Epidemiology of Trichinella in Greenland—occurrence in animals and man

Objectives. Infections with the zoonotic parasite Trichinella are common in polar bears, walrus, and foxes in the Arctic, and the disease trichinellosis is a problem in humans. In Greenland, large outbreaks were observed during the 1 940s and 1 950s, but since then only few cases have been registered. As epidemiological studies have been scarce, the overall aim of this study was to evaluate the status of Trichinella infections in humans, sled dogs, and seals in Greenland. The study was divided into separate parts, with the following aims: to determine the prevalence of Trichinella infection in four of the main seal species caught and eaten by Greenlanders; to determine the prevalence of Trichinella infection in sled dogs in order to evaluate the background infection pressure on humans in different municipalities; to evaluate the current Trichinella status in the human population by determining the seroprevalence of Trichinella infections in humans, to evaluate any temporal or regional variations in prevalence and finally to detect any association between seropositivity and various risk factors.