Gross lesions associated with Sarcocystis miescheriana in a wild boar hunted for human consumption: the importance of trained hunters to ensure animal health surveillance and food safety

Abstract

Sarcocystis is a genus of protozoa with a worldwide distribution infecting a wide range of animals, including humans. Wild boars can harbor at least two species of Sarcocystis, that is, the zoonotic Sarcocystis suihominis, using humans as definitive hosts, and Sarcocystis miescheriana, for which wild and domestic canids serve as definitive hosts. In Portugal, hunting holds significant economic and social importance, and wild boars are among the most appreciated hunted species. As the consumption of wild boar meat can expose humans to several foodborne pathogens, the presence of trained hunters can make a difference in ensuring animal health surveillance and food safety. Herein, we report the detection of macroscopic cystic lesions associated with S. miescheriana in a wild boar hunted for human consumption, resulting in carcass condemnation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the presence of S. miescheriana in wild boar tissues has never been associated with macroscopic pathological alterations before. Although S. miescheriana cannot infect humans, carcasses affected by grossly visible pathological changes must be declared unfit for consumption. Therefore, our finding points out the potential economic damage associated with carcass rejection due to the presence of gross lesions associated with generalized sarcocystosis. Nonetheless, further studies are required to investigate these alterations that currently appear to be occasional findings.