Human Trichinella infection outbreaks in Slovakia, 1980-2008

Trichinellosis, a parasitic zoonosis with world-wide distribution, causes serious health problems in humans and is also of economic importance. In Slovakia the most frequent species is T. britovi, causing disease mainly in wild life species. T. spiralis occurs less frequently and T. pseudospiralis only sporadically. The paper describes the epidemiology of six human Trichinella infection outbreaks recorded in Slovakia between 1980 and 2008. Before 1990 wild boar meat was the main source of infection. Later, risk farm practices, especially feeding of pigs with the wild animal´s offal contributed to the formation of synanthropic cycle and pig meat caused the epidemics in 1990, 2001 and 2008. Sausages prepared from pork and T. britovi infected dog meat and offered as a local food specialty on traditional folk festival in 1998 (Brezno district, Central Slovakia) were the source of the largest human outbreak recorded in Slovakia. The anti-Trichinella antibodies were detected in 336 event visitors. The main reason of repeated human epidemics in Slovakia has been the permanent circulation of Trichinella spp. in sylvatic cycle, especially in red foxes and wild boars. High population density of both animal species, persistent prevalence of trichinellosis in wild boars and even increasing positivity of red foxes suggest that the risk of human outbreaks in Slovakia persists.