Dataset Information

Trichinella T9 in wild bears in Japan: Prevalence, species/genotype identification, and public health implications.

ABSTRACT: In Japan, the recent series of sporadic outbreaks of human trichinellosis caused by Trichinella (Nematoda: Trichocephalida) has occurred owing to the consumption of raw or insufficiently cooked meat from wild bears. However, the infection status and molecular characteristics of Trichinella larvae in Japanese wild bears remain poorly understood. This study investigated the prevalence of Trichinella spp. in brown bears (Ursus arctos) from Hokkaido, and Japanese black bears (Ursus thibetanus japonicus) from three prefectures (Aomori, Akita, and Iwate) in northern Japan, between April 2019 and August 2022. Trichinella larvae were detected in 2.5% (6/236) of the brown bears and 0.9% (1/117) of the Japanese black bears. Sequence analysis using two genetic loci, the internal transcribed spacer region of nuclear ribosomal DNA and the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene, revealed that the larvae collected from the seven infected bears were identical to one of the two haplotypes of Trichinella T9. The prevalence of Trichinella T9 is low but is maintained in bears in the Hokkaido and Iwate prefectures suggesting that undercooked meat from these animals could cause human infection. Thus, continued health education campaigns are needed to raise awareness of the potential risk of trichinellosis among hunters, meat suppliers, consumers, and local governmental health agencies.

SUBMITTER: Murakami M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10372044 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Trichinella T9 in wild bears in Japan: Prevalence, species/genotype identification, and public health implications.

Murakami Masaki M Tokiwa Toshihiro T Sugiyama Hiromu H Shiroyama Mitsuko M Morishima Yasuyuki Y Watanabe Sota S Sasamori Takato T Kondo Mami M Mano Tsutomu T Tsuruga Hifumi H

International journal for parasitology. Parasites and wildlife 20230704

In Japan, the recent series of sporadic outbreaks of human trichinellosis caused by Trichinella (Nematoda: Trichocephalida) has occurred owing to the consumption of raw or insufficiently cooked meat from wild bears. However, the infection status and molecular characteristics of Trichinella larvae in Japanese wild bears remain poorly understood. This study investigated the prevalence of Trichinella spp. in brown bears (Ursus arctos) from Hokkaido, and Japanese black be ...[more]

PMID: 37520899

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Project description:BackgroundTrichinellosis is a meat-borne zoonotic disease caused by parasites of the genus Trichinella. To date, 12 taxa have been described. The identification of Trichinella species is crucial in order to identify the possible source of infection, the geographical origin of the parasite and to assess risk of infection for domestic pigs and humans. Specific identification of the etiological agent is not always feasible using direct methods since the source of infection can be untraceable. The aim of this study was to develop a diagnostic tool to infer the causative Trichinella species using western blot patterns of sera derived from infected animal and human hosts.MethodsSera from mice experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis, Trichinella britovi, Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella papuae were tested by western blot using homologous and heterologous crude worm extracts (CWE) and a highly sensitive detection system based on chemiluminescence. In addition, sera from pigs experimentally infected with T. spiralis, T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis and from patients with confirmed T. spiralis, T. britovi and T. pseudospiralis infections, were also included.ResultsSera from mice infected with one Trichinella species reacted with CWE proteins from all four investigated species. Likewise, sera derived from pigs and humans infected with one Trichinella species reacted with CWE proteins from all the three investigated species. Using T. spiralis CWE, sera from T. pseudospiralis-infected hosts yielded a characteristic pattern of reactivity using Wb, which differed to that produced by T. spiralis/T. britovi- or T. papuae-infected host sera.ConclusionsThe present study suggests that western blot using T. spiralis CWE may be a useful tool to distinguish Trichinella infections caused by T. pseudospiralis from those caused by T. spiralis or T. britovi. This method may support epidemiological investigations, particularly when the source of infection is not traceable.

Dataset Information

Trichinella T9 in wild bears in Japan: Prevalence, species/genotype identification, and public health implications.

Publications

<i>Trichinella</i> T9 in wild bears in Japan: Prevalence, species/genotype identification, and public health implications.

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