Zoonotic Parasites Affecting Food Animals, Food Safety, and Public Health

<p>Objective 1: Conduct whole-genome sequencing to characterize the differences between zoonotic/non-zoonotic and pathogenic/non-pathogenic Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Blastocystis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Objective 2: Develop intervention and treatment strategies against zoonotic parasites Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Subobjective 2.A. Evaluate the ability of probiotics to prevent/ameliorate the negative effects of cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis in rodent models of infections. Subobjective 2.B. Evaluate glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) and feed additives that enhance basal GLP-2 secretion on pre-weaned calves as an intervention and treatment for cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis. Objective 3: Develop a unique and highly sensitive assay to detect the zoonotic protists Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Blastocystis, Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon in food and environmental samples by targeting intracellular viral symbionts of these parasites and water-borne pathogens. Subobjective 3.A. Detecting Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis by targeting intracellular viral symbionts of these parasites. Subobjective 3.B. Identifying viruses and recovering viral RNA from Blastocystis, Encephalitozoon and Enterocytozoon, and develop detection assays based on the viral symbionts.</p>