No abstract

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan that causes toxoplasmosis in warm-blooded animals. Most mammals, including humans, can become intermediate host, resulting in subclinical infection or even death. Generally, there is limited information on the epidemiology of T. gondii of game species in Germany. As omnivores, raccoons, which are particularly widespread and abundant in Germany, are particularly exposed to infection the parasite. Here, we report the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies from 15 study sites located in Luxembourg and Germany. Using the indirect modified agglutination test (MAT), 170 (37.4%; 95% CI: 33.0-41.9) out of 454 raccoons were surveyed to be T. gondii seropositive. While values ranged from 19.0% to 53.3%, there was no significant difference in seroprevalence between study areas. Animal weight had a strong influence on the presence of T. gondii antibodies in raccoon sera, with heavier animals more likely to be seropositive. Our results show that T. gondii infection is widespread in central European raccoons, suggesting a high degree of ecosystem circulation of the parasite.

No abstract

Giardia duodenalis is a cosmopolitan flagellate that causes giardiasis, one of the most significant gastrointestinal diseases in humans. This parasite can be a serious threat to public health because it can cause waterborne outbreaks as well as sporadic infections in humans. Invasive raccoons (Procyon lotor) may play a role in disseminating Giardia into the environment and transmitting it to humans and domestic animals because they live in high densities and deposit their faces in latrines near areas used by humans. While Giardia infections have been reported from raccoons in North America, it is unknown whether they carry G. duodenalis with zoonotic assemblage A and B, which have the potential to cause illness in humans. We collected faecal samples from 66 legally harvested raccoons in Germany and Luxembourg and examined for Giardia using molecular techniques. Using a quantitative PCR based on primers specific to Giardia genetic assemblages A and B, we detected the presence of zoonotic assemblage B in 27% (95% CI, 17.0-39.6) of all examined faecal samples from raccoons, including animals sampled in buildings. We did not detect genetic assemblage A in any of the samples. Sequences obtained from the glutamate dehydrogenase and beta-giardin gene fragments from a selection of three of the positive samples showed that raccoons carried a zoonotic G. duodenalis genotype belonging to sub-assemblage BIV, which is commonly found in humans and animals worldwide.Our results suggest that free-ranging raccoons have the potential to play an increasingly important role in the epidemiology of Giardia and pose a threat to public health in Europe and other regions where this species is common and lives in close association with humans.

Streszczenie. W ostatnich latach obserwuje się dynamiczny wzrost produkcji napojów fermentowanych z mleka krowiego i koziego. Dużą popularnością cieszą się napoje o gęstej konsystencji. Celem pracy było wytworzenie metodą termostatową napojów fermentowanych z mleka koziego z użyciem dwóch różnych kultur starterowych firmy Sacco, a także dokonanie oceny sensorycznej i fizyczno-chemicznej otrzymanych napojów. Badania wykonywano bezpośrednio po wyprodukowaniu oraz po 3, 7, 14 i 21 dniach przechowywania w warunkach chłodniczych. Stwierdzono, że proces fermentacji mleka zaszczepionego kulturą zawierająca drożdże był dłuższy niż mleka zaszczepionego kulturą bez drożdży. W czasie chłodniczego przechowywania wzrost kwasowości w napoju z drożdżami był mniejszy. Barwa i tekstura w obu napojach zmieniały się istotnie w czasie przechowywania. Napoje bez drożdży charakteryzowały się mniejszą twardością i rzadszą konsystencją. Napoje różniły się między sobą smakiem, zapachem, konsystencją i homogennością.Słowa kluczowe: mleko kozie, napoje fermentowane, barwa, tekstura Wstęp W ostatnich latach obserwuje się dynamiczny wzrost produkcji mlecznych napojów fermentowanych należących do żywności funkcjonalnej. Coraz więcej pojawia się na rynku napojów mlecznych z udziałem probiotyków, a także wytworzonych z udziałem kultur zagęszczających. Wzrasta również popularność mleka koziego i jego przetworów, gdyż zwiększa się ilość świadomych konsumentów, którzy cenią sobie jego walory

Despite increasing consumption of mouflon (Ovis orientalis musimon) meat in Germany, there is currently no surveillance of Toxoplasma gondii infection in populations of these animals and generally little knowledge about the prevalence of this protozoan in German wild ungulates. Between 2011 and 2015, we collected 138 blood samples from a free-living mouflon population in central German and tested sera for the presence of T. gondii antibodies using a modified agglutination test (MAT, cut-off 1:20). Antibodies were detected in 31 of the 138 samples (22.46%). There was a significant difference in seroprevalence between the different age classes, with antibodies to T. gondii more frequent in adults. In contrast, there was no significant difference in seroprevalence depending on sex and year of sample collection. Game meat is frequently consumed as raw or undercooked meat and may therefore represent a potential source of human infection with T. gondii.

Abstract:The raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides (Gray, 1839) is an introduced canine species, currently widely distributed in Europe. The raccoon dog is a relatively new alien predator in Polish fauna and can be considered a threat to the native species. However, little is known about its distribution or habitat selection in western Poland. Until the 1970s, only 20 single records o f raccoon dogs in the western and south-western parts o f Poland had been noted. New data on the numbers of raccoon dogs, its distribution and habitat preferences in the western Poland have been collected using questionnaires. 289 new localities have been reported. Raccoon dogs have been observed mostly in five types of habitats: forests, arable fields, banks of water bodies, roads and human settlements, wet meadows and marshes.

Background Cryptosporidium spp. are protozoan parasites that cause enteric infection in a wide range of mammals, including humans. The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is an invasive species in many parts of the world and studies have shown that they can be infected with Cryptosporidium spp. both outside and in their original distribution area. The aim of the present study was to determine the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. antigens in the faeces of raccoons in Luxembourg. Methods Using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), we tested 81 faeces samples, collected between 2014 and 2018, for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. coproantigens. Samples with an optical density equal to or greater than 0.15% were considered positive. Results Antigens were detected in 12.35% (10/81; 95% CI 6.68-21.26) of the tested samples. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. infection between the sexes and age categories. Cryptosporidium spp.positive raccoons were found in 7 of the 12 Luxembourg administrative districts (Clervaux, Diekirch, Echternach, Mersch, Remich, Vianden and Wiltz). ConclusionThe results show that Cryptosporidium infections are not uncommon in Luxembourg raccoons and suggest possible transmission of Cryptosporidium by raccoons.