Presence of Trichinella Spiralis in Free-Living Red Foxes (Vulpes Vulpes) in Sweden Related to Trichinella Infection in Swine and Man

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Abstract
One thousand one hundred and fifty-one free-living foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from different parts of Sweden were investigated. Totally 19.6 % were infected with trichinella. Infected foxes were found in all counties except the geographically isolated island of Gotland. In the different counties 6–48 % of investigated foxes were infected. Trichinella was more common in old foxes than in young, 40 % and 11 %, respectively. Regarding male and female, however, the frequency was the same. The number of trichinella per g of muscle varied between 0.05 and 200. Less than 1.0 trichinella larva per g muscle was established in 27.3 % of the foxes, between 1 and 49.9 trichinella larvae in 69.3 % and 50 or more trichinella larvae per g muscle in 3.4 % of the foxes. The number of trichinella larvae per infected fox was roughly the same in both sexes as well as in different age groups. The potential danger of transmitting trichinella from foxes and other carnivores to swine and man is pointed out. The high frequency of trichinella in foxes, 19.6 %, was compared to the very low frequency in swine, 0.00018 %, and in man, 0.00003 %.