Results of Proficiency Testing for in Poland, 2015-2019

Trichinellosis is a zoonotic meat-borne disease caused by the nematodes of the genus . Meat containing live larvae is a source of infection. The examination of meat for was introduced in 1869, but the digestion method for this did not appear in Poland until the late 1970s. Nowadays, the meat of all food animals susceptible to spp. is examined in the frame of official control with the digestion method. The majority of laboratories in Poland meet the requirements of the ISO/IEC 17025 Standard (352 field laboratories). Laboratory personnel participate in quality control programs. This paper presents the results of proficiency tests (PTs) organized within 2015-2019 in Poland. Over this period, the laboratories examined 7580 samples (contamination levels: zero, one, three, and five larvae). Each laboratory was provided with a set of samples (one negative and three positive). Over 95% of the samples were considered correct in qualitative assessments, though the results of the quantitative evaluations were slightly lower, with 89% of samples being considered correct. Based on a sample evaluation, 88% of laboratories passed the PT comparison. A slight decrease was observed in the examination of samples spiked with five larvae, and great progress was achieved in samples containing three larvae. Low levels of sample contamination are sought after in laboratories but may make evaluations difficult. For this reason, we must consider increasing the number of larvae added to the samples in the next PTs.