[Epidemiology of human trichinellosis in Poland--currently and in the past].

Since the XIX century human trichinellosis has remained an unsolved problem of public healthcare in Poland. This paper describes the past situation and analyses current changes in the epidemiological pattern of trichinellosis in Poland. Epidemiological data from the last 60 years, point out that the number of human cases as well as the number of deaths caused by trichinellosis has decreased significantly. Up to 90s the main source of Trichinella infection for people was pork. Among other implemented control measures, the introduction of the artificial digestion method in the early 80s to detect trichinellosis in pigs resulted in a shift in the sources of Trichinella infection in humans - pork was replaced with wild boar meat. In the years 1990-1995 the number of outbreaks due to pork consumption was 3.5-times higher than in the years 2000-2005. In the early nineties pork was the source of infection causing about 71% of all outbreaks; in 2000-2005 that number has fallen to only 12%. On the other hand wild boar meat was responsible for 23% of the outbreaks in 1990-1995 and as many as 88% of all outbreaks in the years 2000-2005. Moreover the number of persons infected in the outbreaks significantly decreased. The study of wild animals demonstrated that wild boars in Poland are infected not only with T. spiralis but also with Trichinella britovi. These results and EU recommendations indicate a requirement of determining the Trichinella species which cause infections in outbreaks. In the 3 trichinellosis outbreaks in 2005 the infected meat products were examined with molecular tools. T. spiralis species larvae were the etiological agents of infection in all these outbreaks. The current epidemiological situation of trichinellosis in Poland indicates a need of increasing the awareness of risks related to wild boar meat consumption among the general public. Introducing the artificial digestion method as an obligatory method for wild boar meat examination is also necessary.