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Pathogens
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Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases
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Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 18937

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jacinto Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Departamento de Ciências Agrárias e Veterinárias, Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, 7300-110 Portalegre, Portugal
2. Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health (CIISA), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: parasitic diseases; zoonotic diseases; molecular diagnostics; tropical diseases; epidemiology; sarcocystis; toxoplasma; echinococcus; giardia; cryptosporidium
Dr. Relja Beck

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Croatian Veterinary Institute, Savska Cesta 143, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: parasitology; foodborne parasites; molecular diagnostics and molecular epidemiology of parasites
Dr. Madalena Vieira-Pinto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal and Veterinary Research Centre (CECAV), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Interests: meat inspection; zoonoses and zoonotic agents; game meat hygiene; animal welfare
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The impact of foodborne parasites on human health has been underestimated because these pathogens often have insidious chronic effects, rather than causing acute diseases. These parasites are also associated with impoverished populations and many are zoonotic, with animals in their life cycle that act as reservoirs of infection. The emergence of foodborne parasites has brought them into focus, especially due to new trends that allowed them to appear in new locations and populations, transmitted through different food types, and sometimes with unexpected symptoms. This reinforces the need to have a One Health approach not only in the understanding of the epidemiology but mostly in the management of these diseases.

This Special Issue is dedicated to studies covering different aspects of foodborne parasite research, such as their etiology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis, as well as the diagnosis, control, and treatment of foodborne parasitic diseases. Review papers, case reports, and experimental studies would also provide a valuable contribution to the scientific community.

Dr. Jacinto Gomes
Dr. Relja Beck
Dr. Madalena Vieira-Pinto
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • foodborne parasites
  • One Health
  • epidemiology
  • zoonotic diseases
  • helminths
  • protozoa
  • domestic animals
  • wildlife

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2070 KiB  
Article
Eugenol; Effective Anthelmintic Compound against Foodborne Parasite Trichinella spiralis Muscle Larvae and Adult
by Mai ElGhannam, Yasser Dar, Mostafa Hassan ElMehlawy, Fatma A. Mokhtar and Lamia Bakr
Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010127 - 12 Jan 2023
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3024
Abstract
Trichinosis is a foodborne parasitic infection that results from ingestion of raw or under-cooked pork meat infected by parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis with cosmopolitan distribution. Anthelmintic drugs are used to eliminate intestinal adult parasites and larvae as well as tissue-migrating newborn and in-turn [...] Read more.
Trichinosis is a foodborne parasitic infection that results from ingestion of raw or under-cooked pork meat infected by parasitic nematode Trichinella spiralis with cosmopolitan distribution. Anthelmintic drugs are used to eliminate intestinal adult parasites and larvae as well as tissue-migrating newborn and in-turn encysted larvae. However, eliminating the infection or averting it from transmission is rarely possible using anthelmintic groups of benzimidazole derivatives. Eugenol (EO) is the main extracted constituent of clove oil (80–90%) and is responsible for its aroma. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the effect of eugenol on both adult and muscle larvae of Trichinella spiralis in vitro. IC50 for different concentrations of eugenol were calculated for both muscle larvae (187.5 µM) and adults (190.4 µM) to determine the accurate dose range. Both the nematode stages were cultured in the commonly used RPMI-1640 media in 24-well plates. Different concentrations of eugenol (122, 305, 609, 1218, and 3045 µM) were administered in different groups of larvae/adults. The parasitological parameters were monitored after 1, 3, 6, 10, 24 h for each EO concentration in concomitant with the control groups. Reference chemotherapeutic anthelminthic drug “albendazole” (at dose 377 µM) was experimentally grouped in triplicates as positive control and the untreated as negative control, respectively. Mortality was observed where time-dependent adult stages were less susceptible than muscle larvae. Eugenol achieved 100% efficacy against T. spiralis larvae and killed the total larvae after 10 and 24 h at concentrations of 1218 and 3045 µM, the same as albendazole’s effect on the positive control group. In regard to adults, resembling muscle larvae (ML), a significant effect of both concentrations at p < 0.0001 was obtained, and the concentration × time interaction was significant at p < 0.0001. Furthermore, the treated/untreated adult and muscle larvae were collected and processed for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Massive destruction of parasite burden was observed, especially at high concentrations (1218 and 3045 µM). In addition, complete and mild loss in cuticular striation in both the treated and positive controls were confirmed by SEM, respectively, in comparison to the control untreated group. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases)
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9 pages, 1051 KiB  
Article
The Investigation of Giardiasis (Foodborne and Waterborne Diseases) in Buffaloes in Van Region, Türkiye: First Molecular Report of Giardia duodenalis Assemblage B from Buffaloes
by Özlem Orunç Kılınç, Adnan Ayan, Burçak Aslan Çelik, Özgür Yaşar Çelik, Nazmi Yüksek, Gürkan Akyıldız and Fatma Ertaş Oğuz
Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 106; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010106 - 8 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3433
Abstract
Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis) is an important zoonotic protozoan agent that causes foodborne and waterborne diarrhea in humans and other mammals. Molecular-based tests are critical in diagnosing giardiasis in humans and animals, identifying species, understanding the zoonotic potential and transmission routes, and [...] Read more.
Giardia duodenalis (G. duodenalis) is an important zoonotic protozoan agent that causes foodborne and waterborne diarrhea in humans and other mammals. Molecular-based tests are critical in diagnosing giardiasis in humans and animals, identifying species, understanding the zoonotic potential and transmission routes, and evaluating taxonomy. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the molecular characterization of G. duodenalis in buffaloes in the Van region in Türkiye. Buffaloes are a species that has been poorly studied in this regard. For this purpose, 100 fecal samples were collected from buffaloes in the Van region. The DNA extraction was performed using the GeneMATRIX STOOL DNA Purification Kit from stool samples. The nested PCR test was performed with the appropriate primers from the obtained DNA samples. The obtained bands suitable for sequencing were sent for sequence analysis, and the sequence results were aligned bidirectionally and compared with the database of GenBank by BLAST. As a result of the study, an 11% positivity rate for G. duodenalis was found in buffaloes, and assemblage E and assemblage B were isolated. To our knowledge, assemblage B in buffaloes was reported for the first time in this study. As a result, it was concluded that buffaloes are an important reservoir for waterborne and foodborne giardiasis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases)
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17 pages, 1878 KiB  
Article
Systematic Review and Modelling of Age-Dependent Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Livestock, Wildlife and Felids in Europe
by Filip Dámek, Arno Swart, Helga Waap, Pikka Jokelainen, Delphine Le Roux, Gunita Deksne, Huifang Deng, Gereon Schares, Anna Lundén, Gema Álvarez-García, Martha Betson, Rebecca K. Davidson, Adriana Györke, Daniela Antolová, Zuzana Hurníková, Henk J. Wisselink, Jacek Sroka, Joke W. B. van der Giessen, Radu Blaga and Marieke Opsteegh
Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010097 - 6 Jan 2023
Cited by 16 | Viewed by 6179
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of importance to both human and animal health. The parasite has various transmission routes, and the meat of infected animals appears to be a major source of human infections in Europe. We aimed to estimate T. gondii [...] Read more.
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite of importance to both human and animal health. The parasite has various transmission routes, and the meat of infected animals appears to be a major source of human infections in Europe. We aimed to estimate T. gondii prevalence in a selection of animal host species. A systematic literature review resulting in 226 eligible publications was carried out, and serological data were analyzed using an age-dependent Bayesian hierarchical model to obtain estimates for the regional T. gondii seroprevalence in livestock, wildlife, and felids. Prevalence estimates varied between species, regions, indoor/outdoor rearing, and types of detection methods applied. The lowest estimated seroprevalence was observed for indoor-kept lagomorphs at 4.8% (95% CI: 1.8–7.5%) and the highest for outdoor-kept sheep at 63.3% (95% CI: 53.0–79.3%). Overall, T. gondii seroprevalence estimates were highest within Eastern Europe, whilst being lowest in Northern Europe. Prevalence data based on direct detection methods were scarce and were not modelled but rather directly summarized by species. The outcomes of the meta-analysis can be used to extrapolate data to areas with a lack of data and provide valuable inputs for future source attribution approaches aiming to estimate the relative contribution of different sources of T. gondii human infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases)
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11 pages, 2093 KiB  
Article
First Molecular Identification of Fasciola gigantica in Slaughtered Cattle in Cape Verde: Prevalence, Gross Pathological Lesions, Genetic Identification and Coprological Analysis
by Sara Levy, Manuela Calado, Teresa Letra Mateus and Madalena Vieira-Pinto
Pathogens 2023, 12(1), 75; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12010075 - 3 Jan 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3196
Abstract
A study on fasciolosis prevalence, gross pathological lesions, fluke genetic identification and coprological analysis was carried out in slaughtered cattle from one abattoir in Cape Verde. Of the 131 cattle inspected over two months, 12 (9.0%) presented fasciolosis-compatible lesions (FCL) that resulted in [...] Read more.
A study on fasciolosis prevalence, gross pathological lesions, fluke genetic identification and coprological analysis was carried out in slaughtered cattle from one abattoir in Cape Verde. Of the 131 cattle inspected over two months, 12 (9.0%) presented fasciolosis-compatible lesions (FCL) that resulted in liver condemnation. The genetic characterization of the flukes collected, through restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of PCR-amplified fragments (PCR-RFLP), confirmed the presence of Fasciola gigantica; therefore, being the first identification of this species in cattle from Cape Verde. Animals that released Fasciola spp. eggs and, thus, responsible for environment contamination (positive shedders), were identified through coprological analysis (natural sedimentation technique). Of the 12 animals with FCL, samples from 11 were submitted to coprological analysis and 7 (63.6%) were found to be positive shedders. Furthermore, of the 82 animals with non-FCL, randomly selected for coprological analysis, 4 (4.9%) were also found to be positive shedders for Fasciola spp. The results of this study, regarding species identification and coprological analysis, are epidemiologically important to update the information regarding fasciolosis in Cape Verde. The new data could help implement effective strategies for disease control and mitigation, consequently reducing economic loss and the level of animal and human infection from the One Health perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases)
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12 pages, 2051 KiB  
Article
Parallel Propagation of Toxoplasma gondii In Vivo, In Vitro and in Alternate Model: Towards Less Dependence on the Mice Model
by Maria João Gargaté, Anabela Vilares, Idalina Ferreira, Tânia Reis, Susana Martins, Joana Mendonça, Vítor Borges and João Paulo Gomes
Pathogens 2022, 11(9), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11091038 - 13 Sep 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2028
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan. In pregnant women, it can lead to severe birth defects or intrauterine death of the fetus. Most of what is currently know on cell biology of T. gondii comes from studies relying on the RH strain [...] Read more.
Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular protozoan. In pregnant women, it can lead to severe birth defects or intrauterine death of the fetus. Most of what is currently know on cell biology of T. gondii comes from studies relying on the RH strain propagated in mice. According to the recommendations concerning the animal welfare, we assayed in vitro/in vivo procedures to replace, or at least reduce, the demanding animal model for strain propagation. We evaluated the genetic and phenotypic stability of the RH strain throughout its parallel continuous propagation in mice, in human foreskin fibroblasts (HFF) and in an alternate fashion of these two procedures. We also assessed the virulence impact on the RH strain after different periods of its long-term propagation strictly in cells. The RH strain completely lost its virulence after long-term passage in HFF. Nevertheless, we obtained a successful outcome with the alternate passaging of the parasite in HFF and in mice as this approach enabled T. gondii to maintain the evaluated phenotypic properties, mainly its virulence potential. Also, no genetic changes were observed in genes known to be highly polymorphic or involved in pathoadaptation. In conclusion, the alternate model seems to be a feasible method for T. gondii propagation and maintenance, strongly impacting the number of sacrificed mice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology and Management of Foodborne Parasitic Diseases)
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