Helminths of the Black Bear, Ursus americanus, in New Brunswick

Abstract

Between May 1989 and October 1991, 544 black bears Ursus americanus were collected in New Brunswick and examined for Trichinella spiralis larvae. In addition, 110 of these bears were examined for filarial nematodes, and the entire intestinal tracts of 12 bears were examined for intestinal helminths. Four species of helminths were identified from these bears, including Trichinella spiralis, Dirofilaria ursi, Baylisascaris transfuga, and Taenia krabbei. This represents the first documentation of T. spiralis in Maritime Canada and extends eastward the range of T. krabbei.