Toxoplasma gondii and Trichinella infections in wild boars (Sus scrofa) from Northeastern Patagonia, Argentina

WINTER, MARINA; ABATE, SERGIO D; PASQUALETTI, MARIANA I; FARIÑA, FERNANDO A; ERCOLE, MARIANO E; PARDINI, LAIS; MORÉ, GASTÓN; VENTURINI, MARÍA CECILIA; PERERA, NÉLIDA; COROMINAS, MARÍA JOSÉ; MANCINI, SERGIO; ALONSO, BERNARDO; MARCOS, ANDREA; VENERONI, RICARDO; CASTILLO, MARIANELA; BIROCHIO, DIEGO E; RIBICICH, M MABEL

PREVENTIVE VETERINARY MEDICINE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2019 vol. 168 p. 75 - 80

0167-5877

Wild boar (Sus scrofa) was introduced in many countries of the world and is recognized as carrier of manyinfectious diseases. Wild game meat consumption is recognized as a source of transmission of Toxoplasma gondiiand Trichinella spp. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of antibodies to T. gondii andTrichinella spp. in free-range wild boars in Northeastern Argentine Patagonia. Between 2014 and 2018, 144blood samples and 423 muscle samples from 423 carcasses were collected. To detect T. gondii IgG, 144 sera wereprocessed by an immunofluorescent antibody test, and to detect anti-Trichinella IgG, 125 sera and 304 musclejuice samples were processed by ELISA. Detection of first stage larvae in muscle was performed by artificialdigestion. A total of 423 wild boars muscle samples were negative to Trichinella spp. by artificial digestion.Antibodies to Trichinella spp. were detected in 2.4% (3/125) of serum samples and in 1.64% (5/304) of meatjuice samples. Antibodies to T. gondii infection were detected in 12.5% (18/144) of the serum samples. This is thefirst study to reveal the presence of antibodies to T. gondii in wild boars from Argentina. The present resultssuggest that consumption of raw or undercooked wild boar meat could represent a potential source risk fortoxoplasmosis in humans and that Trichinella spp. is infrequent and/or that it circulates in low burdens amongwild boars in Northeastern Patagonia.