International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Mortality associated with Angiostrongylus cantonensis in non-human primates in Europe.","authors":"Magdalena Garijo-Toledo, Pedro María Alarcón-Elbal, Estefanía Montero, Daniel Bravo-Barriga, José Sansano-Maestre, Ana Elena Ahuir-Baraja, Agustín Barragán, David Viana, M Dolores Carbonell-Montes, Jesús Barbero-Moyano, Remigio Martínez, Ignacio García-Bocanegra, Joaquín Ortega","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.04.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.04.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Between December 2020 and March 2022, three cases of fatal meningoencephalitis were documented in two red-fronted brown lemurs (Eulemur rufus) and a ring-tailed lemur (Lemur catta) at the Bioparc in Valencia, eastern Spain. Post-mortem analyses revealed moderate congestion in the meninges of the brain in all cases. Multifocal areas of hemorrhage were observed in one lemur, primarily in the cerebellum and brainstem. Histopathological examination showed mainly acute hemorrhagic and necrotic changes, together with moderate eosinophilic and/or histiocytic meningoencephalitis, with perivascular cuffing, and gliosis. Numerous nematode larvae were found in the meninges, brain, and spinal cord, with or without associated inflammation, hemorrhage, and necrosis. Considering the affected host species, nematode morphology, and its anatomical localization, Angiostrongylus cantonensis (Nematoda: Metastrongylidae) was suspected as the causative agent. Phylogenetic studies based on the internal transcriber spacer 1/cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (ITS1/COI) genes confirmed the initial suspicion of this zoonotic parasite and its relationship to sequences from the Balearic and Canary Islands. This is the first known detection of A. cantonensis in non-human primates in Europe and it represents one of the few occurrences reported in the Palearctic region to date. Further research on this zoonotic parasite is crucial to understanding its spread in Spain, assessing public health risks, and developing effective control measures to mitigate outbreaks and protect human and animal health.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a ptp2-LAMP assay for the specific and sensitive detection of Nosema apis and its comparison with ptp3-LAMP for the detection of Nosema ceranae, in a region endemic for both microsporidium pathogens of the Western honey bee.","authors":"Lucas Lannutti, Sebastian Gisder, Mónica Florin-Christensen, Elke Genersch, Leonhard Schnittger","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.04.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.04.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Western honey bee plays a pivotal role in global food security as the primary commercial pollinator. The microsporidian pathogens Nosema apis and Nosema ceranae infect the bee midgut, causing nosemosis, a debilitating infectious disease that results in considerable economic losses in apiculture. Traditionally, Nosema spp. infection is diagnosed by microscopic detection and quantification of spores. However, only molecular diagnostics allow differentiation between N. apis and N. ceranae. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a rapid, highly specific, and sensitive DNA detection method. The present study aimed to develop a LAMP protocol for N. apis based on the species-specific single copy polar tube protein 2 (ptp2) gene, and to analyze and compare its diagnostic performance with the previously developed polar tube protein 3 (ptp3) gene-based LAMP protocol for N. ceranae. The ptp2- and ptp3-LAMP assays specifically identified N. apis and N. ceranae, respectively. Their analytical sensitivity was tested using serial dilutions of plasmid and genomic DNA, demonstrating that ptp2- and ptp3-LAMP consistently detected down to 10³ptp2 and 10⁴ptp3-gene copies, respectively. Amplification was verified by agarose gel electrophoresis (conventional format), and by a change from pink to yellow color after addition of a suitable dye (colorimetric format). The ptp2- and ptp3-LAMP assays and a reference duplex PCR were applied to a panel of field samples (n = 55) from a region endemic for both Nosema spp. Conventional and colorimetric ptp2-LAMP showed an almost perfect test agreement (kappa value > 0.81) compared with duplex PCR. Conventional and colorimetric ptp3-LAMP assays showed a substantial (kappa value > 0.60) and almost perfect test agreement (kappa value > 0.81), respectively. The ptp2- and ptp3-LAMP assays provide excellent performance, ease of implementation, cost savings, and rapid execution, making them ideal choices for molecular detection and differentiation of N. apis and N. ceranae.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143803190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evolutionary history as the main driver of cohesive groups' hierarchical organization in flea-mammal interaction networks.","authors":"Boris R Krasnov, Irina S Khokhlova, Vasily I Grabovsky","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.03.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.03.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cohesive species groups (components, sectors, modules, and subgraphs) represent parts of an ecological network with a substantially higher density of interactions than the surrounding parts. We investigated cohesive groups in 108 flea-mammal networks from all over the world and tested whether these groups are hierarchically organized, that is, whether groups at the higher level are composed of groups at the lower level, thus representing a network structure. We measured congruence between groups, using congruence coefficients, and asked whether the extent of hierarchical organization differs between biogeographic realms, different biomes, and different climatic zones. We also tested whether coefficients of congruence between cohesive groups are affected by environmental variables (amount of green vegetation, precipitation, and air temperature). We found that (i) cohesive groups of species in these networks are hierarchically organized and (ii) the strength of this organization differs significantly between networks from different biogeographic realms but is not generally affected by surrounding environmental conditions such as vegetation type and climate. In other words, the structure of flea-mammal networks, in terms of the hierarchical organization of cohesive groups, seems to be determined, first and foremost, by the evolutionary history of flea-mammal interactions, that is, by processes and events of the past. We conclude that the impact of evolutionary history on the network structure appeared to be stronger than that of the contemporary environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143639715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intrinsic multiplication rate variation of Plasmodium falciparum in clinical isolates prior to elimination in Malaysia.","authors":"Lindsay B Stewart, Elena Lantero Escolar, James Philpott, Janet Cox-Singh, Balbir Singh, David J Conway","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Replication rates and virulence of pathogens are hypothesised to evolve in response to varying intensity of transmission and competition among genotypes. Under exponential growth conditions in culture, clinical isolates of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum have variable intrinsic multiplication rates, but comparisons of samples from different areas are needed. To analyse parasites from an area of low endemicity, Malaysian clinical isolates cryopreserved prior to malaria elimination were studied. The mean and range of P. falciparum multiplication rates in Malaysian isolates were no less than that seen among isolates from more highly endemic populations in Africa, which does not support a hypothesis of adaptation to prevailing levels of infection endemicity. Moreover, the distribution of multiplication rates was similar between isolates with single parasite genotypes and those containing multiple genotypes, which does not support a hypothesis of facultative adjustment to competing parasites. Based solely on clinical isolates, the findings indicate that parasites may not evolve lower multiplication rates under conditions of reduced transmission, and that the virulence potential is likely to be undiminished in pre-elimination settings. This encourages efforts to eliminate endemic infection completely, as has been achieved at the national level in Malaysia.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143566744","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development of a novel assay for extensive characterization of the germination conditions of Spraguea americanus: a microsporidian parasite of the American anglerfish (Lophius americanus).","authors":"Noah P Rogozynski, Sophie A R Dyke, Brian Dixon","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.02.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.02.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The microsporidia are a widespread group of intracellular parasites which infect a broad range of hosts across the animal kingdom. In particular, the microsporidian Spraguea americanus has received considerable attention in recent years due to its role as an endemic pathogen in American anglerfish (Lophius americanus), a species of highly valued finfish currently at risk due to overfishing. However, like many species of microsporidia, the germination responses of S. americanus remain poorly described. This study outlines a novel in vitro germination assay for microsporidians, which is then used to comprehensively survey the germination responses of S. americanus under a variety of conditions. The results of this investigation indicate that S. americanus is responsive to mechanical pressure, hydrogen peroxide, sodium carbonate/bicarbonate and divalent cations, but not to mucus or mucin proteins as seen in closely related species. These observations provide evidence to refute the predominant hypothesis that members of Spraguea enter their hosts via the subcutaneous mucosal glands. In addition to providing much needed insight into the transmission of Spraguea spp., this study is among the first to extensively assess the germination responses of a single species of microsporidia; data which may lend itself to a more complete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the initiation of germination in microsporidia or support the establishment of new in vitro models for economically relevant species.</p>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143566625","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trichinella spiralis excretory/secretory antigens ameliorate porcine epidemic diarrhea virus-induced mucosal damage in porcine intestinal oganoids by alleviating inflammation and promoting tight junction","authors":"Yinju Liu ,&nbsp;Jinlong Tan ,&nbsp;Nianzhang Zhang ,&nbsp;Zigang Qu ,&nbsp;Wenhui Li ,&nbsp;Yaodong Wu ,&nbsp;Hong Yin ,&nbsp;Guangliang Liu ,&nbsp;Baoquan Fu","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trichinella spiralis</em> and porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) are two infectious swine pathogens. Parasite excretory/secretory antigens play critical roles in various disease processes. To explore the coexistence mechanism of two pathogens infecting the same host, the intestinal organoid was utilized to reproduce these biological processes. In this study, we investigated the effects of <em>T. spiralis</em> excretory/secretory antigens (<em>Ts</em>ES) on PEDV-induced inflammatory regulation, lesion recovery, and mucosal barrier repair in porcine intestinal organoids. The results showed that PEDV effectively infected the porcine intestinal organoids. Next, <em>Ts</em>ES inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased the anti-inflammatory cytokines produced by PEDV-infected porcine intestinal organoids. Further, four-dimensional (4D) label-free quantitative proteomics and western blotting confirmed that <em>Ts</em>ES regulate the inflammation caused by PEDV infection through the nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-κB) pathway. In addition, <em>Ts</em>ES promoted cell proliferation, inhibited apoptosis, and reduced PEDV-induced lesions in intestinal organoids. The elevated secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) levels caused by PEDV infection were downregulated by <em>Ts</em>ES treatment in intestinal organoids. <em>Ts</em>ES treatment reversed the mucosal barrier damage caused by PEDV infection in intestinal organoids. Finally, PEDV replication increased after <em>Ts</em>ES treatment in organoids. We highlight the potential of <em>Ts</em>ES to ameliorate PEDV-induced inflammation, mucosal lesions, and barrier damage in porcine intestinal organoids. <em>Ts</em>ES also contribute to PEDV replication. This study presents a novel research model for research on host-virus-parasite interactions, while also providing a theoretical foundation to consider parasite derivatives as a potential adjunctive therapy for intestinal inflammation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"55 3","pages":"Pages 183-195"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142894453","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reviewer Thank You","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/S0020-7519(25)00034-7","DOIUrl":"10.1016/S0020-7519(25)00034-7","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"55 3","pages":"Pages I-II"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143509278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Expanding the known haemosporidian parasite diversity in Eurasian bluethroat (Luscinia svecica) subspecies through amplicon sequencing","authors":"Dragomir Damnjanović ,&nbsp;Masoud Nazarizadeh ,&nbsp;Václav Pavel ,&nbsp;Bohumír Chutný ,&nbsp;Arild Johnsen ,&nbsp;Milena Nováková ,&nbsp;Jan Štefka","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Monitoring haemosporidian parasites in birds is essential to comprehend the dynamics of avian malaria, a disease that significantly affects bird populations worldwide. This study concentrated on the prevalence and diversity of haemosporidian parasites in 198 specimens from two subspecies of the Eurasian bluethroat (<em>Luscinia svecica</em>), aiming to explore the genetic diversity and species richness of haemosporidian fauna across the host populations. By utilizing next-generation amplicon high-throughput sequencing (NGS), we observed a marked increase in the detection of haemosporidian diversity, revealing cryptic variants and species previously unidentified by Sanger sequencing. A high prevalence of <em>Plasmodium</em> was seen in all studied sites, accompanied by a less frequent <em>Leucocytozoon</em> infection in the red-spotted subspecies and minimal occurrence of <em>Haemoproteus</em>. Both previously known and new, low prevalence cryptic variants were detected, underscoring the complexity of haemosporidian infections in avian hosts. The use of species delimitation tools provided a detailed understanding of haemosporidian species diversity, their coexistence within hosts, and their phylogenetic relationships. Despite the varying ecological characteristics of the study sites, no significant difference in haemosporidian alpha diversity among populations was found. However, significant differences in beta diversity were identified, suggesting that habitat characteristics and geographic distance influence parasite distribution. These findings highlight the importance of advanced molecular techniques in revealing the hidden diversity of parasites, offering valuable insights into the ecology and evolution of haemosporidian infections. Given the threatened status of one of the host’s populations, knowledge on local diversity of haemosporidian parasites also has implications for possible conservation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"55 3","pages":"Pages 137-150"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142785564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variations in extracellular vesicle shedding of Cystoisospora suis stages (Apicomplexa: Coccidia)","authors":"Anna Sophia Feix ,&nbsp;Astrid Laimer-Digruber ,&nbsp;Teresa Cruz-Bustos ,&nbsp;Gerhard Steiner ,&nbsp;Bärbel Ruttkowski ,&nbsp;Monika Ehling-Schulz ,&nbsp;Anja Joachim","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.01.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.01.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cystoisospora suis</em>, a porcine enteral parasite of the order Coccidia, is characterized by a complex life cycle, with asexual and sexual development in the epithelium of the host gut and an environmental phase as an oocyst. All developmental stages vary greatly in their morphology and function, and therefore excrete different bioactive molecules for intercellular communication. Due to their complex development, we hypothesized that the extracellular vesicles (EVs) cargo is highly dependent on the life cycle stages from which they are released. This study aimed to characterize and compare EVs of all developmental stages of <em>C. suis</em>. Nanoparticle tracking analysis and microscopy were used to determine particle numbers and size distributions of stage-specific parasite EVs. Furthermore, Fourier-transform infrared spectral analysis was employed for the metabolic fingerprinting of EVs, and the lipid and protein profiles of all parasite stages were determined. Overall, the study revealed that asexual, sexual and transmissible stages of <em>C. suis</em> release different EVs during the parasite’s life cycle. EVs of endogenous asexual and sexual stages were found to be more similar to each other than to those of the transmissible environmental stage, the oocyst. Furthermore, the ratio of fatty acids to polysaccharides and proteins changed during parasite development. In particular, proteins associated with the Apicomplexa and those involved in vesicle shedding showed changes in expression in all parasite stages. Lipid analysis showed that fatty acids were found in the same concentration through all parasite stages, whereas the amount of stereolipids, sphingolipids and glycerolipids changed between the parasite stages. In conclusion, this study, which presents the first known characterization of <em>C. suis</em> EVs, demonstrates a link between EVs and the respective developmental stages of the parasite, and putative functions in the parasite-parasite and host-parasite interplays.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"55 3","pages":"Pages 197-212"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142964502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"How do trematode clones differ by fitness-related traits and interact within a host?","authors":"Ekaterina Mironova ,&nbsp;Sergei Spiridonov ,&nbsp;Danila Sotnikov ,&nbsp;Anastasia Shpagina ,&nbsp;Kseniia Savina ,&nbsp;Mikhail Gopko","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2024.11.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Polyclonal infections are widespread and provide evidence of facilitation, competition, and neutral interactions between parasite clones, even within the same host–parasite system. The outcome of coinfections is usually assessed by means of parasite infection intensities, while other important fitness-related traits, e.g., larval growth rates, are often ignored. We experimentally infected fish (<em>Salvelinus malma</em>) with different clones of the common trematode <em>Diplostomum pseudospathaceum</em> and pairs of clones. Clones were identified by microsatellite analysis. Their infectivity and growth rates within the fish were investigated in double-clone infections compared with single-clone ones. In total, 3838 parasite larvae (metacercariae) from 325 fish were measured. The growth rates of the <em>D. pseudospathaceum</em> clones were more variable than their infectivity. Relationships of these parasite traits with host mass were clone-specific. Some clones demonstrated higher infection intensities and growth rates in larger fish. Therefore, specialization toward different size groups of fish hosts may occur in this parasite species. Furthermore, we noticed a positive correlation between population density and parasite growth (Allee effect; rarely reported for parasites) but only in mixed infections. In double-clone infections, evidence of both interclonal facilitation and interclonal competition was found. When clones interacted, they either “cooperated” during infection of the host or competed while growing. There were no clone pairs in which interactions changed in type with time or were present constantly during development of the parasite.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"55 3","pages":"Pages 151-162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142785567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}