Trichinella in red foxes from Pennsylvania

This project aimed to identify the species of Trichinella present in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Pennsylvania, USA. Muscle tissues were collected from 21 red foxes across 6 counties in Pennsylvania. Encysted Trichinella larvae were observed in muscle squashes from 7 of 21 potential hosts. Larvae were pooled from all samples, DNA was extracted, and parasite species was determined using a metagenomic sequencing analysis of amplified DNA targeting the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 locus. Trichinella murrelli was the only species found. This is the first identification of T. murrelli in red foxes from Pennsylvania and the first such survey in the last three decades.