A Bibliometric and Visual Analysis of Global Research Trends in the Immunogenomics of Leishmania spp. and Toxoplasma gondii within a One Health Framework

Background

Leishmaniasis and toxoplasmosis are major neglected zoonotic diseases affecting billions globally, with diverse clinical outcomes driven by complex host-pathogen immunogenomic interactions. While the One Health framework is theoretically essential for controlling these environmentally sensitive pathogens, the extent of its actual integration into high-throughput genomic research remains unquantified. A systematic mapping of this field is necessary to identify structural gaps and guide future interdisciplinary strategies.

Objective

This study aims to conduct a comprehensive bibliometric and visual analysis of global research trends in the immunogenomics of Leishmania spp. and Toxoplasma gondii , explicitly evaluating the integration of human, animal, and environmental health dimensions within a One Health context.

Methods

A systematic analysis was performed on a curated, deduplicated dataset of 1,320 publications retrieved from Dimensions and Lens.org, covering the period from January 2000 to October 2025. Advanced scientometric techniques, including social network analysis, keyword co-occurrence mapping, and automated content classification, were executed using Python to quantify publication trajectories, collaboration networks, and thematic evolution.

Results

The research domain exhibited robust exponential growth with a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.87% and a doubling time of 5.5 years. Brazil emerged as the leading contributor (142 publications), while the United States led in citation impact. Network analysis revealed a “small-world” collaboration structure (clustering coefficient 0.919) driven by strategic North-South partnerships, particularly between the USA and Brazil. Although 62.9% of publications were classified as integrating One Health concepts, a distinct “environmental blind spot” was identified, with only 5.9% of research addressing the human-environment interface. Thematically, the field has pivoted from observational cytokine profiling (dominated by IL-10 and IFN-γ) to systems-level inquiry, with “molecular docking simulation” (Burst Score 72.7) emerging as a high-velocity frontier, signaling a rapid shift toward in silico therapeutic discovery.

Conclusions

The “genomic revolution” has successfully democratized research capacity, shifting the center of knowledge production toward endemic regions. However, the field faces a critical technological lag in Artificial Intelligence adoption and a lack of mechanistic environmental research. Future strategies must prioritize “eco-immunogenomics” and multi-omics integration to bridge the gap between genomic data generation and holistic One Health implementation.

Highlights

• Research output grew exponentially (CAGR 8.87%) with a 5.5-year doubling time.

• Brazil leads global production, challenging traditional Global North dominance.

• Strategic North-South partnerships, notably USA-Brazil, drive global collaboration.

• Only ∼6% of publications address the environmental component of One Health.

• In silico docking is a rapid frontier, yet AI adoption remains a critical gap.