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Epidemiology of Trichinella infection in the horse: the risk from animal product feeding practices.
Abstract: A discovery in 2002 of a Trichinella spiralis-infected horse in Serbia offered an opportunity to conduct needed epidemiological studies on how horses, considered herbivores, acquire a meat-borne parasite. This enigma has persisted since the first human outbreaks from infected horse meat occurred in then 1970s. The trace back of the infected horse to a farm owner was carried out. Interviews and investigations on the farm led to the conclusion that the owner had fed the horse food waste in order to condition the horse prior to sale. Further investigations were then carried out to determine the frequency of such practices among horse owners. Based on interviews of horse producers at local horse markets, it was revealed that the feeding of animal products to horses was a common practice. Further, it was alleged that many horses, particularly those in poor nutritional condition would readily consume meat. A subsequent series of trials involving the experimental feeding of 219 horses demonstrated that 32% would consume meat patties. To confirm that horses would eat infected meat under normal farm conditions, three horses were offered infected ground pork balls containing 1100 larvae. All three became infected, and at necropsy at 32 weeks later, were still positive by indirect IFA testing, but not by ELISA using an excretory-secretory (ES) antigen. This result indicates that further study is needed on the nature of the antigen(s) used for potential serological monitoring and surveillance of horse trichinellosis, especially the importance of antigenic diversity. The experimentally-infected horses also had very low infection levels (larvae per gram of muscle) at 32 weeks of infection, and although the public health consequences are unknown, the question of whether current recommended inspection procedures based on pepsin digestion of selected muscle samples require sufficient quantities of muscle should be addressed. It is concluded that horses are more willing to consume meat than realized and that the intentional feeding of animal products and kitchen waste is a common occurrence among horse owners in Serbia (and elsewhere?). This is a high risk practice which demands closer scrutiny by veterinary and food safety authorities, including the implementation of rules and procedures to ensure that such feeds are rendered safe for horses, as is now required for feeding to swine.
Publication Date: 2004-08-25 PubMed ID: 15325048DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.06.008Google Scholar: Lookup The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
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The research focuses on the occurrence of Trichinella infection in horses in Serbia due to practices of feeding them animal products. A significant portion of horses even consume meat, which might pose risks to public health given the parasites can be passed on to humans. However, current testing methods aren’t reliable, and feeding practices need scrutiny for the sake of animal and human safety.
Background and Objective
- The research was initiated in 2002 when a horse infected with Trichinella spiralis, a meat-borne parasite, was discovered in Serbia.
- Though horses are typically herbivores, instances of human outbreaks caused by consuming infected horse meat have been reported since the 1970s.
- The objective of the study was to understand how horses contract the infection and to assess the risk of such practices to public health.
Methodology
- The investigators traced back the infected horse to its farm owner, and through interviews, deduced that the owner used food waste, potentially including animal products, as feed.
- An expanded study interviewing more horse producers confirmed such feeding practices were prevalent.
- Then a series of trials were conducted to confirm whether horses would willingly eat meat, with the result being affirmative for 32% of the tested horses.
- To replicate the natural infection process, 3 horses were fed infected pork meat, all of which became infected.
Findings
- The experiment found that a significant number of horses in Serbia would eat meat willingly if offered.
- It was also discovered that infected horses maintained a low infection level (larvae per gram of meat) over time.
- Test results proved unreliable, as current testing methods could not detect the infection consistently.
Implications and Conclusions
- The study suggested that feeding practices involving food waste including meat can lead to Trichinella infection in horses, which could be transmitted to humans through horse meat.
- Current inspection procedures seem insufficient and might need modification for better detection of the infection rate.
- The widespread practice of feeding horses animal products requires greater oversight by veterinary and food safety authorities.
- Regulations should be established to ensure the safety of such feeds.
Overall, the research highlights an important public health issue, requiring immediate attention towards horses’ feeding practices and improvement in testing and surveillance mechanisms for Trichinella infection.
Cite This Article
APA
Murrell KD, Djordjevic M, Cuperlovic K, Sofronic Lj, Savic M, Djordjevic M, Damjanovic S.
(2004).
Epidemiology of Trichinella infection in the horse: the risk from animal product feeding practices.
Vet Parasitol, 123(3-4), 223-233.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2004.06.008 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- WHO/FAO Collaborating Centre for Parasitic Zoonosis, Danish Centre for Experimental Parasitology, Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, 3 Ridebanevej, DK-1870 Frederiksberg Copenhagen, Denmark. kdmurrell@comcast.net
MeSH Terms
- Animal Feed / parasitology
- Animal Husbandry / methods
- Animals
- Antibodies, Helminth / blood
- Behavior, Animal
- Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / veterinary
- Female
- Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect / veterinary
- Horse Diseases / epidemiology
- Horse Diseases / parasitology
- Horses
- Male
- Meat / parasitology
- Muscle, Skeletal / parasitology
- Swine
- Trichinella spiralis / growth & development
- Trichinellosis / epidemiology
- Trichinellosis / parasitology
- Trichinellosis / veterinary
- Yugoslavia / epidemiology
- Zoonoses / parasitology
Citations
This article has been cited 10 times.- Marques C, da Silva B, Nogueira Y, Bezerra T, Tavares A, Borges-Silva W, Gondim L. Brazilian Horses from Bahia State Are Highly Infected with Sarcocystis bertrami. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 10;12(24).
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- Kamani J, Bártová E, Kašpárková N, Mohammed SJ, Budíková M, Sedlák K. Seroprevalence of Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and Trichinella spp. infections in horses and donkeys from Nigeria, West Africa. Trop Anim Health Prod 2021 May 24;53(3):338.
- Stelzer S, Basso W, Benavides Silván J, Ortega-Mora LM, Maksimov P, Gethmann J, Conraths FJ, Schares G. Toxoplasma gondii infection and toxoplasmosis in farm animals: Risk factors and economic impact. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2019 Jun;15:e00037.
- Scandrett B, Konecsni K, Lalonde L, Boireau P, Vallée I. Detection of natural Trichinella murrelli and Trichinella spiralis infections in horses by routine post-slaughter food safety testing. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2018 Jun;11:1-5.
- Watier-Grillot S, Vallée I, Lacour SA, Cana A, Davoust B, Marié JL. Strayed dogs sentinels of Trichinella britovi infection in Kosovo. Parasite 2011 Aug;18(3):281-3.
- Meng XJ, Lindsay DS, Sriranganathan N. Wild boars as sources for infectious diseases in livestock and humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009 Sep 27;364(1530):2697-707.
- Korínková K, Pavlícková Z, Kovarcík K, Koudela B. Distribution of muscle larvae and antibody dynamics in goats experimentally infected with Trichinella spiralis. Parasitol Res 2006 Nov;99(6):643-7.
- Ullah A, Geng M, Chen W, Zhu Q, Shi L, Zhang X, Akhtar MF, Wang C, Khan MZ. Effect of Parasitic Infections on Hematological Profile, Reproductive and Productive Performance in Equines. Animals (Basel) 2025 Nov 14;15(22).
- Dubey JP, Thompson PC, Fournet V, Hill DE, Zarlenga D, Gamble HR, Rosenthal BM. Over a century of progress on Trichinella research in pigs at the United States Department of Agriculture: Challenges and solutions. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2024 Sep;36:e00239.
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