Meat Borne Parasites in Iran: A Review

Zoonotic diseases transmitted from meat and its products are global significant issues in public health and the economy. A major factor in carcass condemnation in slaughterhouses is parasitic infections, which can have a severe negative effect on human societies' health. Parasites transmitted from red meat and its products and the induced disorders in humans include helminths such as Taenia spp. (intestinal disorders), liver flukes (hepatic disorders), and Trichinella spp. (intestinal and muscular disorders), as well as protozoans such as Toxoplasma gondii (neurological and reproductive disorders) and Sarcocystis spp. (gastrointestinal, respiratory, and muscle disorders) and Cryptosporidium spp. (intestinal disorders and severe diarrhea). In general, there is little knowledge about meat-borne parasitic diseases. Global food trade, population growth, unprincipled cooking methods, and lack of improvement in monitoring and diagnostic procedures are among the factors of increasing diagnostic cases of parasitic diseases caused by meat and meat products around the world, including Iran. Despite the decrease in meat consumption per capita in recent years, there is a significant prevalence of meat-borne parasitic diseases in the population of Iran, which requires attention towards preventive and monitoring methods. Northern Iran, including the provinces of Gilan and Mazandaran, has the greatest documented incidence of parasite illnesses in meat, especially in rural areas with humid climates where cattle are grown. Recent studies have estimated the prevalence of human infections in Iran. The studied diseases included taeniasis (۰.۲۵%-۰ ۵%), trichinellosis (۲.۶% in high-risk group), fascioliasis (۰.۷% in Jolfa county), dicrocoeliasis (۲.۲% in Meshkinshahr city), toxoplasmosis (۳۹.۳% of the whole Iranian population), sarcocystosis (۰.۱۶%-۰.۱%, only found in ۸ cases), cryptosporidiosis (۲.۹% of healthy population and ۱.۳% of patients suffering from gastroenteritis). This study aimed to evaluate the essential parasitic diseases transmitted through meat and meat products in the geographical area of Iran and their effects on both human and animal health.

کلیدواژه ها:

Meat ، Meat production ، Parasitic diseases ، Zoonoses