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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370052
Research Project: Detection and Control of Foodborne Parasites for Food Safety

Location: Animal Parasitic Diseases Laboratory

Title: Comparative evaluation of Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) vs qPCR to detect T. gondii oocysts in mussels

Author
item DURAND, LOIC - Actalia Securite Des Aliment
item LA CARBONA, STEPHANIE - Actalia Securite Des Aliment
item GEFFARD, ALAIN - Universite De Reims Champagne-Ardenne
item POSSENTI, ALESSIA - Istituto Superiore Di Sanita
item Dubey, Jitender
item LALLE, MARCO - Istituto Superiore Di Sanita

Submitted to: Experimental Parasitology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/18/2019
Publication Date: 11/28/2019
Citation: Durand, L., La Carbona, S., Geffard, A., Possenti, A., Dubey, J.P., Lalle, M. 2019. Comparative evaluation of Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) vs qPCR to detect T. gondii oocysts in mussels. Experimental Parasitology. 208:107809. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107809.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107809

Interpretive Summary: Ingestion of food and water fecally contaminated with pathogenic protozoa (Cyclospora, Cystoisospora, Giardia, Cryptosporidium, Toxoplasma) can cause severe gastrointestinal disorders in humans and animals. Detection of these protozoans in water or fruits and vegetables is difficult. Here, the authors used toxoplasma oocysts detection in water as a model using a sensitive PCR method in mussels that can concentrate these protozoa. By this method, the authors could detect as few as 5 oocysts per gram of mussel tissues. These findings will be of interests to public health workers, biologists, and parasitologists.

Technical Abstract: The apicomplexan parasite Toxoplasma gondii can infect humans and induce toxoplasmosis. For its global impact on public health, T. gondii is highly prioritize among the foodborne parasites. Human infection can occur through multiple routes including the ingestion of raw or undercooked food contaminated with T. gondii oocysts, such as fresh produce and shellfishes. As filter-feeders, shellfishes can accumulate and concentrate contaminant, including protozoan (oo)cysts. To guarantee high standard of food safety as well as in the perspective to use filter-feeders in biomonitoring programs, robust and sensitive detection tools for T. gondii are required. Although detection of T. gondii in different shellfishes by molecular techniques has been achieved (i.e. PCR and qPCR), routine applicability is so far limited by the lack of sensitivity or equipment cost. Here, we describe the assessment of a LAMP-based assay to detect T. gondii oocysts down to 5 oocysts/g of mussel’s tissue or 5 oocyst /ml of haemolymph. The LAMP was also compared with qPCR providing evidence that LAMP performance is higher.