<i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i> and Other Intestinal Parasites of the Red Fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) from the Pomerania Region, Northern Poland
Bogumiła Pilarczyk,
Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak,
Renata Pilarczyk,
Małgorzata Bąkowska,
Izabella Rząd,
Agata Stapf,
Lidia Felska-Błaszczyk,
Agnieszka Tylkowska,
Beata Seremak
Affiliations
Bogumiła Pilarczyk
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Agnieszka Tomza-Marciniak
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Renata Pilarczyk
Laboratory of Biostatistics, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Małgorzata Bąkowska
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Izabella Rząd
Institute of Marine and Environmental Sciences, Molecular Biology and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Physical, Mathematical and Natural Sciences, University of Szczecin, Wąska 13, 71-415 Szczecin, Poland
Agata Stapf
Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Physical Culture in Gorzow Wielkopolski, Poznan University of Physical Education, Estkowskiego 13, 66-400 Gorzów Wielkopolski, Poland
Lidia Felska-Błaszczyk
Department of Animal Anatomy, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 33, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
Agnieszka Tylkowska
Department of Animal Environment Biology, Faculty of Animal Breeding, Bioengineering and Conservation, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Ciszewskiego 8, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Beata Seremak
Department of Animal Reproduction Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, Faculty of Biotechnology and Animal Husbandry, West Pomeranian University of Technology, Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland
The aim of the study was to determine the species composition of the intestinal parasite fauna of foxes from the Pomerania region, with a particular emphasis on helminth species considered dangerous to humans, and to determine their prevalence and intensity of infection. In total, 165 digestive systems from foxes inhabiting the Pomeranian region were examined. The prevalence of intestinal parasites among the studied foxes was 61.8%. Our findings confirm that foxes in Pomerania carry various parasites, some of which pose a direct threat to human health. As such, constant monitoring of their infestation is essential. Particular attention should be paid to parasite species with potential for transmission to humans, such as Echinococcus multilocularis, Alaria alata and Toxocara canis, whose respective prevalence was found to be 10.9%, 17.6% and 28.5%.
