An official website of the United States government.

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

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 35

  1. Observational longitudinal study on Toxoplasma gondii infection in fattening beef cattle: serology and associated haematological findings

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasmosis, caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii, is a globally distributed zoonotic infection with significant implications for human and animal health. This study investigated the prevalence of T. gondii infection in a population of beef cattle at three different stages of their productive lifespan and examined the impact of T. gondii serological status on blood parameters.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  2. Potential genetic polymorphism of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in Iranian migraine patients with Toxoplasma gondii infection

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular protozoan parasite that causes neuroinflammation in the brain and a constant need for peripheral leukocyte migration. Matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) can play a major role in this neuroinflammation and be implicated in some neurological disorders, such as migraines. Therefore, the genetic polymorphism evaluation of MMP-9 in migraine patients with T. gondii infection was performed.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  3. Genetic characterization of Toxoplasma gondii from human and chicken isolates from Argentina

    • Parasitology Research
    • This study aimed to determine the nPCR-RFLP genotypes of newly obtained T. gondii isolates from human congenital toxoplasmosis cases in Argentina and to determine their allelic profiles for virulence genes ROP18/ROP5. In addition, the ROP18/ROP5 profiles were also determined for previously characterized T. gondii samples. Isolation from congenital toxoplasmosis cases was carried out in mouse bioassay from two placentas (P1 and P2).

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  4. Parasitological and molecular investigation of consequences of raw meat feeding (BARF) in dogs and cats: implications for other pets living nearby

    • Parasitology Research
    • Considering the original nature of carnivorism among dogs and cats, nowadays these pets are increasingly fed BARF (Biologically Appropriate Raw Food/Bone And Raw Food) diet to improve their health conditions. However, this diet may also carry health risks, such as vitamin or mineral deficiencies, and infection with pathogens including parasites. In our study, fecal samples of 89 pet animals kept on BARF diet were subjected to coprological examination followed by molecular analyses.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  5. The Brazilian Toxoplasma gondii strain BRI caused greater inflammation and impairment in anxiogenic behavior in mice, which was reverted by rosuvastatin treatment

    • Parasitology Research
    • This study aimed to investigate the effect of rosuvastatin treatment on anxiety-related behavior and short- and long-term memory impairment in mice infected with acute RH and BRI strains of Toxoplasma gondii. Balb/C mice were infected intraperitoneally and after 2 h, oral treatment with rosuvastatin (40 mg/kg/day) was initiated for 4 days.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  6. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in water buffaloes and cats in Guangxi, China

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a pathogen that poses a serious threat to human health and causes significant economic losses to the global livestock industry. The prevalence of toxoplasmosis infection has been reported to be high in humans and animals around the world, but the occurrence of the disease has not yet been reported in water buffaloes in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, southern China. To understand the overall seroprevalence of T.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  7. Gut commensal bacteria exacerbate toxoplasmosis associated with TgSheepCHn5 (ToxoDB#2) and TgRedpandaCHn1 (ToxoDB#20) through Th1 immune response

    • Parasitology Research
    • Oral infection of mice with several strains of Toxoplasma gondii results in intestinal pathological lesions, which contributes to the invasion of this parasite. However, the exact mechanism is unclear, and only a few strains have been explored. Here, T. gondii TgSheepCHn5 and TgRedpandaCHn1 strains from sheep and red panda were evaluated.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  8. Identification of specific antigens between Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum and application of potential diagnostic antigen TgGRA54

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite that is very common in livestock. Meat products from livestock infected with T. gondii are one of the important transmission routes of toxoplasmosis. Rapid and reliable diagnosis is a prerequisite for the prevention and control of toxoplasmosis. Neospora caninum and T.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  9. Protective effect of luteoloside against Toxoplasma gondii-induced liver injury through inhibiting TLR4/NF-κB and P2X7R/NLRP3 and enhancing Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection can cause liver injury by inducing inflammation and oxidative stress. The Chinese herbal extract luteoloside (Lut) has considerable anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, but its effects on the liver injury during T. gondii infection have not been reported. This study investigated the hepatoprotective effects of Lut by treating T.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  10. β-Glucan ameliorates anxiety-like behavior in mice chronically infected with the Toxoplasma gondii Wh6 strain

    • Parasitology Research
    • Chronic Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection has been revealed to be a risk factor for neuropsychiatric diseases, including anxiety. However, there is no intervention strategy. The present study aimed to investigate the protective effect of β-glucan on T. gondii Wh6 strain–induced anxiety-like behavior in mice. The anxiety mouse model was established by infection with 10 cysts of the T. gondii Wh6 strain.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  11. Isolation and characterization of Toxoplasma gondii isolates from human congenital toxoplasmosis cases reveal a new virulent genotype in São Paulo, Brazil

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii causes severe disease in congenitally infected fetuses. The severity of fetal infection is related to the gestational stage at the time of maternal infection, parasite burden, and genotypic characteristics. South America has a high incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis and has the highest genotypic diversity of the parasite.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  12. Activity of isoflavone biochanin A in chronic experimental toxoplasmosis: impact on inflammation

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide prevalent parasite. The infection has been linked to variable inflammatory effects including neuroinflammation. Biochanin A (BCA) is an isoflavone, known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. In this study, we examined the effect of BCA on the brain and liver inflammatory lesions in a murine model with chronic toxoplasmosis.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  13. Abortion outbreak in a sheep flock caused by Toxoplasma gondii clonal type III

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a major cause of reproductive losses in small ruminants in several countries. We describe here an outbreak of T. gondii-associated abortion in sheep in Southern Brazil. The flock was comprised of 55 adult sheep, and late-term abortions and stillbirths were detected in 15/36 (41.66%) gestating ewes. Serum samples collected from 45 sheep were tested for T.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  14. A comprehensive ultrastructural analysis of the Toxoplasma gondii cytoskeleton

    • Parasitology Research
    • The invasive nature of Toxoplasma gondii is closely related to the properties of its cytoskeleton, which is constituted by a group of diverse structural and dynamic components that play key roles during the infection. Even if there have been numerous reports about the composition and function of the Toxoplasma cytoskeleton, the ultrastructural organization of some of these components has not yet been fully characterized.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  15. 3D holotomographic monitoring of Ca++ dynamics during ionophore-induced Neospora caninum tachyzoite egress from primary bovine host endothelial cells

    • Parasitology Research
    • Neospora caninum represents an obligate intracellular parasite that belongs to the phylum Apicomplexa and is a major abortive agent in bovines. During merogony, N. caninum tachyzoites invade and proliferate in host cells in vivo, including endothelial cells of lymphatic and blood vessels. The egress at the end of the lytic cycle is tightly regulated in apicomplexans. Evidence in Toxoplasma gondii shows that Ca++ signalling governs tachyzoite egress.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  16. Molecular detection of Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum in rock pigeons (Columba livia) in Punjab, Pakistan

    • Parasitology Research
    • Rock pigeons are synanthropic birds and live in close association within human settlements. Synanthropic birds are considered potential carriers of diseases and pose a subsequent risk of their transmission to humans. Neospora caninum and Toxoplasma gondii are intracellular protozoans infecting a wide range of hosts, as well as birds. Data related to the incidence of these protozoans in rock pigeons in Pakistan are scant. The aims of the study were to detect T.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  17. Development of a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction tool for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii in meat samples

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Infection in humans has usually been related to the consumption of raw, undercooked or cured meat. The aim of this study was to develop a droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR)-based assay for the detection and quantification of T. gondii in meat samples.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  18. Geospatial epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in livestock, pets, and humans in China, 1984–2020

    • Parasitology Research
    • Undercooked or raw meat containing cyst-stage bradyzoites and oocyst-contaminated pets are presumed to constitute a major source of human toxoplasmosis. As the geospatial epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in livestock, pets, and humans is rarely studied in China, we undertook a geospatial analysis using GIS visualization techniques.

      • Parasites
      • Toxoplasma gondii
  19. Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in chickens in China during 1993–2021: a systematic review and meta-analysis

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is an important intracellular parasitic protozoan with a variety of hosts, including chickens, which poses a potential threat to public health. However, little is known regarding overall T. gondii infection in chickens in China. Herein, the prevalence and risk factors associated with T. gondii infection in chickens in China were investigated using a meta-analysis. Forty studies regarding the prevalence of T.

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites
  20. Geospatial epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii infection in livestock, pets, and humans in China, 1984–2020

    • Parasitology Research
    • Undercooked or raw meat containing cyst-stage bradyzoites and oocyst-contaminated pets are presumed to constitute a major source of human toxoplasmosis. As the geospatial epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) infection in livestock, pets, and humans is rarely studied in China, we undertook a geospatial analysis using GIS visualization techniques.

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites
  21. Seroprevalence and isolation of Toxoplasma gondii in sheep intended for human consumption in Paraíba, northeastern Brazil

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite capable of infecting almost all warm-blooded animals. Currently, studies assessing the viability of cysts present in sheep meat are still scarce, especially in the northeastern region of Brazil.

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites
  22. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in domestic pigs raised from Cuba

    • Parasitology Research
    • A cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii and associated risk factors in pigs in the largest pork-producing region in Cuba. Serum samples from 420 pigs, including 210 sows and 210 post-weaning pigs, were tested for antibodies against T. gondii using a commercial indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-T. gondii antibodies were detected in 56 animals (13.3%, 95% CI: 10.1–16.6).

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites
  23. 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
  24. Experimental infection of tachyzoites of the NC1 strain of Neosporacaninum in female swine

    • Parasitology Research
    • Neospora caninum is a protozoan that can cause reproductive problems in several animal species. Although N. caninum infection has been reported in swine, the pathogenesis and clinical signs are not fully known in this species. The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of experimental infection with tachyzoites of the N. caninum strain Nc1 in swine matrices at different stages of gestation. For that purpose, 12 gilts, seronegative for N.

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites
  25. Experimental infection with Toxoplasma gondii in broiler chickens ( Gallus domesticus ): seroconversion, tissue cyst distribution, and prophylaxis

    • Parasitology Research
    • Toxoplasma gondii is a widespread zoonotic protozoan that infects most species of mammals and birds, including poultry. This study aimed to investigate the course of T. gondii infection and the efficacy of diclazuril and Artemisia annua in preventing infection in experimentally infected chickens.

      • Toxoplasma gondii
      • Parasites