European mustelids occupying pristine wetlands in the Danube Delta are infected with Trichinella likely derived from domesticated swine.

Abstract We analyzed 32 specimens from nine species of Mustelidae for Trichinella; six infections from two Trichinella species were observed from three host species. This provides documentation of Trichinella in Mustela erminea and Martes foina in Romania and Trichinella spiralis in a mustelid host from Europe. Trichinella spiralis continues to be a public challenge characterized by a wide host range and geographical distribution ( Pozio 2007 ). During the past 20 yr, Romania has had the most reported human cases of trichinellosis in the world ( Blaga et al. 2007 ). Transmission occurs among domesticated swine, rats, and wild mammals that feed by scavenging or predation ( Pozio 2000 ). Trichinella transmission to humans may occur by consumption of meat of livestock infected after exposure to wildlife ( Pozio et al. 2009 ).