Assessment of Trichinella Infection in Animals from Argentina

Abstract

Parasites of the genus Trichinella are widely distributed and infect a wide rangeof domestic and wild animals. Their presence spans across various continents, impactingagricultural and wildlife ecosystems alike. In Argentina, Trichinella spiralis, Trichinellapatagoniensis, and Trichinella pseudospiralis have been detected infecting both domestic andwild animals. The aim of the present study is to detect Trichinella spp. in samples fromdomestic pigs and wildlife across Argentina between 2019 and 2024 and to identify theseparasites at the species level. A total of 216 samples from domestic and wild animalsunderwent artificial digestion. In cases where a positive result was obtained, muscle larvaewere further processed using PCR targeting the ESV region. Samples originating from16 animals were analyzed. Among the animals tested, 52 were positive for Trichinella spp.,including two pumas infected with T. patagoniensis; 43 domestic pigs, with 34 identifiedas T. spiralis at the species level; and seven wild boars, with five identified as T. spiralis atthe species level. The present study enhances our understanding of the distribution andtransmission dynamics of Trichinella among domestic and wild animals in Argentina.