Seafood safety and food-borne zoonoses from fish: Examining the risk of Anisakis in the Portuguese Population and Consumer Risk Perceptions of Fish Consumption

Assessing Portuguese health risks: Anisakiks parasite in Atlantic chub mackerel (Scomber colias) sold in Portuguese markets

Anisakiosis is a significant zoonotic disease caused by parasitic nematodes of the Anisakis genus. It can be contracted by humans through the consumption of raw or undercooked fish contaminated with the parasite, leading to gastrointestinal and allergic symptoms. While anisakiosis is not frequently documented in Portugal, the presence of allergic reactions to Anisakis in Spain suggests ongoing exposure in the Iberian Peninsula. To address this concern, the Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research in Porto, Portugal, in collaboration with the Biology Centre of Czech Academy of Sciences in Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic, has proposed a project entitled 'Assessing Portuguese Health Risks: Anisakis Parasite in Atlantic Chub Mackerel (Scomber colias) Sold in Portuguese Markets' under the European Food Risk Assessment Fellowship Programme. The primary objective of the project is to gather valuable epidemiological data on the host, Atlantic chub mackerel (S. colias) and the parasitic nematode (Anisakis spp.) with the focus on assessing contamination levels and evaluating potential health risks associated with anisakiosis in the Portuguese population. By conducting this research, the project aims to contribute to the understanding of anisakiosis and its impact on public health in Portugal. Investigation of the presence of the Anisakis parasite in Atlantic chub mackerel sold in Portuguese markets will provide crucial insights into the risks associated with consuming raw or undercooked fish. Ultimately, our findings will aid in the development of preventive measures and guidelines to ensure the well-being of the Portuguese population.

Basophil Activation Test in the Diagnosis of Anisakis Allergy: An Observational Study from an Area of High Seafood Consumption in Italy

The rising popularity of undercooked or raw seafood containing larvae of the Anisakis parasite has led to issues of public health concern due to allergic manifestations. We conducted an observational study on the use of an innovative Anisakis allergy diagnostic algorithm in a convenience sample of 53 allergic outpatients recruited in Western Sicily, between April 2021 and March 2022. We included individuals with an anamnesis suggestive of IgE sensitization to Anisakis reporting clinical manifestation in the last month due to allergic reactions after eating fresh fish, or in subjects at high exposure risk with sea products while abstaining from fish ingestion, excluding those with documented fish sensitization. Outpatients were tested via Skin Prick Test, IgE-specific dosage and Basophil Activation Test (BAT). Twenty-six outpatients were diagnosed with Anisakis, while 27 with Chronic Urticaria (CU). We found a seven-fold excess risk for Anisakis (p4) positivity in the Anisakis allergic outpatients, as compared to the CU ones. BAT showed the best diagnostic accuracy (92.45%) and specificity (100%), while specific IgE to Ascaris (p1) documented the best sensitivity (92.31%) but a very low specificity (37.04%). In conclusion, our findings may represent a potentially useful contribution to the future development of updated clinical guidelines.

Rapid visual detection of anisakid nematodes using recombinase polymerase amplification and SYBR Green I

Anisakidosis is a food-borne parasitic disease (FBPD) caused by the third-stage larvae of the family Anisakidae. Therefore, it is important to develop a simple, rapid and equipment-free detection method for anisakids in fish samples or seafood since current methods are time-consuming and require complex instruments. In this study, a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA)-based method was established for the first time to detect anisakids by targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions. The detection results were visualized by including SYBR Green I (SG) in the method. The sensitivity of RPA-SG assay was 102 copies per reaction of recombinant plasmid (within 20 min at 37°C), similar to quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). The assay had high specificity for detecting anisakids against other related parasites and host fish. In addition, the assay was further used to detect fresh marine fish contaminated with anisakids and it showed high precision. These results indicate that the novel RPA-SG assay suitable for visual detection of anisakids in the field and food safety control.