The occurrence and muscle distribution of Trichinella britovi in raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) in wildlife in the Głęboki Bród Forest District, Poland

Abstract

The raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes procyonoides ) is an introduced, invasive species in Europe. Literature data show that raccoon dogs act as a reservoir of many dangerous parasites, including nematodes of the genus Trichinella . The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of Trichinella spp. infection in raccoon dogs collected from the Głęboki Bród Forest District between 2013 and 2016, and to evaluate their distribution in the muscle tissue of the host. The larvae of Trichinella spp. were detected in 45 raccoon dogs (39.82%), and all of them were identified as T. britovi. No mixed infection was observed. The intensity of infection ranged from 0.02 to 622.92 larvae per gram (LPG), and the highest mean was observed in the tongue and lower forelimb in both examined sexes. The raccoon dog may play a significant role as a reservoir of T. britovi in the wildlife in the examined area.

The genus Trichinella and its presence in wildlife worldwide: A review

“…The Western European country that had the largest number of literature available was Spain (13 articles), but few of these works were published recently (Díaz et al., 2021; Rodríguez‐Rodríguez et al., 2015). In central Europe, Italy had the most publications, with 10 articles (Badagliacca et al., 2016; Bandino et al., 2015; Marucci et al., 2021; Pozio et al., 2021; Ricchiuti et al., 2021), while in Eastern Europe, Poland had the largest number of studies, a number of which were published recently (Bień et al., 2016; Bilska‐Zając et al., 2016, 2017, 2020; Cybulska et al., 2016, 2019, 2020; Flis et al., 2017; Hurníková et al., 2016; Różycki et al., 2020).…”

Insight into Trichinella britovi infection in pigs: effect of various moderate infectious doses on larvae density and spatial larvae distribution in carcasses and comparison of the detection of anti-T. britovi IgG of three different commercial ELISA tests and immunoblot assay

“…Trichinella britovi is widely distributed among wildlife and several studies have con rmed that this species predominates in red foxes, raccoon dogs and wolves in Poland [10,[19][20][21]. The parasite was also found in martens and badgers living the north-east regions of Poland, which only proves its circulation in a wide range of hosts.…”

Insight into Trichinella britovi Infection in Pigs: Effect of Various Infectious Doses on Larvae Density and Spatial Larvae Distribution in Carcasses and Comparison of the Detection of Anti-T. britovi IgG of Three Different Commercial ELISA Tests and Immunoblot Assay

“…Trichinella britovi is widely distributed among wildlife and several studies have confirmed that this species predominates in red foxes, raccoon dogs, and wolves in Poland [ 9 , 22 , 23 , 24 ]. The parasite has also been found in martens and badgers living in the northeast regions of this country [ 25 ], which only proves its circulation in a wide range of hosts.…”