Suchergebnisse

Recently, Trichinella nativa was identified in foxes in Germany and Poland, indicating that the geographical distribution of T. nativa is not restricted to areas north of the isotherm −4 °C in January. In the European Union, legislation requires that a regular monitoring of the occurrence of Trichinella spp. in indicator animals such as foxes or raccoon dogs be carried out. The Trichinella isolates must also be identified on a species level. The multiplex PCR recommended by the Community Reference Laboratory for Trichinella allows species identification, yet the differentiation of T. nativa and Trichinella britovi, a widespread Trichinella species in the temperate regions of Europe, is unstable. We therefore describe an easy and reliable method for the differentiation of the two species, which can be utilised to monitor a potential spread of T. nativa in Central Europe.

Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium DT 104 is the major pathogen for salmonellosis outbreaks in Europe. We tested if the probiotic bacterium Enterococcus faecium NCIMB 10415 can prevent or alleviate salmonellosis. Therefore, piglets of the German Landrace breed that were treated with E. faecium (n=16) as a feed additive and untreated controls (n=16) were challenged with S. Typhimurium 10 days after weaning. The presence of salmonellae in feces and selected organs, as well as the immune response, were investigated. Piglets treated with E. faecium gained less weight than control piglets (P=0.05). The feeding of E. faecium had no effect on the fecal shedding of salmonellae and resulted in a higher abundance of the pathogen in tonsils of all challenged animals. The specific (anti-Salmonella IgG) and nonspecific (haptoglobin) humoral immune responses as well as the cellular immune response (T helper cells, cytotoxic T cells, regulatory T cells, +¦+¦ T cells, and B cells) in the lymph nodes, Peyer's patches of different segments of the intestine (jejunal and ileocecal), the ileal papilla, and in the blood were affected in the course of time after infection (P < 0.05) but not by the E. faecium treatment. These results led to the conclusion that E. faecium may not have beneficial effects on the performance of weaned piglets in the case of S. Typhimurium infection. Therefore, we suggest a critical discussion and reconsideration of E. faecium NCIMB 10415 administration as a probiotic for pigs.

Proficiency testing (PT) is the use of inter-laboratory comparisons to determine the performance of individual laboratories for specific tests or measurements, and to monitor a laboratory's performance. Participation in proficiency testing provides laboratories with an objective means of assessing and demonstrating the reliability of the data they are producing. To ensure the reliability of Trichinella detection and meat hygiene within the European Union and afford optimal protection to the consumer, PT is conducted under the direction of the European National Reference Laboratories for Trichinella. Evaluation of data from the national PT showed that lab-internal shortcomings are frequent. These shortcomings are specifically related to: (1) improper sample collection and preparation; (2) incorrect transposition and application of the protocol as laid down in Annex I, Chapter I, Nr. 3 (a-g) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2075/2005; (3) insufficient sedimentation times; and (4) improper equipment.(e.g. Prost and Nowakowski, 1990; Rossi and Pozio, 2008; Forbes and Gajadhar, 1999; Rossi and Pozio, 2008). To test the hypothesis that both method based errors as well as internal lab errors can influence the accuracy and precision of the magnetic stirrer method for pooled sample digestion (MSM), we initiated a study to evaluate the analytical uncertainty of the MSM. Results presented here are based on: (i) data from PT in Germany (2008, 2009, and 2010); (ii) within-lab performance conducting high volumes of MSM; (iii) larval recovery experiments; and (iv) statistical evaluation of data resulting from these procedures. Quantitative data from the PT show that on average only 60% of Trichinella larvae were detected. Even laboratories that showed relatively good performance (>80% larva recovery, no false negative or false positive results), frequently reported samples with an unexpectedly low larval count (loss of >2 larvae). In our own laboratory, high numbers of repeated analyses of standards and re-analyses of residual fluids indicated that these outliers could be described by a binomial distribution based on a laboratory-specific Trichinella-detection probability. Results of recovery experiments indicate that only a part of the total larval losses can be attributed to lab-internal shortcomings inasmuch as a significant number of L1 could be isolated from the residual and washing fluids

Trichinella is a food-borne parasitic zoonoses and human cases are still reported in Europe mainly due to the consumption of pig meat originating from small backyard farms. Infections originating from industrialized pig farming have not been reported for decades in Europe, due to control measures to prevent the transmission of Trichinella from wildlife by indoor housing and good management practices. Therefore, risk-based monitoring programs might replace individual carcass control in industrialized pig farming as described in EU legislation SANCO 2075/2005. Transmission of Trichinella species between wildlife and the risk that may pose to humans via consumption of contaminated pork meat has not been studied quantitatively. One pathway by which human trichinellosis can occur is the rat-pig-human route. To evaluate the transmission risk though this pathway the dose responses of rat, pig, and human were studied. Experimental T. spiralis infection was performed in rats with doses of as few as 10 parasites and the data set was analysed using a newly developed dose response model that describes larvae per gram (LPG). Experimental T. spiralis infection in pig was analysed in a similar way. Furthermore nine published outbreaks of human trichinellosis were analysed to determine the dose response in humans. The risk of human trichinellosis via the rat-pig-human transmission was simulated by the Monte Carlo method. A pair of female and male parasites representing the lowest infection pressure from the environment, led to the probability of human trichinellosis by consumption of 100g of raw pork meat equal to 5% via the studied rat-pig-human pathway. In the absence of rodent control near the farm, a low infection pressure from wildlife presents a relatively high risk of human trichinellosis via consumption of uncooked pork meat

Herbivorous animals are usually, by virtue of their diet, outside the major transmission cycles of Trichinella spp. However, since 1975, the year of the first report of human trichinellosis caused by the consumption of infected horse meat, the domestic horse has appeared as a novel vector of Trichinella spp. infection to humans, with 15 outbreaks documented in France and Italy. Romania, one of the main countries exporting horses into the European Union (EU), experienced a dramatic increase of Trichinella spp. infection in both domestic pigs and humans in the 1990s. Some Trichinella spiralis-infected horses were exported to the EU during this period. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of Trichinella spp. infections in horses from Romania using both direct and indirect tests. Of 3000 serum samples tested in 2001, none were positive by ELISA using three different Trichinella antigens (crude; excretory/secretory, ES; stg-BSA antigens). Of 2992 serum samples tested in 2002, 17 (0.56%) showed optical density values higher than the cut-off in an ELISA using ES antigens and one was confirmed by western blot (WB). Four of the 17 ELISA positive horses, including the horse with a confirmed serology by WB, were subjected for intensive meat examination at slaughter, but no Trichinella spp. larvae were detected. Further, no Trichinella spp. larvae were detected by trichinelloscopy and artificial digestion of 25,838 horses slaughtered in Alexandria and Timisoara between 2001 and 2004. The false positive results obtained by serology confirm the previous work on the unreliability of serology for detection of Trichinella spp. infection in horses. Furthermore, the lack of detection of Trichinella spp. infected horses by artificial digestion, suggests a very low prevalence of infection in horses in Romania

A new EU directive relating to meat inspection for Trichinella, expected to come into force in 2006, imposes important modifications to current legislation. Nevertheless, several issues need more attention. Optimisation of methods, especially concerning sensitivity and digestibility of the meat to be inspected, along with further simplification of the legislation with regard to the number of techniques accepted, is recommended to guarantee that all member states of the EU will be given tools to perform inspection of consumer meat at the same high level. Additionally, there is a need for guidelines and protocols regarding optimal proficiency testing procedures.This paper presents an overview of the current methods for Trichinella meat inspection and their implementation in the EU, listing advantages and disadvantages for each method, including some suggestions for specific points of improvement.

To assess the general impact of endemic countries on the re-emergence of brucellosis in non-endemic regions of the European Union, the genetic fingerprints of Brucella melitensis strains imported to Germany were compared to ovine strains from Turkey in a molecular epidemiological study. Genotyping of 66 Brucella strains (based on Multiple Locus of Variable number of tan-dem repeats Analysis) isolated from German travellers and Turkish immigrants living in Germany revealed epidemiological concordance with 20 sheep isolates originating from Eastern Anatolia, Turkey. In summary, cross-border molecular tracing confirmed brucellosis being a zoonosis of concern for European public health.

Each year, more than 167 million pigs in the European Union (EU) are tested for Trichinella spp. under the current meat hygiene regulations. This imposes large economic costs on countries, yet the vast majority of these pigs test negative and the public health risk in many countries is therefore considered very low. This work reviewed the current Trichinella status across the EU as well as the national level of monitoring and reporting. It also reviewed which animal species were affected by Trichinella and in which species it should be surveyed. This information was used to design a cost-effective surveillance programme that enables a standardised monitoring approach within the EU. The proposed surveillance programme relies on identifying sub-populations of animals with a distinct risk. Low-risk pigs are finisher pigs that originate from so-called controlled housing. All other pigs are considered high-risk pigs. Controlled housing is identified by the application of a specific list of management and husbandry practices. We suggest that member states (MS) be categorised into three classes based on the confidence that Trichinella can be considered absent, in the specified sub-population of pigs above a specified design prevalence which we set to 1 per million pigs. A simple and transparent method is proposed to estimate this confidence, based on the sensitivity of the surveillance system, taking into account the sensitivity of testing and the design prevalence. The probability of detecting a positive case, if present, must be high (> 95 or > 99%) to ensure that there is a low or negligible risk of transmission to humans through the food chain. In MS where the probability of a positive pig is demonstrated to be negligible, testing of fattening pigs from a sub-population consisting of pigs from controlled housing can be considered unnecessary. Furthermore, reduced testing of finishers from the sub-population consisting of pigs from non-controlled housing might even be considered, if conducted in conjunction with a proportionate sampling scheme and a risk-based wildlife surveillance programme where applicable. The proposed surveillance programme specifies the required number of samples to be taken and found negative, in a MS. A MS with no data or positive findings will initially be allocated to class 1, in which all pigs should be tested. When a MS is able to demonstrate a 95% or 99% confidence that Trichinella is absent, the MS will be allocated to class 2 or 3, in which the testing requirement is lower than in class 1