Foodborne Parasitic Diseases in the Neotropics – a review

Abstract

Summary Within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, it is stated that everyone has the right to an adequate standard of living, which ensures, as well as their family, health and well-being, and food, thereby ensuring adequate nutrition. One of the major threats to overcome this is to ensure food security, which becomes particularly challenging in developing countries due to the high incidence of parasitic diseases. The World Health Organization (WHO), considers it one of the main causes of morbidity, closely linked to poverty and related to inadequate personal hygiene, consumption of raw food, lack of sanitary services, limited access to drinking water and fecal contamination in the environment. It is estimated that more than a fifth of the world’s population is infected by one or several intestinal parasites, and that in many countries of Central and South America the average percentage of infected people is 45%, being Taenia solium, Echinococcus granulosus, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium spp, Entamoeba histolytica, Trichinella spiralis, Ascaris spp, Trypanosoma cruzi and Fasciola hepatica some of the most important ones in the neotropics. One of the main reasons why these diseases are diffi cult to control is t he ignorance of their lifecycles, as well as symptoms and current epidemiology of the disease, which contributes to a late or erroneous diagnosis. The present work aims to discuss and make public the current knowledge as well as the general characteristics of these diseases to the general audience.

Waterborne diseases and ethnic-related disparities: A 10 years nationwide mortality and burden of disease analysis from Ecuador

“…For example, a previous otherwise treatable roundworm infection caused by the ingestion of Trichinella larvae becomes severe trichinosis in cases of heavy infestation ( 38 , 39 ). In addition, several reports show that vital organ complications such as myocarditis, encephalitis, or meningitis, caused by foodborne parasitic diseases increase in-hospital mortality, something that we observed in our results ( 40 , 41 ).…”

Waterborne diseases as an indicator of health disparities: A nationwide study of WaSH related morbidity and mortality in Ecuador from 2011-2020

“…For example, a previous otherwise treatable roundworm infection caused by the ingestion of trichinella larvae becomes severe trichinosis in cases of heavy infestation [32,33]. In addition, several reports show that vital organ complications such as myocarditis, encephalitis, or meningitis, caused by foodborne parasitic diseases increase in-hospital mortality, something that we observed in our results [34,35].…”

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasitosis in Guinea: Systematic Review of the Literature and Meta-Analysis

“…Transmission of A. lumbricoides is oro-faecal, so the predominance of the parasite could be attributed to its high rate of reinfection when compared to other soil-transmitted helminths [ 90 ]. Additionally, its eggs can remain dormant and tolerate adverse conditions in the soil for up to 10 years [ 91 ]. Hookworm infection is usually associated with bare skin contact with contaminated soil containing third-stage larvae [ 9 ].…”