title: Helminth parasites of an introduced invasive carnivore species, the raccoon ( Procyon lotor L.), from the Warta Mouth National Park (Poland).
abstract: We evaluated helminth parasites of the introduced North American raccoon ( Procyon lotor L.) in Poland. From June 2006 to May 2007, 91 raccoon fecal samples were collected in the Warta Mouth National Park situated in western Poland near the Polish-German border. Coprological analyses involved flotation and sedimentation. In total, 7 helminth taxa were identified in the feces: Ancylostoma spp., Baylisascaris procyonis, Capillariidae, Placoconus lotoris, Spirocerca lupi, Strongyloides procyonis, and Echinostoma sp. The parasite assemblage in the raccoon exhibited a low diversity. The results were compared with data from other European and North American studies and suggest a lower prevalence of parasites in newly invaded areas, compared with earlier invaded areas or the native range.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biology, Department of Invertebrate Systematics and Ecology, Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Kożuchowska 5b, 51-631 Wrocław, Poland. marcin.popiolek@up.wroc.pl
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Popiołek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Szczęsna-Staśkiewicz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bartoszewicz
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okarma
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Smalec
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zalewski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D006374:Helminthiasis, Animal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000469:parasitology*; D006376:Helminths / Q000145:classification* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006790:Host-Parasite Interactions; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D011044:Poland / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011821:Raccoons / Q000469:parasitology*