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Detection of Giardia Cysts and Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Edible Shellfish: Choosing a Target

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Detection and Enumeration of Bacteria, Yeast, Viruses, and Protozoan in Foods and Freshwater

Part of the book series: Methods and Protocols in Food Science ((MPFS))

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Abstract

Bivalve mollusks are filter-feeding animals that are often consumed raw or partially cooked. They can harbor a wide variety of microorganisms such as the pathogenic protozoa Giardia and Cryptosporidium . Both these pathogens are well-known causative agents of diarrhea in humans and have been associated with several water and foodborne outbreaks around the world. Their infective stages, cysts and oocysts , respectively, can remain on the gills and other organs of shellfish , posing a potential threat to human health. There is no standard protocol or valid ISO for the detection of cysts and oocysts from shelled mollusks . The aim of this chapter is to describe the main methods used to detect Giardia cysts and Cryptosporidium oocysts from shellfish , based on techniques adapted from clinical and environmental parasitology, as well as molecular procedures. The monitoring of these foodborne protozoa in bivalve mollusks is of great relevance to public health , contributing to knowledge of contamination in one of the main food products derived from aquaculture. Indeed, it also reflects the quality of the environmental health surrounding its cultivation, highlighting another important aspect related to global environmental epidemiology.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR), Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Patologia Básica, Laboratório de Parasitologia Ambiental, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil

    Diego Averaldo Guiguet Leal & Roberta de Lima

  2. Universidade Paulista (UNIP), Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Taís Rondello Bonatti

  3. University of Campinas, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Rodrigo Labello Barbosa

  4. Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP), Instituto de Biologia, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Laboratório de Protozoologia, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    Regina Maura Bueno Franco

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  1. Diego Averaldo Guiguet Leal
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  2. Taís Rondello Bonatti
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  3. Roberta de Lima
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  4. Rodrigo Labello Barbosa
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  5. Regina Maura Bueno Franco
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Correspondence to Diego Averaldo Guiguet Leal .

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  1. Department of Food Engineering, Federal University of Paraíba, Joao Pessoa, Brazil

    Marciane Magnani

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Leal, D.A.G., Bonatti, T.R., de Lima, R., Barbosa, R.L., Franco, R.M.B. (2021). Detection of Giardia Cysts and Cryptosporidium Oocysts in Edible Shellfish: Choosing a Target. In: Magnani, M. (eds) Detection and Enumeration of Bacteria, Yeast, Viruses, and Protozoan in Foods and Freshwater. Methods and Protocols in Food Science . Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1932-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-1932-2_17

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