Graduate students at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY ESF) are asking for public assistance in the collection of samples as part of a study for an emerging zoonotic parasite.
Samples for this study consist of gastrointestinal tracts from coyotes killed by hunters in DEC Regions 3-7, which can be shipped to SUNY ESF where they will be screened for the parasite Echinococcus spp.
The parasite is a tapeworm that typically infects wild canids (foxes, coyotes) but can infect domestic animals as well as humans. The goal of this study is to identify the distribution of the parasite throughout the sampling range, so that areas of high parasite levels and infection risk can be found.
More information on the project can be found at the NY Echinococcus Project webpage or by emailing Corinne Conlon at clconlon@syr.edu.
Photo of coyote by Gregory VanSplunder.
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