Evaluating Foodborne Cyclosporiasis Using Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network and Foodborne Disease Outbreak Surveillance System Data, 2015-2019.

Cyclosporiasis has been a nationally notifiable disease in the United States since 1999, and cases have increased in recent years. We evaluated characteristics of U.S.

A Diagnostic Algorithm for Detection of Leishmania spp. in Human Fresh and Fixed Tissue Samples.

Leishmaniasis is an important travel-related parasitic infection in the United States. Treatment regimens vary by Leishmania species and require an accurate diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic methods depend on the type and condition of specimen analyzed.

Development of a Molecular Marker Based on the Mitochondrial Genome for Detection of in Food and Water Samples.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a coccidian parasite that causes diarrheal illness outbreaks worldwide. The development of new laboratory methods for detection of C. cayetanensis is of critical importance because of the high potential for environmental samples to be contaminated with a myriad of microorganisms, adversely impacting the specificity when testing samples from various sources using a single molecular assay.

Ready-to-use qPCR for detection of or in food matrices.

Foodborne outbreaks caused by parasites have long been a public health issue. Among the available contamination detection methods, qPCR is one of the most sensitive and specific. However, it can be cumbersome and error-prone, if used by unexperienced users.

Detection of in produce irrigation and wash water using large-volume sampling techniques.

The recent increase of reported cyclosporiasis outbreaks associated with fresh produce has highlighted the need for understanding environmental transmission of in agricultural settings and facilities. Conducting such environmental investigations necessitates robust sample collection and analytical methods to detect in water samples. This study evaluated three sample collection methods for recovery of oocysts from water samples during seeded recovery experiments.

Angiostrongylus spp. (Nematoda; Metastrongyloidea) of global public health importance.

Human angiostrongyliasis is an important foodborne zoonosis, caused by the infection with Angiostrongylus costaricensis and Angiostrongylus cantonensis. These two species have a significant public health impact in different areas of the world. Angiostrongyliasis is re-emerging and expanding to urban settings rising significant concerns regarding the control of these infections.

Dead-End Ultrafiltration and DNA-Based Methods for Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Agricultural Water.

is a protozoan parasite that causes foodborne and waterborne diarrheal illness outbreaks worldwide. Most of these outbreaks are associated with the consumption of fresh produce. Sensitive and specific methods to detect in agricultural water are needed to identify the parasite in agricultural water used to irrigate crops that have been implicated in outbreaks.

Duplex Real-Time PCR Assay for Clinical Differentiation of and .

In the United States and Europe, human onchocerciasis is a rare disease caused by zoonotic or anthropophilic parasites in the genus . The zoonotic species identified in focal areas of Europe and United States is , and , the anthroponotic species, may be found among people who had lived in endemic areas of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, or Latin America. Onchocerciasis due to is an emergent parasitic disease, with limited diagnostic methods, in addition to the lack of information on its biology, transmission, and epidemiology.

Proof of Concept for a Portable Platform for Molecular Diagnosis of Tropical Diseases: On-Chip Ready-to-Use Real-Time Quantitative PCR for Detection of Trypanosoma cruzi or Plasmodium spp.

Although molecular diagnostics is well established in clinical laboratories, its full potential has not been extended to field settings. Typically, diagnostic real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) reagents require temperature-controlled transportation and storage. Furthermore, thermocyclers are bulky and fragile, requiring good infrastructure for optimal operation.

Evaluation of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration validated method for detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in high-risk fresh produce matrices and a method modification for a prepared dish.

The performance of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) validated method for regulatory detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in leafy greens and berries was evaluated in additional high-risk fresh produce items and in a dish prepared with these produce commodities.

Peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase A - A novel biomarker of multi-episodic (recurrent) ocular toxoplasmosis.

Ocular toxoplasmosis (OT) is the most common etiology of posterior uveitis. The high incidence of macular scarring associated with OT is a leading cause of visual morbidity. Serum biomarkers of the disease would aid in its diagnosis.

Heterologous expression of three antigenic proteins from Angiostrongylus cantonensis: ES-7, Lec-5, and 14-3-3 in mammalian cells.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode and the main causative agent of human cerebral eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EoM). A definitive diagnosis of EoM usually requires serologic or molecular analysis of the patient's clinical sample. Currently, a 31 kDa antigen is used in immunological tests for this purpose, however as a crude antigen preparation it may present cross-reactivity with other helminthic infections, especially echinococcosis.

Molecular detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in human stool specimens using UNEX-based DNA extraction and real-time PCR.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a coccidian parasite associated with diarrheal illness. In the USA, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been documented almost every year since the mid-1990s. The typical approach used to identify this parasite in human stools is an examination of acid-fast-stained smears under bright-field microscopy.

Interlaboratory validation of an improved method for detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in produce using a real-time PCR assay.

A collaborative validation study was performed to evaluate the performance of a new U.S. Food and Drug Administration method developed for detection of the protozoan parasite, Cyclospora cayetanensis, on cilantro and raspberries.

Evaluation of an Improved U.S. Food and Drug Administration Method for the Detection of Cyclospora cayetanensis in Produce Using Real-Time PCR.

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a protozoan parasite that causes human diarrheal disease associated with the consumption of fresh produce or water contaminated with C. cayetanensis oocysts. In the United States, foodborne outbreaks of cyclosporiasis have been linked to various types of imported fresh produce, including cilantro and raspberries.

Three Cases of Neurologic Syndrome Caused by Donor-Derived Microsporidiosis.

In April 2014, a kidney transplant recipient in the United States experienced headache, diplopia, and confusion, followed by neurologic decline and death. An investigation to evaluate the possibility of donor-derived infection determined that 3 patients had received 4 organs (kidney, liver, heart/kidney) from the same donor. The liver recipient experienced tremor and gait instability; the heart/kidney and contralateral kidney recipients were hospitalized with encephalitis.

Cross-reactivity of the 31 kDa antigen of Angiostrongylus cantonensis - Dealing with the immunodiagnosis of meningoencephalitis.

The primary causative agent of eosinophilic meningoencephalitis (EoM) in endemic regions is the nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis. The occurrence of EoM was previously restricted to countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands; however, more recently, it has been reported from other regions, including Brazil. The commonly used diagnosis is detection of specific antibody reactivity to the 31 kDa antigen, which is derived from female worm somatic extracts.

Evaluation of library preparation methods for Illumina next generation sequencing of small amounts of DNA from foodborne parasites.

Illumina library preparation methods for ultra-low input amounts were compared using genomic DNA from two foodborne parasites (Angiostrongylus cantonensis and Cyclospora cayetanensis) as examples. The Ovation Ultralow method resulted in libraries with the highest concentration and produced quality sequencing data, even when the input DNA was in the picogram range.

Transmission of Balamuthia mandrillaris by Organ Transplantation.

Background: During 2009 and 2010, 2 clusters of organ transplant-transmitted Balamuthia mandrillaris, a free-living ameba, were detected by recognition of severe unexpected illness in multiple recipients from the same donor.

Methods: We investigated all recipients and the 2 donors through interview, medical record review, and testing of available specimens retrospectively. Surviving recipients were tested and treated prospectively.

Amoebic meningoencephalitis and disseminated infection caused by Balamuthia mandrillaris in a Western lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).

CASE DESCRIPTION A 22-year-old male gorilla (Gorilla gorilla gorilla) housed in a zoo was evaluated for signs of lethargy, head-holding, and cervical stiffness followed by development of neurologic abnormalities including signs of depression, lip droop, and tremors. CLINICAL FINDINGS Physical examination under general anesthesia revealed a tooth root abscess and suboptimal body condition. A CBC and serum biochemical analysis revealed mild anemia, neutrophilia and eosinopenia consistent with a stress leukogram, and signs consistent with dehydration.

Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction Detection of Angiostrongylus cantonensis DNA in Cerebrospinal Fluid from Patients with Eosinophilic Meningitis.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis is the most common infectious cause of eosinophilic meningitis. Timely diagnosis of these infections is difficult, partly because reliable laboratory diagnostic methods are unavailable. The aim of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay for the detection of A.

Review of Telemicrobiology.

Context: Microbiology laboratories are continually pursuing means to improve quality, rapidity, and efficiency of specimen analysis in the face of limited resources. One means by which to achieve these improvements is through the remote analysis of digital images. Telemicrobiology enables the remote interpretation of images of microbiology specimens.

Performance of a real time PCR for leishmaniasis diagnosis using a L. (L.) infantum hypothetical protein as target in canine samples.

Visceral leishmaniasis represents an important public health issue in different parts of the world, requiring that measures be put in place to control the spread of the disease worldwide. The canine leishmaniasis diagnosis is not easy based on clinical signs, since dogs may not develop the infection with recognizable signs. Thus, the laboratorial diagnosis is essential to ascertain the incidence and prevalence of canine leishmaniasis especially in areas with major control efforts.