Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses

Humans suffer from numerous parasitic foodborne zoonoses, many of which are caused by helminths. The helminth zoonoses of concern in this book were once limited to diseases of animals, but have now become transmissible to humans. This book reviews not only the prevalence and distribution of these zoonoses, including available health and economic impact data, but highlights gaps in our knowledge that must be filled in order to assess the importance of a particular zoonosis.The food-borne parasites discussed in this book are infections of animals which are transmissible to humans and constitute an important component of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (The World Health Organization). The increasing recognition of the public health significance of these zoonoses, their complicated links to poverty, agricultural intensification, environmental degradation, and the lack of appropriate tools for their control was the inspiration behind this book. In the past these diseases were limited to populations living in low- and middle-income countries, but the geographical limits and populations at risk are expanding and changing because of increasing international markets, improved transportation systems, and demographic changes. It is estimated that the number of people currently infected with food-borne trematodes alone exceeds 41 million, and the number of people at risk worldwide , including those in developed countries, is 750 million. The focus of this book is on those zoonoses that are transmitted by fish, plant and invertebrate foods. While people, especially those living in developed countries, are commonly aware of meat-borne zoonoses such as trichinellosis and cysticercosis, fewer are acquainted with parasitic diseases caused by liver, lung and intestinal flukes, fish-borne tapeworms, and tissue roundworms. This book reviews not only the prevalence and distribution of these zoonoses, including available health and economic impact data, but also highlights gaps in our knowledge base that must be filled in order to gain insights on approaches to prevention. The topics on epidemiology, diagnosis, and clinical aspects emphasize knowledge gaps that limit a full understanding of these zoonoses, and target where greater research investments on these parasitic diseases should be focused. Food-Borne Parasitic Zoonoses: Fish and Plant-Borne Parasites provides the intellectual challenge and stimulation needed to build a more concerted international effort on prevention of these zoonoses. It is an ideal volume for parasitologists, microbiologists, immunologists, epidemiologists, and graduate students and professionals in the fields of public health, infectious disease, food safety and food science.