Research Publications (Food Safety)

Toxoplasmosis has been reported in Nigeria using several diagnostic tools with high prevalence in humans and some food animals. Rodents have been recognised as vital intermediate hosts of Toxoplasma gondii. However, there is paucity of information on the occurrence of T. gondii in wild rats found in Nigeria. This study aimed at molecular detection of T.

Giardia lamblia, a protozoan parasite, is a major cause of waterborne infection, worldwide. While the trophozoite form of this parasite induces pathological symptoms in the gut, the cyst form transmits the infection. Since Giardia is a noninvasive parasite, the actual mechanism by which it causes disease remains elusive. We have previously reported that Giardia assembles cholesterol and GM1 glycosphingolipid-enriched lipid rafts (LRs) that participate in encystation and cyst production.

Cryptosporidium spp. are common parasitic pathogens causing diarrhea in humans and various animals. Fur animals are widely farmed in Shandong Province, China, but the prevalence and genetic identity of Cryptosporidium spp. in them are unclear. In this study, 1,211 fecal samples were collected from 602 minks, 310 raccoon dogs and 299 foxes on two farms in Shandong and analyzed for Cryptosporidium spp. by nested PCR and sequence analyses of the small subunit rRNA gene.

Infections with Cryptosporidium spp. Constitute a substantial public health burden and are responsible for widespread production losses in cattle herds. Reducing disease and shedding of Cryptosporidium oocysts is an important One Health goal. There are very few therapeutic options available to treat cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidium is a zoonotic protozoan parasite that is distributed globally and impacts both human and animal health. There are over 40 species of Cryptosporidium described to date, of which four (C. parvum, C. bovis, C. ryanae and C. andersoni) are routinely reported in cattle.

Among the 11 species of Eimeria in rabbits, some of which are known to be pathogenic and cause enteritis, E. stiedae induces severe liver lesions resulting in elevated mortality. Unlike in other countries, the incidence and prevalence of the parasites in rabbits have not been reported in Japan.

Toxoplasmosis caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii is one of the most common parasitic diseases in humans and almost all warm-blooded animals. Lys, Glu, and Gln-specific tRNAs contain a super-modified 2-thiourea (s2U) derivatives at the position 34, which is essential for all living organisms by maintaining the structural stability and aminoacylation of tRNA, and the precision and efficiency of codon recognition during protein translation.

In the past decades, the ability of Giardia duodenalis to perform homologous recombination has been suggested, supported by the observations of genomic integration of foreign plasmids and the disruption of genes using CRISPR technology. Unfortunately, the direct study of a HR mechanism has not been addressed, which would be pertinent in a minimalist organism lacking fundamental DNA-repair elements and even complete pathways.

Toxoplasma gondii, a protozoan parasite, is responsible for toxoplasmosis.

Toxoplasmosis is a disease with a worldwide prevalence that is caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine are two pharmacological agents commonly used to treat of this infection. However, they are accompanied by some side effects. Therefore, the identifying of new drugs with low toxocytosis seems to be a matter of vital importance.

Giardia spp. is a protozoal parasite capable of causing diarrhea in mammals. Certain Giardia assemblages are potentially zoonotic. As part of a public health study, a questionnaire-based cross-sectional web survey was distributed among U.S. small and mixed animal veterinarians to assess perceived prevalence, preferred testing and treatment methods, recommended control measures, and information communicated about the zoonotic potential of canine giardiasis.

Infection and Immunity, Ahead of Print. The role of specific host cell surface receptors during Toxoplasma gondii invasion of host cells is poorly defined. Here, we interrogated the role of the well-known malarial invasion receptor, basigin, in T. gondii infection of astrocytes. We found that primary astrocytes express two members of the BASIGIN (BSG) immunoglobulin family, basigin and embigin, but did not express neuroplastin.

Toxoplasma gondii, one of the important zoonotic parasites, has been detected in lots of hosts including humans, with a widespread prevalence. The products of equids, such as meat and milk, have been closely related to humans’ life. As the intermediate hosts, little is known about equids toxoplasmosis in Jilin province.

The knowledge of risk factors for Cryptosporidium spp. infection in small ruminants is based on limited data. Therefore, the current research aimed to describe the prevalence and risk factors associated with the occurrence of Cryptosporidium infection in sheep and goat herds in northern Greece.

The role of vegetables usually consumed without prior culinary treatment is known to contribute to the prevalence of foodborne diseases. Cysts and oocysts can contaminate food, which can then be the source of infection in humans. The aim of the study was to assess the occurrence of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp.

Bromodomain (BRD) is a highly conserved structural module domain, found in various proteins, including chromatin-related proteins, nucleus acetyltransferases, and transcription-associated proteins. Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic 

Water is a vital resource to every living thing on the earth. Once the water is contaminated (physically, chemically, biologically, or radiologically), it brought negative impacts to the living thing. This paper provides a brief review of the characterization of biological pollutants in drinking water and their effects on human health.

Intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) reside in a highly anaerobic environment that is subject to daily fluctuations in partial oxygen pressure (pO2), depending on intestinal tissue perfusion.

Transboundary and Emerging Diseases, Volume 69, Issue 4, Page 2209-2218, July 2022. Anthropogenic activities, such as human population expansion and land-use change, create ecological overlap between humans, domesticated animals, and wildlife and can exacerbate the zoonotic transmission of parasites.

Zoonoses and Public Health, EarlyView. Toxoplasmosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii affects both conservation and public health efforts. In the Taipei Zoo, toxoplasmosis was diagnosed in ring-tailed lemurs and a meerkat in 2019 while a freeze–thaw meat strategy had been applied to carnivores before the event.

Toxoplasma gondii is a worldwide-distributed zoonotic protozoan parasite which causes toxoplasmosis and has a significant effect on public health. In the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), toxoplasmosis can cause asymptomatic infections, reproductive disorder and even death, which poses a serious threat to the conservation of this rare protected species. Therefore, serological investigation of T.

Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a zoonotic intracellular protozoan parasite that can invade, replicate and survive in almost all cells of warm-blooded animals. T. gondii infection threatens the life of the fetus or can cause morbidity in the infant. As the only definitive host of T.

Cryptosporidium is a common cause of diarrhea in children globally. However, there is limited information on the prevalence and genetic characteristics of Cryptosporidium in children in Xinjiang, China.

Neofusicoccum parvum can cause stem and branch blight of walnut (Juglans spp.), resulting in great economic losses and ecological damage. A total of two strains of N. parvum were subjected to RNA-sequencing after being fed on different substrates, sterile water (K1/K2), and walnut (T1/T2), and the function of ABC1 was verified by gene knockout. There were 1,834, 338, and 878 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between the K1 vs. K2, T1 vs. K1, and T2 vs. K2 comparison groups, respectively.

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.