Rajnish Sharma1, N Jane Harms2, Piia M Kukka2, Thomas S Jung2,3, Sarah E Parker4, Sasha Ross1, Peter Thompson5, Benjamin Rosenthal5, Eric P Hoberg6,7, Emily J Jenkins8. 1. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. 2. Department of Environment, Government of Yukon, P.O. Box 2703, Whitehorse, YT, Y1A 2C6, Canada. 3. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 351 General Services Building, Edmonton, AB, T6H 3T1, Canada. 4. Centre for Applied Epidemiology, Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. 5. USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, 10300 Baltimore Avenue, Beltsville, MD, 20705, USA. 6. Museum of Southwestern Biology and Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, 87131-0001, USA. 7. Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53706, USA. 8. Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada. ejj266@mail.usask.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Species of Trichinella are globally important foodborne parasites infecting a number of domestic and wild vertebrates, including humans. Free-ranging carnivores can act as sentinel species for detection of Trichinella spp. Knowledge of the epidemiology of these parasites may help prevent Trichinella spp. infections in northern Canadian animals and people. Previous research on Trichinella spp. in wildlife from Yukon did not identify risk factors associated with infection, or the diversity and identity of species of Trichinella in regional circulation, based on geographically extensive sampling with large sample sizes. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence, infection intensity, risk factors, and species or genotypes of Trichinella in wolverine (Gulo gulo) in two regions of Yukon, Canada, from 2013-2017. A double separatory funnel digestion method followed by mutiplex PCR and PCR-RFLP were used to recover and identify species of Trichinella, respectively. RESULTS: We found larvae of Trichinella in the tongues of 78% (95% CI 73-82) of 338 wolverine sampled. The odds of adult (≥ 2 years) and yearling (1 year) wolverine being Trichinella spp.-positive were four and two times higher, respectively, compared to juveniles (<1 year). The odds of Trichinella spp. presence were three times higher in wolverine from southeast than northwest Yukon. The mean intensity of infection was 22.6 ± 39 (SD, range 0.1-295) larvae per gram. Trichinella T6 was the predominant genotype (76%), followed by T. nativa (8%); mixed infections with Trichinella T6 and T. nativa (12%) were observed. In addition, T. spiralis was detected in one wolverine. Out of 22 isolates initially identified as T. nativa in multiplex PCR, 14 were analyzed by PCR-RFLP to distinguish them from T. chanchalensis, a recently discovered cryptic species, which cannot be distinguished from the T. nativa on multiplex PCR. Ten isolates were identified either as T. chanchalensis alone (n = 7), or mixed infection with T. chanchalensis and T. nativa (n = 2) or T. chanchalensis and Trichinella T6 (n = 1)]. CONCLUSIONS: Wolverine hosted high prevalence, high larval intensity, and multiple species of Trichinella, likely due to their scavenging habits, apex position in the food chain, and wide home range. Wolverine (especially adult males) should be considered as a sentinel species for surveys for Trichinella spp. across their distributional range.
BACKGROUND: Species of Trichinella are globally important foodborne parasites infecting a number of domestic and wild vertebrates, including humans. Free-ranging carnivores can act as sentinel species for detection of Trichinella spp. Knowledge of the epidemiology of these parasites may help prevent Trichinella spp. infections in northern Canadian animals and people. Previous research on Trichinella spp. in wildlife from Yukon did not identify risk factors associated with infection, or the diversity and identity of species of Trichinella in regional circulation, based on geographically extensive sampling with large sample sizes. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, we determined the prevalence, infection intensity, risk factors, and species or genotypes of Trichinella in wolverine (Gulo gulo) in two regions of Yukon, Canada, from 2013-2017. A double separatory funnel digestion method followed by mutiplex PCR and PCR-RFLP were used to recover and identify species of Trichinella, respectively. RESULTS: We found larvae of Trichinella in the tongues of 78% (95% CI 73-82) of 338 wolverine sampled. The odds of adult (≥ 2 years) and yearling (1 year) wolverine being Trichinella spp.-positive were four and two times higher, respectively, compared to juveniles (<1 year). The odds of Trichinella spp. presence were three times higher in wolverine from southeast than northwest Yukon. The mean intensity of infection was 22.6 ± 39 (SD, range 0.1-295) larvae per gram. Trichinella T6 was the predominant genotype (76%), followed by T. nativa (8%); mixed infections with Trichinella T6 and T. nativa (12%) were observed. In addition, T. spiralis was detected in one wolverine. Out of 22 isolates initially identified as T. nativa in multiplex PCR, 14 were analyzed by PCR-RFLP to distinguish them from T. chanchalensis, a recently discovered cryptic species, which cannot be distinguished from the T. nativa on multiplex PCR. Ten isolates were identified either as T. chanchalensis alone (n = 7), or mixed infection with T. chanchalensis and T. nativa (n = 2) or T. chanchalensis and Trichinella T6 (n = 1)]. CONCLUSIONS:Wolverine hosted high prevalence, high larval intensity, and multiple species of Trichinella, likely due to their scavenging habits, apex position in the food chain, and wide home range. Wolverine (especially adult males) should be considered as a sentinel species for surveys for Trichinella spp. across their distributional range.
Entities:
Keywords:
Canada; Prevalence; T. chanchalensis; T. nativa; Trichinella T6; Trichinella spp.; Wolverine
Authors: Roberta S Schellenberg; Ben J K Tan; James D Irvine; Donna R Stockdale; Alvin A Gajadhar; Bouchra Serhir; Juri Botha; Cheryl A Armstrong; Shirley A Woods; Joseph M Blondeau; Tammy L McNab Journal: J Infect Dis Date: 2003-09-09 Impact factor: 5.226
Authors: Rajnish Sharma; Peter C Thompson; Eric P Hoberg; W Brad Scandrett; Kelly Konecsni; N Jane Harms; Piia M Kukka; Thomas S Jung; Brett Elkin; Robert Mulders; Nicholas C Larter; Marsha Branigan; Jodie Pongracz; Brent Wagner; Pratap Kafle; Vladislav A Lobanov; Benjamin M Rosenthal; Emily J Jenkins Journal: Int J Parasitol Date: 2020-03-24 Impact factor: 3.981
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Authors: Antti Oksanen; Age Kärssin; Rebecca P K D Berg; Anders Koch; Pikka Jokelainen; Rajnish Sharma; Emily Jenkins; Olga Loginova Journal: Food Waterborne Parasitol Date: 2022-06-18