Reprint of: Gamma radiation effect on Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella spiralis infected wild boar meat.

Trichinellosis is a foodborne parasitic disease caused by Trichinella spp. Different methods, such as cooking, freezing and irradiation, have been suggested to inactivate the parasite in meat infected with Trichinella spp. The International Commission on Trichinellosis (ICT) recommends an irradiation dose of 0.3 kGy to inactivate Trichinella spp. larvae, but its effectiveness in all Trichinella species has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of gamma radiation in treating wild boar meat to inactivate Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella spiralis. Two wild boars (Sus scrofa) were each inoculated per os (PO) with 20,000 muscle larvae (ML) of Trichinella. One wild boar was inoculated with T. pseudospiralis and the other one with T. spiralis. Both wild boars were euthanized 20 weeks post infection (pi). A 250░g sample from each selected muscle type (side ribs, shoulder and upper forelegs) was obtained in duplicate from each animal. One group of samples was not irradiated (Gc; n░=░6) while the other group of samples was irradiated (Gt; n░=░6) at the Atomic Centre of the Argentinean National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA) with a minimum and maximum dose of 0.32-0.41 kGy. Twenty gram of each muscle from Gt and Gc were taken at 24░h, 7 days, 14 days and 21 days post-irradiation, and all samples were individually processed by means of artificial digestion. The ML were then inoculated into mice to evaluate the intestinal phase and the muscular phase. All recovered larvae from Gt and Gc samples showed integrity of the cuticle and active motility. Adult worms and ML were recovered from all mice inoculated with ML from Gc. However, no adult worms or ML were obtained in mice inoculated with ML from Gt. These results show the efficacy of irradiation to inhibit the development of T. pseudospiralis and T. spiralis in the host, which could possibly be extended to other non-encapsulated species, but further studies are needed to demonstrate this hypothesis.

Gamma radiation effect on Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella spiralis infected wild boar meat.

Trichinellosis is a foodborne parasitic disease caused by Trichinella spp. Different methods, such as cooking, freezing and irradiation, have been suggested to inactivate the parasite in meat infected with Trichinella spp. The International Commission on Trichinellosis (ICT) recommends an irradiation dose of 0.3 kGy to inactivate Trichinella spp. larvae, but its effectiveness in all Trichinella species has not yet been demonstrated. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to determine the effectiveness of gamma radiation in treating wild boar meat to inactivate Trichinella pseudospiralis and Trichinella spiralis. Two wild boars (Sus scrofa) were each inoculated per os (PO) with 20,000 muscle larvae (ML) of Trichinella. One wild boar was inoculated with T. pseudospiralis and the other one with T. spiralis. Both wild boars were euthanized 20 weeks post infection (pi). A 250 g sample from each selected muscle type (side ribs, shoulder and upper forelegs) was obtained in duplicate from each animal. One group of samples was not irradiated (Gc; n = 6) while the other group of samples was irradiated (Gt; n = 6) at the Atomic Centre of the Argentinean National Commission of Atomic Energy (CNEA) with a minimum and maximum dose of 0.32 - 0.41 kGy. Twenty gram of each muscle from Gt and Gc were taken at 24 h, 7 days, 14 days and 21 days post-irradiation, and all samples were individually processed by means of artificial digestion. The ML were then inoculated into mice to evaluate the intestinal phase and the muscular phase. All recovered larvae from Gt and Gc samples showed integrity of the cuticle and active motility. Adult worms and ML were recovered from all mice inoculated with ML from Gc. However, no adult worms or ML were obtained in mice inoculated with ML from Gt. These results show the efficacy of irradiation to inhibit the development of T. pseudospiralis and T. spiralis in the host, which could possibly be extended to other non-encapsulated species, but further studies are needed to demonstrate this hypothesis.

Larval development of Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in experimentally infected Rumina decollata snails.

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is a lungworm distributed worldwide that affects wild and domestic cats, causing bronchopneumonia of varying intensity. Snails serve as intermediate hosts. The aim of the present study was to assess the larval development of A. abstrusus in R. decollata snails and to investigate its potential as an intermediate host. For this purpose, first-stage larvae (L1) of A. abstrusus were obtained from the faeces of naturally infected cats. Doses of 500 L1/snail were given to 24 R. decollata snails, placed on the soil of the breeder chamber, and maintained under laboratory conditions. Three snails were killed at 8, 10, 12, 16, 22, 26, 45 and 55 days post-infection (dpi), and the muscular foot and visceral body were separately digested by an artificial digestion technique. The morphometric parameters of different larval stages were recorded. The mean number of larvae reaching the infective stage at the end of the study (L3) was 262 larvae/snail. The greatest development to L3 was recorded from days16 to 55 pi, during which the isolation was maximum. A. Abstrusus L3 were isolated from the viscera, but isolation from the snail foot was significantly higher. Our results showed for the first time the ability of A. Abstrusus larvae to develop in R. decollata, thus serving as a potential intermediate host.