Veterinary Academy, Lithuanian University of Health Science, Tilžės Street 18, LT-47181 Kaunas, Lithuania.
Parasitology. 2012 Jan;139(1):120-7. doi: 10.1017/S0031182011001715.
Red foxes and raccoon dogs are hosts for a wide range of parasites including important zoonotic helminths. The raccoon dog has recently invaded into Europe from the east. The contribution of this exotic species to the epidemiology of parasitic diseases, particularly parasitic zoonoses is unknown. The helminth fauna and the abundance of helminth infections were determined in 310 carcasses of hunted red foxes and 99 of raccoon dogs from Lithuania. Both species were highly infected with Alaria alata (94·8% and 96·5% respectively) and Trichinella spp. (46·6% and 29·3%). High and significantly different prevalences in foxes and raccoon dogs were found for Eucoleus aerophilus (97·1% and 30·2% respectively), Crenosoma vulpis (53·8% and 15·1%), Capillaria plica (93·3% and 11·3%), C. putorii (29·4% and 51·5%), Toxocara canis (40·5% and 17·6%) and Uncinaria stenocephala (76·9% and 98·8%). The prevalences of the rodent-transmitted cestodes Echinococcus multilocularis, Taenia polyacantha, T. crassiceps and Mesocestoides spp. were significantly higher in foxes than in raccoon dogs. The abundances of E. multilocularis, Mesocestoides, Taenia, C. plica and E. aerophilus were higher in foxes than those in raccoon dogs. A. alata, U. stenocephala, C. putorii and Echinostomatidae had higher abundances in raccoon dogs. The difference in prevalence and abundance of helminths in both animals may reflect differences in host ecology and susceptibility. The data are consistent with red foxes playing a more important role than raccoon dogs in the transmission of E. multilocularis in Lithuania.
红狐和貉是多种寄生虫的宿主，包括重要的人畜共患寄生虫。貉最近从东方入侵到欧洲。这种外来物种对寄生虫病，特别是寄生虫病的流行病学的贡献尚不清楚。本研究在立陶宛，对 310 只猎获的红狐和 99 只貉的寄生虫区系和寄生虫感染的丰度进行了测定。这两个物种都高度感染有旋毛虫（分别为 94.8%和 96.5%）和类圆线虫（分别为 46.6%和 29.3%）。在狐和貉中，发现了高且显著不同的嗜气管比翼线虫（分别为 97.1%和 30.2%）、犬复孔绦虫（53.8%和 15.1%）、毛首线虫（93.3%和 11.3%）、旋毛线虫（29.4%和 51.5%）、犬弓首蛔虫（40.5%和 17.6%）和窄头双腔吸虫（76.9%和 98.8%）的感染率。在狐中，与貉相比，感染多房棘球绦虫、扩展莫尼茨绦虫、细粒棘球绦虫和中殖孔绦虫的鼠型带绦虫的流行率显著更高。在狐中，感染细粒棘球绦虫、中殖孔绦虫、毛首线虫、嗜气管比翼线虫和旋毛线虫的丰度比在貉中更高。在貉中，多头绦虫、窄头双腔吸虫、旋毛线虫和后睾科的丰度比在狐中更高。这两种动物中寄生虫的流行率和丰度的差异可能反映了宿主生态和易感性的差异。这些数据与在立陶宛，红狐在传播多房棘球绦虫方面比貉发挥更重要的作用的结论一致。
