Application of GIS in epizootiological surveillance of swine trichinellosis in one endemic district in Serbia

Abstract

Summary:Application of new tools for epizootiological investigations in veterinary medicine, such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), offers a new approach and possibilities for the eradication or control of infectious diseases. GIS is particularly useful for research conducted in small areas strongly impacted by man. Trichinellosis is a world-wide zoonosis, which is endemic in some European countries, Balkan district and Serbia in particular. There are very few data on GIS application in the field of trichinellosis. We here present the application of GIS for mapping Trichinella spp. occurrence and spatial and temporal patterns of Trichinella infection in one endemic district in Serbia. Settlements with trichinellosis were marked and particular points of interest were designated. Data on prevalence of Trichinella infection in domestic swine accompanied by location of foci indicated the existence of disease geographical stationarity. This first report on GIS application in Serbia will facilitate trichinellosis surveillance and monitoring of Trichinella spp. circulation among domestic pigs, and populations of synanthropic and sylvatic animals.

First report of Trichinella britovi in Serbia

“…The prevalence of Trichinella infections in domestic pigs in these districts, during 2008 was: 0.009%, 0.03% and 0.37%, respectively (Sofronic-Milosavljevic, unpublished data). In 1999 and 2003, the Ministry of Agriculture of Serbia declared the district of Branicevo as an endemic region for Trichinella infections (Zivojinovic et al 2009(Zivojinovic et al , 2010. The presence of the so-called "domestic" Trichinella species in wildlife is not surprising, considering the occurrence of T. spiralis in the domestic cycle of Serbia and human behavior which supports the transmission of this pathogen species from the domestic to the sylvatic cycle and vice versa.…”

“…Our understanding of the transmission of Trichinella spp. in the domestic and sylvatic cycles (Pozio 2007b), points to many risk factors in Serbia including: 1) intentional feeding of pigs with food waste containing pork scraps; 2) scavenging on garbage dumps by pigs and dogs; and 3) disposal of carcasses in the open, which allows sylvatic animals to scavenge on carcasses of infected domestic swine (Pozio 2007b, Zivojinovic et al 2010. Our observations on the presence of T. spiralis among jackals and wild cats in Serbia support the suggestion that other wild animals associated with farms and settlements may also be involved in the infection cycle, transmitting the infection to pigs and also from pigs to other hosts (Murrell et al 1987).…”

Trichinellosis in Serbia and possibilities to improve control measures

“…So far, surveillance and monitoring of Trichinella spp. in domestic (pigs and dogs) and wild animals (wild boar, Sus scrofa; red foxes, Vulpes vulpes; golden jackals, Canis aureus and; wolves, Canis lupus) was carried out in some endemic districts in Serbia (Klun et al, 2019;Dmitrić et al, 2017;Ćirović et al, 2015;Teodorović et al, 2014;Zivojinovic, 2013;Zivojinovic et al, 2010;Zivojinovic et al, 2009). An investigation was also focused on the transmission pathways of Trichinella species (Živojinovic et al, 2015).…”

“…In the course of an epidemiological survey on Trichinella spp. circulating in Braničevo District (Zivojinovic et al 2010), muscle samples from domestic and wild animals were collected and tested by the artificial digestion method to collect Trichinella larvae according to the Commission Regulation (EC) No. 2075/2005 and the Manual of Standards for diagnostic tests and vaccines for terrestrial animals of the World Health Organization for Animal Health (European Commission, 2005;OIE, 2013).…”

“…iss.it/crlp). Geographical data of the Trichinella isolates from Braničevo District were collected using GARMIN Map Source (Garmin, Taiwan), and Trichinella isolates were mapped (Zivojinovic et al 2010). These data allowed the identification of the endemic foci in the district.…”