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Badagliacca, P.; Di Sabatino, D.; Salucci, S.; Romeo, G.; Cipriani, M.; Sulli, N.; Dall'Acqua, F.; Ruggieri, M.; Calistri, P.; Morelli, D.
The role of the wolf in endemic sylvatic Trichinella britovi infection in the Abruzzi region of Central Italy
2016  Veterinary Parasitology (231): 124-127

During the period 2004-2014 in the Abruzzi region (Central Italy), muscle samples gathered from hunted wild boars (n=16,323) and retrieved from carcasses of other susceptible wild mammals (n=838) and birds (n=438) were tested for _Trichinella_ larvae according to European Union regulations. Although no positive samples were found from wild birds, 91 wild mammals tested positive. Six species were found to harbor _Trichinella_ spp. infections, namely wolf (_Canis lupus_, 59 positive samples out of 218), red fox (_Vulpes vulpes_, 24/480), wild boar (_Sus scrofa_, 3/16,323), stone marten (_Martes foina_, 2/27), pine marten (_Martes martes_, 2/6) and wildcat (_Felis silvestris_, 1/8). All isolates tested for species attribution belonged to _Trichinella britovi_. The overall prevalence was 0.52% (IC 95%: 0.4-0.6). The higher frequency of positive samples in wolf, compared to red fox, was statistically significant (p=0.001). In spite of the limited geographical area of investigation and the random nature of sampling, this study provides new data on the circulation of _T. britovi_ in Italy. In particular, the highest prevalence being found among wolves allows us to consider this species as a sentinel for _T. britovi_ infection in the investigated area, and probably also in other apennine regions, which is different from the alpine regions where the red fox was reputed as the primary reservoir of _Trichinella_ spp. infection.

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