Trichinellosis in Serbia and possibilities to improve control measures

Abstract

Background. Trichinellosis is zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Trichinella, which have a cosmopolitan distribution. In the Balkan region, including Serbia, trichinellosis is endemic. Although trichinellosis shows a decreasing incidence in Serbia, this disease remains a serious problem for human health and animal husbandry. Scope and Approach. To prevent and control Trichinella spp. infections in domestic and sylvatic animals, risk analysis for these zoonotic parasites should be conducted. In Serbia, a limited number of Trichinella have been identified to the species level so far. An institutional, multi-sectoral surveillance system, supported by an adequate legal framework for the detection, surveillance, prevention, control and reporting of this infection in animals and humans, harmonised with the EU legislation, is a priority. Key Findings and Conclusions. One of the main goals of the Serbian veterinary and public health services should be progressive improvement of animal rearing practices, food safety, and hunters' and consumers' education through the "One-health" approach.

Trichinella infection in Serbia from 2011 to 2020: a success story in the field of One Health

“…Despite the implementation of mandatory measures for controlling Trichinella in pork, small outbreaks of trichinellosis and some sporadic cases still occur in Serbia [ 4 ]. At the beginning of 2017, there were cases of imported (in personal luggage) untested, infected meat delicacies (as a gift) from Serbia to France and shared with about 47 relatives and friends, so a total of 20 cases of trichinellosis were reported − nine in France and 11 in Serbia [ 14 ].…”

“…The Veterinary Directorate in Serbia has introduced Trichinella control measures, such as systematic pig identification and registration systems, mandatory testing for Trichinella infection in all pigs slaughtered for human consumption (regardless of whether this is in abattoirs or on smallholdings), surveillance of wild boar populations and mandatory rodent control on pig farms all over the country. However, intensified supervision of the control measures was implemented in the areas with the highest infection prevalence [ 4 , 8 ]. All these measures had a One Health effect, reducing the number of infected animals, and consequently, reducing the number of trichinellosis cases, which was noticeable from year to year.…”

“…Improvements in pig rearing systems and the implementation of control measures [4][5][6][7] have eliminated Trichinella infection in pigs from controlled housing, and these farms now (2020) have no positive animals. In 2020, all Trichinella-positive pigs in Serbia were from backyard smallholdings with uncontrolled housing conditions (Table 2).…”