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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 - 24 of 24

  1. Molecular characterizations of Cryptosporidium spp. in brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) from an animal feedlot in Xinjiang, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium infection is a common occurrence in rodents worldwide. In this study, 435 wild brown rats were captured from an animal feedlot in Xinjiang, China, with a fecal sample obtained directly from the rectal contents of each rat. The DNA extracted from these fecal samples was analyzed for Cryptosporidium spp. using PCR targeting the SSU rRNA gene. The prevalence of Cryptosporidium infection in brown rats was found to be 5.5% (24 out of 435).

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  2. Presence of Cryptosporidium parvum in pre-washed vegetables from different supermarkets in South East England: A pilot study

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is an important water-borne and food-borne parasite with a high burden of disease. This organism has been shown to contaminate various leafy vegetables; however, studies assessing the presence of Cryptosporidium spp in pre-washed and ready-to-eat vegetables are limited. Routine surveillance in the UK revealed a nationwide exceedance of human cases of Cryptosporidium.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  3. Genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp., Encephalitozoon spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in feral and captive pigeons in Central Europe

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium spp., Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Encephalitozoon spp. are the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. The results show that pigeon populations in Central Europe are parasitised by different species of Cryptosporidium and genotypes of microsporidia of the genera Enterocytozoon and Encephalitozoon. A total of 634 and 306 faecal samples of captive and feral pigeons (Columba livia f.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  4. Study on genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium isolates and first report of C. parvum IIdA24G2 subtype in dairy cattle in China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is an important gastrointestinal parasite that can cause mild to severe diarrhea in various vertebrates, including humans and domestic animals. Infection is prevalent in dairy cattle, particularly calves, resulting in diarrhea and increased mortality with significant production losses. However, the prevalence and identity of Cryptosporidium spp. in cattle in Heilongjiang Province is still poorly known.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  5. Prevalence and molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. in dairy and beef cattle in Shanxi, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium spp. are key gastrointestinal protists in humans and animals worldwide. Infected cattle are considered the main source of cryptosporidiosis outbreaks in humans. However, little is known about the genetic makeup of Cryptosporidium populations in Shanxi province, China. We analyzed 858 fecal samples collected from farms in Shanxi. The presence of Cryptosporidium spp.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  6. Molecular evaluation of Cryptosporidium spp. in sheep in southern Xinjiang, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium spp. are diarrheagenic intestinal parasites with multiple hosts worldwide. A total of 1252 fresh fecal samples of sheep were collected from 10 large-scale farms in southern Xinjiang. Based on the small subunit ribosomal (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium, 100 Cryptosporidium-positive samples (8.0%, 100/1252) were detected by PCR.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  7. Prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis in diarrheal patients in Corum, Türkiye

    • Parasitology Research
    • To investigate the prevalence of Blastocystis and Dientamoeba fragilis in diarrhea patients and healthy individuals in Corum, Türkiye, fecal samples from 92 diarrhea patients and 50 healthy individuals were collected and evaluated using direct microscopy and molecular methods to screen for bacteria, protozoa, and viruses. The prevalence of Blastocystis was 24.6% in total and more frequent in the healthy group (30.0%).

      • Bacterial pathogens
      • Salmonella
      • Shigella
      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Giardia lamblia
  8. Cryptosporidium parvum gp60 subtypes in diarrheic lambs and goat kids from Israel

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium parvum is the second-most prevalent Cryptosporidium species that infects humans worldwide. In European countries, it is the most prevalent species in sheep, suggesting that these animals are a source of zoonotic infection. Preweaned lambs and goats are particularly susceptible to infection by the parasite and may suffer from severe diarrhea whilst excreting large quantities of infectious oocysts.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  9. Dominant infection of Cryptosporidium baileyi in broiler chickens in Zhejiang Province, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is a common enteric parasite in chickens. A total of 812 fecal specimens were collected from 11 broiler farms in Zhejiang Province, China, and analyzed by nested PCR amplification based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene. The overall infection rate of Cryptosporidium was 6.3% (51/812), and five of 11 farms were Cryptosporidium positive.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  10. Longitudinal surveillance of Cryptosporidium spp. in broiler chickens in Xinjiang, northwest China: genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium meleagridis subtypes

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium spp. are common enteric parasites in humans and animals. Herein, 175 faecal specimens were collected from a broiler farm in Xinjiang, China, including seven repeated samplings at 10-day intervals of broilers aged 10 to 70 days. Cryptosporidium was detected and identified by PCR–RFLP analysis.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  11. Cryptosporidium infection in young dogs from Germany

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is an enteric protozoan parasite which is able to cause severe gastrointestinal disease and is distributed all over the world. Since information about the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in German dogs is rare, the aim of this study was to examine the occurrence of Cryptosporidium spp. in dogs and the potential zoonotic risk emanating from these infected animals. In total, 349 fecal samples of 171 dogs were collected during the dogs’ first year of life.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  12. First report of rodent-adapted Cryptosporidium wrairi in an immunocompetent child, Spain

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidiosis is a leading cause of childhood diarrhoea. Two species, Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum, are responsible for most confirmed cases globally. Close contact with pet animals can be an unnoticed source of children infections.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  13. Outbreak of Cryptosporidium hominis in northern Sweden: persisting symptoms in a 5-year follow-up

    • Parasitology Research
    • In 2010–2011, a waterborne outbreak of the parasite, Cryptosporidium hominis, affected approximately 27,000 inhabitants in the city of Östersund, Sweden. Previous research suggested that post-infectious symptoms, such as gastrointestinal symptoms and joint pain, could persist for up to 2 years after the initial infection. In this study, we investigated whether the parasite caused post-infectious sequelae for up to 5 years after the outbreak. Prospective cohort study.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  14. Molecular identification of Cryptosporidium species from domestic ruminants and wild reptiles in Cyprus

    • Parasitology Research
    • The presence of Cryptosporidium species in faecal samples of 32 sheep (Aries bovis), 10 goats (Capra circus), 1 blunt nose viper (Macrovipera lebetina lebetina), 3 Kotschy’s geckos (Mediodactylus kotschyi) and 6 wild stellagamas (Stellagama stellio cypriaca) in Cyprus were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing.

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  15. Molecular characterization of Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis in pet dogs in Xinjiang, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia duodenalis are opportunistic zoonotic protozoa transmitted through several routes. In this study, a total of 604 fecal samples were collected from pet dogs in Xinjiang, China to detect the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. and G. duodenalis by PCR amplification of the small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene. The incidence rate of Cryptosporidium spp. or G. duodenalis was 5.3% (32/604).

      • Parasites
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Giardia lamblia
  16. Small ruminants and zoonotic cryptosporidiosis

    • Parasitology Research
    • Sheep and goats are commonly infected with three Cryptosporidium species, including Cryptosporidium parvum, Cryptosporidium ubiquitum, and Cryptosporidium xiaoi, which differ from each in prevalence, geographic distribution, and public health importance. While C. parvum appears to be a dominant species in small ruminants in European countries, its occurrence in most African, Asian, and American countries appear to be limited.

      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Parasites
  17. Cryptosporidium and cryptosporidiosis in wild birds: A One Health perspective

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is one of the most important parasitic protozoa that can be transmitted through food and water contamination. With the increasing report of Cryptosporidium infections in wild birds, especially in herbivorous waterfowl, concerns have been raised for oocyst contamination of water and food supplies, which in turn can cause human and domestic animal infections in areas neighboring wild birds’ habitats.

      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Parasites
  18. Molecular detection of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in school children at the Thai-Myanmar border

    • Parasitology Research
    • Few data are available on the genetic identity of enteric protists Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia duodenalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in humans in Thailand. In this study, 254 stool samples were collected from primary school children from Ratchaburi Province at the Thai-Myanmar border and examined for Cryptosporidium spp., G. duodenalis, E. bieneusi and Cyclospora cayetanensis using PCR techniques.

      • Giardia lamblia
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Cyclospora cayetanensis
      • Parasites
  19. Meat-borne parasites in the Arab world: a review in a One Health perspective

    • Parasitology Research
    • Meat-borne parasitic zoonoses are generally not well-monitored, and so understanding extent and overall prevalence is problematic. Without sufficient attention, their prevalence can become unexpectedly and unacceptably high. This review sheds light on meat-borne parasites in the Arab world, which includes all the Arab countries situated in the continents of Asia and Africa, with more than 400 million inhabitants distributed in 22 countries.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  20. Establishment and preliminary application of nanoparticle-assisted PCR assay for detection of Cryptosporidium spp.

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidium is an important intestinal protozoan parasite that causes diarrhoea in humans and animals. To rapidly and specifically detect Cryptosporidium spp., we designed a pair of primers based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) gene of Cryptosporidium spp. to be used in a new nanoparticle-assisted PCR (nano-PCR) assay.

      • Parasites
      • Giardia lamblia
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
  21. Intestinal protozoan and helminthic infections among hemodialysis and cancer patients

    • Parasitology Research
    • Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) can be a severe threat to immunocompromised patients. This is particularly true for those undergoing chemotherapy and hemodialysis. The present research is aimed at identifying intestinal parasites that might be present in immunocompromised patients. In this cross-sectional study 1040 stool samples were collected from March to September 2017.

      • Giardia lamblia
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Parasites
  22. Morphological and molecular characterization of Bertiella sp. (Cestoda, Anoplocephalidae) infection in a human and howler monkeys in Argentina

    • Parasitology Research
    • Bertiella sp. is a typical parasite in non-human primates and only a few cases of bertiellosis have been reported in humans. We present a new case study of bertiellosis in a 42-year-old woman caretaker of howler monkeys in a wild rehabilitation center in Argentina. Bertiella sp. infection was also diagnosed in the monkeys.

      • Giardia lamblia
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Parasites
  23. Localization and enzyme kinetics of aminopeptidase N3 from Toxoplasma gondii

    • Parasitology Research
    • Aminopeptidase N is an important metalloenzyme from the M1 zinc metallopeptidase family, which is present in numerous apicomplexan parasites, including Plasmodium, Eimeria, and Cryptosporidium. Aminopeptidase N is a potential drug target, and hence, its properties have been widely investigated. In the current study, the cellular localization and enzyme characteristics of Toxoplasma gondii aminopeptidase N3 (TgAPN3) were evaluated in vitro.

      • Chemical contaminants
      • Parasites
      • Antibiotic residues
      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Bacterial pathogens
  24. Identification of adaptive inhibitors of Cryptosporidium parvum fatty acyl-coenzyme A synthetase isoforms by virtual screening

    • Parasitology Research
    • Cryptosporidiosis is a significant cause of gastroenteritis in both humans and livestock in developing countries. The only FDA-approved drug available against the same is nitazoxanide, with questionable efficacy in malnourished children and immunocompromised patients.

      • Heavy Metals
      • Chemical contaminants
      • Cryptosporidium parvum
      • Parasites