Investigation of Toxoplasma gondii presence in farmed shellfish by nested-PCR and real-time PCR fluorescent amplicon generation assay (FLAG).

• Published in: Experimental Parasitology
• Main Authors: Putignani L., Mancinelli L., Del Chierico F., Menichella D., Adlerstein D., Angelici M. C., Marangi M., Berrilli F., Frangipane di Regalbono D. A., Giangaspero A., CAFFARA, MONICA
• Other Authors: Angelici M.C., Caffara M., Frangipane di Regalbono D.A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Toxoplama gondii Edible shellfish Nested-PCR FLAG real-time PCR Italy; Crassostrea gigas
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11585/103079; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2010.09.007; http://ac.els-cdn.com/S0014489410003164/1-s2.0-S0014489410003164-main.pdf?_tid=5d9e4b04-cde9-11e2-bd02-00000aacb361&acdnat=1370441475_30847661e9f4780962f3e65f61be6ccc

To evaluate the presence of Toxoplasma gondii in edible farmed shellfish, 1734 shellfish specimens i.e., 109 Crassostrea gigas (6 pools), 660 Mytilus galloprovincialis (22 pools), 804 Tapes decussatus (28 pools) and 161 Tapes philippinarum (6 pools), were collected from the Varano Lagoon (Apulia, Italy). Shellfish from 62 pools were subjected to two molecular techniques: a nested-PCR assay, and a fluorescent amplicon generation (FLAG) real-time PCR assay, both based on the multi-copy B1 target, were performed. One pooled sample of gills from C. gigas and one pooled sample of haemolymphs from T. decussatus were assessed as positive for T. gondii DNA by both techniques. The results demonstrated the presence of T. gondii in edible farmed C. gigas and T. decussatus and indicate that there may be a considerable health threat involved in eating contaminated raw shellfish.