Hunting dogs as sentinel animals for monitoring infections with Trichinella spp. in wildlife. Issue 1 (December 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Gómez-Morales, Maria; Selmi, Marco; Ludovisi, Alessandra; Amati, Marco; Fiorentino, Eleonora; Breviglieri, Lorenzo; Poglayen, Giovanni; Pozio, Edoardo
• Is Part Of: Parasites & vectors. Volume 9:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 1
• Page End: 11
• Publication Date: 2016-12
• Subjects: Trichinella -- Toxocara canis -- Helminths -- Hunting dogs -- Serology -- ELISA -- Western blot -- Epidemiology -- Wildlife; Parasitism -- Periodicals; Parasites -- Periodicals; Vector-pathogen relationships -- Periodicals; Animals as carriers of disease -- Periodicals; Insects as carriers of disease -- Periodicals; 616.96
• DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1437-1
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1756-3305

Abstract

Abstract Background Nematode parasites of the genusTrichinella are important foodborne pathogens transmitted by ingestion of striated muscles harbouring infective larvae. Wild carnivorous and omnivorous animals are the most important reservoirs of these parasites. Hunting activities play an important role inTrichinella spp. epidemiology. The aim of the present work was to assess if serological detection of anti-Trichinella IgG in hunting dogs can be a tool to indirectly monitorTrichinella spp. infections in wildlife. Methods An ELISA and a Western blot (Wb) were developed and validated. To validate the assays, serum samples were collected from 598 dogs considered to beTrichinella -free, 15 naturally infected dogs, and six experimentally infected foxes. Sera were tested by ELISA withTrichinella spiralis excretory/secretory antigens. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of ELISA were 100 % (95 % CI: 83.89–100 %) and 95.65 % (95 % CI: 93.69–97.14 %), respectively. Sera fromTrichinella -infected dogs/foxes tested by Wb showed a three-band pattern ranging from 48 to 72 kDa. Since the prevalence ofToxocara canis is very high in dogs, the specificity of the ELISA and Wb was further assessed by testing sera for anti-T. canis IgG usingT. canis excretory/secretory antigens. No cross-reactivity was observed. To evaluate the test's reliability in the field, serum samples were collected from wild boar hunting dogs from Central Italy whereTrichinella britovi was circulating among wildlife. Results Out of 384 hunting dog sera, 189 (49.2 %) tested positive by ELISA and of these, 56 (29.6 %) tested positive by Wb, showing an overall prevalence of 14.6 % (56/384) in the wild boar hunting dog population of the investigated area. The serological prevalence in hunting dogs was significantly (P < 0.001) associated with the hunting district's altitude. This is in agreement with previous investigations, which had shown that the prevalence ofT. britovi in wildlife was higher in mountainous areas than in lowland areas of Italy. Conclusion The results suggest that the circulation ofTrichinella spp. among wildlife can be monitored by testing sera from hunting dogs, which could act as sentinel animals ofTrichinella spp. circulation in wildlife.