Effects of the application of trichinellosis control program in an endemic area in Serbia

Abstract

Trichinellosis is a disease that affects both humans and animals, caused by a parasite from the Trichinellidae family and Trichinella genus. Humans get infected by consuming infected and inadequately thermally treated meat from domestic or wild animals containing cocooned infective larvae of T. spiralis. Aside from health problems caused by trichinellosis as a zoonosis, there is no doubt that it represents a serious economic problem for swine meat producers. The research in this paper has been performed in Serbia, in a region which is located at the confluence of two large rivers, and it is the geographical location which makes it an endemic area for the presence of T. spiralis. Epidemiological data pertains to the period of 1995-2003, but also to the period 2003-2009, when the implementation of the program for control and eradication of trichinellosis was complete. The diagnostic testing of cadavers of slaughtered swine for the presence of T. spiralis in the period of 1995-2003 included 41.04% of the slaughtered swine, out of which 0.4281% were positive, and the amount of economic loss was 95301000 dinars or about one million EUR. The infection was confirmed in 432 patients during the research period. The preparation of the program for the control and eradication of trichinellosis has been made in accordance with applicable laws and technological standards, with a clear determination of input and output using a cost-benefit analysis. The effects of its application show a reduction in the number of swine which are positive for the presence of T. spiralis by a factor of three times (p lt 0.01), and the present net value (PNV) and the benefit/cost ratio (B/C) show economic and epidemiological justification.

Trihineloza je zajedničko oboljenje ljudi i životinja koje izaziva parazit koji pripada familiji Trichinellidae i rodu Trichinella. Čovek se zarazi tako što konzumira zaraženo, nedovoljno termički obrađeno meso domaćih i divljih životinja u kojima se nalazi učaurena infektivna larva T. spiralis. Pored zdravstvenih problema koje izaziva trihineloza kao zoonoza, nesumljivo je da ona predstavlja i ozbiljan ekonomski problem za proizvođača svinjskog mesa. Ova istraživanja su izvršena u Srbiji na teritoriji jednog regiona koji se nalazi u slivu dve velike reke, i zbog takvog geografskog položaja predstavlja endemsko područje za prisustvo T. spiralis. Epidemiološki podaci se odnose na period 1995-2003. godine, kao i na period 2003- 2009. godine kada je izvršena implementacija programa kontrole i eradikacije trihineloze. Dijagnostičkim ispitivanjem trupova zaklanih svinja na prisustvo T. spiralis u periodu 1995-2003. godina obuhvaćeno je 41.04% zaklanih svinja od čega je bilo 0.4281% pozitivnih svinja, a visina ekonomskih gubitaka iznosila je 95 301 000 dinara ili oko milion EUR-a. U toku posmatranog perioda obolele su 432 osobe. Izrada programa za kontrolu i eradikaciju trihineloze izvršena je na osnovu važećih zakona i tehnoloških standarda, uz jasnu determinaciju 'inputa' i 'outputa' pomoću 'cost-benefit' analize. Efekti njegove primene pokazuju smanjenje broja pozitivnih svinja na prisustvo T. spiralis za tri puta (p lt 0,01), a neto sadašnja vrednost (PNV) i odnos koristi i troškova (B/C) pokazuju ekonomsku i epidemiološku opravdanost.