International journal for parasitology最新文献

{"title":"Insight into Hyalomma anatolicum biology by comparative genomics analyses","authors":"Jinming Wang ,&nbsp;Yijun Chai ,&nbsp;Jifei Yang ,&nbsp;Kai Chen ,&nbsp;Guangyuan Liu ,&nbsp;Jianxun Luo ,&nbsp;Guiquan Guan ,&nbsp;Qiaoyun Ren ,&nbsp;Hong Yin","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.09.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span><em>Hyalomma anatolicum</em></span> is an obligatory blood-sucking ectoparasite and contributes to the transmission of Crimean–Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus, <em>Theileria</em> spp<em>.</em> and <em>Babesia</em> spp. Progress in exploring the adaptive strategy of this ectoparasite and developing tools to fight it has been hindered by the lack of a complete genome. Herein, we assembled the genome using diverse sources of data from multiple sequencing platforms and annotated the 1.96 Gb genome of <em>Hy. anatolicum</em>. Comparative genome analyses and the predicted protein encoding genes reveal unique facets of this genome, including gene family expansion associated with blood feeding and digestion, multi-gene families involved in detoxification, a great number of neuropeptides and corresponding receptors regulating tick growth, development, and reproduction, and glutathione S-transferase genes playing roles in insecticide resistance and detoxification of multiple xenobiotic factors. This high quality reference genome provides fundamental data for obtaining insights into a variety of aspects of tick biology and developing novel strategies to fight notorious tick vectors of human and animal pathogens.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 157-170"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49677161","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":"A Taq-Man-based multiplex quantitative PCR for the simultaneous detection and quantification of Angiostrongylus vasorum, Crenosoma vulpis, and species of respiratory capillarids in canids","authors":"Luca Massetti ,&nbsp;Manuela Schnyder ,&nbsp;Anke Wiethoelter ,&nbsp;Emanuele Brianti ,&nbsp;Phillip McDonagh ,&nbsp;Rebecca Traub ,&nbsp;Vito Colella","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In recent years, <em>Angiostrongylus vasorum</em>, <em>Crenosoma vulpis</em>, <em>Eucoleus aerophilus</em> (syn. <em>Capillaria aerophila</em>) and <em>Eucoleus boehmi</em> (syn. <em>Capillaria boehmi</em>), commonly referred to as canine lungworms, have gained a growing interest worldwide as the result of their geographical expansion. Each of these nematode species differs considerably in its biology and pathogenicity. Despite their impact on dogs’ health, these parasites are often underdiagnosed owing to diagnostic challenges. Here, we describe the development and validation of a Taq-Man-based multiplex quantitative PCR (qPCR) for the simultaneous detection of the main species of canine lungworms in faeces of infected dogs. Using 10-fold serial dilutions of synthetic gene block fragments containing individual sequence targets of each lungworm species, the analytical sensitivity of the assay ascertained was 1.84 ng/μl for <em>A. vasorum</em>, 3.08 ng/μl for <em>C. vulpis</em> and 0.79 ng/μl for <em>Eucoleus</em> spp. The sensitivity of the assays and their ability to detect mixed species infections were compared with microscopy-based techniques (faecal floatation and Baermann technique) applied to faecal samples submitted for lungworm testing through an accredited diagnostic laboratory at the Institute of Parasitology, University of Zurich, Switzerland, and from community dogs as part of a research project on canine endoparasites in Cambodia. The multiplex qPCR displayed high diagnostic sensitivity (42/46, 91.3%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 79.1–97.1%) and a diagnostic specificity of 100% (45/45, 95% CI: 90.6–100%), and was able to detect 42.9% additional mixed lungworm species infections compared with microscopy-based methods. Kappa statistics showed substantial agreement between the qPCRs and microscopy for mixed infections (κ = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.4–1) and <em>Eucoleus</em> spp. (κ = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45–0.85) and almost perfect agreement for <em>C. vulpis</em> (κ = 0.85, 95% CI: 0.63–1) and <em>A. vasorum</em> (κ = 0.92, 95% CI: 0.84–1).</p><p>This multiplex qPCR enables timely, accurate, and sensitive diagnosis of canine lungworm species in faecal samples and can be used to monitor the geographical distribution and emergence of these parasitic species, globally.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 185-193"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923002278/pdfft?md5=7fa7c9b2984c96026a0be9af874abeda&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923002278-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138632386","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":"Vector species richness predicts local mortality rates from Chagas disease","authors":"Guilherme Gonzaga da Silva ,&nbsp;Vinicius Marques Lopez ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Vilarinho ,&nbsp;Felipe H. Datto-Liberato ,&nbsp;Carlo José Freire Oliveira ,&nbsp;Robert Poulin ,&nbsp;Rhainer Guillermo-Ferreira","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Vector species richness may drive the prevalence of vector-borne diseases by influencing pathogen transmission rates. The dilution effect hypothesis predicts that higher biodiversity reduces disease prevalence, but with inconclusive evidence. In contrast, the amplification effect hypothesis suggests that higher vector diversity may result in greater disease transmission by increasing and diversifying the transmission pathways. The relationship between vector diversity and pathogen transmission remains unclear and requires further study. Chagas disease<span> is a vector-borne disease most prevalent in Brazil and transmitted by multiple species of insect vectors of the subfamily Triatominae, yet the drivers of spatial variation in its impact on human populations remain unresolved. We tested whether triatomine species richness, latitude, bioclimatic variables, human host population density, and socioeconomic variables predict Chagas disease mortality rates across over 5000 spatial grid cells covering all of Brazil. Results show that species richness of triatomine vectors is a good predictor of mortality rates caused by Chagas disease, which supports the amplification effect hypothesis. Vector richness and the impact of Chagas disease may also be driven by latitudinal components of climate and human socioeconomic factors. We provide evidence that vector diversity is a strong predictor of disease prevalence and give support to the amplification effect hypothesis.</span></p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 139-145"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"72014203","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(24)00046-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7519(24)00046-8","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages I-II"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140141778","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":"Isolation of Toxoplasma gondii in cell culture: an alternative to bioassay","authors":"Tania Dawant ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Maria Spriggs ,&nbsp;Geraldo Magela de Faria Junior ,&nbsp;Laura Horton ,&nbsp;Nicole M. Szafranski ,&nbsp;Helga Waap ,&nbsp;Pikka Jokelainen ,&nbsp;Richard W. Gerhold ,&nbsp;Chunlei Su","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.12.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em> is an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that can infect mammals and birds. The infection can cause acute toxoplasmosis and death in susceptible hosts. Bioassay using cats and mice has been the standard for the isolation of <em>T. gondii</em> from infected hosts for the past several decades. However, bioassay is labor-intensive, expensive, and involves using laboratory animals. To search alternative approaches and o work towards replacement of animal experiments, we summarized the key literature and conducted four experiments to isolate <em>T. gondii</em> in vitro by cell culture. A few heart tissue samples from animals with the highest antibody titers in a given collection were used for <em>T. gondii</em> isolation. These experiments included samples from five out of 51 wild ducks, four of 46 wild turkeys, six of 24 white-tailed deer, as well as from six kangaroos that had died with acute toxoplasmosis in a zoo. These experiments resulted in three isolates from five chronically infected wild ducks (60%), four isolates from four chronically infected wild turkeys (100%), one isolate from six chronically infected white-tailed deer (17%), and four isolates from six kangaroos with acute toxoplasmosis (67%). In addition, five isolates from the five chronically infected wild ducks were obtained by bioassay in mice, showing a 100% success rate, which is higher than the 60% rate by direct cell culture. These <em>T. gondii</em> isolates were successfully propagated in human foreskin fibroblast (HFF) or Vero cells, and genotyped by multilocus PCR-RFLP markers. The results showed that it is practical to isolate <em>T. gondii</em> directly in cell culture. Although the cell culture approach may not be as sensitive as the bioassay, it does provide an alternative that is simple, cost-effective, ethically more acceptable, and less time-sensitive to isolate <em>T. gondii</em>. In this paper we propose a procedure that may be applied and further optimized for isolation of <em>T. gondii</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 3","pages":"Pages 131-137"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"138692487","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":"DNA metabarcoding reveals spatial and temporal variation of fish eye fluke communities in lake ecosystems","authors":"Alfonso Diaz-Suarez ,&nbsp;Kristina Noreikiene ,&nbsp;Siim Kahar ,&nbsp;Mikhail Y. Ozerov ,&nbsp;Riho Gross ,&nbsp;Veljo Kisand ,&nbsp;Anti Vasemägi","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Eye flukes (Diplostomidae) are diverse and abundant trematode parasites that form multi-species communities in fish with negative effects on host fitness and survival. However, the environmental factors and host-related characteristics that determine species diversity, composition, and coexistence in such communities remain poorly understood. Here, we developed a cost-effective <em>cox1</em> region-specific DNA metabarcoding approach to characterize parasitic diplostomid communities in two common fish species (Eurasian perch and common roach) collected from seven temperate lakes in Estonia. We found considerable inter- and intra-lake, as well as inter-host species, variation in diplostomid communities. Sympatric host species characterization revealed that parasite communities were typically more diverse in roach than perch. Additionally, we detected five positive and two negative diplostomid species associations in roach, whereas only a single negative association was observed in perch. These results indicate that diplostomid communities in temperate lakes are complex and dynamic systems exhibiting both spatial and temporal heterogeneity. They are influenced by various environmental factors and by host-parasite and inter-parasite interactions. We expect that the described methodology facilitates ecological and biodiversity research of diplostomid parasites. It is also adaptable to other parasite groups where it could serve to improve current understanding of diversity, distribution, and interspecies interactions of other understudied taxa.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 1","pages":"Pages 33-46"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10577176","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":"A mixed amplicon metabarcoding and sequencing approach for surveillance of drug resistance to levamisole and benzimidazole in Haemonchus spp.","authors":"Emily Kate Francis ,&nbsp;Alistair Antonopoulos ,&nbsp;Mark Edward Westman ,&nbsp;Janina McKay-Demeler ,&nbsp;Roz Laing ,&nbsp;Jan Šlapeta","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Anthelmintic-resistant parasitic nematodes present a significant threat to sustainable livestock production worldwide. The ability to detect the emergence of anthelmintic resistance at an early stage, and therefore determine which drugs remain most effective, is crucial for minimising production losses. Despite many years of research into the molecular basis of anthelmintic resistance, no molecular-based tools are commercially available for the diagnosis of resistance as it emerges in field settings. We describe a mixed deep amplicon sequencing approach to determine the frequency of the levamisole (LEV)-resistant single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) within <em>arc</em>-8 exon 4 (S168T) in <em>Haemonchus</em> spp., coupled with benzimidazole (BZ)-resistant SNPs within <span><math><mrow><mi>β</mi></mrow></math></span><em>-tubulin</em> isotype-1 and the internal transcribed spacer-2 (ITS-2) nemabiome. This constitutes the first known multi-drug and multi-species molecular diagnostic developed for helminths of veterinary importance. Of the ovine, bovine, caprine and camelid Australian field isolates we tested, S168T was detected in the majority of <em>Haemonchus</em> spp. populations from sheep and goats, but rarely at a frequency greater than 16%; an arbitrary threshold we set based on whole genome sequencing (WGS) of LEV-resistant <em>Haemonchus contortus</em> GWBII. Overall, BZ resistance was far more prevalent in <em>Haemonchus</em> spp. than LEV resistance, confirming that LEV is still an effective anthelmintic class for small ruminants in New South Wales, Australia. The mixed amplicon metabarcoding approach described herein paves the way towards the use of large scale sequencing as a surveillance technology in the field, the results of which can be translated into evidence-based recommendations for the livestock sector.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 1","pages":"Pages 55-64"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923001704/pdfft?md5=6e0ad332aa00d621f1ed0922410170dd&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923001704-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9981430","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":"Validation of a serum ELISA test for cyathostomin infection in equines","authors":"Kirsty L. Lightbody ,&nbsp;Andrew Austin ,&nbsp;Peter A. Lambert ,&nbsp;Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna ,&nbsp;Laura Jürgenschellert ,&nbsp;Jürgen Krücken ,&nbsp;Martin K. Nielsen ,&nbsp;Guillaume Sallé ,&nbsp;Fabrice Reigner ,&nbsp;Callum G Donnelly ,&nbsp;Carrie J. Finno ,&nbsp;Nicola Walshe ,&nbsp;Grace Mulcahy ,&nbsp;Nicola Housby-Skeggs ,&nbsp;Steven Grice ,&nbsp;Kathrin K. Geyer ,&nbsp;Corrine J. Austin ,&nbsp;Jacqueline B. Matthews","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Cyathostomins are ubiquitous equine nematodes. Infection can result in larval cyathostominosis due to mass larval emergence. Although faecal egg count (FEC) tests provide estimates of egg shedding, these correlate poorly with burden and provide no information on mucosal/luminal larvae. Previous studies describe a serum IgG(T)-based ELISA (CT3) that exhibits utility for detection of mucosal/luminal cyathostomins. Here, this ELISA is optimised/validated for commercial application using sera from horses for which burden data were available. Optimisation included addition of total IgG-based calibrators to provide standard curves for quantification of antigen-specific IgG(T) used to generate a CT3-specific ‘serum score’ for each horse. Validation dataset results were then used to assess the optimised test’s performance and select serum score cut-off values for diagnosis of burdens above 1000, 5000 and 10,000 cyathostomins. The test demonstrated excellent performance (Receiver Operating Characteristic Area Under the Curve values &gt;0.9) in diagnosing infection, with &gt;90% sensitivity and &gt;70% specificity at the selected serum score cut-off values. CT3-specific serum IgG(T) profiles in equines in different settings were assessed to provide information for commercial test use. These studies demonstrated maternal transfer of CT3-specific IgG(T) in colostrum to newborns, levels of which declined before increasing as foals consumed contaminated pasture. Studies in geographically distinct populations demonstrated that the proportion of horses that reported as test positive at a 14.37 CT3 serum score (1000-cyathostomin threshold) was associated with parasite transmission risk. Based on the results, inclusion criteria for commercial use were developed. Logistic regression models were developed to predict probabilities that burdens of individuals are above defined thresholds based on the reported serum score. The models performed at a similar level to the serum score cut-off approach. In conclusion, the CT3 test provides an option for veterinarians to obtain evidence of low cyathostomin burdens that do not require anthelmintic treatment and to support diagnosis of infection.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 1","pages":"Pages 23-32"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923001698/pdfft?md5=8fa58a773f3654029dd06a1e07a14356&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923001698-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"9987010","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":"Co-infecting Haemoproteus species (Haemosporida, Apicomplexa) show different host tissue tropism during exo-erythrocytic development in Fringilla coelebs (Fringillidae)","authors":"Tanja Himmel ,&nbsp;Josef Harl ,&nbsp;Julia Matt ,&nbsp;Nora Nedorost ,&nbsp;Madeleine Lunardi ,&nbsp;Mikas Ilgūnas ,&nbsp;Tatjana Iezhova ,&nbsp;Gediminas Valkiūnas ,&nbsp;Herbert Weissenböck","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Avian haemosporidians of the genera <em>Plasmodium</em>, <em>Haemoproteus,</em> and <em>Leucocytozoon</em> are common blood parasites in wild birds all over the world. Despite their importance as pathogens potentially compromising host fitness and health, little is known about the exo-erythrocytic development of these parasites, particularly during co-infections which predominate in wildlife. This study aimed to address this issue using <em>Haemoproteus</em> parasites of <em>Fringilla coelebs</em>, a common bird species of the Western Palearctic and host to a variety of haemosporidian parasite lineages. Blood and tissue samples of 20 <em>F. coelebs,</em> positive for haemosporidians by blood film microscopy, were analysed by PCR and sequencing to determine cytochrome b lineages of the parasites. Tissue sections were examined for exo-erythrocytic stages by histology and in situ hybridization applying genus-, species-, and lineage-specific probes which target the 18S rRNA of the parasites. In addition, laser microdissection of tissue stages was performed to identify parasite lineages. Combined molecular results of PCR, laser microdissection, and in situ hybridization showed a high rate of co-infections, with <em>Haemoproteus</em> lineages dominating. Exo-erythrocytic meronts of five <em>Haemoproteus</em> spp. were described for the first known time, including <em>Haemoproteus magnus</em> hCCF6<em>, Haemoproteus fringillae</em> hCCF3, <em>Haemoproteus majoris</em> hCCF5, <em>Haemoproteus</em> sp. hROFI1, and <em>Haemoproteus</em> sp. hCCF2. Merogonic stages were observed in the vascular system, presenting a formerly unknown mode of exo-erythrocytic development in <em>Haemoproteus</em> parasites. Meronts and megalomeronts of these species were distinct regarding their morphology and organ distribution, indicating species-specific patterns of merogony and different host tissue tropism. New pathological aspects of haemoproteosis were reported. Furthermore, phylogenetic analysis of <em>Haemoproteus</em> spp. with regard to their exo-erythrocytic stages points towards separation of non-megalomeront-forming species from megalomeront-forming species, calling for further studies on exo-erythrocytic development of haemosporidian parasites to explore the phylogenetic character of this trait.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 1","pages":"Pages 1-22"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0020751923001728/pdfft?md5=db46a07ddf6398789cc967ff134c2357&pid=1-s2.0-S0020751923001728-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10499813","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":"Rapid, automated quantification of Haemonchus contortus ova in sheep faecal samples","authors":"Jennifer L. Cain ,&nbsp;Leonor Sicalo Gianechini ,&nbsp;Abigail L. Vetter ,&nbsp;Sarah M. Davis ,&nbsp;Leah N. Britton ,&nbsp;Jennifer L. Myka ,&nbsp;Paul Slusarewicz","doi":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.07.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Haemonchus contortus</em> is one of the most pathogenic nematodes affecting small ruminants globally and is responsible for large economic losses in the sheep and goat industry. Anthelmintic resistance is rampant in this parasite and thus parasite control programs must account for drug efficacy on individual farms and, sometimes, whether <em>H. contortus</em> is the most prevalent trichostrongylid. Historically, coproculture has been the main way to determine the prevalence of <em>H. contortus</em> in faecal samples due to the inability to morphologically differentiate between trichostrongylid egg types, but this process requires a skilled technician and takes multiple days to complete. Fluoresceinated peanut agglutinin (PNA) has been shown to specifically bind <em>H. contortus</em> and thus differentiate eggs based on whether they fluoresce, but this method has not been widely adopted. The Parasight^TM System (PS) fluorescently stains helminth eggs in order to identify and quantify them, and the <em>H. contortus</em> PNA staining method was therefore adapted to this platform using methodology requiring only 20 min to obtain results. In this study, 74 fecal samples were collected from sheep and analyzed for PNA-stained <em>H. contortus,</em> using both PS and manual fluorescence microscopy. The percentage of <em>H. contortus</em> was determined based on standard total strongylid counts with PS or brightfield microscopy. Additionally, 15 samples were processed for coproculture with larval identification, and analyzed with both manual and automated PNA methods. All methods were compared using the coefficient of determination (R²) and the Lin’s concordance correlation coefficient (ρc). Parasight^TM and manual PNA percent <em>H. contortus</em> results were highly correlated with R² = 0.8436 and ρc = 0.9100 for all 74 fecal samples. Coproculture versus PS percent <em>H. contortus</em> were also highly correlated with R² = 0.8245 and ρc = 0.8605. Overall, this system provides a rapid and convenient method for determining the percentage of <em>H. contortus</em> in sheep and goat fecal samples without requiring specialized training.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13725,"journal":{"name":"International journal for parasitology","volume":"54 1","pages":"Pages 47-53"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"10077296","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}