Hazard of animal meat containing parasites: analysis of a new parasite-toxic food poisoning

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Animal meat is generally served as a cocked and processed food, but some countries including Japan have a food habit to eat raw animal meat. "Basashi" is slices of raw horse meat, like sashimi and has been recognized as one of causes for food poisoning. A parasite, Sarcocystis fayeri, wad found in the horse meat that was eaten by patients. A protein was purified and determined its enterotoxic activity. An internal sequence of amino acid of the toxic protein was determined and toxin gene was cloned by the PCR method using degenerate primers designed from the amino acid sequence. The protein has a homology to an actin depolymerizing factor of Toxoplasma and others. Consumption of raw deer meat containing Sarcocystis parasite also caused food poisoning. Based on these facts, a parasite-toxin food poisoning has been proposed as a new category of foodborne diseases.