Spatial distribution of Trichinella britovi, T. spiralis and T. pseudospiralis of domestic pigs and wild boars (Sus scrofa) in Hungary

From wildlife to humans: The global distribution of Trichinella species and genotypes in wildlife and wildlife-associated human trichinellosis

Zoonotic nematodes of the genus Trichinella are foodborne parasites that have a global distribution in wild carnivores and omnivores, with spillover and spillback into domestic livestock and people, with concomitant trade and health consequences. Historically, most human cases were linked to domestic pigs infected with Trichinella spiralis, but under current high biosecurity swine production in many countries, wildlife have become a more important source of human trichinellosis. The aim of this review is to update the global distribution of Trichinella species and genotypes reported in wildlife, as well as reported human outbreaks from the consumption of wildlife. Using several online databases and by "snowballing" references, hundreds of reports of Trichinella spp. in wildlife published between January 1991 and December 2023 provide an important update to the host and geographic range for each of the recognized 13 species/genotypes, grouped by continent. Surveillance effort was highest in Europe and North America, while Africa, Asia, Oceania, Central and South America have had limited surveillance, in some instances with human cases serving as sentinels of transmission in a region. Dozens of human outbreaks are described, with wild boars (Sus scrofa) being the most frequently implicated wildlife species in human outbreaks globally. Bears are an important source of infection in North America, for wildlife tourism, and importation of bear meat has also been implicated in multicountry outbreaks. The largest study limitation was the dearth of molecular identification of larvae in both wildlife surveillance studies and human outbreaks, particulary in under-studied regions. We highlight the need for enhanced molecular epidemiological approaches to outbreaks of this important foodborne parasite, and emphasize the need for a One Health approach to manage Trichinella spp. which transmit among terrestrial and marine wildlife (including migratory birds), pigs, horses, and people, often across large geographic scales and borders.

Trichinella spiralis Infecting Wild Boars in West, Southwest, and Northwest of Romania: Evidence of an Underrated Risk

The species of the genus Trichinella are etiological agents distributed all over the world and are able to infect mammals, birds, and reptiles. Trichinella spiralis is the species most adapted to domestic and wild pigs and is also the most important etiological agent of trichinellosis. The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a nocturnal omnivorous mammal belonging to the Suidae family. S. scrofa has a great appetite and its diet includes a variety of small prey such as mice, rats, and other rodents, as well as carcasses of larger animals. The aim of this study was the identification and the molecular characterization of Trichinella larvae isolated from the muscle tissue of S. scrofa specimens collected in different counties of Romania. The muscle samples were examined by artificial digestion and the larvae identified at the species level by multiplex PCR. T. spiralis, a species that is able to infect a considerable number of different host species including humans, was identified. In Romania, S. scrofa is an important reservoir species for T. spiralis and plays an important role in linking the domestic and the wild cycle of Trichinella, with serious repercussions for human health.

First Identification of Trichinella pseudospiralis in a Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) in Romania

Trichinella spp. are etiological zoonotic agents that spread throughout the world and affect mammals, birds, and reptiles. Within this genus, Trichinella pseudospiralis is the only recognized non-encapsulated species known to infect mammals and birds. This species has been reported in the majority of European countries, and the real epidemiological scenario of this species remains to be defined because its detection in mammals is much lower than that of the capsulated species. The aim of this study was to examine the presence of Trichinella larvae isolated from the muscles of a jackal from the hunting fund of 36 Murfatlar, Constanta County, Romania. The muscle samples were examined by artificial digestion, and the larvae were identified at the species level by multiplex PCR. The presence of larvae belonging to T. pseudospiralis, a species more frequently reported in carnivorous birds, was observed. This study describes the first identification of T. pseudospiralis in a jackal. The results suggest that there is an urgent need to investigate which species of mammals and/or birds act as reservoirs for this zoonotic nematode in Romania.

Trichinella spiralis and T. britovi in North-Eastern Romania: A Six-Year Retrospective Multicentric Survey

Simple Summary

The genus Trichinella includes roundworm parasites with a wide geographical spread that can cause illness in humans and animals. In this context, an epidemiological study of Trichinella infection was carried out in the northeastern part of Romania to investigate for the first time its prevalence in pigs, horses, wild boars and bears, the geographical distribution of Trichinella species and the natural reservoir of the parasites. Between 2010 and 2015, a total of 166,270 animals were examined by specific methods in order to calculate the prevalence of Trichinella infection, the involved species, and their geographical distribution. The overall prevalence of Trichinella infection in animals was 0.188%. But the specific prevalence varied as follows: in pigs 0.096%, horses 0.021%, wild boar 1.46% and bears 36.76%. The geographical distribution showed that T. spiralis was dominant, occupying the entire northeastern part of Romania, being identified in pigs, horses, wild boars and bears. T britovi occupied five mountain counties, being identified only in wild boars and bears. These results validate the presence of T. spiralis and T. britovi in domestic and game animals in northeast Romania and warn about the risk of human infection in the region.

Abstract

The genus Trichinella includes species with a wide geographical spread that cause pathology in humans and animals. In this context, an epidemiological study of Trichinella infection was carried out in the northeastern part of Romania to investigate for the first time the prevalence of this infection in pigs, horses, wild boars and bears, the geographical distribution of Trichinella species and the natural reservoir of Trichinella infection. Between 2010 and 2015, a total of 166,270 animals were examined by the method of artificial digestion, in order to calculate the annual and general prevalence of Trichinella infection, according to the host and the Trichinella species involved, the Pearson correlation coefficient (r), trendline and geographical distribution of species of the genus Trichinella. Taxonomic framing was performed by the multiplex PCR method. The overall prevalence of Trichinella infection in animals was 0.188%. Within the host species, the prevalence varied as follows: in pigs 0.096%, horses 0.021%, wild boar 1.46% and bears 36.76%. The geographical distribution showed that T. spiralis was dominant, occupying the entire northeastern part of Romania, being identified in pigs, horses, wild boars and bears. T britovi occupied five mountain counties, being identified only in wild boars and bears. These results validate the presence of T. spiralis and T. britovi in domestic and game animals in the northeastern part of Romania.

Fifteen years since the first record of Trichinella pseudospiralis in Slovakia: What's new?

The presence of Trichinella pseudospiralis has been increasingly reported in Europe in the last decade. The parasite was recorded for the first time in Central Europe in 2003-2004, in eastern Slovakia, in pigs, rats and a cat from a pig breeding farm. In the following years, it was also repeatedly diagnosed in co-infection with T. britovi in sylvatic animals from this area. Molecular analyses revealed a distinctive genetic relationship of the Slovak isolate with those from Finland and Sweden, suggesting the potential role of migratory birds of prey in the transmission of the parasite. Thus, potential host species, including mammals and birds, were investigated for the presence of T. pseudospiralis. During 2006-2018, a total of 360 carcasses of raptorial, carrion-feeding and scavenging birds were collected and examined using artificial digestion of pectoral muscle samples. Muscle larvae were detected in muscle of one golden eagle (Aquila chrysaetos), two common kestrels (Falco tinnunculus) and one peregrine falcon (F. peregrinus). Molecular analyses confirmed the presence of T. pseudospiralis. These findings in diurnal raptorial species represent new host records for Trichinella spp. In 2017, a mandatory examination of pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus), red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and wild boars (Sus scrofa) revealed one wild boar from the central part of territory to be infected with T. pseudospiralis. Our data confirm that the parasite has already established itself in Slovakia, and thus adequate veterinary measures and public education are needed to prevent its transmission to the food chain and the risk of human infection.

Seroprevalance of Trichinella Spp. in Wild Boars (Sus Scrofa) from Bihor County, Western Romania

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) has a wide geographical distribution and can be an important source of Trichinella spp. infection in humans in Romania.

The objective of this study was to identify the presence of Trichinella spp. in the wild boar population in Bihor County, Romania.

Eighty four plasma and diaphragm samples, collected from wild boars, were included in this study. Artificial digestion, ELISA and Western blot were performed on these specimens. All diaphragm samples were negative for Trichinella larvae in artificial digestion, while in ELISA, 54 (64.2 %) plasma samples were positive and 6 (7.1 %) plasma samples were doubtful. Western blot was performed on 26 plasma samples from which only 6 (23.0 %) gave a positive result.

Serological evidences indicate the presence of Trichinella spp. in wild boars from western Romania. Therefore, human consumers might be at risk to ingest Trichinella larvae, even in low numbers.

International Commission on Trichinellosis: Recommendations on the use of serological tests for the detection of Trichinella infection in animals and humans

Serological methods are widely used for detection of infections in animals and humans. The recommendations provided here take into account the best current methods for the serological detection of Trichinella infection. They are based on current scientific information including unpublished data from laboratories with relevant expertise in this field. These recommendations represent the official position of the International Commission on Trichinellosis (ICT) regarding acceptable methods for the use and interpretation of serology testing for Trichinella infection in animals and humans.

The ICT does not recommend use of serological methods for testing individual carcasses of animals at slaughter for assuring food safety. For detection of human infections, for epidemiological studies in animals and humans, and for monitoring Trichinella infection in swine, the ICT recommends ELISA using excretory/secretory (ES) antigens. These antigens are obtained from the in-vitro maintenance of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae and are recognized by sera from hosts infected by all Trichinella species and genotypes identified thus far. In most situations, positive results obtained by ELISA should be confirmed by western blot. Serological assays should be properly standardized and validated for their intended purpose. The components of the test that are critical for maintaining suitable performance should be identified and appropriately checked. Users of commercial tests should verify that the test has been adequately evaluated by an independent body. Serology is useful for detecting Trichinella in animals and humans but its limitations need to be taken into account when interpreting the results.

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Trichinella serology is not recommended for testing individual animals to assure food safety.

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Serological assays should be standardized and validated for their intended purpose.

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ELISA using excretory/secretory antigens is the test recommended by the ICT.

Immunoproteomic analysis of the excretory-secretory products of Trichinella pseudospiralis adult worms and newborn larvae

Background

The nematode Trichinella pseudospiralis is an intracellular parasite of mammalian skeletal muscle cells and exists in a non-encapsulated form. Previous studies demonstrated that T. pseudospiralis could induce a lower host inflammatory response. Excretory-secretory (ES) proteins as the most important products of host-parasite interaction may play the main functional role in alleviating host inflammation. However, the ES products of T. pseudospiralis early stage are still unknown. The identification of the ES products of the early stage facilitates the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of the immunomodulation and may help finding early diagnostic markers.

Results

In this study, we used two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE)-based western blotting coupled with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF/TOF-MS/MS) to separate and identify the T. pseudospiralis adult worms ES products immunoreaction-positive proteins. In total, 400 protein spots were separated by 2-DE. Twenty-eight protein spots were successfully identified using the sera from infected pigs and were characterized to correlate with 12 different proteins of T. pseudospiralis, including adult-specific DNase II-10, poly-cysteine and histidine-tailed protein isoform 2, serine protease, serine/threonine-protein kinase ULK3, enolase, putative venom allergen 5, chymotrypsin-like elastase family member 1, uncharacterized protein, peptidase inhibitor 16, death-associated protein 1, deoxyribonuclease II superfamily and golgin-45. Bioinformatic analyses showed that the identified proteins have a wide diversity of molecular functions, especially deoxyribonuclease II (DNase II) activity and serine-type endopeptidase activity.

Conclusions

Early candidate antigens from the ES proteins of T. pseudospiralis have been screened and identified. Our results suggest these proteins may play key roles during the T. pseudospiralis infection and suppress the host immune response. Further, they are the most likely antigen for early diagnosis and the development of a vaccine against the parasite.

Quantifying drivers of wild pig movement across multiple spatial and temporal scales

BACKGROUND

The movement behavior of an animal is determined by extrinsic and intrinsic factors that operate at multiple spatio-temporal scales, yet much of our knowledge of animal movement comes from studies that examine only one or two scales concurrently. Understanding the drivers of animal movement across multiple scales is crucial for understanding the fundamentals of movement ecology, predicting changes in distribution, describing disease dynamics, and identifying efficient methods of wildlife conservation and management.

METHODS

We obtained over 400,000 GPS locations of wild pigs from 13 different studies spanning six states in southern U.S.A., and quantified movement rates and home range size within a single analytical framework. We used a generalized additive mixed model framework to quantify the effects of five broad predictor categories on movement: individual-level attributes, geographic factors, landscape attributes, meteorological conditions, and temporal variables. We examined effects of predictors across three temporal scales: daily, monthly, and using all data during the study period. We considered both local environmental factors such as daily weather data and distance to various resources on the landscape, as well as factors acting at a broader spatial scale such as ecoregion and season.

RESULTS

We found meteorological variables (temperature and pressure), landscape features (distance to water sources), a broad-scale geographic factor (ecoregion), and individual-level characteristics (sex-age class), drove wild pig movement across all scales, but both the magnitude and shape of covariate relationships to movement differed across temporal scales.

CONCLUSIONS

The analytical framework we present can be used to assess movement patterns arising from multiple data sources for a range of species while accounting for spatio-temporal correlations. Our analyses show the magnitude by which reaction norms can change based on the temporal scale of response data, illustrating the importance of appropriately defining temporal scales of both the movement response and covariates depending on the intended implications of research (e.g., predicting effects of movement due to climate change versus planning local-scale management). We argue that consideration of multiple spatial scales within the same framework (rather than comparing across separate studies post-hoc) gives a more accurate quantification of cross-scale spatial effects by appropriately accounting for error correlation.

Trichinella pseudospiralis an elusive nematode

Trichinella pseudospiralis is one of the three species whose larvae do not encapsulate after muscle cell differentiation, and the only one infecting both mammals and birds. More than 40 years after its discovery, the epidemiology remains, at least in part, still enigmatic. The aim of this work was to reconsider the current knowledge on the T. pseudospiralis epidemiology by collecting the information available in the literature and in the website of the International Trichinella Reference Center. Over the last decade, there was an increasing number of reports of T. pseudospiralis due to the increased use of the digestion tests. T. pseudospiralis was detected in 18 mammalian species (3 species of Dasyuridae; 2 species of Muridae; 4 species of Canidae; 3 species of Felidae; 2 species of Mustelidae; 1 species of Procyonidae; 1 species of Ursidae; and swine) including humans, and 8 avian species (3 species of Accipitridae; 1 species of Cathartidae; 1 species of Corvidae; 1 species of Tytonidae; 2 species of Strigidae) for a total of 249 isolates from Asia, America, Australia, and Europe. In the European Union, T. pseudospiralis has been documented in 19 out of 28 countries. The zoonotic role of this parasite was documented in 128 persons with trichinellosis. The number of mammals tested for Trichinella spp. by digestion has been much higher than that of birds, thus the role played by birds in the epidemiology of T. pseudospiralis still needs to be elaborated in more detail. The results may suggest that T. pseudospiralis, allowing to make up for the lower prevalence than that of the encapsulated species in the host populations, uses a wider host range.

Human Trichinella infection outbreaks in Slovakia, 1980-2008

Trichinellosis, a parasitic zoonosis with world-wide distribution, causes serious health problems in humans and is also of economic importance. In Slovakia the most frequent species is T. britovi, causing disease mainly in wild life species. T. spiralis occurs less frequently and T. pseudospiralis only sporadically. The paper describes the epidemiology of six human Trichinella infection outbreaks recorded in Slovakia between 1980 and 2008. Before 1990 wild boar meat was the main source of infection. Later, risk farm practices, especially feeding of pigs with the wild animal´s offal contributed to the formation of synanthropic cycle and pig meat caused the epidemics in 1990, 2001 and 2008. Sausages prepared from pork and T. britovi infected dog meat and offered as a local food specialty on traditional folk festival in 1998 (Brezno district, Central Slovakia) were the source of the largest human outbreak recorded in Slovakia. The anti-Trichinella antibodies were detected in 336 event visitors. The main reason of repeated human epidemics in Slovakia has been the permanent circulation of Trichinella spp. in sylvatic cycle, especially in red foxes and wild boars. High population density of both animal species, persistent prevalence of trichinellosis in wild boars and even increasing positivity of red foxes suggest that the risk of human outbreaks in Slovakia persists.

A Review of the Current Status of Relevant Zoonotic Pathogens in Wild Swine (Sus scrofa) Populations: Changes Modulating the Risk of Transmission to Humans

Many wild swine populations in different parts of the World have experienced an unprecedented demographic explosion that may result in increased exposure of humans to wild swine zoonotic pathogens. Interactions between humans and wild swine leading to pathogen transmission could come from different ways, being hunters and game professionals the most exposed to acquiring infections from wild swine. However, increasing human settlements in semi-natural areas, outdoor activities, socio-economic changes and food habits may increase the rate of exposure to wild swine zoonotic pathogens and to potentially emerging pathogens from wild swine. Frequent and increasing contact rate between humans and wild swine points to an increasing chance of zoonotic pathogens arising from wild swine to be transmitted to humans. Whether this frequent contact could lead to new zoonotic pathogens emerging from wild swine to cause human epidemics or emerging disease outbreaks is difficult to predict, and assessment should be based on thorough epidemiologic surveillance. Additionally, several gaps in knowledge on wild swine global population dynamics trends and wild swine-zoonotic pathogen interactions should be addressed to correctly assess the potential role of wild swine in the emergence of diseases in humans. In this work, viruses such as hepatitis E virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, Influenza virus and Nipah virus, and bacteria such as Salmonella spp., Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli, Campylobacter spp. and Leptospira spp. have been identified as the most prone to be transmitted from wild swine to humans on the basis of geographic spread in wild swine populations worldwide, pathogen circulation rates in wild swine populations, wild swine population trends in endemic areas, susceptibility of humans to infection, transmissibility from wild swine to humans and existing evidence of wild swine-human transmission events.

Seroprevalence of Trichinella sp. in Wild Boars (Sus scrofa) from Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, Korea

A total 7 outbreaks of trichinellosis have occurred in Korea, mostly as a result of consumption of raw wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat. Since only 1 serological survey on wild boars had yet been performed in Korea, the present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of trichinellosis in wild boars and some species of rodents by artificial digestion and serological examinations in Yanggu-gun, Gangwon-do, the endemic area of trichinellosis. Both the wild boar and rodent muscle samples revealed no Trichinella larvae by direct examination and artificial digestion method. However, serological examinations revealed that 4 wild boar sera samples out of 118 (3.4%) were positive to Trichinella antigen. Although the recovery of Trichinella larvae ended in a failure, it is proved for the first time that the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella has been maintained in wild boars of Gangwon-do, Korea.

A 38-year study on Trichinella spp. in wild boar (Sus scrofa) of Latvia shows a stable incidence with an increased parasite biomass in the last decade

Background

Trichinella spp. are zoonotic parasites transmitted to humans by the consumption of raw or insufficiently cooked meat of different animal species. The most common source of infection for humans is meat from pigs and wild boar (Sus scrofa). The aim of the present work was to evaluate the incidence of Trichinella spp. infections in wild boar hunted in Latvia over a 38 year interval (1976 to 2013).

Methods

A total 120,609 wild boars were individually tested for Trichinella spp. by trichinoscopy and, in case of negativity, by artificial digestion of 25 g muscles, in the 1976–2005 period, and by artificial digestion of 25–50 g muscles in the 2006–2013 period. Trichinella spp. larvae were identified at the species level by multiplex PCR.

Results

In the study period, the overall prevalence of infected wild boar was 2.5%. Trichinella britovi was the predominant (90%) species. The incidence of Trichinella spp. infection in wild boar exhibited two different trends. From 1976 to 1987, the incidence of infected/hunted wild boar increased from 0.23% to 2.56%, then it decreased to 0.19 in 1994. Thereafter, the incidence fluctuated between 0.05% and 0.37%. A statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlation (r = 0.54; p = 0.0199) was found between the trend of Trichinella spp. incidence in hunted wild boar and the number of snow cover days from 1976 to 1993. From 1997 to 2013, the estimated wild boar population of Latvia increased by 4.9 times and the hunting bag by 9.7 times, with a stable incidence of Trichinella spp. in the population. It follows that the biomass of Trichinella spp. larvae and of T. britovi, in particular, increased.

Conclusions

The incidence trends of Trichinella spp. in wild boar could be related to the role played by the snow in reducing the thermal shock and muscle putrefaction which increases the survival of the larvae in muscle tissues of carrion in the 1976–1993 period; and, in the 1997–2013 period, to the increased biomass of Trichinella spp. due to the increased carnivore populations, which are the main reservoirs of these parasites.

Trichinella spp. imported with live animals and meat

Nematodes of the genus Trichinella are widely distributed throughout the world in omnivorous and carnivorous animals (mammals, birds, and reptiles) and in incidental hosts. To prevent the transmission of these zoonotic parasites to humans, meat samples from Trichinella spp. susceptible animals are tested at the slaughterhouse or in game processing plants. The aim of the present review was to collect documented cases on Trichinella infected animals, meat, or meat derived products which reached the international trade or were illegally introduced from one to another country in personal baggage. In the course of the last 60 years in the international literature, there have been 43 reports of importation of Trichinella spp. infected animals or meat, most of which (60%, 26/43) related to live horses or their meat. Meat or meat derived products from pigs, wild boar and bears, account only for 18.6% (8/43), 4.7% (3/43), and 14.3% (6/43), respectively. However, only live horses or their meat intended for human consumption, meat from a single wild boar, and live polar bears caught in the wild for zoos, were imported through the international market; whereas, meat from pigs, wild boars and bears were illegally introduced in a country in personal baggage. Trichinella infected animals or meat which were officially or illegally introduced in a country were the source of 3443 Trichinella infections in humans in a 40-year period (1975-2014). Most of these infections (96.8%) have been linked to horsemeat consumption, whereas meat from pigs, wild boars and bears accounted only for 2.2%, 0.7% and 0.3% of cases, respectively. This review shows the Trichinella spp. risk in the international animal and meat trade has been linked mainly to horses and only one time to wild boar, if they carcasses are not adequately tested, whereas pigs and other wild animals or their derived products infected with Trichinella spp. are unlikely to reach the international market by the official animal and meat trade.

Environmental determinants of the spatial distribution of Trichinella britovi and Trichinella spiralis in Hungary

Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi are the two most common species of the genus Trichinella persisting in the European wildlife. To investigate the spatial distribution of these Trichinella spp. and the factors influencing their circulation in Hungary, 3304 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and 0.29 million wild boars (Sus scrofa) were tested for Trichinella sp. infection in Hungary from 2006 to 2013. Trichinella spp. larvae from 68 (2.06%) foxes and 44 (0.015%) wild boars were identified by a multiplex PCR as T. britovi or T. spiralis. The locality of origin of foxes and wild boars were recorded in a geographic information system database. There was no correlation between environmental parameters in the home range of foxes and wild boars and the T. spiralis larval counts, but there was a positive correlation between the boundary zone of Hungary and T. spiralis infection (P<0.0001; odds ratio: 24.1). These results indicate that the distribution of T. spiralis in the Hungarian wildlife is determined by the transborder transmission of the parasite from the surrounding endemic countries. Multiple regression analysis was performed with environmental parameter values and T. britovi larval counts. Based on the statistical analysis, non-agricultural areas (forests, scrubs, herbaceous vegetation and pastures) and the mean annual temperature (P<0.0001; odds ratios: 9.53 and 0.61) were the major determinants of the spatial distribution of T. britovi in Hungary. The positive relationship with non-agricultural areas can be explained by the generalist feeding behaviour including scavenging of foxes in these areas. The negative relationship with the mean annual temperature can be attributed to the slower decomposition of wildlife carcasses favouring a longer survival of T. britovi larvae in the host carrion and to the increase of scavenging of foxes.

Searching for Trichinella: not all pigs are created equal

Each year, millions of pigs worldwide are tested for Trichinella spp. at slaughterhouses with negative results. Yet, thousands of people acquire trichinellosis by consuming pork. So, where is the problem? Testing for Trichinella spp. is often performed on the 'wrong' animals; while the parasites are mainly circulating in backyard and free-ranging pigs, herds kept under controlled management conditions are the ones tested. Veterinary services should: (i) introduce a risk-based surveillance system for Trichinella by documenting the control of housing conditions and feedstuff sources, and (ii) introduce a capillary network of field laboratories for monitoring the parasites in free-ranging and backyard pigs. Investment of funds into the education of farmers, hunters, and consumers should be a priority for public health services.

Echinococcus multilocularis and Trichinella spiralis in golden jackals (Canis aureus) of Hungary

Over the last decades the distribution area of the golden jackal (Canis aureus) has increased significantly in Europe, particularly in the Balkan Peninsula and in Central Europe. Vagrant individuals were described in many European countries. Herein, we report Echinococcus multilocularis (total worm count: 412) and Trichinella spiralis (101 larvae/g for muscles of the lower forelimb) infections in two golden jackals shot in Hungary. It is a new host record of E. multilocularis and T. spiralis in Europe and Hungary, respectively. As jackals migrate for long distances through natural ecological corridors (e.g., river valleys), they may play a significant role in the long distance spread of zoonotic parasites into non-endemic areas of Europe. Therefore, monitoring zoonotic parasites in this host species can be recommended in the European Union.

A distinctive Western blot pattern to recognize Trichinella infections in humans and pigs

Trichinellosis is a zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Trichinella, which have a cosmopolitan distribution. For diagnostic purposes, a confirmatory test for ELISA-positive human and pig sera such as Western blotting is required, due to the high number of ELISA false positive sera. The objective of this study was to identify the Trichinella-specific antigens most frequently recognized by sera from Trichinella-infected humans and pigs, so as to define a distinctive pattern of Trichinella infection in sera from infected hosts using Western blots which allow false positive sera to be distinguished from true positive sera. Using excretory/secretory antigens, 450 human sera were tested by Western blotting: 150 from persons with a confirmed diagnosis of trichinellosis and 300 from persons who did not have trichinellosis but who tested positive by ELISA (i.e., false positives). We also tested 210 pig sera: (i) 30 from pigs experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis; (ii) 90 from naturally T. spiralis-infected pigs; and (iii) 90 from pigs not infected with Trichinella, as shown after artificial digestion of the diaphragm pillars, yet which tested positive by ELISA (i.e., false positives). All true positive sera (i.e., sera from persons with confirmed trichinellosis as well as sera from naturally and experimentally infected pigs), reacted with a three-band pattern ranging in size from 48-72kDa. A distinctive pattern for recognizing Trichinella spp. infections in humans and pigs by Western blots is defined; it shows a sensitivity of 100% and it allows sera from Trichinella-infected humans and pigs to be distinguished from sera from persons and pigs that were not infected with Trichinella spp. (100% specificity).

Epizootiology of trichinellosis in pigs and wild boars in Western Romania, 1998-2011

This article reports for the first time data regarding trichinellosis in sacrificed animals (domestic pigs and wild boars) inspected during the period from January 1998 to November 2011 in the largest of the Romanian counties. The data were collected from the Veterinary Public Health Department of Timis County. A total of 5,586,431 domestic pigs on farms, 609,325 pigs in private households, and 823 wild boars were examined during the study period. The results indicated that 681 domestic pigs (0.01%) on farms and 407 pigs in private households (0.07%) were found to be infected with Trichinella. Regarding wild boars, infection was detected in only 4 animals (0.5%). Although no infected animals have recently been identified during routine examinations (2009-2011), human outbreaks continue to occur yearly, and the main factors for these include improper handling by the population.