Epidemiological studies on trichinellosis in pigs (Sus scofa) in India.

The present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of trichinellosis in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) in India. A total of 319 tissue and 279 serum samples were collected from 279 slaughter pigs. The samples were collected from small slaughter shops located in Assam, Chandigarh (Union territory), Punjab and Uttarakhand states of the country. The presence of Trichinella spp. antibodies in serum was determined using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit and tissue samples were digested using the OIE recommended pepsin-HCl digestion method. The overall seroprevalence of trichinellosis was found to be 2.87 %. The age wise seroprevalence was found to be 2.83 % in pigs aged more than 6 months and 3.12 % in pigs <6 months of age. The seroprevalence was more in male (3.38 %) than female (1.96 %) pigs. None of the samples were found positive using pepsin-HCl digestion method. Since none of the samples was found positive for Trichinella, PCR assay could not be employed in the current study. The age, sex and management practices of the animals were not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with seroprevalence. The current research confirms that trichinellosis remains a rare zoonosis in India. However, extensive studies must be carried out in wildlife to identify reservoir hosts in the country.