Detection of Zoonotic Protozoa Toxoplasma gondii and Sarcocystis suihominis in Wild Boars from Spain

• Published in: Zoonoses and public health Vol. 63; no. 5; pp. 346 - 350
• Main Authors: Calero-Bernal, R., Pérez-Martín, J. E., Reina, D., Serrano, F. J., Frontera, E., Fuentes, I., Dubey, J. P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-08-2016
• Subjects: Animals; Female; Food contamination & poisoning; Food safety; Hogs; Male; Pork; prevalence; Protozoa; Sarcocystis; Sarcocystis - isolation & purification; Sarcocystis miescheriana; Sarcocystis suihominis; Sarcocystosis - epidemiology; Sarcocystosis - parasitology; Sarcocystosis - veterinary; Seroepidemiologic Studies; Spain; Spain - epidemiology; Sus scrofa; Swine; Swine Diseases - epidemiology; Swine Diseases - parasitology; Toxoplasma - isolation & purification; Toxoplasma gondii; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - epidemiology; Toxoplasmosis, Animal - parasitology; Wild Boar; Zoonoses; ANE, Spain; Wild Boar; prevalence; Sarcocystis suihominis; Toxoplasma gondii; Sarcocystis miescheriana; Spain
• ISSN: 1863-1959; 1863-2378
• DOI: 10.1111/zph.12243

Summary
Food safety regulations require the control of the presence of protozoa in meats destined for human consumption. Wild boar (Sus scrofa) meat may constitute a source of zoonoses. A 23.8% (688/2881) seroprevalence of anti‐Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and 72.2% (662/910) Sarcocystis sarcocysts prevalence were detected among wild boars hunted in Southwestern areas of Spain. Identity of Sarcocystis spp. was performed by RFLP‐PCR and sequencing, detecting S. miescheriana (7/8) and the zoonotic S. suihominis (1/8). Risk assessment studies of these coccidian in meats destined to human consumption are needed.