Food‐borne parasitic infections ‐ old stories and new facts

Abstract

SUMMARYA review is presented of food-borne parasitic infections. Parasitic infections with public health hazards both from conventional slaughter animals and.from seafood (fish and shellfis) are discussed. The former category includes cysticercosis, echinococcosis, and trichinosis, the latter category covers various trematode, cestode, nematode, and possibly also protozoan infections. Examples of trematode infections are heterophyidiasis, transmitted to man by marine fish, and Paragonimus spp parasites, transmitted by crustaceans. Cestode infections include diphyllobothriasis transmitted by both fresh waterfish and fish from brackish waters. Special attention is drawn to the condition known as sparganosis. Of the nematode infections, the eosinophilic granulomatous enteritis due to the genera A nisakis, Phocanema, and Contracaecum, transmitted to man by either marine fish or crustaceans, is mentioned. Two other nematode infections. Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Capillaria philippinensis, can also be transmitted to man by marine fish. Free living amoebae (a.o. Naegleria) may be transmitted to man via shellfish as vehicles.Apart from a possible direct effect of these parasites, chemical alterations in seafood resulting from the presence of parasites may also be deleterious to the consumer.Special attention is drawn to a newly developed serological detection method, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, which makes detection of infection possible not only at the slaughterhouse but also at the farm or in large herds. Strategies to control parasitic infections both in conventional slaughter animals and in seafood are discussed.

Detection of anisakids in fish and seafood products by real-time PCR

“…They have acquired a high social relevance due to their involvement in foodborne infections mainly caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood. Humans can only be considered accidental hosts of the larvae in stage 3 (L3) by eating raw or undercooked contaminated seafood (as for instance smoked, marinated, semipreserved, salted or dried fish) (Ruitenberg, van Knapen, & et al, 1979). The disease caused by these parasites is well known (Chen, Yu, & et al, 2008;Dick, Dixon, & et al, 1991;Smith & Wootten, 1978).…”

Detection and identification of anisakids in seafood by fragment length polymorphism analysis and PCR–RFLP of ITS-1 region

“…Humans can only be considered accidental hosts of the larvae in stage 3 (L3) by eating raw or undercooked contaminated seafood (as for instance smoked, marinated, semi-preserved, salted or dried fish) (Ruitenberg, van Knapen, & Weiss, 1979). The disease caused by these parasites is well known (Chen et al, 2008;Dick, Dixon, & Choudhury, 1991;Smith & Wootten, 1978).…”