Trichinella diagnostics and control: mandatory and best practices for ensuring food safety.

Because of its role in human disease, there are increasing global requirements for reliable diagnostic and control methods for Trichinella in food animals to ensure meat safety and to facilitate trade. Consequently, there is a need for standardization of methods, programs, and best practices used in the control of Trichinella and trichinellosis. This review article describes the biology and epidemiology of Trichinella, and describes recommended test methods as well as modified and optimized procedures that are used in meat inspection programs.

Comparison of three artificial digestion methods for detection of non-encapsulated Trichinella pseudospiralis larvae in pork.

In a ring trial involving five laboratories (A, B, C, D, and E), three different methods of artificial digestion were compared for the detection of non-encapsulated Trichinella pseudospiralis larvae in minced meat. Each sample panel consisted of ten 1g minced pork samples. All samples in each panel were derived from a bulk meat preparation with a nominal value of either 7 or 17 larvae per g (lpg).

Evaluation of a fluid versus a powder pepsin formulation to detect Trichinella spiralis larvae in meat samples by a digestion technique.

Pepsin powder constitutes a health risk, potentially causing severe allergic reactions to those handling the chemical. A fluid pepsin formulation was produced and tested, first in a preliminary study and then in a ring trial encompassing four European National Reference Laboratories (NRLs). The purpose of each trial was to ascertain and compare the action of pepsin powder with that of the pepsin fluid for digesting meat and liberating encapsulated Trichinella spiralis larvae for subsequent counting.

Interpretation of serum antibody response to Anoplocephala perfoliata in relation to parasite burden and faecal egg count.

Reason For Performing Study: Increased knowledge is needed to assist in the interpretation of presently available diagnostic techniques for infection by the tapeworm Anoplocephala perfoliata in horses.

Hypothesis: The suggested cut-off level of an A. perfoliata specific ELISA may not adequately reflect the actual infection level.

Population dynamics and intra-litter transmission patterns of Isospora suis in suckling piglets under on-farm conditions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the intra-litter infection dynamics of Isospora suis under natural conditions, and to study any association between parasite transmission and the contamination level of the farrowing pen by applying different interventions in order to reduce the transmission of I. suis infection within the litter. The study was divided in 2 trials including in total 22 litters (254 piglets).