Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses

The food-borne parasites discussed in this book are infections of animals which are transmissible to humans and constitute an important component of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (The World Health Organization). The increasing recognition of the public health significance of these zoonoses, their complicated links to poverty, agricultural intensification, environmental degradation, and the lack of appropriate tools for their control was the inspiration behind this book. In the past these diseases were limited to populations living in low- and middle-income countries, but the geographical limits and populations at risk are expanding and changing because of increasing international markets, improved transportation systems, and demographic changes. It is estimated that the number of people currently infected with food-borne trematodes alone exceeds 41 million, and the number of people at risk worldwide , including those in developed countries, is 750 million. The focus of this book is on those zoonoses that are transmitted by fish, plant and invertebrate foods. While people, especially those living in developed countries, are commonly aware of meat-borne zoonoses such as trichinellosis and cysticercosis, fewer are acquainted with parasitic diseases caused by liver, lung and intestinal flukes, fish-borne tapeworms, and tissue roundworms. This book reviews not only the prevalence and distribution of these zoonoses, including available health and economic impact data, but also highlights gaps in our knowledge base that must be filled in order to gain insights on approaches to prevention. The topics on epidemiology, diagnosis, and clinical aspects emphasize knowledge gaps that limit a full understanding of these zoonoses, and target where greater research investments on these parasitic diseases should be focused. Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses: Fish and Plant-Borne Parasites provides the intellectual challenge and stimulation needed to build a more concerted international effort on prevention of these zoonoses. It is an ideal volume for parasitologists, microbiologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, and graduate students and professionals in the fields of public health, infectious disease, food safety and food science.

"Humans suffer from numerous parasitic foodborne zoonoses, many of which are caused by helminths. The helminth zoonoses of concern in this book are normally limited to diseases of animals which have now become transmissible to humans. In the past these diseases were limited to populations living in low- and middle-income countries, but the geographical limits and populations at risk are expanding and changing because of growing international markets , improved transportation systems, and demographic changes (such as population movements). The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that the number of people currently infected with food borne trematodes alone exceeds 41 million, but worldwide the number of people at risk, including those in developed countries, is 750 million. The increasing recognition of the public health significance of these zoonoses, especially their complicated epidemiologies, and their links to poverty, intensification of agriculture, environmental degradation, and lack of tools for control- has been welcome. However, the development of priorities for a national public health system is often a competitive exercise, and the argument for devoting appropriate attention and resources to foodborne parasitic zoonoses is generally handicapped by the lack of good health and economic impact data. The genesis of this book was a desire to draw attention to the problem of these zoonoses and to hopefully, inspire greater efforts to acquire a reliable global impact assessment and therefore a basis for improved prevention and control actions for these zoonoses.

Fish- and Invertebrate-Borne Parasites.- Liver Flukes.- Intestinal Flukes.- Paragonimiasis.- Diphyllobothriasis: The Diphyllobothrium latumHuman Infection Conundrum and Reconciliation with a Worldwide Zoonosis.- Anisakid Nematodes and Anisakiasis.- Capillariasis.- Gnathostomiasis.- Angiostrongyliasis.- Plant-Borne Parasites.- Plant-Borne Trematode Zoonoses: Fascioliasis and Fasciolopsiasis.- General Aspects of Infection.- Immunology of the Infection.- Molecular Epidemiology of Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses.