No abstract

Sum m ary:The use of serological tests to detect Trichinella infection in domestic and wild animals and in humans has not been standardised yet. This review provides an uniform set of recommendations for the development and use of serological tests to detect circulating antibodies in serum samples. The recommendations are based on the best scientific published information and on the unpublished data from laboratories with a great expertise in this field and represent the official position of the International Commission on Trichinellosis regarding acceptable methods and the evaluation of the sensitivity and specificity. These recommendations are subject to change as new scientific information becomes available.

No abstract

A coccidian organism assigned to the genus Cyclospora has been increasingly recognized in association with prolonged diarrhea in humans throughout the world. Confusion surrounds the taxonomy of this fastidious organism, despite the availability of morphology and sporulation characteristics. The small subunit rRNA coding region from cyclosporan oocysts purified from a human fecal specimen was amplified and sequenced. The same sequence was present in specimens from 8 other patients with cyclosporan oocysts but absent in specimens from asymptomatic subjects and from cryptosporidiosis patients. Phylogenetic analysis of rDNA sequences reveals that the human-associated Cyclospora is closely related to members of the Eimeria genus. These results allow predictions concerning Cyclospora host specificity, life cycle, and epidemiology as well as the development of a specific polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic assay.

No abstract

No abstract

A revised digestion method, developed for efficiency and quality assurance, was validated for the detection of Trichinella larvae in pork and horse meat to meet requirements for food safety testing and facilitate access to international markets. The method consisted of a tissue homogenization step and a spin bar digestion procedure conducted at 45 degrees C to free larvae from muscle tissue, followed by two sequential separatory funnel steps to concentrate the larvae for detection using a stereomicroscope. Critical control points were determined for the method and monitored during testing. Under conditions of a defined protocol, test capacity was suitable for industrial applications, since multiples of up to 100 g of tissue could be analyzed at one time. The overall sensitivity of the test system depended on the size and origin of the sample taken from individual infected carcasses. Data from swine indicated that the currently accepted sample size of 1 g from individual carcasses consistently detected larval loads of > or =3 larvae per gram. Larval loads of 1.0 to 1.9 larvae per gram required 3- to 5-g samples of muscle tissue for reliable detection. Five-gram samples were considered optimal, because they consistently detected more tissues than 3-g samples, although the difference was not statistically significant. Tissue localization studies in experimental pigs indicated that the tongue and diaphragm were the tissues of choice for the most sensitive larval recovery. A system of analyst training, laboratory certification based on ISO guide 25, and on-site proficiency panel testing was used to ensure that external laboratories would consistently produce reliable test results. The system developed for pork was successfully modified for the testing of horse meat.

No abstract