Occurrence of giardia cysts in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) destined for human consumption.
Between January and June 2004, a total of 200 nondepurated mussel samples of the Galician coast (northwest Spain) were examined for Giardia cysts with a direct immunofluorescence antibody test. Giardia cysts were found in mussels from all of the estuaries studied, with an overall rate of contamination of 41.5%. There was relation between the presence of Giardia cysts, the microbiological contamination (expressed as most probable number of Escherichia coli) detected in the samples, and the harvesting area. This is the first work that describes the presence of Giardia cysts in mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) destined for human consumption.
Laboratorio de Parasitología, Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, La Coruña, Spain.
Hipólito
H
Gómez-Couso
Fernando
F
Méndez-Hermida
José Antonio
JA
Castro-Hermida
Elvira
E
Ares-Mazás
D000818:Animals; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D016266:Food Parasitology; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D049878:Mytilus / Q000469:parasitology*; D012758:Shellfish / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain