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Pozio, E.; De Meneghi, D.; Roelke-Parker, M.E.; La Rosa, G.
Trichinella nelsoni in Carnivores from the Serengeti Ecosystem, Tanzania
1997 Journal of Parasitology (83): 1195-1198
A survey of tichinellosis among sylvatic carnivore mammals from the Serengeti ecosystem (Tanzania) demonstrated the presence of Trichnella nelsoni in 5 of 9 species examined. Muscle samples were collected from carcasses of 56 carnivores from 1993 to 1995 and frozen before transport and examination. Following artificial digestion of the samples, collected larvae were analyzed by the random amplified polymorphic DNA technique. Trichinella nelsoni was identified in 1 bat-eared fox (_Otocyon megalotis_), 1 cheetah (_Acinonyx jubatus_), 1 leopard (_Panthera pardus_), 3 lions (_Panthera leo_), and 3 spotted hyenas (_Crocuta crocuta_). The numbers of bat-eared foxes (6), cheetahs (5), and leopards (3) examined were too small to reveal the roles of theses carnivore species in the ecology of T. nelsoni. The numbers of lions and spotted hyenas examined, with a prevalence of 12 % and 23 %, respectively, suggest that these species may be reservoirs of T. nelsoni in the area of study.
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