Trichinella spp. imported with live animals and meat

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Parasitology
• Food Safety
• Zoonotic Diseases

Background:

• Nematodes of the genus Trichinella are globally distributed in various animal hosts, posing a zoonotic risk.
• Meat inspection at slaughterhouses and processing plants is vital for preventing human Trichinella transmission.
• International trade and illegal importation of animal products can introduce Trichinella to new regions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review documented cases of Trichinella-infected animals and meat in international trade or illegal importation.
• To identify the primary sources of Trichinella transmission through animal products over the last 60 years.
• To assess the risk associated with different animal species in the global meat trade.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of international literature on Trichinella-infected animal and meat importations.
• Analysis of 43 documented reports over 60 years, categorizing by animal species and trade route (official vs. illegal).
• Correlation of import data with human infection cases over a 40-year period (1975-2014).

Main Results:

• Horses and horse meat represented the majority (60%) of reported Trichinella-infected importations.
• Pigs, wild boar, and bears constituted a smaller proportion of official international trade cases.
• The majority of human Trichinella infections (96.8%) were linked to horsemeat consumption, with minimal cases from other meats.

Conclusions:

• The primary risk for Trichinella transmission in international animal and meat trade is associated with horses.
• Illegal importation of meat products from pigs, wild boars, and bears poses a lower risk to the international market.
• Adequate testing of animal carcasses, especially horses, is essential to mitigate Trichinella risks in global food trade.