Artisan juice made with açaí fruit of a palm that grows in rainforests of Brazil, could be a major source of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that causes Chagas disease, 2 studies suggest.
The disease affects 8 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Org (WHO), transmitted by triatomine blood-sucking insects known by different names in Latin America (chinche, chirimacha & barbero, among others).
Symptoms can appear in the first months after infection, but most people do not show signs of the disease, which makes early diagnosis difficult. When the disease evolves to chronic phase it can cause cardiac & digestive complications.
The new studies suggest people can become infected by consuming açaí when the insect, or its faeces, are accidentally mixed with the fruit while blending the juice.
The fruit comes into contact with the vector during processing & storage: while kept in open baskets, the açaí fruit ferments & generates carbon dioxide, which attracts the insect.
One of the papers, published this month in Emerging Infectious Diseases, studied individuals in Brazilian state Amazonas, who had fever, headaches & weakness. The researchers found these patients were infected with the same parasite found in açaí juice they consumed days earlier.
“The findings reinforce that in the Amazon region, açaí juice prepared by hand is one of the sources of infection by the parasite,” says Marcus Lacerda, a physician at Tropical Medicine Foundation in Manaus, one of the authors.
Another study, published in magazine Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, confirms growth of Chagas disease in Pará, one of the highest açaí juice-consuming states, is associated with harvest of the fruit between Aug-Dec.
This conclusion was based on records from Brazil's Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), between 2000-2016. During this period, 16,807 cases of Chagas were reported, 2,030 confirmed. Most confirmed cases occur during the 2nd half of each year.
Juliana de Meis, immunologist of Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro tells SciDev that further analysis suggests oral transmission increased much more than other infection routes in that period. De Meis believes this new study adds evidence that açaí is one of the main sources of infection by T. cruzi in the region.
According to the Brazil Institute of Geography & Statistics, 54% of national production (800,000 tons of açaí per year) comes from 13,000 producers in Pará.
In Belém, capital of Pará, 200,000 liters of açaí are consumed per day during harvest ‒ double consumed in other seasons. This makes it the 2nd most consumed food in the city.
Part of local production is exported to other regions of Brazil, and further afield to the United States & Europe.
Chagas disease is one of the major health problems facing countries in the Amazon, causing disability & 10,000+ deaths per year.
Cases of the disease grow systematically, says the 2nd study, specifically in Brazil’s North. According to the 2015 epidemiological bulletin of the Health Ministry, 812 cases of oral transmission of Chagas were confirmed in Pará between 2000-2013.
“However, everything indicates the numbers are an underestimate”, points out De Meis.
For Angela Junqueira, biologist at the Lab of Parasitic Diseases Fiocruz, açaí contamination can be avoided by appropriate handling, including dipping fruit in boiling water for 10 seconds & then spraying with cold water.
“Although this procedure is mandatory since 2012, the practice hasn't been used in the region”, she tells SciDev.Net
Gesheften thst sell acai fruit bowls have become a trend in the goyishe velt in America. Because acai is so infested the only "kosher" ones you see are under the shvache shgoochos.
And because it's a common theme that certain 'empty suits' in the kashrus industry can't live with, it's that handful of 'Never Yudelers' constantly coming into the comments to deface the website with their graffiti of sheker vechozov, insults & distractions
8 comments:
Açaí or Acacia? Acia is seemingly a typo
What do you mean?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chagas_disease
Chagas (not Chagatz) is spread by the Kissing Bug
R' Yudel is right!
https://www.scidev.net/global/news/a-a-fruit-can-transmit-chagas-disease/
Artisan juice made with açaí fruit of a palm that grows in rainforests of Brazil, could be a major source of infection with Trypanosoma cruzi parasite that causes Chagas disease, 2 studies suggest.
The disease affects 8 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Org (WHO), transmitted by triatomine blood-sucking insects known by different names in Latin America (chinche, chirimacha & barbero, among others).
Symptoms can appear in the first months after infection, but most people do not show signs of the disease, which makes early diagnosis difficult. When the disease evolves to chronic phase it can cause cardiac & digestive complications.
The new studies suggest people can become infected by consuming açaí when the insect, or its faeces, are accidentally mixed with the fruit while blending the juice.
The fruit comes into contact with the vector during processing & storage: while kept in open baskets, the açaí fruit ferments & generates carbon dioxide, which attracts the insect.
One of the papers, published this month in Emerging Infectious Diseases, studied individuals in Brazilian state Amazonas, who had fever, headaches & weakness. The researchers found these patients were infected with the same parasite found in açaí juice they consumed days earlier.
“The findings reinforce that in the Amazon region, açaí juice prepared by hand is one of the sources of infection by the parasite,” says Marcus Lacerda, a physician at Tropical Medicine Foundation in Manaus, one of the authors.
Another study, published in magazine Memórias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, confirms growth of Chagas disease in Pará, one of the highest açaí juice-consuming states, is associated with harvest of the fruit between Aug-Dec.
This conclusion was based on records from Brazil's Information System for Notifiable Diseases (SINAN), between 2000-2016. During this period, 16,807 cases of Chagas were reported, 2,030 confirmed. Most confirmed cases occur during the 2nd half of each year.
Juliana de Meis, immunologist of Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Rio de Janeiro tells SciDev that further analysis suggests oral transmission increased much more than other infection routes in that period. De Meis believes this new study adds evidence that açaí is one of the main sources of infection by T. cruzi in the region.
According to the Brazil Institute of Geography & Statistics, 54% of national production (800,000 tons of açaí per year) comes from 13,000 producers in Pará.
In Belém, capital of Pará, 200,000 liters of açaí are consumed per day during harvest ‒ double consumed in other seasons. This makes it the 2nd most consumed food in the city.
Part of local production is exported to other regions of Brazil, and further afield to the United States & Europe.
Chagas disease is one of the major health problems facing countries in the Amazon, causing disability & 10,000+ deaths per year.
Cases of the disease grow systematically, says the 2nd study, specifically in Brazil’s North. According to the 2015 epidemiological bulletin of the Health Ministry, 812 cases of oral transmission of Chagas were confirmed in Pará between 2000-2013.
“However, everything indicates the numbers are an underestimate”, points out De Meis.
For Angela Junqueira, biologist at the Lab of Parasitic Diseases Fiocruz, açaí contamination can be avoided by appropriate handling, including dipping fruit in boiling water for 10 seconds & then spraying with cold water.
“Although this procedure is mandatory since 2012, the practice hasn't been used in the region”, she tells SciDev.Net
Gesheften thst sell acai fruit bowls have become a trend in the goyishe velt in America. Because acai is so infested the only "kosher" ones you see are under the shvache shgoochos.
"R' Yudel is right!"
And because it's a common theme that certain 'empty suits' in the kashrus industry can't live with, it's that handful of 'Never Yudelers' constantly coming into the comments to deface the website with their graffiti of sheker vechozov, insults & distractions
"Because acai is so infested the only "kosher" ones you see are under the shvache shgoochos"
Chaim Schwartz always comes through for his Modern Orthodox masters
https://www.ubereats.com/store/crawfords-coffee-%26-cafe-great-neck/hqoRrfZiRz2gx59yGYhYtA
Under Queens Vaad >>>>> Crawford's Coffee & Cafe - Great Neck
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Didn’t know Chaim S has such good friends!!
Lots more Queens Vaad meCHAGASen where that came from
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