Trichinellosis of the Jackal in the Krasnodar Territory

The article presents data on the current epizootic situation on Trichinella larvae infection in the jackal Canis aureus in view of its opportunistic feeding habits and wide geographical spread. To study the Trichinella infection of the jackal, three muscle groups were examined using the compression method. A total of 187 samples from 52 animals obtained in different ecological and geographical zones of the Krasnodar Territory (mountain zone in the Tuapsinsky District, foothill zone in the Seversky District, and flooded land in the Slavyansky District) were studied. It was found that the prevalence in the jackal was above 50% on average in all zones over two years of research. The highest infection rate in the jackal (81.5%) was recorded in the mountain zone; and significantly lower (about 40.0%) in the foothill zone and the flooded land. The invasion intensity rates were also the highest, on average 25.7±6.7 larvae/g in the mountain zone, 19.5±7.0 larvae/g in the foothill zone, and the lowest invasion intensity was observed in the flooded land, 6.5±3.7 larvae/g of muscle tissue. The mechanism of possible Trichinella transmission routes is due to trophic and chorological relationships between host species. The jackal with its opportunistic feeding habits, high abundance and movement activity provides these relationships with ecological manifestations as predation, necrophagy and cannibalism. Necrophagy and cannibalism are the most ecologically significant in the Krasnodar Territory.