Journal of Wildlife Diseases · 1997 · 12 citations · 0 references
Veterinary MedicineInfectious DiseasesZoologyParasitologyWildlife ParasitologyZoonotic Disease EpidemiologyWildlife Disease EpidemiologyWildlife Infectious DiseasesEnzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (Elisa)Trichinellosis DetectionTrichinellosis Epidemiology
Blood was collected from 878 grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in seven geographic areas of Alaska from 1973 to 1987. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure was used to test sera for evidence of exposure to Trichinella spp. Serum antibody prevalence ranged from 5% (10 positive of 196 tested) in the Southern Region of the state to 83% (355 of 430 tested) in the Northern Region. These major discrepancies may be a result of differing food habits of bears in the major geographic areas. Prevalence was higher in older age cohorts. Neither year-of-collection nor sex had a significant effect on prevalence.