A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries
Abstract Background Taenia solium, a zoonotic tapeworm, is responsible for about a third of all preventable epilepsy human cases in endemic regions. In Europe, adequate biosecurity of pig housing and meat inspection practices have decreased the incidence of T. solium taeniosis and cysticercosis. Pig...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-02-01
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| Series: | Parasites & Vectors |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3320-3 |
| _version_ | 1819108265765634048 |
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| author | Marina Meester Arno Swart Huifang Deng Annika van Roon Chiara Trevisan Pierre Dorny Sarah Gabriël Madalena Vieira-Pinto Maria Vang Johansen Joke van der Giessen |
| author_facet | Marina Meester Arno Swart Huifang Deng Annika van Roon Chiara Trevisan Pierre Dorny Sarah Gabriël Madalena Vieira-Pinto Maria Vang Johansen Joke van der Giessen |
| author_sort | Marina Meester |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Taenia solium, a zoonotic tapeworm, is responsible for about a third of all preventable epilepsy human cases in endemic regions. In Europe, adequate biosecurity of pig housing and meat inspection practices have decreased the incidence of T. solium taeniosis and cysticercosis. Pigs slaughtered at home may have been raised in suboptimal biosecurity conditions and slaughtered without meat inspection. As a result, consumption of undercooked pork from home slaughtered pigs could pose a risk for exposure to T. solium. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of human T. solium exposure from meat of home slaughtered pigs, in comparison to controlled slaughtered pigs, in European countries. A quantitative microbial risk assessment model (QMRA) was developed and porcine cysticercosis prevalence data, the percentage of home slaughtered pigs, meat inspection sensitivity, the cyst distribution in pork and pork consumption in five European countries, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Romania and Spain, were included as variables in the model. This was combined with literature about cooking habits to estimate the number of infected pork portions eaten per year in a country. Results The results of the model showed a 13.83 times higher prevalence of contaminated pork portions from home slaughtered pigs than controlled slaughtered pigs. This difference is brought about by the higher prevalence of cysticercosis in pigs that are home raised and slaughtered. Meat inspection did not affect the higher exposure from pork that is home slaughtered. Cooking meat effectively lowered the risk of exposure to T. solium-infected pork. Conclusions This QMRA showed that there is still a risk of obtaining an infection with T. solium due to consumption of pork, especially when pigs are reared and slaughtered at home, using data of five European countries that reported porcine cysticercosis cases. We propose systematic reporting of cysticercosis cases in slaughterhouses, and in addition molecularly confirming suspected cases to gain more insight into the presence of T. solium in pigs and the risk for humans in Europe. When more data become available, this QMRA model could be used to evaluate human exposure to T. solium in Europe and beyond. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:07:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-229df4f8d4ca4fa685befb4804ab89bc |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1756-3305 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T03:07:11Z |
| publishDate | 2019-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Parasites & Vectors |
| spelling | doaj.art-229df4f8d4ca4fa685befb4804ab89bc2022-12-21T18:41:01ZengBMCParasites & Vectors1756-33052019-02-0112111810.1186/s13071-019-3320-3A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countriesMarina Meester0Arno Swart1Huifang Deng2Annika van Roon3Chiara Trevisan4Pierre Dorny5Sarah Gabriël6Madalena Vieira-Pinto7Maria Vang Johansen8Joke van der Giessen9National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Infectious Disease ControlNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Infectious Disease ControlNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Infectious Disease ControlNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Infectious Disease ControlDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical MedicineDepartment of Veterinary Public Health and Food Safety, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent UniversityDepartment of Veterinary Medicine, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto DouroDepartment of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of CopenhagenNational Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM), Center for Infectious Disease ControlAbstract Background Taenia solium, a zoonotic tapeworm, is responsible for about a third of all preventable epilepsy human cases in endemic regions. In Europe, adequate biosecurity of pig housing and meat inspection practices have decreased the incidence of T. solium taeniosis and cysticercosis. Pigs slaughtered at home may have been raised in suboptimal biosecurity conditions and slaughtered without meat inspection. As a result, consumption of undercooked pork from home slaughtered pigs could pose a risk for exposure to T. solium. The aim of this study was to quantify the risk of human T. solium exposure from meat of home slaughtered pigs, in comparison to controlled slaughtered pigs, in European countries. A quantitative microbial risk assessment model (QMRA) was developed and porcine cysticercosis prevalence data, the percentage of home slaughtered pigs, meat inspection sensitivity, the cyst distribution in pork and pork consumption in five European countries, Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Romania and Spain, were included as variables in the model. This was combined with literature about cooking habits to estimate the number of infected pork portions eaten per year in a country. Results The results of the model showed a 13.83 times higher prevalence of contaminated pork portions from home slaughtered pigs than controlled slaughtered pigs. This difference is brought about by the higher prevalence of cysticercosis in pigs that are home raised and slaughtered. Meat inspection did not affect the higher exposure from pork that is home slaughtered. Cooking meat effectively lowered the risk of exposure to T. solium-infected pork. Conclusions This QMRA showed that there is still a risk of obtaining an infection with T. solium due to consumption of pork, especially when pigs are reared and slaughtered at home, using data of five European countries that reported porcine cysticercosis cases. We propose systematic reporting of cysticercosis cases in slaughterhouses, and in addition molecularly confirming suspected cases to gain more insight into the presence of T. solium in pigs and the risk for humans in Europe. When more data become available, this QMRA model could be used to evaluate human exposure to T. solium in Europe and beyond.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3320-3Taenia soliumCysticercosisQMRAExposureMeat inspectionPortion prevalence |
| spellingShingle | Marina Meester Arno Swart Huifang Deng Annika van Roon Chiara Trevisan Pierre Dorny Sarah Gabriël Madalena Vieira-Pinto Maria Vang Johansen Joke van der Giessen A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries Parasites & Vectors Taenia solium Cysticercosis QMRA Exposure Meat inspection Portion prevalence |
| title | A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries |
| title_full | A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries |
| title_fullStr | A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries |
| title_full_unstemmed | A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries |
| title_short | A quantitative risk assessment for human Taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in European countries |
| title_sort | quantitative risk assessment for human taenia solium exposure from home slaughtered pigs in european countries |
| topic | Taenia solium Cysticercosis QMRA Exposure Meat inspection Portion prevalence |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-019-3320-3 |
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