Zoonotic Pathogens
Authors: A. Lundén (National Veterinary Institute) , A. M. Olsen (Danish Agriculture & Food Council) , C. Rune Stensvold (Statens Serum Institut) , G. Deksne (Institute of Food Safety, Animal Health and Environment (BIOR)) , H. Houe (University of Copenhagen) , H. Larsen Enemark (Norwegian Veterinary Institute) , H. Vedel Nielsen (University of Kentucky) , H. Vigre (Technical University of Denmark) , J. Ranta (Finnish Food Authority) , K. Must (Estonian University of Life Sciences) , Lis Alban (Danish Agriculture & Food Council) , M. Sandberg (Danish Agriculture & Food Council) , M. Tagel (Estonian University of Life Sciences) , M. Vang Johansen (University of Copenhagen) , P. Jokelainen (Statens Serum Institut) , R. Berg (University of Copenhagen) , S. Monteiro Pires (Technical University of Denmark) , T. Birk (Technical University of Denmark) , T. Rosendal (National Veterinary Institute)
Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite prevalent worldwide. Meat from infected animals may contain tissue cysts with viable parasites and is therefore a potential source of infection for other hosts, including humans. Differences in consumption of meat and variation in the infection prevalence in animals between countries may be drivers of the geographical variation in seroprevalence observed in humans across the Nordic-Baltic region1. While consumption data are available, data on prevalence of T. gondii in different animal species used for human consumption are scattered, and no quantitative risk assessment studies have evaluated the risk of exposure of T. gondii through consumption of meat in the region. Therefore, the first objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of T. gondii in domestic pigs, sheep, cattle, wild boars and moose in the Nordic-Baltic region. The next objective of the study is to develop a comparative exposure assessment (CEA) framework, and this is a work in progress. The CEA model will allow for the quantification and comparison of exposure to T. gondii parasites from various fresh and processed meat products consumed by different age-groups. This model will be applied to four countries.
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How to Cite: Lundén, A. , Olsen, A. M. , Rune Stensvold, C. , Deksne, G. , Houe, H. , Larsen Enemark, H. , Vedel Nielsen, H. , Vigre, H. , Ranta, J. , Must, K. , Alban, L. , Sandberg, M. , Tagel, M. , Vang Johansen, M. , Jokelainen, P. , Berg, R. , Monteiro Pires, S. , Birk, T. & Rosendal, T. (2019) “Assessment of the Relative Role of Meat of Domestic Pigs, Sheep, Cattle, Wild Boars and Moose for the Exposure of Humans to Toxoplasma gondii”, SafePork. 13(1). doi: https://doi.org//safepork.11192