MEME: D-JRP18-WP5.3 Periodic technical and financial reports to EJP/Commission
Creators: name: Casulli, Adriano
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: MEME, Echinococcus multilocularis, Echinococcus granulosus

description: MEME is an international multicentre collaborative project that aims to fill research gaps highlighted by international agencies for the detection and control of zoonotic parasites Echinococcus multilocularis (Em) and Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (Eg), causing alveolar echinococcosis (AE) and cystic echinococcosis (CE), respectively. MEME focuses on standardization, harmonization and validation of existing parasitological and molecular methods, and the development and comparative assessment of innovative molecular tools to detect Em and Eg in the food chain. Production of epidemiological data on the presence of Em/Eg eggs in the food chain focuses on vegetables for human consumption and on canine faeces in selected endemic countries. MEME provides a comprehensive set of integrative activities to harmonize procedures, improve the detection and produce epidemiological data on potential pathways of transmission of Em and Eg. MEME current achievements:<br> • Production of Standard Operating Procedures and sampling of different matrices from naturally or experimentally infected definitive and intermediate animal hosts.<br> • Validation of the parasitological (Segmental Sedimentation and Counting Technique, SSCT) and molecular diagnostic (multiplex-PCRs and MC-RT-PCR assay) procedures to detect Em and Eg in different matrices along the food chain.<br> • Publications on the development and validation of new tools: a) Comparison of two DNA extraction methods and two PCRs for the detection of Em in stool samples; b) Bayesian Analysis of three methods for diagnosis of CE in sheep; c) Microsatellite investigations of Eg cysts; d) Species detection of Eg by novel probe-based real-time PCRs; e) Validated method based on PCR-RFLP and multiplex PCR assay for the identification of Eg species; f) Identification of Eg G1/G3 by SNPs assays.<br> • Ongoing multicentre studies for the production of data relevant for epidemiological assessments (contamination of vegetables for human consumption by eggs of Em/Eg; prevalence of Em/Eg in dog faeces).<br> • Dissemination of project results at different levels (general public, scientific community, experts, health authorities and media). MEME scientific papers published on peer-review journals:<br> • Morphological Characteristics of Alveolar and Cystic Echinococcosis Lesions in Human Liver and Bone. Pathogens. 2021;10(10):1326.<br> • New global targets for NTDs in the WHO roadmap 2021–2030. PLoS Negl Trop Dis. 2021;15(5):e0009373.<br> • Identification of Echinococcus granulosus genotypes G1 and G3 by SNPs genotyping assays. Pathogens. 2021;10(2):125.<br> • Molecular analysis suggests that Namibian cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are definitive hosts of a so far undescribed Besnoitia species. Parasit Vectors. 2021;14(1):201.<br> • Comparison of two DNA extraction methods and two PCRs for detection of Echinococcus multilocularis in the stool samples of naturally Infected red foxes. Animals (Basel). 2020;10(12):2381.<br> • Cystic echinococcosis: clinical, immunological, and biomolecular evaluation of patients from Sardinia (Italy). Pathogens. 2020;9(6):907.<br> • A validated method to identify Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato at species level. Infection, Genetics and Evolution. 2020;85:104575.<br> • Bayesian analysis of three methods for diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in sheep. Pathogens. 2020;9(10):796.<br> • Species detection within the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato complex by novel probe-based real-time PCRs. Pathogens. 2020;9(10):791.<br> • Microsatellite investigations of multiple Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto cysts in single hosts reveal different patterns of infection events between livestock and humans. Pathogens. 2020;9(6):444.<br> • Recognising the substantial burden of neglected pandemics cystic and alveolar echinococcosis. The Lancet Global Health. 2020;8(4):e470-e471.