By Sharon Omahen


University of Georgia

University of Georgia parasitologist Ynes Ortega will lead a
research team looking into whether parasites that are filtered
from the water into oysters and other shellfish are infectious
to humans.

“This is an unknown area, and that’s why this research is so
crucial,” said Ortega, a scientist with the UGA Center for Food
Safety in Griffin, Ga. “We need to know if this is an area of
concern for the public’s health.”

$500,000 USDA grant

Ortega has been awarded a $500,000 grant from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. She will conduct the three-year
project along with UGA food scientist Yao-Wen Huang and
researchers from the USDA and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention.

“First we will go to the areas where shellfish are normally
harvested,” she said, “along the Georgia coast, the Gulf of
Mexico and the East Coast. Then we will examine the specimens
for the presence of parasites. We will also be evaluating
methods to inactivate parasites in shellfish.”

Foodborne illnesses linked to parasites can take up to a week
to strike, Ortega said. Illnesses caused by foodborne pathogens
result in symptoms much sooner.

Researching parasites in food

At UGA, Ortega’s research focuses on detecting parasites in
food products and environmental samples that cause diseases in
humans and animals. As part of these efforts, she is working to
develop new detection methods.

“I’m also studying the risk factors associated with parasitic
foodborne transmission,” she said. “Our Center’s goal is to help
the industry develop safer produce and food products and provide
the industry with testing, development and evaluation methods to
inactivate parasites on our food.”

In 1993, Ortega was part of a team of scientists that first
identified Cyclospora, a parasite linked to outbreaks in
raspberries, basil and lettuce.

The parasite was falsely linked to strawberries in a 1995
Texas outbreak. “The strawberries were blamed,” Ortega
said, “and strawberry growers lost $20 million in one week.