{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T05:03:35Z","timestamp":1792213415478,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":39,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]],"date-time":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100016112","name":"PRA-HE project 2021","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CUP D79J21011870001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CUP D79J21011870001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100016112","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pathogens"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Berries represent healthy dietary options and contain bioactive compounds associated with a decreased risk of diseases. Despite representing healthy food choices, these products can be contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms, including parasites. Among foodborne parasites, Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium parvum, Cyclospora cayetanensis, Toxoplasma gondii, and Echinococcus multilocularis are of significant public health importance and have been recently detected in fresh berries in Europe, including Italy. Berries can be purchased fresh or frozen, and it is worrying that even frozen berries could represent a risk for the consumer. In fact, several parasites can resist freezing temperatures and have been responsible for outbreaks of infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of G. duodenalis, C. parvum, C. cayetanensis, T. gondii, and E. multilocularis in frozen berries with simplex and multiplex real-time PCR protocols. A total of 108 packages of mixed frozen berries were bought from supermarkets located in a south-eastern region of Italy. The samples were tested using two simplex real-time PCR protocols targeting C. parvum and G. duodenalis, respectively, and a multiplex real-time PCR targeting C. cayetanensis, T. gondii, and E. multilocularis. None of the investigated parasites were detected in the frozen berry samples tested. This research topic is still unexplored and of great current interest. These results represent a first attempt to investigate parasitic contamination of frozen berries sold on the Italian market, but further large-scale surveys are required.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/pathogens13100900","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,16]],"date-time":"2024-10-16T11:28:51Z","timestamp":1729078131000},"page":"900","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Molecular Survey of Parasitic Contamination of Frozen Berries"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6660-7708","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Barlaam","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFNE), University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marialoreta","family":"Datteo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFNE), University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Stefania","family":"Perdon\u00f2","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFNE), University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonella","family":"Puccini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Azienda Sanitaria Locale, Via Tratturo Castiglione 14, 71122 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3357-8672","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Annunziata","family":"Giangaspero","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Science of Agriculture, Food and Environment (DAFNE), University of Foggia, 71121 Foggia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Zorzi, M., Gai, F., Medana, C., Aigotti, R., Morello, S., and Peiretti, P.G. 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