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The Algarve Region (AR) in southern Portugal, which is an international tourist destination, has been considered an endemic region of zoonotic leishmaniasis caused by Leishmania infantum since the 1980s. In the present study, phlebotomine and canine surveys were conducted to identify sandfly blood meal sources and to update the occurrence of Leishmania infection in vectors and dogs. Four sandfly species were captured: Phlebotomus perniciosus, Phlebotomus ariasi, Phlebotomus sergenti and Sergentomyia minuta. In one P. perniciosus female, L. infantum DNA was detected. Blood meal tests showed that this species had no host preferences and was an opportunistic feeder. An overall canine leishmaniasis (CanL) seroprevalence of 16.06% was found; the seroprevalence was 3.88% in dogs housed in kennels and 40.63% in dogs that attended veterinary clinics. The simultaneous occurrence of dogs and P. perniciosus infected with L. infantum in the AR indicates that the region continues to be an endemic area for CanL. Our results reinforce the need for the systematic spatial distribution of phlebotomine populations and their Leishmania infection rates and the need to simultaneously perform pathogen monitoring in both invertebrate and vertebrate hosts to investigate the transmission, distribution and spreading of Leishmania infection.

Morcela de Arroz (MA), a popular Portuguese blood sausage, with high pH and water activity (aw), is traditionally commercialized without preservatives and unpacked. This study evaluated the best packaging solution to extend MA shelf life stored at 4±1°C for 44days: without packaging (WP), vacuum (VP) and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (80% CO2; 20% N2). Mesophilic (MTVC), psychrotrophic (PTVC), lactic acid bacteria (LAB), pseudomonads, molds and yeasts, Enterobacteriaceae, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, sensory properties, pH, moisture and aw were studied. Moisture and aw decreased (p<0.05) in WP. pH decreased in WP and MAP during storage. MTVC and PTVC counts increased to values around 7logCFU/g at 44days of storage. LAB and Enterobacteriaceae counts were higher (p<0.05) in VP. Pseudomonads were inhibited (p<0.05) by MAP after 8days of storage. Sensory parameters were affected (p<0.05) by packaging and storage time. Globally, MAP performed better.

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