Epizootiological survey of Trichinella spp. infection in carnivores, rodents and insectivores in Hokkaido, Japan

In order to evaluate the present epidemiological situation of Trichinella infection in wild animals in Hokkaido, Japan, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), brown bears (Ursus arctos), martens (Martes melampus), rodents and insectivores captured in Hokkaido were examined for muscle larvae by the artificial digestion method from 2000 to 2006. Foxes (44/319, 13.8%), raccoon dogs (6/77, 7.8%) and brown bears (4/126, 3.2%) were found to be infected with Trichinella larvae and all other animal species evaluated were negative. Multiplex PCR and DNA sequencing revealed that larvae from a fox captured in Otofuke, in south-eastern Hokkaido, were T nativa, and larvae from 27 animals including 21 foxes, 2 raccoon dogs and 4 brown bears captured in western Hokkaido were Trichinella T9.