Seafood-borne parasitic diseases in Australia: how much do we know about them?
Shokoofeh ShamsiSchool of Animal and Veterinary Sciences
Charles Sturt University
Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650, Australia
Tel: +61 2 6933 4887
Email: sshamsi@csu.edu.au
Microbiology Australia 37(1) 27-29 https://doi.org/10.1071/MA16015
Published: 12 February 2016
Abstract
Fish are host to many parasites, some of which can cause disease in humans. With the increase in cultural and culinary diversity and the increased popularity of eating raw or slightly cooked seafood dishes in Australia it is speculated that seafood-borne parasitic infections in Australian consumers may rise. Seafood-borne zoonotic parasites are recognised as a significant public health concern worldwide. In Australia there are few reports of infection in humans in the medical literature. Australian Government enforcement agencies rate the risk of seafood-borne zoonosis as low; however, the prevalence of seafood-borne zoonoses may be under-reported in Australia due to misdiagnosis. Although food safety regulations and import controls for seafood in Australia are strict, the focus is more on the control of food-borne bacterial, viral and chemical contaminant related illnesses rather than parasitic diseases.
References
[1] Anantanawat, S. et al. (2012) A semi-quantitative risk assessment of harmful parasites in Australian finfish. South Australian Research & Development Institute, 2012.[2] Shamsi, S. et al. (2011) Occurrence and abundance of anisakid nematode larvae in five species of fish from southern Australian waters. Parasitol. Res. 108, 927–934.
| Occurrence and abundance of anisakid nematode larvae in five species of fish from southern Australian waters.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 21057811PubMed |
[3] Butt, A.A. et al. (2004) Infections related to the ingestion of seafood. Part II: parasitic infections and food safety. Lancet Infect. Dis. 4, 294–300.
| Infections related to the ingestion of seafood. Part II: parasitic infections and food safety.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15120346PubMed |
[4] Smith, J.W. (1999) Ascaridoid nematodes and pathology of the alimentary tract and its associated organs in vertebrates, including man: a literature review. Helminthological Abstracts 68, 49–96.
[5] Audicana, M.T. and Kennedy, M.W. (2008) Anisakis simplex: from obscure infectious worm to inducer of immune hypersensitivity. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 21, 360–379.
| Anisakis simplex: from obscure infectious worm to inducer of immune hypersensitivity.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXmtFKlsrY%3D&md5=9aa3524f91d041d032fb818f153f0bbdCAS | 18400801PubMed |
[6] Daschner, A. and Pascual, C.Y. (2005) Anisakis simplex: sensitization and clinical allergy. Curr. Opin. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 5, 281–285.
| Anisakis simplex: sensitization and clinical allergy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 15864089PubMed |
[7] Doupe, R.G. et al. (2003) Larval anisakid infections of some tropical fish species from north-west Australia. J. Helminthol. 77, 363–365.
| 1:STN:280:DC%2BD3srkvVKnsA%3D%3D&md5=ba2a1e0eb75472834aceb2284cc505eaCAS | 14627454PubMed |
[8] Shamsi, S. et al. (2011) Mutation scanning-coupled sequencing of nuclear ribosomal DNA spacers (as a taxonomic tool) for the specific identification of different Contracaecum (Nematoda: Anisakidae) larval types. Mol. Cell. Probes 25, 13–18.
| 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXhs1ansbY%3D&md5=a5e0b2f60e7d6a403dd2fbaf6dd5369dCAS | 20933594PubMed |
[9] Shamsi, S. and Butcher, A.R. (2011) First report of human anisakidosis in Australia. Med. J. Aust. 194, 199–200.
| 21401462PubMed |
[10] García, M. et al. (1997) The use of IgE immunoblotting as a diagnostic tool in Anisakis simplex allergy. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 99, 497–501.
| The use of IgE immunoblotting as a diagnostic tool in Anisakis simplex allergy.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 9111494PubMed |
[11] Jeremiah, C.J. et al. (2011) Gnathostomiasis in remote northern Western Australia: the first confirmed cases acquired in Australia. Med. J. Aust. 195, 42–44.
| 21728942PubMed |
[12] Herman, J.S. and Chiodini, P.L. (2009) Gnathostomiasis, another emerging imported disease. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 22, 484–492.
| Gnathostomiasis, another emerging imported disease.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 19597010PubMed |
[13] Chai, J.-Y. et al. (2005) Fish-borne parasitic zoonoses: status and issues. Int. J. Parasitol. 35, 1233–1254.
| Fish-borne parasitic zoonoses: status and issues.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 16143336PubMed |
[14] Moir, C. (2009) Review of the current testing protocols for imported seafood products. CSIRO Report reference number R-661-03-11. 90 pp.
[15] Hochberg, N.S. and Hamer, D.H. (2010) Anisakidosis: perils of the deep. Clin. Infect. Dis. 51, 806–812.
| 20804423PubMed |
