Evidence cluster — African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) husbandry, health & nutrition (peer-reviewed, Europe PMC)

Evidence: African pygmy hedgehog (Atelerix albiventris) husbandry, health & nutrition

Source: Europe PMC (Europe PubMed Central) REST search — first-hand peer-reviewed abstract records, pulled 2026-08-01. Queries covered husbandry, health/disease/parasitology, and nutrition/feeding for Atelerix albiventris. The cluster returns 8 representative studies with abstracts below. Abstract text is verbatim from source; each study is traceable by PMID.

Studies

• PMID 42459538 (2026, Frontiers in veterinary science) — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A study of the zoonotic dermatophyte Trichophyton erinacei in 103 captive African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) in the Czech Republic and Romania found 24.3% positive, 76% of them asymptomatic. Among three non-invasive sampling methods, interdental brushes gave the highest detection rate (80%), beating swabs and toothbrushes; sequencing showed no genetic variation among isolates, suggesting a single circulating clone (M1) in the captive population.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42459538/

• PMID 42433018 (2026, Journal of veterinary emergency and critical care (San Antonio, Tex. : 2001)) — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A first report of xenotransfusion: a 1-year-old anemic female African pygmy hedgehog (PCV 14%) received type-A feline whole blood before and during ovariohysterectomy, with no agglutination on crossmatch. PCV was 14% at 48 h and 7% at 72 h but rose to 44% by two weeks; the hedgehog recovered well. The authors caution xenotransfusion should be reserved for when species-specific blood is unavailable, as a life-saving short-term stabilization.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42433018/

• PMID 42107876 (2026, Topics in companion animal medicine) — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A retrospective study of 53 female African pygmy hedgehogs (3 previously sterilized excluded) found reproductive-tract disease in 32% (16/50) of intact females (median age 3.5 years). Uterine masses appeared in 56% of affected animals, with neoplasia confirmed in 55% of those (stromal sarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, endometrial polyp); chronic endometritis and cystic endometrial hyperplasia occurred in 50%. Bacterial culture was positive in 44% (E. coli, S. dysgalactiae, K. oxytoca, P. vulgaris). The authors advocate preventive sterilisation to lower reproductive-pathology risk.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42107876/

• PMID 42111335 (2026, One health (Amsterdam, Netherlands)) — Sequencing of Betacoronavirus erinacei from faeces of pet hedgehogs demonstrates a continuity of MERS-CoV like viruses in European and Eurasian hedgehog species.. Abstract (opening): Hedgehogs have been recently identified as carriers of <i>Betacoronavirus erinacei</i> (also known as Erinaceus coronavirus, EriCoV) a virus closely related to <i>B. cameli</i> responsible for human Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), raising questions about the risk of hedgehog-to-human transmission and suggesting the need for coronavirus (CoV) surveillance in hedgehogs. This study investigated the presence of CoVs in fecal samples of hedgehogs kept as pets in Italy in 2021-2022. A pan-CoV nested RT-PCR targeting the RdRp gene was used for screening and positive samples were sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Two (6.2%) out of 30 hedgehogs analyzed were positive for <i>B. erinacei</i> represented by 2/3 (66.7%) long eared hedgehog <i>(Hemiechinus auritus</i>) while all the 27 tested African pygmy hedgehog <i>(Atelerix albiventris</i>) were negative. Whole genome sequence obtained from one <i>B. erinacei</i>-positive sample showed closest homology (85.7%) with <i>B. erinacei</i> previously detected in <i>Erinaceus</i> sp. from Eastern Russia. Phylogeny showed that the virus of this study formed a separate clade in the cluster with other <i>B. erinacei</i> identified in Europe and European Russia and did not cluster with other <i>B. erinacei</i> identified in China in Amur hedgehog (<i>E. amurensis)</i>. No recombination events were observed. Analysis of the Spike protein revealed the presence of six out of the 11 key receptor binding residues, including two out of the three critical residues recently identified for the binding of <i>Erinaceus europaeus</i> receptor APN and <i>B. erinacei</i>. Results of this study suggest the presence of a long-eared hedgehog-specific strain of <i>B. erinacei</i>. Overall results support the circulation of coronaviruses along a phylogenetic continuum among different species of hedgehogs and geographic locations, suggesting the need for further CoV surveillance in both domestic and wild animals. There is also a need for studies on the affinity of EriCoV with the <i>H. auritus</i> APN specific receptor to confirm its involvement in the viral entry process. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42111335/

• PMID 42484231 (2026, Revista brasileira de parasitologia veterinaria = Brazilian journal of veterinary parasitology : Orgao Oficial do Colegio Brasileiro de Parasitologia Veterinaria) — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A health-profile study of captive African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) from illegal breeding sites in Paraná, Brazil, found hematology/biochemistry consistent with good health and no ectoparasites; fecal cultures yielded Candida tropicalis (60%), Mucor spp. (48%), and Proteus vulgaris (40%), and skin swabs Staphylococcus spp. (100%) and Streptococcus spp. (52%). All animals tested negative for hemotropic Mycoplasma, Theileria/Babesia, and Ehrlichia/Anaplasma, though the authors note the need to understand these pets' zoonotic potential.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42484231/

• PMID 42304598 (2026, Journal of veterinary dentistry) — *[Paraphrased derived summary — non-Open-Access source.]* A case series and literature review of oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC) in African pygmy hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris) examined 17 tumors plus 94 literature cases. Histology showed infiltrative keratinizing squamous nests; some had bone/nasal invasion and metastasis was rare. Inflammation was common, suggesting chronic inflammation may promote tumorigenesis. Hedgehogs over 2 years with chronic stomatitis appeared at higher risk, the maxilla was the most common site (66%), and no sex predilection was seen; recurrence and metastasis remain under-documented.

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42304598/

• PMID 40400115 (2026, Integrative zoology) — Hedgehogs and Angiostrongylus cantonensis: Uncovering the Role of Atelerix albiventris in the Parasite Life Cycle.. Abstract (opening): The ongoing invasion of the zoonotic parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis threatens humans, other mammals, and birds. In Mallorca, neurological disorders associated with this parasite are increasingly reported in free-living Algerian hedgehogs, Atelerix algirus, raising public health concerns. Experimental infections in the related species Atelerix albiventris were conducted to investigate the role of hedgehogs in the life cycle of the parasite. Captive-born hedgehogs were orally inoculated with 200 and 2000 third-stage larvae and monitored for 50 days by behavioral observations, blood tests (hematology and biochemistry), histopathology, and qPCR analysis. Baermann's larvoscopy was used to examine feces starting from day 39 post-infection (DPI). Neuropathological symptoms were only observed in the high-dose group, with larvae detected in brain tissue at 5, 15, 23, and 44 DPI. In contrast, no clinical symptoms or larvae in tissues were found in the low-dose group. Parasite DNA was present in the organs of both groups, but neurological migration occurred exclusively in the high-dose group. Blood tests showed no specific patterns indicating infection. Hedgehogs are aberrant hosts of A. cantonensis, showing severe neuropathological symptoms at high infection levels (2000 third-stage larvae), while lower doses remain asymptomatic. The parasite cannot complete its life cycle in A. albiventris hedgehogs, which do not contribute to its ecological circulation. However, hedgehogs can serve as sentinels for the spread of A. cantonensis in newly invaded regions like Mallorca. Monitoring neurological disease in wildlife could provide valuable insights into the potential spread of this zoonotic parasite in temperate latitudes. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40400115/

• PMID 40905502 (2026, Veterinary pathology) — Lymphoma in European hedgehogs (&lt;i&gt;Erinaceus europaeus&lt;/i&gt;): A case series.. Abstract (opening): Neoplasia is rarely reported in European hedgehogs (<i>Erinaceus europaeus</i>). A retrospective search was conducted by contacting multiple veterinary diagnostic laboratories for cases of lymphoma in European hedgehogs. This resulted in 5 cases, from which clinical, gross, histologic, and immunophenotyping findings were recorded. Most animals (3/5) had skin masses involving the cervical region, 1 hedgehog had dyspnea and lethargy associated with hydrothorax, whereas another exhibited icterus and lethargy. The primary site of the lymphoma was the skin, particularly the neck or head (3/5), the thymus (1/5), and multicentric (1/5). Immunophenotyping confirmed B-cell lymphoma in 2 skin cases, a T-cell lineage for the thymic and multicentric cases, and undetermined for the remaining skin lymphoma. CD3, PAX5, and CD79a were reliable immunohistochemistry markers in formalin-fixed tissues in European hedgehogs. Although uncommon, lymphoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis for adult European hedgehogs with skin nodules, especially those seeming to originate from the neck. *[CC BY — Open Access, verbatim with attribution.]*

Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40905502/

Source text: pdf-raw/evidence/europepmc_hedgehog_husbandry_health_2026-08-01.txt (Europe PMC first-hand abstracts, pulled 2026-08-01).

License & attribution

Mixed licensing per COPYRIGHT_POLICY §3: Open Access (CC BY / CC BY-NC / CC BY-NC-ND) studies are reproduced verbatim with attribution under their specific CC license; non-Open-Access studies are paraphrased as derived fact summaries (numbers and proper nouns preserved, sentences rewritten). Original records:

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42459538/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42433018/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42489465/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42450773/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42107876/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42111335/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42484231/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42304598/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40400115/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40905502/
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41180242/

Cleaning removal log (2026-08-05, codebuddy)

PMID 42121763 — Generic wildlife-disease editorial ('Wildlife Diseases: Pathology and Diagnostic Investigation'); no hedgehog named — not about target species PMID 42489465 — genome announcement (microbiology resource), not husbandry guidance (removed 2026-08-24, kimi) PMID 42450773 — mis-clustered duplicate — kept in evidence_exotic_hedgehog_nutrition (removed 2026-08-24, kimi) PMID 41180242 — mis-clustered duplicate — kept in evidence_exotic_hedgehog_clinical (removed 2026-08-24, kimi)