First Report of Echinococcus ortleppi in Free-Living Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) from Portugal

Teresa Letra Mateus,Anabela Vilares,Idalina Ferreira,Manuela Rodrigues,Catarina Coelho,Maria João Gargaté,Madalena Vieira-Pinto

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9061256

Abstract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis that is prevalent worldwide. It is considered endemic in Portugal but few studies have been performed on Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato and their hosts. In this study, CE cysts are reported for the first time in a free-living wild boar (Sus scrofa) in Portugal. The presence of the metacestodes in the liver of the wild boar was identified by morphological features, microscopic examination and molecular analysis. The sequencing of part of the DNA nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer-1 (ITS-1) region revealed a G5 genotype that presently corresponds to Echinococcus ortleppi. This is the first report of E. ortleppi in Portugal and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, in Europe. These results suggest that wild boar may be a host of CE, namely, crossing the livestock–wildlife interface, which has important public health implications. Wildlife reservoirs must be taken into account as CE hosts and surveillance of game as well as health education for hunters should be implemented using a One Health approach, with implementation of feasible and tailor-made control strategies, namely, proper elimination of byproducts in the field.

Highlights

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis that is prevalent worldwide, except for Antarctica, and the burden of infection is significant in the Mediterranean countries and the Iberian Peninsula [1]
The parasite develops in the small intestine, its eggs are excreted through feces and spread into the environment and can be ingested by several intermediate hosts, including domestic and wild mammals who develop the larval cysts or metacestodes, mainly in the liver or in other organs [2]
Regarding the hepatic location of the CE cysts in wild boar, similar results were obtained by Sgroi et al [20], in contrast to others studies where wild boar lungs were more often found infected [21,22]

Summary

Introduction

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonosis that is prevalent worldwide, except for Antarctica, and the burden of infection is significant in the Mediterranean countries and the Iberian Peninsula [1]. This disease is caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), a tapeworm that infects canids as definitive hosts. CE causes economic losses in animal production [3,4], as well as high morbidity and possible death in humans, an aberrant intermediate host It is considered a neglected and re-emerging disease [3]. In a recent study to assess the most important foodborne parasites in Europe, E. granulosus s.l

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