A new study has suggested that wild boars roaming around Spain and Portugal can transmit a parasite which affects humans.
Extensive research from an international team of scientists and Spanish researchers was published in the journal ‘Veterinary Research’.
The study said that “the continuous increase in wild boar populations across Europe has fostered conflicts between humans and wildlife, including the transmission of emerging pathogens.”
The research team investigated the genetic diversity of the parasite Blastocystis in wild boar populations on the Iberian Peninsula, discovering it can cause gastrointestinal problems in both animals and humans.
Spreading through the faecal-oral route, the study reveals that the nasty parasite has in fact been detected across a wide range of domestic and wild animals.
The work suggests the potential for “zoonotic transmission events in both directions”, meaning from animal to human and human to animal.
Over 15 percent of the wild boars analysed in the study were infected with the parasite, with higher rates in Portuguese boars (34.3 percent) than their Spanish counterparts (10 percent).
Seven different subtypes of the parasite were found among the wild boar population. A notable proportion of mixed infections was observed too, where animals were infected with more than one subtype.
The investigation further highlighted the prevalence of the parasite in free-ranging livestock herds, potentially acting as local sources.
“Prevalence rates of Blastocystis ranging from 56 to 80% were reported among cattle, sheep, and goats, and 22 distinct subtypes of Blastocystis were identified. Similarly, it has been shown that livestock in Spain harbours up to 10 subtypes of Blastocystis,” the journal stated.
Researchers point out the measures to be taken to prevent infection from spreading, including regular monitoring programmes covering the sampling of both wild and domestic animals.
With the common interactions between boars, livestock and humans, an increased sample collection and storage of the parasite will be taken to assess its potential transmission risk to humans.
