First report of Tunisian coastal water contamination by protozoan parasites using mollusk bivalves as biological indicators.
In order to establish seawater contamination by emerging protozoan parasites, we used qPCR to molecularly characterize and evaluate the parasitic burden of Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Toxoplasma gondii, and Cyclospora cayetanensis in 1255 wild bivalve mollusks collected along the Tunisian coasts. T. gondii, G. duodenalis and C. cayetanensis were detected in 6.9% (99% CI=1.6-12.2%) pools of Ruditapes decussatus. None of the samples were found positive to Cryptosporidium spp.; 6.6% pools of R. decussatus were positive for T. gondii Type I, 1.6% for G. duodenalis assemblage A, and 1.6% for the association T. gondii Type I/C. cayetanensis/G. duodenalis assemblage A. R. decussatus harbored up to 77500 oocysts/sample of T. gondii, up to 395 cysts/sample of G. duodenalis, and 526 oocysts/sample of C. cayetanensis. These results provide the first evidence that the Tunisian coasts are contaminated by zoonotic protozoan parasites that can constitute a direct or indirect risk for human health.
Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia; Laboratoire de Biodiversité et de Biotechnologie Marine, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Monastir, Tunisia.
Khemissa
K
Ghozzi
Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy.
Marianna
M
Marangi
Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Pisa, 56120 Pisa, Italy.
Roberto
R
Papini
Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Ibtissem
I
Lahmar
Laboratoire de Biodiversité et de Biotechnologie Marine, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Monastir, Tunisia.
Rafika
R
Challouf
Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Najoua
N
Houas
Laboratoire de Biodiversité et de Biotechnologie Marine, Institut National des Sciences et Technologies de la Mer, Monastir, Tunisia.
Rym
R
Ben Dhiab
Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy.
Giovanni
G
Normanno
Laboratoire de Parasitologie-Mycologie Médicale et Moléculaire (code LR12ES08), Faculté de Pharmacie de Monastir, Université de Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Hamouda
H
Babba
Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy. Electronic address: annunziata.giangaspero@unifg.it.
Annunziata
A
Giangaspero
D000818:Animals; D049872:Bivalvia / Q000469:parasitology*; D003458:Cryptosporidium / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D021744:Cyclospora / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D005872:Giardia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D033661:Oocysts; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D014416:Tunisia
Bivalve mollusks; Cryptosporidium spp.; Cyclospora cayetanensis; Giardia duodenalis; Toxoplasma gondii; Tunisia; qPCR