Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Trichinella spiralis among Pregnant Women in Rural Areas, Burkina Faso

Trichinellosis is a serious zoonotic disease with worldwide distribution caused by parasitic nematodes of the genus Trichinella. If not well managed, this can lead to complications and death. Data in Burkina Faso are scarce. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the seroprevalence and risk factors of Trichinella infection in Burkina Faso. This was a cross-sectional study where pregnant women attending antenatal care were enrolled after signature of an informed consent. Serum samples of 418 pregnant women were collected and stored at the Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro. Anti-Trichinella spiralis IgG Human ELISA Kit was used to test the samples at the Luxembourg Institute of Health. Anthropometric, clinical and socio-demographic data were collected using a structured questionnaire and Chi-square and Student t-tests were used to compare groups. The p-value significance threshold was set at 0.05. Overall, the seroprevalence of Trichinellosis was 2.4% (10/418). The baseline characteristics analysis showed associations between Trichinella seropositive pregnant women and factors such as body mass index (BMI) and gravidity. Individuals identified as Trichinella seropositive were not previously diagnosed and have not been treated for Trichinella infection with any specific therapy. A low seroprevalence of Trichinella infection was found in our study area. Efforts for continuous education in trichinellosis prevention are necessary.