The aim of the present work was to investigate on Trichinella sp. infection in free-ranging pigs of the Orgosolo municipality

Cossu, Pasquale

Firinu, Antonio

Liciardi, Manuele

Ludovisi, Alessandra

Marongiu, Edoardo

Marucci, Gianluca

Murgia, M. C.

Piroddi, Raffaele

Pozio, Edoardo

Secchi, Francesco

Soddu, M.

UnissResearch

Parassitologia 48, 2006 SOIPA XXIV ABSTRACTS 
Epidemiological surveillance for Trichinella britovi 
infection in free-ranging pigs of Sardinia 
Cossu P.1, Pozio E.2, Liciardi M.1, Piroddi R.3, Murgia M.C.1, Soddu M.1, 
Secchi F.4, Ludovisi A.2, Marucci G.2, Marongiu E.I, Firinu A.I 
303 
1 Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Sardegna, Sassari, Nuoro, Cagliari sections, ltaly; 2 Department of Infectious, 
Parasitic and Immunomediated Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, ltaly; 3 Assessorato Regionale Igiene e Sanità, 
Seroizio di Prevenzione, Cagliari, ltaly; 4Seroizio Veterinario Ispettivo Alimenti, Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Nuoro, ltaly. 
Aim of the work. In the past 60 years, no Trichinella sp. infections have been reported on the Mediterranean 
islands. In ApriI and December 2005, two famiIy outbreaks of trichinellosis involving 19 people (11 and 7 
people, respectively), were documented in Sardinia. In both episodes, the source of infection was traced back 
to pork and pork products (sausages) from two free-ranging sows breed in the forest of Orgosolo munici-
palitY' and clandestinely slaughtered at home. In Sardinia, it is forbidden to raise free-ranging swine because 
of the presence of both classic and African swine plague. Nonetheless, in remote areas of the island there are 
thousands of free-ranging pigs. This illegal situation does not allow the evaluation of their number and the 
veterinary control on them. The unfortunate episodes of human trichinellosis forced the regional and locai 
health authorities to overcome the problem allowing the slaughter of two pigs per famiIy under the veteri-
nary contro I. The aim of the present work was to investigate on Trichinella sp. infection in free-ranging pigs 
of the Orgosolo municipality. 
Methods. Muscle samples (about 40-50 g from diaphragm and masseters) were collected at slaughtering and 
forwarded to the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Nuoro for Trichinella larvae detection by HCI-
pepsin digestion according to the Commission Regulation No. 2075/2005. Each digestion was performed 
pooling 5 g or more of muscle tissue from each pig according the current legislation. Trichinella larvae iso-
lated from positive animals and from sausages, which were the source of infection of the two human out-
breaks, were identified at the species level by a multiplex-PCR analysis. 
Resu1ts. Between January and March, 2006, muscle samples from 681 swine were tested; of them, 325 were 
free-ranging and 356 were breed in small corrals with pigsty. Trichinella larvae were detected in four sows 
(1.2%) from the free-ranging group. The number of larvae per g of diaphragm was: 0.1, 0.9, 4.0 and 34.0. 
Alllarvae, including those isolated from the sausages, were identified as Trichinella britovi. The age of the 
infected sows was 2, 2, 9 and lO years. All infected pigs originated from the same area of the Orgosolo munic-
ipality. The two sows of 2 years of age with a very low worm burden (0.1 and 0.9Iarvae/g) acquired the infec-
tion for the consumption of scraps from the sow, which was the source of infection of the first outbreak. 
Conclusions. Sardinia has always been considered "Trichinella-free" because of the lack of reports of infec-
tion in humans and in domestic and sylvatic animals. The four infected pigs were reared in the same area, 
where the two pigs, which were the source of infection of the two human outbreaks originated. The extreme-
Iy localization of these six infected pigs strongly suggest a common origin of the infection not in a distant 
time. To support this hypothesis, an epidemiological survey to detect T. britovi in wildlife (wild boars and 
foxes) living in the surrounding areas of this focus will be important to trace back the origin of the infection. 
If the parasite was still restricted to free-ranging pigs living in the focus, there is the chance to be in time to 
prevent the spread of this zoonotic pathogen among domestic and sylvatic animals of Sardinia. In 2004, one 
year before the outbreaks occurred in Sardinia, a focus of T. britovi was reported in domestic pigs, wild 
boars, and a red fox in a remote area on the island of Corsica, which was considered to be Trichinella-free. 
The origin of the parasite w'as not determined. The low level of infection in muscle tissues of pigs of Sardinia 
poses the question on the sensibility of the test and the amount of muscle tissues, which should be examined 
to be able to identify the infected ones. 


Epidemiological surveillance for <i>Trichinella britovi</i> infection in free-ranging pigs of Sardinia

Epidemiological surveillance for <i>Trichinella britovi</i> infection in free-ranging pigs of Sardinia

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