Microsporidia in the Animal to Human Food Chain: An International Symposium to Address Chronic Epizootic Disease

While in high-income countries, the majority people die from non-communicable, chronic conditions, nearly 40% of deaths in developing countries are among children under 15 years. Diarrhea is among the top ten leading causes of death and many cases are caused by pathogens transmitted in food and water supplies. This paper introduces major representatives of foodborne parasites and aims to show why they are no longer a public health concern of lowincome countries only. Approaches used in assessing and managing the risk of foodborne parasitoses will be presented. Diseases in complex food production systems In high-income countries ca. 70% of people die above the age of 70 years, mostly due to noncommunicable, chronic conditions such as cardiovascular diseases. Foodborne infections caused illness in 12.5% (4 million) Canadians in 2006, and 16.7% (48 million) US-Americans in 2011. In these countries, the majority of disease cases are caused by unknown agents and the top four of identified pathogens are Norovirus, non-typhoidal Salmonella, Clostridium perfringens and Campylobacter species (Thomas et al. 2013; CDC 2011). In low-income countries, nearly 40% of deaths are among children under 15 years. People die mostly of infectious diseases (i.e. lower respiratory infections, HIV/AIDS, malaria, diarrhoea and tuberculosis). Diarrhoea is among the top 10 leading causes of death in lower-middle income countries, killing 1.5 million people in 2012 (Word Health Organisation, 2014). Many of these