Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy

Alessia Ricci; Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos; Alessandra Ludovisi; Irene Tartarelli; Gianluca Marucci; Adriano Casulli; Giovanni Sgroi; Vincenzo Veneziano; Riccardo Paolo Lia; Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan; Domenico Otranto

doi:10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101276

Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy

Alessia Ricci, Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos, Alessandra Ludovisi, Irene Tartarelli, Gianluca Marucci, Adriano Casulli, Giovanni Sgroi, Vincenzo Veneziano, Riccardo Paolo Lia, Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan, Domenico Otranto^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Journal Publications and Reviews › RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal › peer-review

Abstract

Wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella spp., representing an important source of infection for humans through the consumption of infected meat. Due to their scavenging behaviour and close interaction with wildlife, hunting dogs can be exposed to Trichinella spp. by ingesting muscle tissue containing infective larvae. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy. Serum samples (n = 270) were collected from dogs across different areas of the Basilicata region and screened for anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by a confirmatory western blot (WB). Anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies were detected in 34.8 % (n = 94/270; 95 % CI: 0.29–0.41) by ELISA test, of which 59.6 % (n = 56/94; 95 % CI: 0.49–0.69) were confirmed by WB, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 20.7 % (n = 56/270; 95 % CI: 0.16–0.26). Results show that hunting dogs may act as sentinels for monitoring the circulation of Trichinella spp., thereby assessing the potential risk for humans. Enhanced awareness among hunters and improved carcass handling practices are essential to mitigate the risk of transmission, reinforcing the need for an integrated control strategy approach. © 2025 The Author(s).

Original language	English
Article number	101276
Journal	Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports
Volume	61
Online published	5 May 2025
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101276
Publication status	Published - Jun 2025
Externally published	Yes

Funding

A.R., M.A.B.S., D.O. and J.A.M.R. were partially supported by EU funding within the Next Generation EU-MUR PNRR Extended Partnership initiative on Emerging Infectious Diseases (Project no. PE00000007, INF-ACT). This research was also supported by the European Commission\u2018s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) under the grant agreement no. 101200161 \u201CWork programme 2025-2027 of the European Union Reference Laboratory for the Parasites (EURL-P)\u201D.

Research Keywords

Hunting dog
Seroprevalence
Trichinella
Wildlife
Zoonosis

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This full text is made available under CC-BY 4.0. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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title = "Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy",

abstract = "Wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella spp., representing an important source of infection for humans through the consumption of infected meat. Due to their scavenging behaviour and close interaction with wildlife, hunting dogs can be exposed to Trichinella spp. by ingesting muscle tissue containing infective larvae. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy. Serum samples (n = 270) were collected from dogs across different areas of the Basilicata region and screened for anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by a confirmatory western blot (WB). Anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies were detected in 34.8 % (n = 94/270; 95 % CI: 0.29–0.41) by ELISA test, of which 59.6 % (n = 56/94; 95 % CI: 0.49–0.69) were confirmed by WB, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 20.7 % (n = 56/270; 95 % CI: 0.16–0.26). Results show that hunting dogs may act as sentinels for monitoring the circulation of Trichinella spp., thereby assessing the potential risk for humans. Enhanced awareness among hunters and improved carcass handling practices are essential to mitigate the risk of transmission, reinforcing the need for an integrated control strategy approach. {\textcopyright} 2025 The Author(s).",

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year = "2025",

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doi = "10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101276",

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AU - Ricci, Alessia

AU - Bezerra-Santos, Marcos Antônio

AU - Ludovisi, Alessandra

AU - Tartarelli, Irene

AU - Marucci, Gianluca

AU - Casulli, Adriano

AU - Sgroi, Giovanni

AU - Veneziano, Vincenzo

AU - Lia, Riccardo Paolo

AU - Mendoza-Roldan, Jairo Alfonso

AU - Otranto, Domenico

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - Wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella spp., representing an important source of infection for humans through the consumption of infected meat. Due to their scavenging behaviour and close interaction with wildlife, hunting dogs can be exposed to Trichinella spp. by ingesting muscle tissue containing infective larvae. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy. Serum samples (n = 270) were collected from dogs across different areas of the Basilicata region and screened for anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by a confirmatory western blot (WB). Anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies were detected in 34.8 % (n = 94/270; 95 % CI: 0.29–0.41) by ELISA test, of which 59.6 % (n = 56/94; 95 % CI: 0.49–0.69) were confirmed by WB, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 20.7 % (n = 56/270; 95 % CI: 0.16–0.26). Results show that hunting dogs may act as sentinels for monitoring the circulation of Trichinella spp., thereby assessing the potential risk for humans. Enhanced awareness among hunters and improved carcass handling practices are essential to mitigate the risk of transmission, reinforcing the need for an integrated control strategy approach. © 2025 The Author(s).

AB - Wildlife plays a crucial role in maintaining the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella spp., representing an important source of infection for humans through the consumption of infected meat. Due to their scavenging behaviour and close interaction with wildlife, hunting dogs can be exposed to Trichinella spp. by ingesting muscle tissue containing infective larvae. In this study, we assessed the seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy. Serum samples (n = 270) were collected from dogs across different areas of the Basilicata region and screened for anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), followed by a confirmatory western blot (WB). Anti-Trichinella IgG antibodies were detected in 34.8 % (n = 94/270; 95 % CI: 0.29–0.41) by ELISA test, of which 59.6 % (n = 56/94; 95 % CI: 0.49–0.69) were confirmed by WB, resulting in an overall seroprevalence of 20.7 % (n = 56/270; 95 % CI: 0.16–0.26). Results show that hunting dogs may act as sentinels for monitoring the circulation of Trichinella spp., thereby assessing the potential risk for humans. Enhanced awareness among hunters and improved carcass handling practices are essential to mitigate the risk of transmission, reinforcing the need for an integrated control strategy approach. © 2025 The Author(s).

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M3 - RGC 21 - Publication in refereed journal

SN - 2405-9390

VL - 61

JO - Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

JF - Veterinary Parasitology: Regional Studies and Reports

M1 - 101276

ER -

Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. in hunting dogs from southern Italy

Abstract

Funding

Research Keywords

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