Paragonimus kellicotti infection in wild carnivores in southwestern Ontario: I. Prevalence and gross pathologic features.

ABSTRACT

Paragonimus kellicotti Ward, 1908 was recovered from 16 of 105 mink (Mustela vison), 14 of 244 striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), 10 of 446 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 1 of 31 coyotes (Canis latrans), 0 of 326 raccoons (Procyon lotor) and 0 of 8 weasels (Mustela spp.) collected from southwestern Ontario. The majority of carnivores harboring P. kellicotti was collected from two counties (Huron and Bruce) bordering the east shore of Lake Huron where 6.0% of the animals (excluding raccoons) were infected . There were extensive adhesions between the lungs and parietal pleura and dorsal mediastinal pleura in 25 of 301 raccoons collected from these two counties. This lesion was thought to be associated with a reaction to migrating P. kellicotti. This is the first time P.kellicotti has been reported in the striped skunk and red fox from Ontario and apparently the first record of this parasite in the coyote.