Epizootic and epidemiological trends of trichinellosis in Poland from 2015 to 2024

The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence and trends of trichinellosis in wild boars, pigs, and humans in Poland between 2015 and 2024 based on official veterinary and public health data. This article presents an analysis of trichinellosis data in wild boars, pigs, and humans in Poland from 2015 to 2024. The presented values were obtained from the annual RRW-6 reports of the Veterinary Inspectorate and supplemented with data from the National Institute of Public Health. In recent years, the number of examined wild boar and pig carcasses has declined. Nevertheless, the occurrence of trichinellosis during the analysed period showed considerable fluctuations, with an overall downward trend in the number of positive findings in both species. However, throughout the study period, Trichinella was detected more than 30 times more frequently in wild boars than in pigs, confirming that wild boars remain the main reservoir of the parasite. The number of human trichinellosis cases also fluctuated markedly, although a clear decline has been observed since 2020. Despite this decrease, the presented data indicate that trichinellosis continues to persist in the natural environment and on pig farms. Therefore, this issue should not be underestimated, considering the potential for expansion of the epizootic threat and the associated increased risk to public health.