Foodborne Parasites: Current Insights and Perspectives

Abstract Purpose of Review This review synthesises current knowledge on the global burden, distribution, pathogenicity, surveillance, detection and control of foodborne parasites (FBPs), identifies key challenges in monitoring and intervention and highlights emerging strategies to reduce disease impact and improve food safety worldwide. Recent Findings FBPs represent a major but frequently overlooked contributor to global foodborne illnesses, impacting millions of individuals and imposing considerable health and economic burdens. These parasites are primarily transmitted through contaminated food, and their prevalence is strongly influenced by environmental conditions, sanitation infrastructure, and food-handling practices. Effective surveillance is essential for estimating disease burden, identifying high-risk populations and guiding targeted interventions. However, the true burden remains underestimated due to underreporting, fragmented surveillance, and limited diagnostic capacity. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as microscopy and immunoassays, are widely used but lack sensitivity and specificity, particularly for subclinical or mixed infections, whereas molecular, biosensor and AI-based techniques, despite high accuracy, are often inaccessible in resource-limited settings. Control measures, including proper food preparation, access to safe food and targeted treatment of infections, demonstrate effectiveness but are not uniformly implemented across populations. Summary Modern molecular and digital diagnostics improve the speed and sensitivity of detecting foodborne parasites. However, they often detect genetic material without confirming viable or infective stages, which may overestimate actual infection risk. Therefore, combining these tools with viability-based or complementary methods is essential for accurate surveillance and public health response.