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Review
. 2025 Jan 19;197(2):E34-E43.
doi: 10.1503/cmaj.240541.

Zoonotic infections of the Canadian Arctic

James E Burns  1 , Gunjan Mhapankar  1 , Elaine Kilabuk  1 , Justin Penner  2
Affiliations
Review

Zoonotic infections of the Canadian Arctic

James E Burns et al. CMAJ. .
No abstract available

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests:: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1:
Figure 1:
Life cycle of Trichinella spp. in the Arctic. The reliance on predator–prey dynamics allows for persistence within ecosystems. Ingested larvae emerge, develop into adults in the bowel, then produce larvae, which disseminate and encyst predominantly within muscle, becoming infective within 15 days. See Related Content tab for accessible version. Illustrated by Justin Penner.
Figure 2:
Figure 2:
Proposed introduction and transmission of Toxoplasma gondii in the Arctic. These processes are hypothesized to stem from waterway contamination with feces from southern felids, in which oocysts remain viable for as long as 2 years. See Related Content tab for accessible version. Illustrated by Justin Penner.
Figure 3:
Figure 3:
Life cycle of Echinococcus canadensis in the Arctic. In wild animals, this often involves wolves as the predatory definitive host and a prey intermediate host, typically cervids (e.g., caribou). Wolves harbour the adult worm, contaminating the environment with feces containing eggs that are ingested by prey. Within prey, they develop into cysts to be consumed by other definitive hosts, completing the cycle. Free-ranging dogs kept by communities can become infected through scavenging or consuming offal feed from hunting practices. Dogs then take the role previously held by the wolf in the life cycle and serve as bridging hosts between wildlife and human infection. See Related Content tab for accessible version. Illustrated by Justin Penner.
Figure 4:
Figure 4:
Life cycle of Dibothriocephalus spp. in the Arctic. Eggs contaminate water supplies and progress through their life cycle via copepods and, subsequently, fish. As with the other parasites discussed, the Arctic ecosystem propagates transmission between species, with humans being 1 of many definitive hosts. See Related Content tab for accessible version. Illustrated by Justin Penner.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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