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

Abstract

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.

Keywords: Romania; Sus scrofa; Trichinella spiralis.

Figure 1

Map showing the geographical areas where the S. scrofa carcasses were collected; red triangles show the male-positive sites and the red squares show the female-positive sites.

Figure 2

The larvae of Trichinella spp. isolated from S. scrofa muscle.

Figure 3

Capillary electrophoresis run of the multiplex PCR on Trichinella larvae collected from S. scrofa; A1 to A6 larvae isolated from S. scrofa; A7 T. spiralis positive control; A8 T. britovi positive control; A9 negative control; A10 size marker.