Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail fresh meat products from free-range chickens in Spain

Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most prevalent zoonotic protozoan parasites worldwide and affects the vast majority of warm-blooded animal species, including humans. Postnatal infection in humans occurs through the ingestion of sporulated T. gondii oocysts or via the oral intake of parasite tissue cysts during the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. In this regard, given their high exposure to oocysts, chickens (Gallus domesticus) raised on the ground constitute a potential source of T. gondii.

Material and Methods

For the first time in Spain, a survey was undertaken in commercial retail free-range poultry. A total of 50 thighs from different animals were analysed. The samples were homogenised and an acid pepsin digestion procedure was applied prior to molecular analysis. Toxoplasma gondii DNA was isolated from meat by qPCR. Two sets of primers were used for DNA amplification targeting the specific sequence of a 529 bp repeat element and another set of primers was utilised for the surface antigen protein-1 gene.

Results

DNA extracted from 5 out of 50 tissue samples was positive for both genes by qPCR amplification.

Conclusion

The 10% prevalence of Toxoplasma infection found in commercial free-range chickens raises public health issues.

Idioma:: Inglés

Calendario de la edición:: 4 veces al año
Temas de la revista:: Ciencias de la vida, Biología molecular, Microbiología y virología, Ciencias de la vida, otros, Medicina, Medicina veterinaria

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Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in retail fresh meat products from free-range chickens in Spain

María Jesús Gracia Salinas

Cristina Escolano Campos

María Paz Peris Peris

Nabil Halaihel Kassab

Categoría del artículo: Review article

Publicado en línea: 06 oct 2021

Páginas: 457 - 461

Recibido: 14 mar 2021

Aceptado: 15 sept 2021

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2021-0052

Palabras clavefree-range chickens, Spain, meat, qPCR

© 2021 M.J. Gracia Salinas et al. published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Introduction

Material and Methods

Results

Conclusion

Palabras clave
free-range chickens, Spain, meat, qPCR