets safe, but not many know that some types of worms can also jump across species, so worms carried by dogs can cause blindness in humans.
Wild animals don’t have the advantages of regular check-ups or medication to treat parasites, but providing the animal is healthy, a small parasite burden shouldn’t cause them any issues. However, if the animal is injured or ill by another cause then parasites can amplify any weakness.
At the Suffolk Owl Sanctuary Raptor Hospital, Jess is keen to screen all incoming patients for parasites so that we can treat them with medication if required. The risk of cross-contamination and spreading parasites between birds is low due to the high standard of cleanliness observed in the Hospital, including staff wearing disposable PPE for handling birds, thoroughly cleaning down all surfaces between patients and any soiled materials being washed at a high temperature or incinerated.
After receiving funding last year to purchase a microscope unit for the Raptor Hospital, Jess has been checking fecal (poo) samples from most of the birds we’ve had in this year. Thankfully, most of the samples are devoid of any nasty surprises and can concentrate on getting better without requiring additional medication. However, sometimes Jess will find something of interest, and she frequently films it to share over a coffee break with colleagues and volunteers!
Here one of her most recent findings:
This Sparrowhawk had some oral lesions which required further investigation.
A Sparrowhawk was brought in following a window collision. During the initial assessment, Jess discovered it had some oral lesions which required further investigation. Jess took a scraping from the lesion and could already see something of interest. Under the microscope she discovered a large Gapeworm, which was wriggling around and shedding its eggs onto the slide.
This gapeworm was found carrying a large number of eggs (shown by the blue dots). These eggs are shed as the worm moves around and can be inadvertently ingested by other animals.
Please note - Earthworms are not parasites! They are really useful invertebrates which help to create and aerate your soils, ultimately helping the plants grow!