Presence of Cryptosporidium parvum in pre-washed vegetables from different supermarkets in South East England: A pilot study.

Autor: Suleiman AJ; Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK., Mavrides DE; Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK.; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nicosia School of Veterinary Medicine, 2414, Nicosia, Cyprus.; Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, University of Nicosia Medical School, Nicosia, Cyprus., Maxamhud S; Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK., Gentekaki E; Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK.; Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nicosia School of Veterinary Medicine, 2414, Nicosia, Cyprus., Tsaousis AD; Laboratory of Molecular and Evolutionary Parasitology, RAPID Group, School of Biosciences, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, CT2 7NJ, UK. A.Tsaousis@kent.ac.uk.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Parasitology research [Parasitol Res] 2024 Jun 01; Vol. 123 (6), pp. 230. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Jun 01.
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-024-08250-w
Abstrakt: Cryptosporidium is an important water-borne and food-borne parasite with a high burden of disease. This organism has been shown to contaminate various leafy vegetables; however, studies assessing the presence of Cryptosporidium spp in pre-washed and ready-to-eat vegetables are limited. Routine surveillance in the UK revealed a nationwide exceedance of human cases of Cryptosporidium. Therefore, this study aims to assess the presence of this parasite in pre-washed vegetables from supermarkets in the UK. A total of 36 samples were purchased from four different supermarkets. A nested PCR targeting the SSU rRNA was carried out on 24 samples, 58% were PCR-positive for Cryptosporidium. Sanger sequencing confirmed that, of these sequences, 4/24 (17%) produced significant similarities to Cryptosporidium parvum. This study provides evidence for the presence of C. parvum in pre-washed and ready-to-eat vegetables. Future work to identify the point of contamination is required.
(© 2024. The Author(s).)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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