Diet of Arctic Foxes (Alopex lagopus) in Greenland

The gastrointestinal tracts of 254 arctic foxes (Alopex lagopus) trapped or shot in Greenland, mainly during winter, were examined for the presence of food items. The occurrence of different food categories in the gastrointestinal tracts differed significantly between the geographical areas. Overall frequencies of occurrence of food categories were the following: berries (0-67%), seaweed (0-50%), other plant material (6-57%), bird and bird eggs (0-83%), fish (0-31%), shellfish (0-33%), reindeer (0-29%), sheep (0-25%), seal (0-12%), insects (0-10%), larger pieces of muscle tissue (12-57%), human food waste (0-77%), and nonfood garbage (0-50%). In foxes caught near air bases, the gastointestinal tracts were frequently (53-70%) found to contain human food waste and nonfood garbage. Foxes caught in the more remote districts of Greenland seem less dependent on waste and garbage; they feed on a broad variety of food items according to the local diversity of the prey fauna.On a examiné le tube digestif de 254 renards arctiques (Alopex lagopus) piégés ou abattus au Groenland, surtout durant l'hiver, en vue d'étudier la présence des différents aliments. L'occurrence de diverses catégories de nourriture dans les tubes digestifs variait largement selon les aires géographiques. Dans l'ensemble, la fréquence de l'occurrence des catégories d'aliments était la suivante: baies (0-67 p. cent), algues marines (0-50 p. cent), autres éléments végétaux (6-57 p. cent), oiseaux et oeufs d'oiseaux (0-83 p. cent), poisson (0-31 p. cent), crustacés et coquillages (0-33 p. cent), renne (0-29 p. cent), mouton (0-25 p. cent), phoque (0-12 p. cent), insectes (0-10 p. cent), gros morceaux de tissu musculaire (12-57 p. cent), déchets de cuisine (0-77 p. cent) et déchets non alimentaires (0-50 p. cent). On a trouvé que chez les renards capturés près des bases aériennes, le tube digestif contenait souvent (53-70 p. cent) des déchets de cuisine et des déchets non alimentaires. Les renards capturés dans les régions plus reculées du Groenland semblent moins dépendre des déchets de cuisine et non alimentaires; ils se nourrissent d'une grande variété d'aliments selon la diversité locale de la faune-proie

Inspection for Trichinella in the EU - food safety or export concerns

The former 15 EU countries have been spending an estimated 570 million Euro yearly to inspect for Trichinella in pigs primarily raised on industrialized farms with negligible little risk of acquiring the parasite; human trichinellosis in the EU is generally caused by game meat, imported horse meat, or meat from local pigs raised outdoors

Fresh fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms as transmission vehicles for <i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i> in Europe:inferences and concerns from sample analysis data from Poland

Fresh fruit, vegetables, mushrooms, and other fresh produce are recognised as important vehicles of infection for several foodborne parasites, particularly those with a faecal-oral transmission route and robust environmental transmission stages. Nevertheless, analysis of such foods for parasite transmission stages, even during outbreaks, tends to show only low contamination. Echinococcus multilocularis is considered one of the most important foodborne parasites, but there are few studies in which fresh produce or like foods collected in their natural habitat is analysed for contamination with E. multilocularis eggs. In this article, we question a recent study from Poland reporting over 23 % of fresh berries, vegetables, and mushroom being highly contaminated with E. multilocularis eggs. In particular, it appears unlikely that 20 % of raspberries, which are elevated from ground level, should be exposed to faecal contamination. Additionally, the similar egg contamination of vegetation in forest and plantation environments is surprising considering the preference of the parasite’s most competent intermediate hosts for the latter environment. Furthermore, a lack of specific temporal information is concerning due to the varying infection pressure (and therefore environmental contamination) occurring in definitive hosts over the course of the year. Several important aspects of the study seem to us to have been neglected, and we are concerned that the published data might, if not questioned, lead to incorrect interpretation, and unnecessary losses in the agricultural sector

Warble infestations by <em>Hypoderma tarandi</em> (Diptera; Oestridae) recorded for the first time in West Greenland muskoxen

AbstractIn the northern hemisphere, Caribou (Rangifer spp.) populations are known to be infested with the skin-penetrating ectoparasite, Hypoderma tarandi (Diptera; Oestridae). Although regarded as host specific, H. tarandi has been reported from other species, and has become of increasing concern as a zoonosis infecting humans. In February 2012, concurrent with the hunting of muskoxen, we examined carcasses for muscle and tissue parasites, and recorded warble larvae infestations. DNA extracted from samples of larvae was amplified targeting 579bp of the COI gene, and subsequently sequenced, to be confirmed as H. tarandi. Infestation by oestrid flies has not previously been reported in muskoxen in West Greenland

Repeated inoculations with the lung and heartworm nematode <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> result in increasing larval excretion and worm burden in the red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>)

The French heartworm Angiostongylus vasorum is found in European red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and dog populations, where it appears to be spreading geographically. Once introduced into new areas, it establishes in local fox populations, typically to over 50% prevalence in a few years. High susceptibility and constant excretion of first stage larvae (L1) by the definitive hosts are prerequisites for sustaining high parasite biomass in a particular habitat. The present study explores the hypothesis that repeated ingestion of gastropods in nature will result in accumulation of adult worms and elevated excretion of L1 in feces. Experimentally infected foxes were subsequently inoculated via stomach tube once (9 weeks post initial inoculation) or twice (9 and 13 weeks post inoculation (wpi)) with 100 third stage A. vasorum larvae (L3) previously isolated from aquatic snails infected with L1 from a naturally infected dog. Despite large variation in fecal larval excretion for the individual animals within the groups, excretion of L1 was significantly higher in foxes twice inoculated as compared to foxes inoculated only once. With an outlier in the once inoculated group removed, excretion became significantly higher in the three times inoculated group. Establishment of adult worms varied and only a trend to higher worm burdens was found in the group of foxes inoculated three times. However, this became significant with the same single outlier removed. Overall, it appears that protective immunity to A. vasorum does not appear to occur in V. vulpes with animals exhibiting high infection intensities without obvious clinical signs. The increasing larval excretion in foxes being repeatedly exposed to A. vasorum L3 support the hypothesis that foxes under natural conditions may repeatedly ingest infected gastropods and remain a source of environmental contamination for several months, potentially contributing to the establishment of endemic foci through increasing L1 excretion. Keywords: Foxes, Angiostrongylus vasorum, Experimental inoculation, Immunology, Larval excretion, Worm burde

The effect of host age and inoculation dose on infection dynamics of <i>Angiostrongylus vasorum</i> in red foxes (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>)

BACKGROUND: Infections and clinical cases of Angiostrongylus vasorum in dogs are found increasingly across Europe, thus rendering knowledge on its infection biology more important. We used red foxes as a carnivore model to examine the effect of host age and infection dose on the establishment of adult A. vasorum in single experimental infections. METHODS: Fourteen juvenile and fourteen adult red foxes, free of metastrongyloid infections, were given a low (50) or high (200) dose of third-stage larvae (L3) of A. vasorum. Two groups of three foxes of each age group served as uninfected controls. Larval excretion by Baermann and blood parameters were followed for ten weeks. Worm counts were performed at necropsy by sequential perfusion, dissection and Baermann method. RESULTS: The establishment rate (i.e. recovery in percentage of inoculation dose) of A. vasorum primary infections in red foxes was associated with host age and inoculation dose. In the low dose juveniles, 61% (range 52–72%) of the infection dose was recovered as worms in the pulmonary arteries and heart at necropsy while only 35% (21–50%) were recovered in the high dose. Corresponding establishment rates for adults were 39% (18–98%) and 8% (1–21%). In juveniles, a higher dose resulted in significantly higher adult worm counts, higher larval excretion and more pronounced pathophysiological changes, particularly in coagulation parameters. Earlier onset of patency was also found in the juveniles. In contrast, the larval excretion in high dose adults was very low and two infected animals never reached patency. However, a few adults showed only limited resistance as judged by excretion of larvae. The increase to very high larval excretion levels (> 4,000 larvae per g of faeces) after several months in a single animal, indicated that any potential acquired immunity does not affect worm fecundity. CONCLUSIONS: Resistance to a primary A. vasorum infection was generally higher in older animals, and this age resistance was reflected in lower worm counts and reduced excretion of larvae. The juvenile red foxes were fully susceptible, as reflected in high establishment rates. Although severe clinical disease was never observed in the foxes, A. vasorum infections in red foxes appear to be chronic and moreover, to resemble infections in dogs. The results underline the red fox as a suitable model as well as natural reservoir for the parasite