First Report of Angiostrongylus Vasorum (Nematoda: Angiostrogylidae) in Raccoon Dog Nyctereutes Procyonoides in Poland

The raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides is a canid species native to East Asia, and a non-native in Europe, where it was introduced more than six decades ago. It is known to be a vector of numerous diseases and parasites. This paper reports the first in Poland, and second in Eurasia detection of parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus vasorum in a raccoon dog. Moreover, this represents the westernmost case of detection of parasite in this canid. The recent increase in the number and range of raccoon dogs in Europe and the relatively high number of zoonotic parasite taxa they harbour suggests that this species should be considered as an significant source of environmental contamination with zoonotic agents in Europe.