The prevalence of intestinal nematodes among red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in north-western Poland

Agnieszka Tylkowska,Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak,Bogumiła Pilarczyk,Renata Pilarczyk

doi:10.1186/s13028-021-00584-0

Abstract

BackgroundThe red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. The presence of nematode-infected foxes in urbanized areas increases the risk of transmission of nematodes to domestic dogs and thus, to humans. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and species composition of intestinal nematodiasis in red foxes in Western Pomerania, a province in north-western Poland. The intestinal contents of 620 red foxes killed during a government reduction shooting programme were examined for adult nematodes using the sedimentation and counting technique (SCT).ResultsIntestinal nematodes, including Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Uncinaria stenocephala and Trichuris vulpis, were found in 77.3% (95% CI 73.8–80.4%) of the examined foxes with a mean infection burden of 20.1 nematode per animal. Male and female foxes had similar infection burdens.ConclusionsThe nematodes are present in high prevalence and intensity among foxes in north-western Poland. Furthermore, this high prevalence of nematodes in foxes may likely constitute a health risk to humans and domestic animals due to increasing fox densities in urban and periurban areas.

Highlights

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and Australia
Nematodes were found in 77.3% of analysed foxes, while the mean infection intensity was 20.1 nematodes per animal
T. canis, T. leonina, U. stenocephala and T. vulpis were isolated from the tested foxes

Summary

Introduction

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and Australia. The pres‐ ence of nematode-infected foxes in urbanized areas increases the risk of transmission of nematodes to domestic dogs and to humans. The intestinal contents of 620 red foxes killed during a government reduction shooting programme were examined for adult nematodes using the sedimentation and counting technique (SCT). A rapid increase in its number has been observed in many European countries since the late twentieth century [2,3,4]. This growth may be explained by a reduction in mortality rate due to intensive rabies vaccination campaigns and the opportunistic behaviour of the fox itself [2]. As paratenic hosts, the larvae of T. canis, responsible for toxocariasis, do not develop into an adult stage but migrate throughout the tissues and remain as L3 arrested larvae for an extended period of time [15]

Objectives

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion