Seroprevalence of Trichinella Antibodies in Pigs Reared Under Different Husbandry Systems in Southwestern Nigeria

Swine are implicated as one of the important contributors of foodborne infections in humans. Management systems influence presence of and exposure to infections. Trichinellosis, a neglected tropical disease is widely misdiagnosed due to its similarities in clinical signs to a lot of ailments. We investigated the prevalence of Trichinella specific antibodies in pigs raised under different management systems in Southwestern Nigeria. Blood samples (450) were collected from different pigs raised under intensive, semi-intensive and extensive management systems between January and December, 2010. Demographic factors like age and sex were also recorded. The overall prevalence of trichinellosis in Southwestern Nigeria was 10.89%. The extensive system had the highest prevalence (12.80%) followed by the semi-intensive (10.00%) and intensive (9.00%) systems. The prevalence was 12.44%, 8.28% and 12.50% in adults, growers and weaners respectively. The males had a prevalence of 12.17% while females had a prevalence of 9.55%. Statistical analysis showed no significant difference between ages and sexes. Farm observations revealed most intensively managed farms were neither rodent nor wild-life free. To enhance the chances of raising Trichinella infection-free pigs, adherence to strict biosecurity measures is recommended in intensive management.