Reprint of: The European badger, Meles Meles, as a new host for Trichinella britovi in Romania.
Vet Parasitol
; 297: 109545, 2021 Sep.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-34389191
ABSTRACT
The European badger, Meles meles (Carnivora, Mustelidae) is a widespread opportunistic omnivorous mammal. Its food spectrum comprises a wide variety of plants and small animals, occasionally including rodents, such as mice or rats. Considering that rodents are known to play a key role in the life cycle of Trichinella spp., the aims of this study were to investigate the occurrence of these parasites in badgers from Romania and to identify the species. Overall, 61 badgers originating from 14 counties were examined by trichinoscopy and artificial digestion. For species determination, the positive muscle samples, and the larvae recovered from the artificial digestion were used for DNA isolation, and further processed by multiplex PCR. A single badger, originating from Sibiu County, Central Romania, was found positive for Trichinella spp. Five cysts were identified using trichinoscopy four in the diaphragm and one in the foreleg muscles. Artificial digestion revealed an infection rate of 70 larvae/100 g of muscle. The PCR indicated the occurrence of T. britovi, which is the most commonly detected species in wild carnivores in temperate areas. Although T. britovi has previously been reported in Romania, this represents the first report of its occurrence in the European badger in the country. However, the low prevalence indicates a minor reservoir role of this species.
Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Rodent Diseases
/
Trichinella
/
Trichinellosis
/
Carnivora
/
Mustelidae
Type of study:
Risk_factors_studies
Limits:
Animals
Country/Region as subject:
Europa
Language:
En
Journal:
Vet Parasitol
Year:
2021
Document type:
Article