Alaria alata in Terms of Risks to Consumers’ Health

Abstract

Alaria alata flukes are cosmopolitan parasites. In Europe, the definitive hosts are red foxes (Vulpes vulpes), wolves (Canis lupus), and raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides), as well as animals that belong to the Felidae family. Intermediate hosts, such as snails and frogs, are the sources of infection for definitive hosts. The developmental stages of A. alata mesocercariae may occur in paratenic hosts, including many species of mammals, birds, and reptiles, as well as in wild boars (Sus scrofa), which are important from the zoonotic point of view. Because there are no regulations concerning the detection of A. alata in meat, this fluke is usually detected during official obligatory Trichinella spp. inspections. However, a method dedicated to A. alata detection was developed. The growing popularity of game and organic meat has led to an increased risk of food-associated parasitic infections, including alariosis, which is caused by the mesocercarial stage of A. alata. The aim of this article is to highlight the problem of A. alata as an emerging parasite, especially in the terms of the increasing market for game and organic meats that have been processed with traditional methods, often without proper heat treatment.

Investigation of the Food-Transmitted Parasites Trichinella spp. and Alaria spp. in Wild Boars in Greece by Classical and Molecular Methods and Development of a Novel Real-Time PCR for Alaria spp. Detection

“…The case of generalized infection had a fatal outcome, as thousands of mesocercariae migrated to vital organs of the patient, who died just 9 days from the onset of symptoms, due to respiratory insufficiency caused by extensive pulmonary hemorrhage [45]. The various paratenic hosts of the parasite that include wild mammals and birds may have an important role in the transmission of this zoonosis, especially given the growing popularity and need for game and organic meat [10].…”

“…Even though the modern systems of pig farming have diminished the infection in pig meat, game meat remains an important source of human infection. The increase of game meat consumption evidenced in recent years [10] renders the continuous vigilance and monitoring of this infection, at the level of meat inspection and at the level of surveillance surveys, an imperative. On the other hand, A. alata, as an agent of a potentially emerging disease and a possible threat to human health, should also be monitored in a more systematic way.…”

“…Humans become infected by eating raw or undercooked meat from infected second intermediate and paratenic hosts, such as wild boars [6]. The species Alaria americana is incriminated for most human cases, and it is present in the Americas where the species Alaria mustelae, Alaria intermedia, Alaria marcianae, Alaria arisaemoides, Alaria canis, and Alaria taxideae have also been identified [6,10,11]. Alaria alata is the species found in Europe, and it is closely related to the zoonotic A. americana, as it has a similar life cycle with various wild animals as paratenic hosts that harbor mesocercariae.…”

Infection of Raccoon Dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides) from Northern Poland with Gastrointestinal Parasites as a Potential Threat to Human Health

“…For example, in Estonia, 68.3% of racoon dogs were infected with this fluke [ 5 ]. A common cause of alariosis in humans is consumption of raw or undercooked meat from intermediate hosts such as snails or frogs, or paratenic hosts, such as game [ 12 ]. The most common source of infection is wild boar meat, in the diet of which, in special cases, raccoon dogs (carrion) can be found.…”

Predicting the risk of Alaria alata infestation in wild boar on the basis of environmental factors

“…Even though with the possibility is very low, Alaria alata, a widespread emerging parasite, may pose a potential risk for human consumers of game, pork, snails and frogs ( Möhl et al, 2009 ; Korpysa-Dzirba et al, 2021 ). The life cycle of this parasite is complex and includes definitive, intermediate and paratenic hosts.…”