Abstract
Infection with Trichinella nematodes elicits non-specific and specific immune responses; these depend on the dose of infection, the nematode, and the host species. Few studies have examined the presence of specific antibodies against Trichinella spp. in the meat juice of wild animals. The aims of the study were to determine the prevalence of antibodies against Trichinella spp. in meat juice and to identify the specific proteins reacting with the meat juice from free-living carnivores naturally infected with the parasite. Meat juice samples were taken from foxes, badgers, raccoon dogs, and martens and tested with indirect ELISA. Antibodies against Trichinella spp. were detected in 10% of foxes and 46% of raccoon dogs. The ELISA results were confirmed by immunoblot, which revealed different protein patterns in meat juice from red foxes, raccoon dogs, and badgers. The most frequently observed bands were sent for further analysis by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for the detection of Trichinella britovi immunogenic proteins. The results confirm the presence of proteins such as serine protease and heat shock proteins associated with Trichinella infection. These findings provide that meat juice is a useful matrix for proteomic analysis.