EPIDEMIOLOGIC INVESTIGATION OF TRICHINOSIS IN SWITZERLAND

Domestic pigs in Switzerland have been considered Trichinella-free for decades, despite the occurrence of Trichinella in the wildlife cycle. In order to reevaluate the present epidemiological situation, tissue samples from 11226 domestic pigs, 356 wild boars and 452 foxes were ex amined using the standard artificial digestion method. A simultaneous serological study, extended to include 25239 sera from sows provided b y a Swiss pig serum bank, was also undertaken. The results of both stu dies support the conclusion that Trichinella spp. do not occur within the domestic pig population in Switzerland. Among the fox population, Trichinella was detected in four (0.9%) of the animals tested using th e digestion method and Trichinella britovi was identified as the infec ting species by RAPD fingerprint analyses. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B .V.