Research Note. Trichinella spiralis parasitizing Puma concolor: First record in wildlife in Chile

Abstract

The genus Trichinella is widespread in all continents but Antarctica. The only way to identify the species/genotypes is through molecular analyses. In Chile, only one study has reported Trichinella larvae in a cougar, but the species of Trichinella was not identified. In this work, the finding of Trichinella larvae in a cougar, together with their genotypic identification, is the first documentation of such in Chile. The cougar was found run over by a vehicle in the Biobío Region. Larvae were isolated following artificial digestion of the diaphragm and analyzed by means of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR product of 173 base pairs allowed for the classification of the larvae as T. spiralis. It is the first record of the species in Chilean wildlife. This finding in Chile is interesting in terms of human health, suggesting a possible role of the cougar as a reservoir for this parasite.