Abstract
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) were introduced to Europe and, in the past decades, their populations have increased and adapted to synanthropic environments across Europe. In view of their possible further spread in Europe, the invasive species should be examined as potential reservoirs for helminths, including tapeworms. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and diversity of tapeworms in introduced wild carnivores in Poland by identifying cestode species based on copro-DNA analysis. A total of 214 individual fecal samples from non-native invasive carnivores, i.e., raccoons and raccoon dogs, and additionally 47 samples from native carnivores, i.e., European badgers (Meles meles), were analyzed for the presence of cestodes. PCR analysis of fecal samples targeting a fragment of mitochondrial (mt) 12S rRNA gene revealed the presence of cestode DNA in 19 of 103 (18.4%) raccoons, in 13 of 111 (11.7%) raccoon dogs and in 23 of 47 (48.9%) badgers. Sequence analysis demonstrated the presence of Mesocestoides litteratus in raccoons and raccoon dogs, while Mesocestoides lineatus was identified only in two samples derived from raccoon dogs. Moreover, in this study, Atriotaenia incisa was for the first time molecularly characterized by using fragments of mt 12S rRNA gene, and the DNA of this cestode species was detected in the fecal samples of all the examined host species.
Highlights
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) were introduced to Europe, mainly for fur farming and hunting reasons [1,2]
Procyon lotor is native to North and Central America and currently, the range of the raccoon population in Europe has extended to the west, east and south of the invasion core [1]
55 of 261 (21.1%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 16.1–26.0%) fecal samples of carnivores were determined to be cestode-positive by PCR amplification of the region of the mt 12S rRNA gene using primers CES12sF and CES12sR (Table 1)
Summary
The raccoon (Procyon lotor) and the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) were introduced to Europe, mainly for fur farming and hunting reasons [1,2]. Raccoons and raccoon dogs can be found in 20 and 33 countries in Europe, respectively, and their geographical ranges overlap to a large extent [2]. Both species are listed in Europe as an invasive species of Union concern (Regulation (EU) No 1143/2014), and member states are required to control pathways of introductions and manage established populations [3]. The raccoons’ and raccoon dogs’ habitats overlap with the range of other carnivores, e.g., badgers
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