Almost half of lamb mince ‘contains infectious parasite’

Raw meat warning as scientists find almost HALF of lamb mince sold in Australian supermarkets contains a parasite that may cause brain damage or schizophrenia

  • Scientists tested 79 samples of lamb mince bought in Australian supermarkets
  • They found 43 per cent of the samples contained the parasite Toxoplasma gondii
  • The infectious parasite can cause flu-like illness, eye damage and severe illness
  • People can avoid becoming infected by cooking meat thoroughly or freezing it 

A dangerous parasite could be lurking in as much as half of all shop-bought lamb mince, according to a study.

Researchers tested lamb on sale in shops in Australia and found 43 per cent of the samples had Toxoplasma in them.

The parasite, best known for being carried by cats, can stay in the body for life and cause eye problems, schizophrenia or even brain damage in severe cases.

People must be careful to either freeze meat or make sure it’s cooked thoroughly in order to destroy all traces of the parasite.

Researchers in Australia found 43 per cent of shop-bought lamb mince contained the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which can cause brain damage in severe infections (stock image)

The study was done by Flinders University in Adelaide and researchers bought and tested supermarket lamb meat three times a week for six months.

It’s well known that raw meat can carry the common parasite but the study found 34 out of 79 samples of lamb mince were carrying Toxoplasma gondii.

If consumed, the parasite causes toxoplasmosis, an infection which can cause serious illness in people with weakened immune systems.

Healthy people should not suffer if they ingest Toxoplasma, but it can cause flu-like symptoms or blurring, pain or redness in the eyes.

WHAT IS TOXOPLASMA GONDII?

Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite which causes an infection called toxoplasmosis.

The parasite is common worldwide and 60 million people in the US are thought to be infected by it.

Few people who are infected show any symptoms because a healthy immune system can fight it off, but it can cause flu-like effects.

However, it can cause more serious complications in pregnant women and people with weak immune systems.

Toxoplasmosis can be caught  from pet cats or their litter trays, eating undercooked contaminated meat, or drinking water contaminated by the parasite.

Most people’s infections go away without treatment but medication is available for those who are more at risk of serious complications.

Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

It may lead to severe toxoplasmosis in some cases, which can cause permanent brain, organ or eye damage.

A recent study of 80,000 people also found being infected with the parasite can also raise the risk of someone developing schizophrenia by 50 per cent.

It is thought to cause changes in the brain by disrupting an amino acid which controls levels of a chemical which has been linked to the psychiatric disorder.

‘Consuming raw or undercooked meat is a common route for individuals to contract toxoplasmosis,’ said the scientists, led by Dr Justine Smith.

‘And meat sourced from sheep, in particular, has the potential to harbour T. gondii.

‘Lamb is a staple meat in Australia, where it typically is marketed without freezing and often is served “rare”.’ 

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) in the UK has in the past warned people about eating undercooked lamb.

It says eating pink lamb steaks is relatively low-risk but mince should be cooked thoroughly to avoid food poisoning.

It’s not known how many people get toxoplasmosis because so many people carry the parasite but either don’t have symptoms or don’t get diagnosed – some 40million people in the US are thought to have it in their bodies.

As well as raw meat, it can also be spread from cats to their owners through faeces.

In their study the researchers did not find any evidence of salmonella or campylobacter – common causes of food poisoning – which showed toxoplasma was still present even in meat produced in sanitary conditions.

It was not clear whether their findings could apply to meat bought in the US or the UK because they only used Australia-specific products.

The scientists said it would be easy to avoid getting poisoned.

Dr Smith and her colleagues wrote: ‘[Parasite] cysts are rendered non-viable by cooking meat to an internal temperature of 66°C [151°F].

‘Alternatively, meat may be frozen overnight at -12°C [10°F] to destroy the cysts.

‘Specific messaging that is sensitive to consumer cooking preferences may be helpful to educate the Australian population of the risk related to consuming undercooked lamb, which applies particularly to pregnant women, the elderly and immunocompromised persons.’

The team’s results were specific to meat bought in Australia, and they said they would now carry out the tests on other types of meat.

The research was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health.

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