The oriental eyeworm (Thelazia callipaeda) has been present in Europe since the late
1980s. Its occurrence in the Carpathian Basin has been known since 2014. Despite the
central position of Hungary in the radial expansion of T. callipaeda in Central and
Eastern Europe, to date, no comprehensive surveillance has been conducted to determine
the reservoir role of wild carnivores within the Carpathian Basin. Our study involved
180 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), 62 golden jackals (Canis aureus), 119 European badgers
(Meles meles), and 10 stone martens (Martes foina). Among the Mustelidae, we did not
find any infected individuals. In the red fox, the prevalence and the mean intensity
proved 12.2% (CI95% = 8-18%) and 2.64 (CI95% = 1.73-4.91), respectively; while in
the golden jackal, these values were 9.7% (CI95% = 4.3-20%) and 3.0 (CI95% = 1.5-6.53),
respectively. The difference in prevalence and mean intensity of infection between
the two hosts proved non-significant. Our eco-epidemiological analysis revealed that
humid and cool climates, the moisture-indicating beech and oak-hornbeam forests, increased
the risk of infection in wild carnivores. These findings highlighted the importance
of humidity in the spread of T. callipaeda in the Carpathian Basin.
