Journal of Bacteriology & Parasitology

Abstract

Study of Trichinella Spp in Rodents that Live Near Pig Farms in an Endemic Region of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina

Fariña F, Scialfa E, Bolpe J, Pasqualetti M, Rosa A and Ribicich M

Trichinellosis is a wide spread food borne zoonosis caused by species of the genus Trichinella. Until present T. spiralis is the only species usually found in porcine, sinantropics and wild animals from Argentina. Nevertheless, Krivokapich et al. [1] isolated a novel species (Trichinella T12) from a Puma concolor, T. spiralis can be transmitted and maintained in both a domestic and sylvatic cycle whereby rats, among others contribute to the spread of T. spiralis from domestic to sylvatic animals and vice versa. In this research we studied the presence of Trichinella infection in rodents which inhabit pig farms from General La Madrid, Buenos Aires, Argentina. For this purpose, 9 pig farms with different levels of sanitation and with or without T. spiralis infected pigs and a garbage dump were assessed between spring 2008 and winter 2009. A total of 150 rodents were captured. All the species belonged to the genus Rattus species norvegicus. The presence of Trichinella spp was tested by artificial digestion of each muscle sample. No positive Trichinella infection was found. Further assessment would be done so as to deal with the role of rats in the life cycle of Trichinella spp.