Browsing by Author "Dionisio, Lidia"
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- Leishmania infection and host-blood feeding preferences of phlebotomine sandflies and canine leishmaniasis in an endemic European area, the Algarve Region in PortugalPublication . Maia, Carla; Dionisio, Lidia; Afonso, Maria Odete; Neto, Luis; Cristovao, Jose Manuel; Campino, LeneaThe 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.
- Multivariate nature of a cooked blood sausage spoilage along aerobic and vacuum package storagePublication . Pereira, Jorge; Dionisio, Lidia; Patarata, Luis; Matos, Teresa J. S.Cooked blood sausages, such as Morcela de Arroz (MA), are ready-to-eat meat products consumed in many countries. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that spoilage of MA is multifactorial, involving microbiological, chemical and sensory modifications, which difficult the use of selected single indicators to establish product shelf life and to establish its shelf life based on consumers' willingness to consume. The experiment was conducted with samples without package (WP) and vacuum packaged (VP), stored at 4 +/- 1 degrees C. Quantitative descriptive analysis, Pseudomonas spp., lactic acid bacteria and Enterobacteriaceae counts, TBA-RS, total basic volatile nitrogen and lactic acid were determined and a consumer test was performed. Based on the consumer test, MA WP has a shelf life of 11.6 days and VP of 27.8 days. The multivariate approach showed a better predictive ability of consumer acceptability than single spoilage indicators.
- The first detection of Leishmania major in naturally infected Sergentomyia minuta in PortugalPublication . Campino, Lenea; Cortes, Sofia; Dionisio, Lidia; Neto, Luis; Afonso, Maria Odete; Maia, CarlaPhlebotomine sandflies of the genus Sergentomyia are widely distributed throughout the Old World. It has been suggested that Sergentomyia spp are involved in the transmission of Leishmania in India and Africa, whereas Phlebotomus spp are thought to be the sole vectors of Leishmania in the Old World. In this study, Leishmania major DNA was detected in one Sergentomyia minuta specimen that was collected in the southern region of Portugal. This study challenges the dogma that Leishmania is exclusively transmitted by species of the genus Phlebotomus in the Old World.