engleski

Survey of emerging food-borne trematode parasite among wild animals in Eastern Croatia

Alariosis is a newly diagnosed, emerging parasitic disease caused by a digenean trematode Alaria alata (Goeze, 1782). Developmental stages of a trematode, known as mesocercaria, can parasitize all the abdominal organs, lung, eye, somatic muscle and subcutaneous tissue causing severe and sometimes fatal illness in human. Alaria alata requires two intermediate hosts: a freshwater snail and an amphibian. Carnivorous mammals are definitive hosts, while humans and omnivorous wild animals can be paratenic hosts. The presence of mesocercaria in wild boar meat represents the possible human health risk, but little is known about the circulation of mesocercaria in wild boar populations in eastern Croatia. Parasitological monitoring was carried out in the period 2016-2011, with an aim to investigate occurrence of mesocercaria and invasion intensity in free-living wild boar (Sus scrofa) and water frog (Pelophilax kl. esculentus). The sampling comprised three hunting grounds in eastern Croatia: Spačva, Podunavlje-Podravlje and Breznica, characterized with different orographic, hydrological and habitat conditions. In total, muscle tissue samples of 761 wild boars and 43 water frog were examined. Percentage of Alaria alata mesocercaria detected in wild boar was 42% in Spačva ; 7% in Podunavlje-Podravlje, and 1% in Breznica hunting ground. The average number of mesocercaria ranged from 2.4 to 6.5 per 30 g of infected wild boar muscle tissue. Percentage of mesocercaria in water frogs was 11% in Spačva, 56% in Podunavlje-Podravlje, and 0% in Breznica. The more frequent occurrence of mesocercaria was found in the animals living in the lowland, periodically flooded areas with abundance of forest and wetland habitats. This coincided with the fact that life-cycle of Alaria alata depends on presence of freshwater snail and frog, as an intermediate hosts. From the viewpoint of food safety and consumer exposure to this potential food-borne hazard, further monitoring is required to assess the occurrence, infestation rate and propose measures for the parasite reduction and removal from the food chain.

Alaria alata ; trematode ; parasite ; Croatia

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