Sylvatic trichinellosis in Texas

There are no published reports of domestic or sylvatic trichinellosis in Te xas. The aim of the present survey was to determine the presence of Trichin ella species in selected representative species of potential wildlife reser voirs in southern Texas. In 1998-99, tongues of 211 wild mammals were colle cted in southern Texas: 154 coyotes (Canis latrans), three bobcats (lynx ru fus), 32 racoons (Procyon lotor), 13 opossum (Didelphis marsupialis), four ocelots (leopardus pardalis) and five wild boars (Sus scrofa). Presence of Trichinella sp. larvae was investigated by artificial digestion and larvae of positive samples were identified at the species level by a multiple-poly merase chain reaction analysis. Nine (5.8%) coyotes had trichinellosis; in the muscles of seven of these coyotes, the larvae were identified as Trichi nella murrelli. This is the first report of sylvatic trichinellosis in Texa s.