TABLE 1.
Results of testing of retail fresh food produce for contamination with potentially viable human-virulent microsporidian spores E. bieneusi, E. intestinalis, and E. cuniculi
| Food type | Food origin | Resulta of testing by:
|
No. of spores | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional staining
|
FISH
|
|||||
| Chromotrope-2R | Calcofluor white | Monofluorochrome | Multiplexed | |||
| Berries | ||||||
| Strawberries | Grocery | + | + | E. intestinalis | E. intestinalis | 5.6 × 102 |
| Grocery | + | + | E. intestinalis | E. intestinalis | NDb | |
| Street vendor | + | + | E. intestinalis | E. intestinalis | 1.6 × 103 | |
| Raspberries | Grocery | + | + | E. intestinalis | E. intestinalis | 7.8 × 102 |
| Market stall | + | + | − | E. bieneusi | 5.7 × 102 | |
| Market stall | + | + | − | E. bieneusi | 1.1 × 103 | |
| Sprouts | ||||||
| Mung bean | Supermarket | + | + | − | E. bieneusi | 1.9 × 103 |
| Alfalfa | Supermarket | + | + | − | − | ND |
| Mixed | Supermarket | + | + | − | − | ND |
| Vegetables | ||||||
| Parsley leaves | Grocery | + | + | E. cuniculi | E. cuniculi | 1.2 × 102 |
| Curly lettuce | Market stall | + | + | − | E. bieneusi | 1.9 × 102 |
| Iceberg lettuce | Market stall | + | − | − | − | ND |
| Red radish | Market stall | + | − | − | − | ND |
| Leek | Market stall | + | + | − | − | ND |
| Dill | Market stall | + | − | − | − | ND |
a
+, positive for spores; −, negative for spores.
b
ND, not done.