Journal
MARINE POLLUTION BULLETIN
Volume 117, Issue 1-2, Pages 197-202Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.057
Keywords
Bivalve mollusks; Cryptosporidium spp.; Toxoplasma gondii; Giardia duodenalis; Cyclospora cayetanensis; qPCR; Tunisia
Funding
- L.A.I.F.F. Project [47]
- PO Puglia FESR-2007-2013, Asse I, Linea 1.2. Accordo di Programma Quadro in materia di Ricerca Scientifica. Intervento Reti di Laboratori Pubblici di Ricerca (Responsible: Annunziata Giangaspero)
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In order to establish seawater contamination by emerging protozoan parasites, we used qPCR to molecularly characterize and evaluate the parasitic burden of Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Cyclospora cayetanensis in 1255 wild bivalve mollusks collected along the Tunisian coasts. T. gondii, G. duodenalis and C cayetanensis were detected in 6.9% (99% CI = 1.6-12.2%) pools of Ruditapes decussatus. None of the samples were found positive to Cryptosporidium spp.; 6.6% pools of R. decussatus were positive for T. gondii Type 1,1.6% for G. duodenalis assemblage A, and 1.6% for the association T. gondii Type I/C cayetanensis/G. duodenalis assemblage A R. decussatus harbored up to 77500 oocysts/sample of T. gondii, up to 395 cysts/sample of G. duodenalis, and 526 oocysts/sample of C cayetanensis. These results provide the first evidence that the Tunisian coasts are contaminated by zoonotic protozoan parasites that can constitute a direct or indirect risk for human health. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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