In 2018 researchers Prof. Daniela Lukešová and Dr. Jiří Černý from Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (CZU Prague), initiated field work on Aruba in the Caribbean Sea, focusing their study area to the surrounding districts of Oranjestad. Graduate student BSc. Dominika Roudná collected faeces from private breeding farms in the selected localities for detection of sheep and goat endoparasites (protozoa and nematodes) and compared the effectiveness of chemical and plant antiparasitics. Meanwhile, graduate student BSc. Martina Č. assessed the infestation level of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latreille, 1806) in dogs in cooperation with the local veterinary clinics and animal shelters. Laboratory analyses for tick-borne pathogens from the island of Aruba were performed, and the number of ticks were counted on the sampled animals. The teams Animal Physiology and Behaviour Research Team and e4 (Ecology, Evolution, Emergence & Epidemiology of Zoonoses) Research Group will continue this monitoring effort in 2021 and will publish the results of this project in collaboration with scientists from the Directie Volksgezondheid in Aruba and the Institute of Parasitology, Biological Center of the AS CR.
