Raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) are the new natural
definitive hosts of Metagonimus hakubaensis |
| |
Authors: | Jun HAKOZAKI Sho KUZUKAMI Asako HARAGUCHI Kazuhiko NAKAYAMA Kodai KUSAKISAKO Noboru KUDO Hiromi IKADAI |
| |
Institution: | 1)Laboratory of Veterinary Parasitology, School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Aomori 034-8628, Japan |
| |
Abstract: | The definitive hosts of Metagonimus hakubaensis are reported to be hamsters, rats, mice, dogs, cats, chickens, and quails in experimental infection and Japanese water shrews in natural infection. Here we report that raccoon dogs are new natural definitive hosts of M. hakubaensis, based on morphological and molecular analyses of Metagonimus flukes collected from the host species from Aomori Prefecture, Japan. Moreover, M. hakubaensis recovered from raccoon dogs showed higher fecundity than those recovered from Japanese water shrews. Therefore, raccoon dogs were considered as a more suitable natural definitive host of M. hakubaensis than Japanese water shrews. |
| |
Keywords: | Japanese water shrew Metagonimus hakubaensis natural definitive host raccoon dog suitable definitive host |
|
|