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Environmental and human influence on the ecology of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi in Western Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 April 2009

E. Pozio ,
G. La Rosa ,
F. J. Serrano ,
J. Barrat  and
L. Rossi
E. Pozio*
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena, 299–00161, Rome, Italy
G. La Rosa
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena, 299–00161, Rome, Italy
F. J. Serrano
Affiliation:
Parasitology Section, Department of Medicine and Animal Health, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda de la Universidad s/n, 10071-Cáceres, Spain
J. Barrat
Affiliation:
Laboratoire d'Etudes sur la Rage et la Pathologie des Animanx Sauvages, CNEVA, Boite Postale 9, 54220 Malzeville, France
L. Rossi
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Products Epidemiology and Ecology, Università di Torino, via Nizza 52, 10125 Torino, Italy
*
* Corresponding author: Laboratory of Parasitology, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena, 299–00161, Rome, Italy. Tel. + 39 6 4990 2304. Fax + 39 6 49 387065. E-mail: pozio@pop3.iss.it
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Summary

Surveys on Trichinella parasites in domestic and sylvatic animals collected in France, Italy, and in the Extremadura region of Spain showed that the distribution of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella britovi is influenced by both environmental and human behaviour factors. In France, both Trichinella species are prevalent in the fox population from mountain areas and natural parks but are infrequent in wild boars (< 0·001%). In Italy, only T. britovi is present in sylvatic animals (foxes, wolves, and mustelids) living 500 m above sea level. This species is rare in wild boars ( < 0·001%) in that area. Sylvatic trichinellosis is found in only 24% and 34% of French and Italian territory, respectively, while lowland areas may generally be considered Trichinella-free, because the domestic cycle is absent. The ecology of T. spiralis and T. britovi in the Extremadura shows a different picture from that observed in France and Italy because of the presence of both domestic and sylvatic cycles. The domestic cycle not only allows the maintenance of T. spiralis in the domestic environment, but it also has a great impact on the prevalence in wild boar populations. It does not influence the prevalence in vulpine populations. These data suggest (1) that domestic trichinellosis occurs only in rural areas of Western Europe in association with traditional swine-rearing practices, but not in industrialized pig farms; (2) that sylvatic trichinellosis occurs only in natural habitats which, in Western Europe, are widespread in mountain areas; (3) that the fox is the primary reservoir in the sylvatic cycle, where the parasite is maintained in a closed circuit and (4) that among sylvatic animals T. spiralis is present at lower altitude than is T. britovi.

Keywords

Trichinella spiralisTrichinella britoviecologyFranceItalySpain
Type
Research Article
Information
Parasitology , Volume 113 , Issue 6 , December 1996 , pp. 527 - 533
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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References

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