Trichinella britovi in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Portugal

doi:10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.03.025

Veterinary Parasitology

Volume 210, Issues 3–4, 15 June 2015, Pages 260-263

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.03.025 Get rights and content

Highlights

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Data available on Trichinella spp. is limited in animals and humans in Portugal.
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Trichinella britovi was found in red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from northern Portugal.
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A sylvatic cycle is present in the study area with an underlying risk for humans.

Abstract

Trichinellosis is one of the most important foodborne parasitic zoonoses, caused by nematodes of the genus Trichinella. Pigs and other domestic and wild animals, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), are sources of Trichinella infection for human beings. Trichinella britovi is the major agent of infection in sylvatic animals and the most important species circulating in the European wildlife. The present study aimed at assessing Trichinella spp. infection in red foxes from the North of Portugal. Forty-seven carcasses of wild red foxes shot during the official hunting season or killed in road accidents were obtained between November 2008 and March 2010. In order to identify the presence of Trichinella spp. larvae in red foxes, an individual artificial digestion was performed using approximately 30 g of muscle samples. Larvae of Trichinella spp. were detected in one (2.1%) out of the 47 assessed foxes. After a multiplex polymerase chain reaction analysis, T. britovi was molecularly identified as the infecting species. The recognition of T. britovi in a red fox confirms that a sylvatic cycle is present in the North of Portugal and that the local prevalence of Trichinella infection in wildlife must not be ignored due to its underlying zoonotic risks.

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Acknowledgements

For their assistance in obtaining samples, the authors wish to acknowledge: Dr. Roberto Sargo and Prof. Carlos Venâncio (UTAD), Eng. Rogério Rodrigues, Eng. Vítor Rego, Eng. Álvaro Gonçalves, Eng. Augusto Maia and Mr. Manuel Pinho (Forestry Regional Directorate of North, National Forestry Authority, Ministry of Agriculture), Captain Diamantino Fernandes (National Gendarmerie, Territorial Detachment of Vila Real), Mr. Miguel Arantes (Hunters Association of Vitorino dos Piães, Ponte de Lima),

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Nematodes of the genus Trichinella are perpetuated through a wild cycle and the epidemiology is closely related to the feeding behavior of host species. The domestic cycle is ancillary to the wild cycle and begins when humans raise domestic animals by feeding them with leftovers from Trichinella-infected domesticated or hunted animals. The main reservoir hosts of Trichinella are carnivores and only a few omnivore species with a scavenger behavior. In the muscle tissues of these animals, Trichinella larvae can survive for months up to several years depending on the species. After the host’s death, larvae remain viable and infectious in decaying muscles for weeks. Humans can strongly influence the sylvatic cycle, both favoring or reducing the transmission of these pathogens. The domestic cycles occur where there are high-risk practices on the farm. Industrial pigs marketed internationally have never been found to be infected with Trichinella. However, the illegal importation of pig, wild boar, or bear meat into a country by individuals in their luggage caused family outbreaks of trichinellosis. Trichinella infections in humans are related to cultural food practices, which include dishes based on raw or undercooked meat originating from several animals. Overall, the most important source of Trichinella infection for humans remains pork and its related products from backyard and free-ranging pigs, followed by wild boar and other game animals. Epidemiological information on Trichinella infections in animals and humans in the world is available for 95 countries. In the 21st century, the wild and domestic cycles were documented in 75 and 32 countries, respectively. Although trichinellosis has declined significantly, due chiefly to a reduction of the domestic cycle in developed countries, it remains a potential risk because of the continuous presence of most Trichinella spp. in a wildlife spillover into domestic animals.
The occurrence of nematodes of the genus Trichinella in wolves (Canis lupus) from the Bieszczady Mountains and Augustowska Forest in Poland
2016, Veterinary Parasitology
Citation Excerpt :
Trichinella nematodes are known to circulate in domestic and wild animals (Gottstein et al., 2009; Pozio and Zarlenga, 2013; Moskwa et al., 2015). In most European countries, the natural reservoir of Trichinella in wildlife (sylvatic cycle) is the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (Pozio, 1998; Lopes et al., 2015). Apart from red foxes, omnivores such as wild boars and other carnivores, such as badgers and martens, are considered as indicator species of Trichinella (Gottstein et al., 2009; Moskwa et al., 2012).
The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of Trichinella infection in wolves (Canis lupus) in two regions in Poland. Muscle samples were collected from 21 wolves between 1999 and 2015 and processed by artificial digestion. In two cases, the muscle larvae (ML) were obtained and stored in alcohol. ML were detected in 12 wolves and genotyped by multiplex PCR. Trichinella britovi was confirmed in 12 wolves (54.5%). The larval burdens in infected animals ranged from 0.009 to 27 larvae per gram. The high prevalence of Trichinella infection in wolves might suggest that this predator is a significant reservoir of Trichinella species in the sylvatic cycle in Poland.
Trichinella pseudospiralis in the Iberian peninsula
2015, Veterinary Parasitology
Citation Excerpt :
The circulation of Trichinella spp. in the Iberian peninsula has been documented since 1881, when human outbreaks occurred in Portugal and Spain (Kozar, 1970). T. spiralis and T. britovi were identified in domestic pigs and wildlife of Spain from more than 20 years (La Rosa et al., 1992; Pozio et al., 1992a, 1996), and T. britovi in wild carnivores of Portugal (Pozio, 2007; Lopes et al., 2015); whereas, this is the first time that T. pseudospiralis is documented in this region. T. pseudospiralis was first described in a raccoon (Procyon lotor) of the Krasnodar region, European Russia (Garkavi, 1972) and, for 10 years, this species was considered an enigma for the lack of epidemiological information (Dick, 1983).
Nematode worms of the genus Trichinella are zoonotic parasites circulating in most continents, including Europe. In Spain, Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi are highly prevalent in wildlife but seldom in domestic pigs. In Portugal, only T. britovi was documented in wild carnivores. In the period 2006–2013 in Spain, 384 (0.0001%) pigs and 1399 (0.20%) wild boars (Sus scrofa) were positive for Trichinella spp. larvae, which were identified as T. spiralis or T. britovi. In 2014, Trichinella pseudospiralis larvae were isolated from a wild boar hunted in the Gerona province, Cataluña region, North-East of Spain, near the border to France. This is the first report of T. pseudospiralis in the Iberian peninsula, which suggests a broad distribution area of this zoonotic nematode in Europe. Since larvae of this Trichinella species do not encapsulate in the host muscles, they can be detected only by artificial digestion of muscle samples. T. pseudospiralis is the only Trichinella species infecting both mammals and birds. Birds can spread this pathogen over great distances including islands triggering new foci of infections in areas previously considered at low risk for this pathogen.
Diversity of Trichinella species in carnivores from Bosnia and Herzegovina
2024, BMC Veterinary Research
Trichinellosis dissemination among wild carnivores in the Republic of Kazakhstan: A 10-year study
2023, Veterinary World
Secrets of the astute red fox (Vulpes vulpes, linnaeus, 1758): An inside-ecosystem secret agent serving one health
2021, Environments - MDPI

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Short communicationTrichinella britovi in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Portugal

Highlights

Abstract

Graphical abstract

Section snippets

Acknowledgements

Parasitol. Today

Vet. Parasitol.

Vet. Parasitol.

Vet. Parasitol.

Vet. Parasitol.

Vet. Parasitol.

Parasitol. Today

Vet. Parasitol.

Vet. Parasitol.

Adv. Parasitol.

Int. J. Parasitol.

Int. J. Parasitol.

A large-scale outbreak of trichinellosis caused by Trichinella britovi in Turkey

Zoonoses Public Health

Screening for Trichinella britovi infection in red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) in southeastern France

J. Wildl. Dis.

Aspectos da triquinelose em Portugal. A propósito de um caso de parasitismo no Canis lupus L.

An. Inst. Hig. Med. Trop. (Lisboa)

A dramatic increase in the incidence of human trichinellosis in Romania over the past 25 years: impact of political changes and regional food habits

Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg.

Management and diagnosis of human trichinellosis

Short communication
Trichinella britovi in a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) from Portugal