The raccoon dog (
Nyctereutes procyonoides
) is an introduced, invasive species in Europe. Literature data show that raccoon dogs act as a reservoir of many dangerous parasites, including nematodes of the genus
Trichinella
. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of
Trichinella
spp. infection in raccoon dogs collected from the Głęboki Bród Forest District between 2013 and 2016, and to evaluate their distribution in the muscle tissue of the host. The larvae of
Trichinella
spp. were detected in 45 raccoon dogs (39.82%), and all of them were identified as
T. britovi.
No mixed infection was observed. The intensity of infection ranged from 0.02 to 622.92 larvae per gram (LPG), and the highest mean was observed in the tongue and lower forelimb in both examined sexes. The raccoon dog may play a significant role as a reservoir of
T. britovi
in the wildlife in the examined area.
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