ABSTRACT
Nematodes (roundworms) of the genus Trichinella are the causative agents of trichinellosis (formerly trichinosis), a relevant, potentially deadly foodborne disease. 1 Humans acquire this infection by the consumption of raw or semi-raw meat and meat-derived products from domestic and wild swine, horses, and carnivores (e.g., bears, walruses, dogs, foxes, badgers, and cougars). 2 These zoonotic parasites show a cosmopolitan distribution in all the continents but Antarctica. 3 The life cycle of these infectious agents is prevalently sylvatic, but when humans fail in the management of wildlife and domestic animals, Trichinella spp. can be transmitted from the wild to the domestic animals. In addition, some species can be transferred in a reversible path from domestic animals to wildlife. 4
