Epidemiological analysis of <e1>Trichinella spiralis</e1> infections of foxes in Brandenburg, Germany

In a cross-sectional study conducted between March 1993 and February 1995, 7103 indiscriminately collected foxes were examined for <e1>Trichinella</e1> larvae. A total of 3295 serum samples were serologically investigated with an ELISA based on excretory-secretory antigen. The proportion of serologically positive animals ranged between 3·3% and 17·6% in random samples from individual counties or towns and resulted in an estimated overall prevalence of 7·7% (95% CI: 6·9–8·7%). <e1>Trichinella</e1> larvae were detected in the muscles of five foxes, corresponding to an estimated prevalence of 0·07% in the total sample (95% CI: 0·02–0·16%). The analysis of DNA of the <e1>Trichinella</e1> isolates by random amplification of polymorphic DNA (RAPD) lead to the identification of the isolates as <e1>Trichinella spiralis</e1>. The differences between serological and parasitological findings are discussed.