Surveillance and monitoring of Toxoplasma in humans, food and animals - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biological Hazards

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doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2007.583

Cited by 24 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 171 publications

(179 reference statements)

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“…As highlighted in the EFSA opinions on monitoring and surveillance of Toxoplasma as well as on modernisation of meat inspection, Toxoplasma poses an important risk to human health, and has to be considered as a relevant hazard to be addressed in revised meat inspection systems for pigs, sheep, goats, farmed wild boar and farmed deer (EFSA BIOHAZ Panel, 2007aEFSA BIOHAZ, CONTAM and AHAW Panels, 2011). The information reported by MS shows that Toxoplasma is present in most livestock species across the EU.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food‐borne outbreaks in 2014

2015

EFS2

231

118

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VTEC was reported from food and animals. A total of 5,251 food-borne outbreaks, including waterborne outbreaks, were reported. Most food-borne outbreaks were caused by viruses, followed by Salmonella, bacterial toxins and Campylobacter and with unknown causative agent in 29.1% of all outbreaks. Important food vehicles in strong-evidence food-borne outbreaks were 'eggs and egg products', followed by 'mixed food' and 'crustaceans, shellfish, molluscs and products thereof'. The report further summarises trends and sources along the food chain of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium bovis, Brucella, Trichinella, Echinococcus, Toxoplasma, rabies, Coxiella burnetii

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food‐borne outbreaks in 2014

2015

EFS2

231

118

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show abstract

“…Toxoplasmosis is one of the most important zoonoses caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii [1,2], a parasite of significant importance in medicine and veterinary medicine, widespread worldwide [3] and capable of infecting most species of warm-blooded animals, including humans [4]. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recognized toxoplasmosis as a parasitic zoonosis with the highest prevalence in humans [5]. It is also classified by the FAO-WHO as belonging to the "top ten" of food-borne parasites [6,7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> antibodies in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from Strzałowo Forest Division, Warmia and Mazury Region, Poland

Puchalska¹,

Pyziel²,

Wisniewski³

et al. 2021

Ann Agric Environ Med.

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Introduction and objective. Toxoplasmosis is an important zoonosis caused by a protozoan, Toxoplasma gondii. Raw or undercooked venison may be a source of infection in humans. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of T. gondii antibodies in wild boar from the Strzałowo Forest Division of the Warmia and Mazury Region of Poland. Materials and method. A total of 90 samples were collected from 50 wild boar: 40 from both tongue and diaphragm muscles, 4 from diaphragm muscles and six from tongue muscles. Samples were analyzed using the commercial PrioCHECK® Toxoplasma Ab porcine ELISA, according to the manufacturer's instructions. Results. T. gondii antibodies were detected in 24 of 50 (48%) tested animals. T. gondii antibodies were detected in 40 of 90 (44.4%) tested samples (21 of tongue muscles and 19 of diaphragm muscles). In the 40 wild boar that provided samples of meat juice from the tongue and diaphragm muscles, specific antibodies were more prevalent in the tongue (20 of 40 animals-50%) than in the diaphragm muscles (17 of 40 animals-42.5%). Conclusions. The study revealed a high percentage of wild boar seropositive to T. gondii. Muscle samples to obtain meat juice are easily available and simple to collect, even on the hunting grounds, which makes them suitable material for detecting T. gondii antibodies in wild boar. Wild boar are essential to T. gondii circulation in the environment, and raw or undercooked venison may be a source of human infections with this parasite.

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“…It is noteworthy, however, that several studies in pigs notified reduced or undetectable counts of the parasite DNA in multiple porcine tissues, and a decline in viability of the cysts, as tested by bio-assay in mice (Jongert et al, 2008; Verhelst et al, 2011, 2015; Burrells et al, 2015). Taking into account the lack of an obligatory screening of pigs or pork meat to prevent transmission to humans, knowledge on the pig as an intermediate host for T. gondii , and in particular strategies to reduce the amount of viable parasites in tissues, may contribute to diminishing the risk of zoonosis by consumption of porcine meat (EFSA, 2007, 2012; Opsteegh et al, 2016). In light of these data, the aim of this study was to confirm differences between T. gondii strains in persistence of the parasite in tissues of experimentally infected pigs and to relate the dose and strain to the immune responses in the pigs upon a single infection or a heterologous challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strain- and Dose-Dependent Reduction of Toxoplasma gondii Burden in Pigs Is Associated with Interferon-Gamma Production by CD8+ Lymphocytes in a Heterologous Challenge Model

Jennes

Craeye

Devriendt

et al. 2017

Front. Cell. Infect. Microbiol.

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Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide prevalent parasite of humans and animals. The global infection burden exceeds yearly one million disability-adjusted life years (DALY's) in infected individuals. Therefore, effective preventive measures should be taken to decrease the risk of infection in humans. Although human toxoplasmosis is predominantly foodborne by ingestion of tissue cysts in meat from domestic animals such as pigs, the incidence risk is difficult to estimate due to the lack of screening of animals for infection and insights in location and persistence of the parasite in the tissues. Hence, experimental infections in pigs can provide more information on the risk for zoonosis based on the parasite burden in meat products intended for human consumption and on the immune responses induced by infection. In the present study, homo- and heterologous infection experiments with two distinct T. gondii strains (IPB-LR and IPB-Gangji) were performed. The humoral and cellular immune responses, the presence of viable parasites and the parasite load in edible meat samples were evaluated. In homologous infection experiments the parasite persistence was clearly strain-dependent and inversely correlated with the infection dose. The results strongly indicate a change in the amount of parasite DNA and viable cysts in porcine tissues over time. Heterologous challenge infections demonstrated that IPB-G strain could considerably reduce the parasite burden in the subsequent IPB-LR infection. A strong, however, not protective humoral response was observed against GRA7 and TLA antigens upon inoculation with both strains. The in vitro IFN-γ production by TLA-stimulated PBMCs was correlated with the infection dose and predominantly brought about by CD3+CD4−CD8αbright T-lymphocytes. The described adaptive cellular and humoral immune responses in pigs are in line with the induced or natural infections in mice and humans. Previous studies underscored the heterogeneity of T. gondii strains and the corresponding virulence factors. These findings suggest the potential of the IPB-G strain to elicit a partially protective immune response and to reduce the parasite burden upon a challenge infection. The IPB-G strain could be used as a promising tool in limiting the number of viable parasites in edible tissues and, hence, in lowering the risk for human toxoplasmosis.

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Surveillance and monitoring of Toxoplasma in humans, food and animals - Scientific Opinion of the Panel on Biological Hazards

Cited by 24 publications

References 171 publications

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food‐borne outbreaks in 2014

The European Union summary report on trends and sources of zoonoses, zoonotic agents and food‐borne outbreaks in 2014

Prevalence of <i>Toxoplasma gondii</i> antibodies in wild boar (Sus scrofa) from Strzałowo Forest Division, Warmia and Mazury Region, Poland

Strain- and Dose-Dependent Reduction of Toxoplasma gondii Burden in Pigs Is Associated with Interferon-Gamma Production by CD8+ Lymphocytes in a Heterologous Challenge Model

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