A Large-Scale Survey of Trichinella spp. Infection in Japanese Wild Boars

This study presents the results of a large-scale, one-year survey of Trichinella spp. in Japanese wild boars (Sus scrofa). We analyzed the tongues of 1,168 wild boars captured by hunters in 30 prefectures of Japan, most of which were boar habitats, from October 2014 to January 2015. The samples were digested, and the prevalence of Trichinella spp. muscle larvae was examined. Examination of pooled samples from 10 individuals (15 g per head) or 117 randomly selected samples (10% of the total number of samples) that were individually processed showed no larval infection. Thus, our data suggests that Japanese wild boars do not play a major role in the sylvatic cycle of Trichinella parasites.