Prevalence of antibodies in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from Strzałowo Forest Division, Warmia and Mazury Region, Poland.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE

Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis caused by a protozoan, . Raw or undercooked venison may be a source of infection in humans. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of antibodies in wild boar from the Strzałowo Forest Division of the Warmia and Mazury Region of Poland.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 90 samples were collected from 50 wild boar: 40 from both tongue and diaphragm muscles, 4 from diaphragm muscles and six from tongue muscles. Samples were analyzed using the commercial PrioCHECK® Toxoplasma Ab porcine ELISA, according to the manufacturer's instructions.

RESULTS

antibodies were detected in 24 of 50 (48%) tested animals. antibodies were detected in 40 of 90 (44.4%) tested samples (21 of tongue muscles and 19 of diaphragm muscles). In the 40 wild boar that provided samples of meat juice from the tongue and diaphragm muscles, specific antibodies were more prevalent in the tongue (20 of 40 animals - 50%) than in the diaphragm muscles (17 of 40 animals - 42.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

The study revealed a high percentage of wild boar seropositive to . Muscle samples to obtain meat juice are easily available and simple to collect, even on the hunting grounds, which makes them suitable material for detecting antibodies in wild boar. Wild boar are essential to circulation in the environment, and raw or undercooked venison may be a source of human infections with this parasite.