Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts in seawater clams (Chamelea gallina) in Italy (original) (raw)
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Identification of novel and zoonotic Cryptosporidium species in marine fish
Veterinary Parasitology, 2010
There is still limited information on the distribution of Cryptosporidium species and genotypes in fish. The present study investigated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in cultured freshwater (n = 132), wild freshwater (n = 206) and wild marine (n = 276) fish in Papua New Guinea (PNG) by PCR screening at the 18S rRNA locus. A total of seven fish (2 cultured freshwater, 1 wild freshwater and 4 wild marine fish) were identified as positive for Cryptosporidium. Specifically, Cryptosporidium was found in four different host species (Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus; silver barb, Puntius gonionotus; mackerel scad, Decapterus maracellus and oblong silver biddy, Gerres oblongus), giving an overall prevalence of 1.14% (95% CI: 0.3-2%, n = 7/614). Of the seven positive isolates, five were identified as C. parvum and two were a novel piscine genotype, which we have named piscine genotype 8. Piscine genotype 8 was identified in two marine oblong silver biddies and exhibited 4.3% genetic distance from piscine genotype 3 at the 18S locus. Further subtyping of C. parvum isolates at the 60 kDa glycoprotein (gp60) locus identified 3 C. parvum subtypes (IIaA14G2R1, IIaA15G2R1 and IIaA19G4R1) all of which are zoonotic and a C. hominis subtype (IdA15G1). The zoonotic Cryptosporidium were identified in fish samples from all three groups; cultured and wild freshwater and wild marine fish. Detection of Cryptosporidium among aquaculture fingerlings warrants further research to gain a better understanding of the epidemiology of Cryptosporidium infection in cultured fish. The identification of zoonotic Cryptosporidium genotypes in fish from PNG has important public health implications and should be investigated further.
Frontiers in Microbiology
Cryptosporidium, a zoonotic pathogen, is able to infect a wide range of hosts including wild and domestic animals, and humans. Although it is well known that some parasites are both fish pathogens and recognized agents of zoonosis with a public health impact, little information is available concerning the prevalence of Cryptosporidium in wild aquatic environments. To evaluate the prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in commercially important edible marine fish in different European seas (English channel, North sea, Bay of Biscay, Celtic sea and Mediterranean sea), 1,853 specimens were collected as part of two surveys. Nested PCR followed by sequence analysis at the 18S rRNA gene locus was used to identify Cryptosporidium spp. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in sampled fish reached 2.3% (35 out of 1,508) in a first campaign and 3.2% (11 out of 345) in a second campaign. Sequence and phylogenetic analysis of positive samples identified Cryptosporidium parvum (n = 10) and seven genotypes which exhibited between 7.3 and 10.1% genetic distance from C. molnari, with the exception of one genotype which exhibited only 0.5-0.7% genetic distance from C. molnari. Among 31 analyzed fish species, 11 (35.5%) were identified as potential hosts for Cryptosporidium. A higher prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. was observed in larger fish, in fish collected during the spring-summer period, and in those caught in the North East Atlantic. Pollachius virens (saithe) was the most frequently Cryptosporidium positive species. In fish infected by other parasites, the risk
Asian freshwater clams, Corbicula fluminea, exposed for 24 h to 38 liters of water contaminated with infectious Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts (1.00 ؋ 10 6 oocysts/liter; approximately 1.9 ؋ 10 5 oocysts/clam) were examined (hemolymph, gills, gastrointestinal [GI] tract, and feces) on days 1, 2, 3, 7, and 14 postexposure (PE). No oocysts were detected in the water 24 h after the contamination event. The percentage of oocystcontaining clams varied from 20 to 100%, depending on the type of tissue examined and the technique used-acid-fast stain (AFS) or immunofluorescent antibody (IFA). The oocysts were found in clam tissues and feces on days 1 through 14 PE; the oocysts extracted from the tissues on day 7 PE were infectious for neonatal BALB/c mice. Overall, the highest number of positive samples was obtained when gills and GI tracts were processed with IFA (prevalence, 97.5%). A comparison of the relative oocyst numbers indicated that overall, 58.3% of the oocysts were found in clam tissues and 41.7% were found in feces when IFA was used; when AFS was used, the values were 51.9 and 48.1%, respectively. Clam-released oocysts were always surrounded by feces; no free oocysts or oocysts disassociated from fecal matter were observed. The results indicate that these benthic freshwater clams are capable of recovery and sedimentation of waterborne C. parvum oocysts. To optimize the detection of C. parvum oocysts in C. fluminea tissue, it is recommended that gill and GI tract samples be screened with IFA (such as that in the commercially available MERIFLUOR test kit).
Parasite, 2009
Mussels filter large volumes of water and can concentrate pathogenic organisms, which may act as potential vehicles of transmission to the consumer. A survey study was carried out to investigate the presence of Cryptosporidium protozoan parasites in green mussels (Perna viridis), the smussles pecies most destined for consumption in Thailand. In total, 56 samples were examined from Bangkok (n = 24) and Samut Prakan (n = 32) a wholesale shell-fish markets located at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. The market for green mussels was closed to the mussel culture placed along the coastal line and this localization may have significant economical impact if the mussels' cultures are found contaminated. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected by the immunofluorescence antibody method (IFA) in 12.5 % of the samples examined. The detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in green mussels' population of Samut Prakan was higher (15.6 %) than in Bangkok market (8.3 %). These differences in positive samples from the two locations may be caused by physical, ecological and anthropogenic conditions. This could relay to different contamination levels of marine water by Cryptosporidium oocysts and consequently to contamination of harvested shellfish populations. The results demonstrate that the Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were found indigenous in mussels from the coastal line of Thailand, indicating that mussels may act as a reservoir of Cryptosporidium foodborne infections for humans.
Identification of zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum in freshwater ornamental fish
2020
Regarding the importance of zoonotic species of Cryptosporidium in humans and domestic animals, and the lack of information about the distribution of Cryptosporidium spp. especially the zoonotic species of aquarium ornamental fish with due attention to their relation to urban water sources and human owners, the present study was designed. Cryptosporidium has been demonstrated in more than 17 species with parasites presented deep within and on the surface of the intestinal and stomach epithelium. To date, two important species of Cryptosporidium for public health, namely C. parvum and C. hominis have been determined in fish specimens from cultured and wild freshwater, and marine environments. In this study, the identification of Cryptosporidium spp. and zoonotic Cryptosporidium parvum by histopathology and PCR amplification at the 18S rRNA locus among 100 freshwater ornamental fish were performed. Results showed that a total of 16 fish samples (16%) were identified as positive for Cr...
International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 2016
Sources of contamination such as animal feces runoff, organic fertilizer application, and the release of partially treated or untreated sewage can lead to the contamination of aquatic environments by Cryptosporidium spp. The quality of mussels as food is closely related to the sanitary conditions of the marine environment where these bivalves are found. Marine mollusks are filter feeders that are able to retain Cryptosporidium oocysts in their tissue, thus functioning as bioindicators. A total of 72 pooled mussel samples of the species Perna perna were collected at two sites (A and B) in the municipality of Mangaratiba, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Sampling involved removal of 30 mussels, from each collection site every month for one year. The 30 mussels from each sampling were then allocated into three groups of 10. Two Cryptosporidium spp. genes (18S and GP60) were targeted for DNA amplification from the samples obtained. After purification, all of the products obtained were sequenced and phylogenetic analyses were performed. Of the 72 samples analyzed using the nested-PCR for the 18S gene target, 29.2% were positive for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. Of these samples, 52.4% were collected at site A (ie 11/21) and 47.6% at site B (ie 10/21). The 18S genes of all the samples considered positive for Cryptosporidium spp. were sequenced, and the following three species were identified: Cryptosporidium parvum, C. meleagridis, and C. andersoni. Three distinct C. parvum subtypes (IIaA19G2R2; IIaA20G2R2; IIaA20G3R2) were identified using the GP60 gene. More studies to evaluate the zoonotic potential of this species should be performed as both sampling locations contain human and/or animal fecal contaminants.
Identification of novel Cryptosporidium species in aquarium fish
Veterinary Parasitology, 2010
Little is known about the prevalence and genotypes of Cryptosporidium in fish. The present study investigated the prevalence of Cryptosporidium species in 200 aquarium fish of 39 different species in Western Australia by PCR amplification at the 18S rRNA locus. A total of twenty-one positives were detected by PCR (10.5% prevalence) from 13 different species of fish. Nineteen of these isolates were successfully sequenced. Of these, 12 were similar or identical to previously described species/genotypes of Cryptosporidium, while the remaining seven isolates appeared to represent three novel species.
Italian Journal of Food Safety, 2013
Cryptosporidium and Giardia are protozoan parasites transmitted by fecal-oral ingestion of (oo)cysts, and are responsible for enteritis in several animal species and humans worldwide. These (oo)cysts can survive for over a year in aquatic environments and can accumulate in bivalve mollusks, which filter large volumes of water. The aim of this study is to evaluate the natural occurrence of Cryptosporidium and Giardia contamination in different specimens of edible bivalves mollusks from farming sites of the western and northeastern coasts of Sardinia. From April 2011 to February 2012, 1095 specimens of Mytilus galloprovincialis and 240 of Crassostrea gigas were sampled from Olbia and Oristano gulf and San Teodoro pond. Hepatopancreas and gills, including the labial palp, were examined for oocysts and cysts after pooling and homogenisation using different techniques: i) staining for light and fluorescence microscopy; ii) direct immunofluorescence (IF) Merifluor ® test Cryptosporidium/ Giardia (Meridian Bioscience Inc., Cincinnati, OH, USA); and iii) molecular procedures. However, in the context under study, all mollusks examined with the three main diagnostic techniques were negative for both parasites pointing out the hypothetically low zoonotic risk related to Cryptosporidium and Giardia in bivalves, especially Mytilus galloprovincialis and Crassostrea gigas.
Parasite, 2009
Mussels filter large volumes of water and can concentrate pathogenic organisms, which may act as potential vehicles of transmission to the consumer. A survey study was carried out to investigate the presence of Cryptosporidium protozoan parasites in green mussels (Perna viridis), the smussles pecies most destined for consumption in Thailand. In total, 56 samples were examined from Bangkok (n = 24) and Samut Prakan (n = 32) a wholesale shellfish markets located at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. The market for green mussels was closed to the mussel culture placed along the coastal line and this localization may have significant economical impact if the mussels' cultures are found contaminated. Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were detected by the immunofluorescence antibody method (IFA) in 12.5 % of the samples examined. The detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts in green mussels' population of Samut Prakan was higher (15.6 %) than in Bangkok market (8.3 %). These differences in positive samples from the two locations may be caused by physical, ecological and anthropogenic conditions. This could relay to different contamination levels of marine water by Cryptosporidium oocysts and consequently to contamination of harvested shellfish populations. The results demonstrate that the Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts were found indigenous in mussels from the coastal line of Thailand, indicating that mussels may act as a reservoir of Cryptosporidium foodborne infections for humans. Résumé : DÉTECTION D'OOCYSTES DE CRYPTOSPORIDIUM CHEZ LA MOULE VERTE (PERNA VIRIDIS) SUR DES MARCHÉS DE POISSONS EN THAILANDE Les moules filtrent un important volume d'eau et peuvent héberger des pathogènes potentiellement transmissibles aux consommateurs. Une étude a été menée afin de détecter la presence de Cryptosporidium, protozoaires parasites de la moule verte (Perna viridis), espèce la plus consommée en Thaïlande. 56 prélèvements ont été réalisés à Bangkok (n = 24) et à Samut Prakan (n = 32), un marché de vente en gros de coquillages et poissons, situé à l'embouchure de la rivière Chao Phraya, sachant qu'une contamination des moules aurait un important impact économique sur ce marché qui est proche des parcs d'élevage situés le long de la côte. Des oocystes de Cryptosporidium spp. ont été détectés par immunofluorescence (IFA) chez 12,5 % des prélèvements, avec un pourcentage d'infestation plus élevé à Samut Prakan (15,6 %) qu'à Bangkok (8,3 %) qui pourrait s'expliquer par des conditions physiques, écologiques et anthropologiques différentes. Les résultats montrent principalement que des oocystes de Cryptosporidium spp. sont présents dans les moules de la côte thaïlandaise, lesquelles peuvent être considérées comme un réservoir de cryptosporidiose humaine d'origine alimentaire.