Parasitic food-borne diseases are generally under-recognised; they used to be primarily related to poverty with endemic areas located mainly in developing countries; however, they are becoming more common. Globalization of the food supply, increased international travel, increase of the population of highly susceptible persons, change in culinary habits, but also improved diagnostic tools and communication are some factors associated with the increased diagnosis of food-borne parasitic diseases worldwide. Foodborne parasitic zoonoses pose a threat to public health, but can also impose relevant economic losses. Overall, there is an urgent need for better monitoring and control of food-borne parasites using new technologies. Our core research lines have a particular emphasis on meat-borne parasites, like:

• Taenia saginata
• Sarcocystis
• Toxoplasma gondii
• Alaria alata

• Sarcosporidiose et myosite éosinophilique: identification de pratiques à risque et des sources de contamination des bovins et estimation de la charge environnementale en sarcocystes selon les pratiques au travers d'enquêtes approfondies en élevage - Projets de recherche 2015 –Interbev.

• Ranucci D., Battisti E., Veronesi F., Diaferia M., Morganti G., Branciari R., Ferroglio E., Valiani A., Chiesa F. - Absence of Viable Toxoplasma gondii in Artisanal Raw-Milk Ewe Cheese Derived from Naturally Infected Animals – Microorganisms – 2020 - vol. 8, p. 1-8, ISSN: 2076-2607, doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8010143.
• Rubiola S., Civera T., Ferroglio E., Zanet S., Zaccaria T., Brossa S., Cipriani R., Chiesa, F. - Molecular differentiation of cattle Sarcocystis spp. by multiplex PCR targeting 18S and COI genes following identification of Sarcocystis hominis in human stool samples - Food and Waterborne Parasitology – 2020 - p. 1-10, ISSN: 2405-6766, doi: 10.1016/j.fawpar.2020.e00074.
• Rubiola S., Chiesa F., Zanet S., Civera T. - Molecular identification of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle: partial sequencing of Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit 1 (COI) - Italian journal of food safety – 2019 - 7(4).
• Pipia A.P., Varcasia A., Zidda A., Dessì G., Panzalis R., Tamponi C., Chiesa F., Scala A. - Cross-sectional investigation on sheep sarcosporidiosis in Sardinia, Italy - Veterinary Parasitology – 2016 - 3, 13-17.
• Trisciuoglio A., Zanet S., Marello G., Chiesa, F., Nucera D.M., Bergallo M., Gennero M.S., Ferroglio E. - The use of loop-mediated isothermal amplification improves Toxoplasma gondii detection in wild life - Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation – 2016 - 27(6), pp.754-757.
• Chiesa F., Nucera D.M., Gili S., Tursi M. - Diagnostic criteria of chronic lesions caused by Taenia saginata metacestodes in bovine myocardium – Largeanimalsreview – 2013 - (ISSN:1124-4593), pp. 242-245. Vol. 19.
• Chiesa F., Muratore E., Dalmasso A., Civera T. – A new molecular approach to assess the occurrence of Sarcocystis spp. in cattle and products thereof: preliminary data -  Italian Journal of Food Safety (ISSN:2239-7132) – 2013 - Vol 2, pp.148-151.
• Chiesa F., Dalmasso A., Bellio A., Martinetti M., Gili S., Civera T. - Development of a biomolecular assay for postmortem diagnosis of Taenia saginata Cysticercosis. Foodbornepathogens and disease – 2010 - 7, 1171-5.