PO21 | PRESENCE OF TRICHINELLA LARVAE IN WILD BOAR MUSCLE: A NEGLECTED YET STILL PERSISTENT PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN

Tiziana Galli, Roberto Condoleo, Aya Attia Koraney Zarea, Pina Briganti, Linda D’Amici, Alessia Matterazzo, Agnese Manocchio, Arianna Bragagnolo, Loredana Guzzon, Giuseppe Cito, Giorgio Saralli, Giovanni Brajon, Maria Concetta Campagna | Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale Lazio e Toscana, Italy.

Aim. Trichinella spp. is a zoonotic nematode parasite infecting a wide range of animal species, including humans. This retrospective study aimed to estimate the occurrence of Trichinella larvae in the muscles of hunted wild boars, a game species frequently consumed by humans.

Methods. Skeletal muscle samples (5 g of diaphragm, tongue and, rarely, heart) were collected from wild boars hunted in the provinces of Latina and Frosinone (Lazio Region, central Italy). Samples were analysed at the IZSLT laboratory using the artificial digestion method. Specimens were submitted by several hunting groups over seven hunting seasons (2019–2026). Overall, 43,719 wild boars were tested. Samples positive for Trichinella larvae were sent to the European Union Reference Laboratory for Parasites (Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome) for species identification by multiplex PCR. Data were extracted from the IZSLT laboratory information system and analysed using descriptive statistics with R software.

Results. During the study period, Trichinella spp. was detected in six wild boars. Three positive animals were recorded during the 2019–2020 hunting season (two in the Province of Frosinone and one in the Province of Latina), while the remaining three were detected during the 2025–2026 hunting season (two females from the Province of Latina harvested during the same hunting session and one male from the Province of Frosinone). The overall prevalence was 0.01%, with seasonal prevalence ranging from 0% to 0.05%. All positive samples were confirmed by the Italian National Reference Laboratory (ISS), which identified the larvae as Trichinella britovi.

Conclusions. Although Trichinella has not been detected in domestic pigs raised in commercial farms in Italy in recent years, the parasite remains regularly present in wildlife, with occasional detections in wild boars. Wild boar meat is widely consumed, particularly among specific population groups such as hunters and their families, as well as people living in rural and mountainous areas, who may consume substantial quantities of game meat each year. Indeed, approximately 11,000 wild boars have been harvested yearly during recent hunting seasons in the study area, and their meat has subsequently been consumed domestically or supplied to local restaurants. Human trichinellosis may occur when infected meat is consumed raw or undercooked, a scenario that has been documented by several outbreaks reported in Italy over recent decades, often associated with the consumption of traditional wild boar sausages. Our occurrence rates are consistent with those reported by similar studies conducted in other parts of Italy and further confirm that, despite the very low occurrence of Trichinella larvae in edible muscles, the risk cannot be considered negligible. In the absence of a comprehensive quantitative risk assessment for Italy, the available evidence supports the continued implementation of preventive measures, including the systematic testing of hunted wild boars and the thorough cooking of game meat prior to consumption.