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Research Publications (Food Safety)

This page tracks research articles published in national and international peer-reviewed journals. Recent articles are available ahead of print and searchable by Journal, Article Title, and Category. Research publications are tracked across six categories: Bacterial Pathogens, Chemical Contaminants, Natural Toxins, Parasites, Produce Safety, and Viruses. Articles produced by USDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) and FDA Grant Funding Agencies (requires login) are also tracked in Scopus.

Displaying 1 - 25 of 69

  1. Hepatitis E Virus Infections in Free-Ranging and Captive Cetaceans, Spain, 2011–2022

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • Epidemiologic surveillance of hepatitis E virus in over 300 free-ranging and captive cetaceans in waters off Spain revealed extensive exposure to this pathogen. We suggest the persistent and widespread presence of hepatitis E in the marine environment off the coast of Spain may be driven by terrestrial sources of contamination.

      • Viruses
      • Hepatitis
  2. Use of Human Intestinal Enteroids to Evaluate Persistence of Infectious Human Norovirus in Seawater

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • Little data on the persistence of human norovirus infectivity are available to predict its transmissibility. Using human intestinal enteroids, we demonstrate that 2 human norovirus strains can remain infectious for several weeks in seawater. Such experiments can improve understanding of factors associated with norovirus survival in coastal waters and shellfish.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  3. Viral Hepatitis E Outbreaks in Refugees and Internally Displaced Populations, sub-Saharan Africa, 2010–2020

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • Hepatitis E virus is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis. We analyzed reports of hepatitis E outbreaks among forcibly displaced populations in sub-Saharan Africa during 2010–2020. Twelve independent outbreaks occurred, and >30,000 cases were reported. Transmission was attributed to poor sanitation and overcrowding.

      • Viruses
      • Hepatitis
  4. Transfusion-Transmitted Hepatitis A Virus, France, 2018

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • C. Lefeuvre et al. We report a transfusion-transmitted hepatitis A virus infection in an immunocompromised patient in France, detected shortly after a transfusion of pathogen-reduced pooled platelets. This case raises questions about the efficacy of donor screening methods. Additional safety measures, such as routine donation screening, should be considered.

      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
  5. Hepatitis A Virus Incidence Rates and Biomarker Dynamics for Plasma Donors, United States

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • S. Schoch et al. The United States is currently affected by widespread hepatitis A virus (HAV) outbreaks. We investigated HAV incidence rates among source plasma donors in the United States since 2016. Serial donations from HAV-positive frequent donors were analyzed for common biologic markers to obtain a detailed picture of the course of infection. We found a considerable increase in incidence rates with shifting outbreak hotspots over time.

      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
  6. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H5N6) Virus Clade 2.3.4.4h in Wild Birds and Live Poultry Markets, Bangladesh

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • J. Turner et al. Abstract
      Migratory birds play a major role in spreading influenza viruses over long distances. We report highly pathogenic avian influenza A(H5N6) viruses in migratory and resident ducks in Bangladesh. The viruses were genetically similar to viruses detected in wild birds in China and Mongolia, suggesting migration-associated dissemination of these zoonotic pathogens.

      • Viruses
  7. Replication in Human Intestinal Enteroids of Infectious Norovirus from Vomit Samples

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. Hagbom et al. A typical clinical symptom of human norovirus infection is projectile vomiting. Although norovirus RNA and viral particles have been detected in vomitus, infectivity has not yet been reported. We detected replication-competent norovirus in 25% of vomit samples with a 13-fold to 714-fold increase in genomic equivalents, confirming infectious norovirus.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  8. Changing Molecular Epidemiology of Hepatitis A Virus Infection, United States, 1996–2019

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • S. Ramachandran et al.

      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
  9. Global Trends in Norovirus Genotype Distribution among Children with Acute Gastroenteritis

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • J. L. Cannon et al. Noroviruses are a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) among adults and children worldwide. NoroSurv is a global network for norovirus strain surveillance among children <5 years of age with AGE. Participants in 16 countries across 6 continents used standardized protocols for dual typing (genotype and polymerase type) and uploaded 1,325 dual-typed sequences to the NoroSurv web portal during 2016–2020.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  10. Rare Norovirus GIV Foodborne Outbreak, Wisconsin, USA

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • L. Barclay et al. We report a norovirus GIV outbreak in the United States, 15 years after the last reported outbreak. During May 2016 in Wisconsin, 53 persons, including 4 food handlers, reported being ill. The outbreak was linked to individually prepared fruit consumed as a fruit salad. The virus was phylogenetically classified as a novel GIV genotype.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  11. Human Infection with Eurasian Avian-Like Swine Influenza A(H1N1) Virus, the Netherlands, September 2019

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • A. Parys et al. We report a zoonotic infection of a pig farmer in the Netherlands with a Eurasian avian-like swine influenza A(H1N1) virus that was also detected in the farmed pigs. Both viruses were antigenically and genetically characterized. Continued surveillance of swine influenza A viruses is needed because of human infection risk.

      • Viruses
  12. Non-Norovirus Viral Gastroenteritis Outbreaks Reported to the National Outbreak Reporting System, USA, 2009–2018

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • C. P. Mattison et al. During 2009–2018, four adenovirus, 10 astrovirus, 123 rotavirus, and 107 sapovirus gastroenteritis outbreaks were reported to the US National Outbreak Reporting System (annual median 30 outbreaks). Most were attributable to person-to-person transmission in long-term care facilities, daycares, and schools. Investigations of norovirus-negative gastroenteritis outbreaks should include testing for these viruses.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  13. Detection of Norovirus Variant GII.4 Hong Kong in Asia and Europe, 2017−2019

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. Chan et al. We report a new norovirus GII.4 variant, GII.4 Hong Kong, with low-level circulation in 4 Eurasia countries since mid-2017. Amino acid substitutions in key residues on the virus capsid associated with the emergence of pandemic noroviruses suggest that GII.4 Hong Kong has the potential to become the next pandemic variant.

      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
  14. Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A(H7N3) Virus in Poultry, United States, 2020

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • S. Youk et al. An outbreak of low-pathogenicity avian influenza A(H7N3) virus of North American wild bird lineage occurred on commercial turkey farms in North Carolina and South Carolina, USA, during March–April 2020. The virus mutated to the highly pathogenic form in 1 house on 1 farm via recombination with host 28S rRNA.

      • Viruses
  15. Incidence and Seroprevalence of Avian Influenza in a Cohort of Backyard Poultry Growers, Egypt, August 2015–March 2019

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. R. Gomaa et al. Currently enzootic avian influenza H5N1, H9N2, and H5N8 viruses were introduced into poultry in Egypt in 2006, 2011, and 2016, respectively. Infections with H5N1 and H9N2 were reported among poultry-exposed humans. We followed 2,402 persons from households raising backyard poultry from 5 villages in Egypt during August 2015–March 2019.

      • Viruses
  16. Characterizing Norovirus Transmission from Outbreak Data, United States

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. K. Steele et al. Norovirus is the leading cause of acute gastroenteritis outbreaks in the United States. We estimated the basic (R0) and effective (Re) reproduction numbers for 7,094 norovirus outbreaks reported to the National Outbreak Reporting System (NORS) during 2009–2017 and used regression models to assess whether transmission varied by outbreak setting. The median R0 was 2.75 (interquartile range [IQR] 2.38–3.65), and median Re was 1.29 (IQR 1.12–1.74).

      • Norovirus
      • Viruses
  17. Public Health Role of Academic Medical Center in Community Outbreak of Hepatitis A, San Diego County, California, USA, 2016–2018

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. Kang et al. During 2016–2018, San Diego County, California, USA, experienced one of the largest hepatitis A outbreaks in the United States in 2 decades. In close partnership with local healthcare systems, San Diego County Public Health led a public health response to the outbreak that focused on a 3-pronged strategy to vaccinate, sanitize, and educate. Healthcare systems administered nearly half of the vaccinations delivered in San Diego County.

      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
  18. Hepatitis A Hospitalization Costs, United States, 2017

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. G. Hofmeister et al. The United States is in the midst of unprecedented person-to-person hepatitis A outbreaks. By using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data, we estimated the average costs per hepatitis A–related hospitalization in 2017. These estimates can guide investment in outbreak prevention efforts to stop the spread of this vaccine-preventable disease.

      • Viruses
      • Hepatitis
  19. Effectiveness of Live Poultry Market Interventions on Human Infection with Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus, China

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • W. Wang et al. Various interventions for live poultry markets (LPMs) have emerged to control outbreaks of avian influenza A(H7N9) virus in mainland China since March 2013. We assessed the effectiveness of various LPM interventions in reducing transmission of H7N9 virus across 5 annual waves during 2013–2018, especially in the final wave. With the exception of waves 1 and 4, various LPM interventions reduced daily incidence rates significantly across waves.

      • Viruses
  20. Norovirus Outbreak Surveillance, China, 2016–2018

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • M. Jin et al. CaliciNet China, a network of provincial, county, and city laboratories coordinated by the Chinese Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was launched in October 2016 to monitor the epidemiology and genotype distribution of norovirus outbreaks in China. During October 2016–September 2018, a total of 556 norovirus outbreaks were reported, and positive fecal samples from 470 (84.5%) outbreaks were genotyped.

      • Norovirus
      • Viruses
  21. Role of Live-Duck Movement Networks in Transmission of Avian Influenza, France, 2016–2017

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • The relative roles that movement and proximity networks play in the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses are often unknown during an epidemic, preventing effective control. We used network analysis to explore the devastating epidemic of HPAI A(H5N8) among poultry, in particular ducks, in France during 2016–2017 and to estimate the likely contribution of live-duck movements.

      • Viruses
  22. Avian Influenza Virus Detection Rates in Poultry and Environment at Live Poultry Markets, Guangdong, China

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • We report the use of environmental samples to assess avian influenza virus activity in chickens at live poultry markets in China. Results of environmental and chicken samples correlate moderately well. However, collection of multiple environmental samples from holding, processing, and selling areas is recommended to detect viruses expected to have low prevalence.

      • Viruses
  23. Hepatitis E Virus in Pigs from Slaughterhouses, United States, 2017–2019

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • H. Sooryanarain et al. Hepatitis E virus (HEV) RNA was detected in 6.3% and HEV IgG in 40% of 5,033 serum samples from market-weight pigs at 25 slaughterhouses in 10 US states. The prevalent HEV genotype was zoonotic genotype 3, group 2. Blood of HEV-viremic pigs from slaughterhouses may contaminate pork supply chains.

      • Hepatitis
      • Viruses
  24. Human Norovirus Infection in Dogs, Thailand

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • In July 2018, recombinant norovirus GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney was detected in dogs who had diarrhea in a kennel and in children living on the same premises in Thailand. Whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of 4 noroviruses from Thailand showed that the canine norovirus was closely related to human norovirus GII.Pe-GII.4 Sydney, suggesting human-to-canine transmission.

      • Norovirus
      • Viruses
      • Norovirus
      • Viruses
  25. Interspecies Transmission of Reassortant Swine Influenza A Virus Containing Genes from Swine Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 and A(H1N2) Viruses

    • Emerging Infectious Diseases
    • H. E. Everett et al. Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 (pH1N1) virus has become established in swine in the United Kingdom and currently co-circulates with previously enzootic swine influenza A virus (IAV) strains, including avian-like H1N1 and human-like H1N2 viruses. During 2010, a swine influenza A reassortant virus, H1N2r, which caused mild clinical disease in pigs in the United Kingdom, was isolated.

      • Viruses