Taenia krabbei

Order: CYCLOPHYLLIDAE
Family: TAENIIDAE
AREA OF ORIGIN: North America – Europe – Asia
Hosts:
Wolf and other Canids

Taenia krabbei is a tapeworm that occurs in the northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia, parasitizing the small intestine of wolves and other canids as adults. Various species of ungulates serve as intermediate hosts (Rovid Spickler 2020). These intermediate hosts can become infected by ingesting the parasite’s egg stages, which are shed in the feces of the definitive host and can be acquired while grazing (ODFW 2018). A characteristic feature of this genus is the crown of hooks located on the scolex (anterior end) of the worms. The different characteristics of these hooks can be used to identify the various species within the genus Taenia (Lucius, Loos-Frank & Lane 2018).

Pathogenicity to humans: There is no known occurrence of human infection with the tapeworm T. krabbei.

Exemplary Sources
  • Rovid Spickler, A (2020)
    Taeniasis, Cystercosis and Coenurosis. The Center for Food Security and Public Health
  • Lucius, R, & Loos-Frank, B (2008)
    Allgemeine Aspekte der Biologie von Parasiten. Springer Berlin Heidelberg
  • ODFW (2018)
    Parasitic Cysticercosis (Taenia krabbei). Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife Health and Population Laboratory (ODFW)

Hosts

Carnivor
Nyctereutes procyonoides
Raccoon dog
Raccoon Dogs were introduced from Asia or escaped from fur farms and are increasingly spreading in Central Europe.