Trichinellosis of wild animals in Ukraine and its danger to the public

I. A. Akimov; Yu. M. Didyk

doi:10.15407/zoo2020.05.411

I. A. Akimov I.I. Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology NAS of Ukraine, vul. B. Khmelnytskogo, 15, Kyiv, 01030 Ukraine
Yu. M. Didyk Institute of Zoology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 06, Bratislava, Slovak Republic

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/zoo2020.05.411

Keywords: Trichinella spiralis, T. britovi, T. nativa, wild animals, Ukraine

Abstract

Trichinellosis is one of the most dangerous helminthic diseases common to humans and animals. It is caused by the nematodes from the Trichinella complex. Trichinella infections found in almost all mammal species, as well as reptiles and birds. In Ukraine Trichinella infection was detected in humans, domestic pigs and games. More than 1 500 cases of human trichinellosis were found in Ukraine over the past 30 years. Infected game are the main source of human Trichinella infection in recent time.

Trichinella infection detected in all regions of Ukraine. Larvae were found in 3% of investigated wild boars, 15.5% wolves, 16% red foxes, 12% martens, 10% badgers and 20% raccoon dogs. Wolves and foxes were found to be the main reservoir of Trichinella in a sylvatic cycle. Our studies demonstrate the presence of tree species of Trichinella in Ukraine: T. britovi (ITRC codes: ISS1590, 1591, 1592, 1593) was found in wild boars, wolves, foxes and martens in all Ukraine; T. spiralis (ISS1594) was found in wild boars from Zhytomir and Mykolaiv regions; T. nativa (ISS1595) was found in wolves and foxes from Chernihiv, Sumy, Poltava and Kherson regions. Mixed infections (T. britovi-T. spiralis) were found in southern regions.