Abstract
Simple SummaryWild boars are widely distributed in the northern and southern wooded regions of Switzerland and are popular for their meat. Wild boars can carry a variety of parasites, bacteria, and viruses that could infect humans and domestic animals. In this study, we focused on two important pathogens, the parasite Toxoplasma gondii and the bacterium Salmonella. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) tests to detect antibodies to these pathogens in diaphragm tissue samples from hunted wild boars from two different regions of Switzerland. While the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies was similar for animals from the northern and southern region (29% and 37%, respectively), Salmonella seropositivity was very much higher in wild boars from the northern area (52%) than among animals from the south (5%). This may be related to the wild boar density, which may in turn be a risk factor for domestic animals and humans living in the same area. Pathogens in wild boars are of public health significance as a potential source of meat-borne diseases in humans.Toxoplasma gondii and Salmonella are zoonotic foodborne pathogens that may be transmitted to humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked meat, including game. The aim of this study was to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii and Salmonella antibodies in wild boars in two different regions in Switzerland. During the hunting season of 2020, a total of 126 diaphragm muscle samples of hunted wild boars were collected and the meat juice of these samples was analysed for pathogen-specific IgG antibodies using commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The overall seroprevalences were 35% for T. gondii and 17% for Salmonella, respectively. In general, seropositivity increased with the age of the animals. Seroprevalences of T. gondii were similar for animals from the northern region (29%) to those from the southern region (36.8%), indicating that T. gondii is widespread in the sylvestrian environment. By contrast, Salmonella seropositivity was remarkably higher in wild boars from the north (52%) compared with those from the south (5.3%). The high occurrence of Salmonella may represent a risk of transmission to compatriot domestic animals such free-range farmed pigs as well as to humans. Further, meat of hunted wild boars may present a source of human toxoplasmosis or salmonellosis.
Highlights
This study showed that wild boars in Switzerland are seropositive for T. gondii at an overall rate of 35%, which is remarkably higher than the prevalence of 6.7% reported in an earlier study from Switzerland [10], but comparable to pooled estimated T. gondii seroprevalences for wild boars in Europe (26%) as well as globally (23%) published in a systematic review and meta-analyses [9]
The observed T. gondii seroprevalences were similar for animals originating from the wild boar population in northern Switzerland and animals from southern Switzerland, suggesting that T. gondii is widespread in sylvestrian environments in both geographical areas
This study underlines the possible role of wild boars in the dissemination of T. gondii and Salmonella spp
Summary
The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is widely distributed in most parts of Europe, including Switzerland [1]. In Switzerland, there are two separate wild boar populations consisting of a northern population ranging from Geneva to St. Gallen and a southern population distributed throughout the canton Ticino [1]. The two populations are separated by the Alps, which act as a natural physical and climatic barrier between northern and southern Switzerland. The past decades have seen an increase in the wild boar populations similar to what has been observed in other European countries [2]
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