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First report of Toxoplasma gondii sporulated oocysts and Giardia duodenalis in commercial green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) in New Zealand

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Abstract

Pollution of marine ecosystems with the protozoan parasites Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis can be studied using bivalve shellfish as biosentinels. Although evidence suggests that these parasites are present in New Zealand coastal waters, the extent of protozoal pollution has not been investigated. This study used optimised molecular methods to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis and T. gondii in commercially sourced green-lipped mussel (Perna canaliculus), an endemic species found throughout coastal New Zealand. A nested polymerase chain reaction was validated for detection of T. gondii DNA and applied to 104 commercially sourced mussels. Thirteen mussels were positive for T. gondii DNA with an estimated true prevalence of 16.4% using Bayesian statistics, and the presence of T. gondii in mussels was significantly associated with collection during the summer compared with that in the winter (P = 0.003). Consumption of contaminated shellfish may also pose a health risk for humans and marine wildlife. As only sporulated T. gondii oocysts can be infectious, a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to confirm presence of a sporozoite-specific marker (SporoSAG), detected in four mussels. G. duodenalis assemblage B, known to be pathogenic in humans, was also discovered in 1% mussels, tested by polymerase chain reaction (n = 90). Cryptosporidium spp. was not detected in the sampled mussel haemolymph. Results suggest that New Zealand may have high levels of coastal contamination with T. gondii, particularly in summer months, and that naturally exposed mussels can ingest and retain sporulated oocysts, further establishing shellfish consumption as a health concern.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Heather Fritz, Jeroen Saeij and David Arranz Solis for producing and generously providing T. gondii oocysts from the University of California, Davis. We are very grateful to Patricia Conrad, University California, Davis, for supporting collaboration with Massey University and also to Juan-Carlos Garcia Ramirez for providing scientific guidance on Giardia duodenalis in New Zealand.

Funding

Funding for this work was provided by the New Zealand Department of Conservation, the Massey University Research Foundation, the Lewis Fitch Foundation, the Marian Cunningham Memorial Fund and the New Zealand Ministry of Health. We acknowledge the financial support received from the IVABS Doctoral Scholarship, Massey University and the New Zealand International Doctoral Research Scholarship, Education New Zealand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, College of Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 11–222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    Alicia Coupe, Laryssa Howe, Elizabeth Burrows, Abigail Sine, Emilie Vallée & Wendi D. Roe

  2. Molecular Epidemiology and Public Health Laboratory, Hopkirk Research Institute, Massey University, Private Bag 11–222, Palmerston North, 4442, New Zealand

    Anthony Pita, Niluka Velathanthiri & David Hayman

  3. One Health Institute, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Karen Shapiro

  4. Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA

    Karen Shapiro

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  1. Alicia Coupe
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  2. Laryssa Howe
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  3. Elizabeth Burrows
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  4. Abigail Sine
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  5. Anthony Pita
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  7. Emilie Vallée
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  9. Karen Shapiro
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  10. Wendi D. Roe
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Correspondence to Alicia Coupe.

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Coupe, A., Howe, L., Burrows, E. et al. First report of Toxoplasma gondii sporulated oocysts and Giardia duodenalis in commercial green-lipped mussels (Perna canaliculus) in New Zealand. Parasitol Res 117, 1453–1463 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5832-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-018-5832-8

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