ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF TRICHINELLA-PSEUDOSPIRALIS GARKAVI,1972 FROM A BLACK VULTURE (CORAGYPS ATRATUS)

A nematode from the genus Trichinella was observed in histological sec tions of breast and tracheal muscles from a black vulture Coragyps atr atus from Alabama. Larvae obtained from breast muscle tissue that had been refrigerated for 8 days were infectious for laboratory mice. No n urse cell was observed around larvae in the black vulture or in experi mentally infected mice examined 7 or 9 wk postinoculation. The identit y of the parasite as Trichinella pseudospiralis was confirmed by DNA h ybridization using the species-specific probe, pTsp 5.32. Infectivity trials showed that this isolate was also infective for pigs and chicke ns. This is the first report of isolation and transmission of T. pseud ospiralis from an animal from North America.