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Mancusi A, Proroga YTR, Giordano A, Girardi S, D’Orilia F, Pinto R, Sarnelli P, Rinaldi L, Capuano F, Maurelli MP. First application of a droplet digital PCR to detect Toxoplasma gondii in mussels. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1238689. [PMID: 37744920 PMCID: PMC10514481 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1238689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, is one of the main food-, water- and soil-borne zoonotic disease worldwide. Over the past 20 years many papers were published on the transmission of T. gondii by marine animals, including mollusks, which can concentrate the oocysts and release them. Sporulated oocysts may remain viable and infective for 18 months in seawater. Therefore, raw or undercooked bivalve mollusks pose a risk to humans. This study aimed to apply and validate for the first time a very sensitive digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) protocol to detect and quantify T. gondii DNA in mussels. Four concentration levels: 8000 genomic copies (gc)/μL, 800 gc/μL, 80 gc/μL, 8 gc/μL of a T. gondii reference DNA were tested. DNA was extracted from 80 pools of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Forty pools were contaminated with T. gondii reference DNA and used as positive controls, while 40 pools were used as negative controls. DdPCR reaction was prepared using a protocol, previously developed by the authors, for detection of T. gondii in meat. Amplification was obtained up 8 gc/μL. All infected replicates resulted positive, as well as no droplets were detected in negative controls. The droplets produced in the reaction ranged from 8,828 to 14,075 (average 12,627 droplets). The sensitivity and specificity of ddPCR were 100% (95%CI = 94.3-99.9). In addition, 100 pools of mussels collected in the Gulf of Naples were used to validate the protocol. Of these 16% were positive (95% CI = 9.7-25.0) for T. gondii. Samples were also tested by real-time PCR and no positive samples were found. Data obtained from ddPCR showed good identification of negative and positive samples with higher specificity and efficiency than real-time PCR. This tool could be very useful for a rapid sensitive detection of low DNA concentrations of T. gondii in mussels, reducing the risk of toxoplasmosis in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Mancusi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Angela Giordano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Santa Girardi
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | | | - Renato Pinto
- UOD Prevenzione e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria Regione Campania, Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Sarnelli
- UOD Prevenzione e Sanità Pubblica Veterinaria Regione Campania, Naples, Italy
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Centro di Riferimento Regionale Sanità Animale (CReSan), Salerno, Italy
- Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Federico Capuano
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale del Mezzogiorno, Portici, Italy
| | - Maria Paola Maurelli
- Unit of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, CREMOPAR, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
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Srisuphanunt M, Wilairatana P, Kooltheat N, Damrongwatanapokin T, Karanis P. Occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in commercial oysters in southern Thailand. Food Waterborne Parasitol 2023; 32:e00205. [PMID: 37577105 PMCID: PMC10412772 DOI: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2023.e00205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The enteric parasite Cryptosporidium is spread through the fecal-oral pathway, most commonly by the consumption of contaminated water but also through food. Because eating raw or barely cooked shellfish might put consumers at risk for cryptosporidiosis, identifying the parasite in oysters is important for public health. A total of 240 oysters, collected from two shellfish aquaculture sites in Thailand's Gulf coast, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani, were tested for the presence of Cryptosporidium. Escherichia coli, enterococci, and thermotolerant coliform total levels were measured to assess seawater quality in the shellfish production regions. Oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 13.8% of the samples processed by immunofluorescence analyses. The detection of Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts in oysters obtained from Surat Thani (17.5%) was higher than in those obtained from Nakhon Si Thammarat (9.2%). The difference in detection of positive samples obtained from Nakhon Si Thammarat and those obtained from Surat Thani may be attributed to the effects of physical, ecological, and anthropogenic conditions, resulting in an increased level of marine water contamination by Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts. These findings demonstrate that native commercial oysters obtained from Thailand's southern Gulf coast contained Cryptosporidium spp. oocysts which might serve as a source of human infection. Consequently, these findings pose a serious public health concern and suggest that more quality control measures need to be implemented by the oyster aquaculture business to ensure the safety of seafood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayuna Srisuphanunt
- Department of Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Centre for One Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80161, Thailand
- Hematology and Transfusion Science Research Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Polrat Wilairatana
- Department of Clinical Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Nateelak Kooltheat
- Department of Medical Technology, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Hematology and Transfusion Science Research Center, School of Allied Health Sciences, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
| | - Thanis Damrongwatanapokin
- Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80160, Thailand
- Centre for One Health, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat 80161, Thailand
| | - Panagiotis Karanis
- University of Nicosia Medical School, Department of Basic and Clinical Sciences, Egkomi 2408, Cyprus
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Karatayev AY, Burlakova LE. What we know and don't know about the invasive zebra ( Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga ( Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) mussels. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022:1-74. [PMID: 36258710 PMCID: PMC9559155 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04950-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
We summarized existing knowledge on Dreissena polymorpha (the zebra mussel) and D. r. bugensis (the quagga mussel), including data on their taxonomy, systematics, evolution, life cycle, reproduction, feeding, growth and longevity, population dynamics, interspecific competition, habitat requirements, and distribution within and among waterbodies. We analyzed the history of spread of both species and the major pathways and vectors of their spread in Europe and North America. Special consideration was given to their ecological and economic impacts and their natural enemies, like waterfowl, fishes, and parasites, as well as the prevention of their introduction, early detection, control, and containment. We also outlined the most salient ecosystem services provided by zebra and quagga mussels, including water purification, nutrient recycling, culling the effects of eutrophication, biomonitoring, and their role as a food resource for fish and waterfowl. Finally, we identified major knowledge gaps and key studies needed to better understand the biology, ecology, and impacts of these aggressive freshwater invaders. Our review indicates that much crucial information on the quagga mussel is still missing, including key life history parameters, like spawning cues, fecundity, and longevity, particularly for the profundal zone of deep lakes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lyubov E. Burlakova
- Great Lakes Center, SUNY Buffalo State, 1300 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14222 USA
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Zieritz A, Sousa R, Aldridge DC, Douda K, Esteves E, Ferreira‐Rodríguez N, Mageroy JH, Nizzoli D, Osterling M, Reis J, Riccardi N, Daill D, Gumpinger C, Vaz AS. A global synthesis of ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalve molluscs. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1967-1998. [PMID: 35770724 PMCID: PMC9545824 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2021] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Identification of ecosystem services, i.e. the contributions that ecosystems make to human well-being, has proven instrumental in galvanising public and political support for safeguarding biodiversity and its benefits to people. Here we synthesise the global evidence on ecosystem services provided and disrupted by freshwater bivalves, a heterogenous group of >1200 species, including some of the most threatened (in Unionida) and invasive (e.g. Dreissena polymorpha) taxa globally. Our systematic literature review resulted in a data set of 904 records from 69 countries relating to 24 classes of provisioning (N = 189), cultural (N = 491) and regulating (N = 224) services following the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services (CICES). Prominent ecosystem services included (i) the provisioning of food, materials and medicinal products, (ii) knowledge acquisition (e.g. on water quality, past environments and historical societies), ornamental and other cultural contributions, and (iii) the filtration, sequestration, storage and/or transformation of biological and physico-chemical water properties. About 9% of records provided evidence for the disruption rather than provision of ecosystem services. Synergies and trade-offs of ecosystem services were observed. For instance, water filtration by freshwater bivalves can be beneficial for the cultural service 'biomonitoring', while negatively or positively affecting food consumption or human recreation. Our evidence base spanned a total of 91 genera and 191 species, dominated by Unionida (55% of records, 76% of species), Veneroida (21 and 9%, respectively; mainly Corbicula spp.) and Myoida (20 and 4%, respectively; mainly Dreissena spp.). About one third of records, predominantly from Europe and the Americas, related to species that were non-native to the country of study. The majority of records originated from Asia (35%), with available evidence for 23 CICES classes, as well as Europe (29%) and North America (23%), where research was largely focused on 'biomonitoring'. Whilst the earliest record (from 1949) originated from North America, since 2000, annual output of records has increased rapidly in Asia and Europe. Future research should focus on filling gaps in knowledge in lesser-studied regions, including Africa and South America, and should look to provide a quantitative valuation of the socio-economic costs and benefits of ecosystem services shaped by freshwater bivalves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Zieritz
- School of GeographyUniversity of NottinghamUniversity Park, Sir Clive Granger BuildingNG7 2RDNottinghamUK
| | - Ronaldo Sousa
- CBMA – Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Department of BiologyUniversity of MinhoCampus Gualtar4710‐057BragaPortugal
| | - David C. Aldridge
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeDowning StreetCambridgeCB2 3EJUK
| | - Karel Douda
- Department of Zoology and FisheriesCzech University of Life Sciences PragueKamýcká129PragueCzech Republic
| | - Eduardo Esteves
- Departamento de Engenharia Alimentar, Instituto Superior de Engenharia and CCMAR Centre of Marine SciencesUniversidade do AlgarveEstr. da Penha8005‐139FaroPortugal
| | - Noé Ferreira‐Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Facultade de BioloxíaUniversidade de VigoCampus As Lagoas – Marcosende36310VigoSpain
| | - Jon H. Mageroy
- Norwegian Institute of Nature Research, OsloSognsveien 680855OsloNorway
| | - Daniele Nizzoli
- Department of Chemistry, Life Sciences and Environmental SustainabilityUniversity of ParmaViale delle Scienze, 11/A43124ParmaItaly
| | - Martin Osterling
- Department of Environmental and Life Sciences – BiologyKarlstad UniversityUniversitetsgatan 2651 88KarlstadSweden
| | - Joaquim Reis
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de LisboaMARE – Marine and Environmental Sciences CentreCampo Grande1749‐016LisbonPortugal
| | - Nicoletta Riccardi
- CNR‐IRSA Water Research InstituteCorso Tonolli, 5028922Verbania Pallanza (VB)Italy
| | - Daniel Daill
- blattfisch e.U. – Consultants in Aquatic Ecology and EngineeringGabelsbergerstraße 74600WelsAustria
| | - Clemens Gumpinger
- blattfisch e.U. – Consultants in Aquatic Ecology and EngineeringGabelsbergerstraße 74600WelsAustria
| | - Ana Sofia Vaz
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de VairãoUniversidade do Porto4485‐661VairãoPortugal
- Departamento de Biologia, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade do Porto4099‐002PortoPortugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão4485‐661VairãoPortugal
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Burlakova LE, Karatayev AY, Boltovskoy D, Correa NM. Ecosystem services provided by the exotic bivalves Dreissena polymorpha, D. rostriformis bugensis, and Limnoperna fortunei. HYDROBIOLOGIA 2022; 850:2811-2854. [PMID: 35990416 PMCID: PMC9376586 DOI: 10.1007/s10750-022-04935-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The ecosystem services approach to conservation is becoming central to environmental policy decision making. While many negative biological invasion-driven impacts on ecosystem structure and functioning have been identified, much less was done to evaluate their ecosystem services. In this paper, we focus on the often-overlooked ecosystem services provided by three notable exotic ecosystem engineering bivalves, the zebra mussel, the quagga mussel, and the golden mussel. One of the most significant benefits of invasive bivalves is water filtration, which results in water purification and changes rates of nutrient cycling, thus mitigating the effects of eutrophication. Mussels are widely used as sentinel organisms for the assessment and biomonitoring of contaminants and pathogens and are consumed by many fishes and birds. Benefits of invasive bivalves are particularly relevant in human-modified ecosystems. We summarize the multiple ecosystem services provided by invasive bivalves and recommend including the economically quantifiable services in the assessments of their economic impacts. We also highlight important ecosystem disservices by exotic bivalves, identify data limitations, and future research directions. This assessment should not be interpreted as a rejection of the fact that invasive mussels have negative impacts, but as an attempt to provide additional information for scientists, managers, and policymakers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Demetrio Boltovskoy
- IEGEBA, Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nancy M. Correa
- Servicio de Hidrografía Naval and Escuela de Ciencias del Mar, Facultad de la Armada, Sede Educativa Universitaria, UNDEF, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Stanicka A, Migdalski Ł, Szopieray K, Cichy A, Jermacz Ł, Lombardo P, Żbikowska E. Invaders as Diluents of the Cercarial Dermatitis Etiological Agent. Pathogens 2021; 10:pathogens10060740. [PMID: 34208370 PMCID: PMC8231267 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens10060740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on alien and invasive species focuses on the direct effects of invasion on native ecosystems, and the possible positive effects of their presence are most often overlooked. Our aim was to check the suitability of selected alien species (the snail Physa acuta, the bivalve Dreissena polymorpha, and the gammarid Dikerogammarus villosus) as diluents for infectious bird schistosome cercariae—the etiological factor of swimmer’s itch. It has been hypothesized that alien species with different feeding habits (scrapers, filterers and predators) that cohabit the aquatic environment with intermediate hosts of the schistosomatid trematodes are capable of feeding on their free-swimming stages—cercariae. In the laboratory conditions used, all experimental animals diluted the cercariae of bird schistosome. The most effective diluents were P. acuta and D. villosus. However, a wide discrepancy in the dilution of the cercariae between replicates was found for gammarids. The obtained results confirm the hypothesis that increased biodiversity, even when alien species are involved, creates the dilution effect of the free-living stages of parasites. Determining the best diluent for bird schistosome cercariae could greatly assist in the development of current bathing areas protection measures against swimmer’s itch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Stanicka
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Łukasz Migdalski
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Katarzyna Szopieray
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Anna Cichy
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
| | - Łukasz Jermacz
- Department of Ecology and Biogeography, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland;
| | | | - Elżbieta Żbikowska
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Parasitology, Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun, 87-100 Torun, Poland; (Ł.M.); (K.S.); (A.C.); (E.Ż.)
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Cong W, Li MY, Zou Y, Ma JY, Wang B, Jiang ZY, Elsheikha HM. Prevalence, genotypes and risk factors for Toxoplasma gondii contamination in marine bivalve shellfish in offshore waters in eastern China. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2021; 213:112048. [PMID: 33610941 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2021.112048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We conducted a large-scale epidemiological investigation to detect the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in four marine bivalve shellfish species collected from six representative coastal regions of Weihai, eastern China. Between January 2018 and December 2018, 14,535 marine bivalve shellfish pooled into 2907 samples were randomly collected and examined for T. gondii DNA by a nested PCR assay targeting B1 gene. The results showed that 2.8% (82) of the 2907 pooled samples were tested positive for T. gondii DNA. Two T. gondii genotype (ToxoDB Genotype #9 and ToxoDB Genotype #1) were identified PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Factors that were found significantly associated with the presence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish included the source of samples (being wild) (odds ratio [OR], 3.34; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.00-5.84; p < 0.01), surface runoff near the sampling site (OR, 2.64; 95% CI, 1.47-4.72; p < 0.01), and presence of cats near the sampling site (OR, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.02-3.07; p = 0.04). Moreover, the prevalence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish correlated with temperature (Pearson's correlation: R = 0.75, p = 0.0049) and precipitation (R = 0.87, p = 0.00021). These findings provide new insights into the presence of T. gondii DNA in marine bivalve shellfish and highlight the impact of human activity on marine pollution by such an important terrestrial pathogen pollutant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Cong
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China
| | - Man-Yao Li
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China
| | - Yang Zou
- Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Pharmaceutical Development, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, 600 Changjiang Street, Harbin 150030, PR China
| | - Jun-Yang Ma
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China
| | - Bo Wang
- School of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Zhao-Yang Jiang
- Marine College, Shandong University, Weihai, Shandong, 264209, PR China.
| | - Hany M Elsheikha
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough, UK.
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