Food and Waterborne Parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Serological and molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii in chickens in southern Syria","authors":"Dhifaf Mahmood,&nbsp;Samar Al Nahhas","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00255","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00255","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is a foodborne protozoan parasite that infects all warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide. Poultry become infected with <em>T. gondii</em> oocysts by ground feeding, and humans contract toxoplasmosis by the consumption of raw or undercooked infected meat. In Syria, no research has been documented regarding <em>T. gondii</em> infection in chickens; therefore, this study was carried out to determine the infection rate in chickens using serological and molecular assays. A total of 59 birds (50 females and 9 males) including free range (FR) and caged chickens were purchased from the southern governorates of Syria. Blood and tissues (brain, heart, liver and pectoral muscle) were collected and analyzed for the presence of anti-<em>T. gondii</em> antibodies and parasite DNA by indirect hemagglutination test and semi-nested PCR, respectively. Overall, sero-positivity for <em>T. gondii</em> antibody was 72.9% (81.4% FR and 18.6% caged). Female chickens had higher prevalence than males (83.7% vs 16.3%). Furthermore, chickens older than six months showed higher infection rates compared to younger ones. Evidence of <em>T. gondii</em> DNA was detected in tissue homogenates from both groups of chickens (83.1%). Our study demonstrates, a high prevalence of <em>T. gondii</em> in chickens indicating that this parasite poses a threat to food safety and public health in our study area. This finding supports the recommendations that poultry meat should be cooked well before consumption and appropriate hygiene measures should be followed when handling meat. Further studies should be conducted to determine the prevalence of <em>T. gondii</em> and its genotypes in poultry in other regions of Syria and to identify the associated risk factors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"39 ","pages":"Article e00255"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578013","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial Board Page","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2405-6766(25)00003-4","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2405-6766(25)00003-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"38 ","pages":"Article e00256"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143578541","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Edible plants as significant sources of Blastocystis spp. infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Abdollah Didban ,&nbsp;Farajolah Maleki ,&nbsp;Laya Shamsi ,&nbsp;Ali Asghari ,&nbsp;Behzad Bijani ,&nbsp;Amin Karampour","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00254","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2025.e00254","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to comprehensively overview the global epidemiology and subtypes (STs) distribution of <em>Blastocystis</em> spp. in edible plants. A comprehensive search of various electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) until May 19, 2024, found 27 studies/41 datasets meeting inclusion criteria, covering 8794 edible plants from 15 countries globally. Examined edible plants were composed of fruits (six datasets, 1198 samples), non-leafy green vegetables (10 datasets, 1158 samples), leafy green vegetables (18 datasets, 4245 samples), and uncategorized plants (seven datasets, 2193). This study revealed that 9.4 % (95 % CI: 6.6–13.4 %) of global edible plants harbored <em>Blastocystis</em> spp. Fruits had the highest <em>Blastocystis</em> spp. contamination rate among edible plants at 12.5 % (95 % CI: 5.4–26.6 %), followed by uncategorized plants at 10.2 % (95 % CI: 4.5–21.5 %), leafy green vegetables at 9.3 % (95 % CI: 6.1–13.9 %), and non-leafy green vegetables at 5.6 % (95 % CI: 2.5–12.1 %). Sensitivity analysis evaluated weighted prevalence changes after excluding specific studies. Subgroup analysis was conducted considering publication years, countries, continents, WHO regions, sample sizes, and diagnostic methods. Interestingly, zoonotic STs (ST1 and ST3) of <em>Blastocystis</em> spp. have been found in edible plants. These results highlight the potential risk of <em>Blastocystis</em> spp. transmission through consuming contaminated edible plants, emphasizing the importance of implementing adequate food safety measures to decrease the prevalence of this parasite in the food chain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"38 ","pages":"Article e00254"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143551976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of T. spiralis in a wolf in Italy: An increasing health concern?","authors":"G. Marucci ,&nbsp;C. Raso ,&nbsp;E. Borgogni ,&nbsp;F. Celani ,&nbsp;I. Tartarelli ,&nbsp;S. Cherchi ,&nbsp;A. Di Giambattista ,&nbsp;P. Calderini ,&nbsp;A. Casulli","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00253","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00253","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trichinella spiralis</em> is a zoonotic nematode parasite of worldwide distribution. It is present in Europe with important foci, particularly in Eastern countries and Spain. This species is generally associated with a domestic cycle that involves primarily pigs. It is best adapted for pigs but can also infect a wide range of other domestic, synanthropic, and wild mammals including carnivores, omnivores and scavengers. Before 2016, when <em>T. spiralis</em> larvae were detected in a red fox (<em>Vulpes vulpes</em>) in the Piacenza province (Emilia Romagna region, Northern Italy), this parasite had only been reported in Italy occasionally, being found in horses or pork products imported from Eastern Europe. We describe here the first isolation of <em>T. spiralis</em> in a wolf (<em>Canis lupus</em>) in the Lazio region, Central Italy. In the wolf specimen <em>T. spiralis</em> was identified in coinfection with <em>Trichinella britovi</em>, a species endemic in Italian wildlife. Among the <em>Trichinella</em> species, <em>T. spiralis</em> is the most frequently associated with human disease in Europe and is known to cause more severe symptoms than <em>T. britovi</em>. In light of wolf population expansion, the detection of <em>T. spiralis</em> in Central Italy implies new scenarios for the risk of human trichinellosis because of the high risk this species represents for domestic and wild pigs. Active monitoring of wildlife living in these areas is necessary to define the actual distribution of <!--> <!-->this species and to detect its possible presence in other areas of the Italian peninsula.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"38 ","pages":"Article e00253"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11743876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143013243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular characterization and zoonotic risk assessment of Cryptosporidium spp. in Philippine bats","authors":"Lin Xu ,&nbsp;Yasuhiro Fukuda ,&nbsp;Fumi Murakoshi ,&nbsp;Phillip Alviola ,&nbsp;Joseph Masangkay ,&nbsp;Frances Cagayat Recuenco ,&nbsp;Ayman Shehata ,&nbsp;Tsutomu Omatsu ,&nbsp;Hironori Bando ,&nbsp;Hikaru Fujii ,&nbsp;Yumi Une ,&nbsp;Kentaro Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cryptosporidium</em> is a genus of parasitic protozoa known to cause diarrheal disease that impacts both humans and animals through infection of various vertebrate species. Bats are recognized as reservoirs for zoonotic pathogens, including <em>Cryptosporidium</em>. The Philippines, renowned for its rich biodiversity, is home to diverse bat species, providing a unique ecological setting to investigate <em>Cryptosporidium</em> infection dynamics. Understanding the prevalence and genetic diversity of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> in Philippine bats is crucial for assessing their potential role in zoonotic disease transmission and associated public health risks.</div><div>We investigated the prevalence and genotypic diversity of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> in bats in the Philippines. From January 2019 to March 2024, a total of 569 bats were captured and analyzed, with 14 of the bat samples testing positive for the 18 s rRNA gene of <em>Cryptosporidium</em>, yielding an overall infection rate of 2.46 %. One sample exhibited co-infection, with 18 s rRNA sequence analysis indicating mixed infection with a species closely related to <em>Cryptosporidium parvum</em> (intestinal <em>Cryptosporidium</em>) and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> sp. (gastric <em>Cryptosporidium</em>). Phylogenetic analysis of the 18S rRNA gene revealed that intestinal and gastric <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. form two distinct clades. Intestinal <em>Cryptosporidium</em> includes <em>C. parvum</em>, <em>C. hominis</em>, and most bat genotypes, while gastric <em>Cryptosporidium</em>, such as <em>C. andersoni</em> and <em>C. serpentis</em>, is typically found in reptiles and cattle. An unidentified <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species was also detected in one sample, whose sequence matched that of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> previously isolated from a human patient with diarrhea. Nine other samples exhibited genotypes related to <em>C. parvum</em>, indicating a potential for transmission to humans. The remaining three samples exhibited <em>Cryptosporidium</em> bat genotypes II and VI, which have previously been detected in Philippine bats. Our findings underscore the role of bats in the Philippines as potential reservoirs for <em>Cryptosporidium</em> and highlight the diversity of <em>Cryptosporidium</em> species in Philippine bats.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"38 ","pages":"Article e00249"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11718318/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142972515","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial Board Page","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2405-6766(24)00032-5","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2405-6766(24)00032-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article e00250"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143163761","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Immuno-therapeutic and prophylactic potential of Trichinella spiralis antigens for inflammatory bowel diseases","authors":"Majed H. Wakid ,&nbsp;Walaa A. El Kholy ,&nbsp;Muslimah N. Alsulami ,&nbsp;Eman S. El-Wakil","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ulcerative colitis (UC), a severe chronic inflammatory disorder of the colon, is one of the inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that affects humans and several domestic animal species, including cats and dogs. Helminth infections and autoimmune diseases are inversely correlated, as explained by the hygiene hypothesis, which suggests that IBD is infrequent in countries where helminth infections are common but more prevalent in developed nations. This study investigated the therapeutic and prophylactic potential of <em>Trichinella spiralis</em> (<em>T. spiralis</em>) antigens in an experimental colitis model for IBD. Mice were divided into eight groups: normal model, colitis model, larval antigen prophylaxis, adult antigen prophylaxis, larval antigen therapeutic, adult antigen therapeutic, larval antigen prophylaxis and therapeutic, and adult antigen prophylaxis and therapeutic. Colitis was induced intrarectally by administering a single dose of 0.2 ml of acetic acid, except in the healthy group, which received PBS (0.2 ml). The mice were euthanized 12 days after colitis induction. The therapeutic and prophylactic potential of <em>T. spiralis</em> antigens were assessed through colitis severity and histopathological, immunological, and immunohistochemical examinations. The results showed a significant reduction in Disease Activity Index (DAI), an increase in goblet cells' acidic mucin levels, reduced iNOS and TNF-α expression, and decreased serum levels of IFN-γ and IL-10 cytokines in Groups IV-VIII compared to the colitis model, particularly in the group that received adult worm antigen both prophylactically and therapeutically. This study demonstrated that <em>T. spiralis</em> antigens, especially from adult worms, had protective and therapeutic effects on experimental colitis, with a superior effect when administered both before and after colitis induction by reducing inflammation and modulating the immune response. Thus, <em>T. spiralis</em> antigens may improve disease outcomes and provide a novel treatment approach for ulcerative colitis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article e00248"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Auditing of Danish pig herds for controlled housing requirements and Trichinella","authors":"Lis Alban ,&nbsp;Heidi Enemark ,&nbsp;Heidi Huus Petersen ,&nbsp;Lisbeth Harm Nielsen","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trichinella</em> is a zoonotic parasite, which historically has been of large concern for public health in Europe. Consequently, testing of all pigs for <em>Trichinella</em> has been mandatory in many European countries, even though <em>Trichinella</em> is almost exclusively found in outdoor or backyard production. The idea therefore emerged that auditing for biosecurity should replace testing in indoor production. In the European Union (EU), pigs raised under so-called controlled housing conditions are exempt from testing. The specific requirements for a pig production to be considered a controlled housing holding are described in Annex IV in the EU <em>Trichinella</em> Regulation No. 2015/1375. In Denmark, the controlled housing concept is used extensively, not to omit <em>Trichinella</em> testing but to allow visual-only post-mortem inspection at export-authorized abattoirs. The Danish pig industry has established a quality assurance scheme called DANISH Product Standard, which is used to assure that the pig production maintains specific standards. This paper describes how the control, including the auditing, is set up and shows how the EU requirements regarding controlled housing are controlled. Moreover, the EU requirements are compared with the recommendations issued by the International Commission on Trichinellosis and the World Organisation for Animal Health. Finally, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Danish way of documenting indoor finisher herds' compliance with controlled housing as specified by the EU are discussed. It is concluded that the validity of the system is high.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article e00247"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An immunochromatographic test using whole blood for rapid diagnosis of human paragonimiasis and its diagnostic usefulness","authors":"Patcharaporn Boonroumkaew ,&nbsp;Lakkhana Sadaow ,&nbsp;Penchom Janwan ,&nbsp;Rutchanee Rodpai ,&nbsp;Oranuch Sanpool ,&nbsp;Tongjit Thanchomnang ,&nbsp;Hiroshi Yamasaki ,&nbsp;Pewpan M. Intapan ,&nbsp;Wanchai Maleewong","doi":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.fawpar.2024.e00246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Paragonimiasis is a harmful food-borne zoonosis caused by lung flukes of the genus <em>Paragonimus</em>. The disease is found on most continents, several million people are at risk of infection, and it is a re-emerging disease in developing countries. The gold standard for diagnosis of pulmonary paragonimiasis requires the finding of eggs in sputa and/or fecal samples. In ectopic paragonimiasis cases, eggs are typically not seen, and supportive information is required such as a history of eating freshwater crabs or crayfishes, radiographic findings and immunological tests. Here, we developed a proof of concept based on lateral flow assay, an immunochromatographic test kit, named the paragonimiasis whole-blood test kit, for detection of specific IgG antibody in simulated whole-blood samples (WBSs) using worm excretory-secretory antigens to diagnose human paragonimiasis. The laboratory diagnostic values of this kit were compared with the detected IgG in serum samples. In simulated WBSs, the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 97.8 % and 96.1 %, respectively, while for serum samples, these values were 100.0 % and 94.8 %, respectively. The comparative IgG antibody detections whether a result was positive or negative between simulated WBSs and serum samples did not differ significantly with a concordance of 97.8 % in laboratory conditions using a circumscribed set of samples. The tool is fast and easy to use. The next step involves observing and evaluating native whole blood samples and using specific recombinant antigens need to be evaluated for support diagnosis of paragonimiasis caused by <em>P. heterotremus, P. westermani</em> and <em>P. miyazakii</em> at the bedside or at local and remote hospitals with limited facilities. It will also be valuable for epidemiological surveys in Asia where paragonimiasis is endemic.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"37 ","pages":"Article e00246"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142417578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Editorial Board Page","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S2405-6766(24)00026-X","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S2405-6766(24)00026-X","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":37941,"journal":{"name":"Food and Waterborne Parasitology","volume":"36 ","pages":"Article e00244"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240567662400026X/pdfft?md5=b4424fee49115d3321686e34a0ab0fb1&pid=1-s2.0-S240567662400026X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142167678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}