Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Human migrations, anthropogenic changes, and insect-borne diseases in Latin America.","authors":"André B B Wilke, Priscilla Farina, Marco Ajelli, Angelo Canale, Filipe Dantas-Torres, Domenico Otranto, Giovanni Benelli","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06598-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06598-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Rapid urbanization and migration in Latin America have intensified exposure to insect-borne diseases. Malaria, Chagas disease, yellow fever, and leishmaniasis have historically afflicted the region, while dengue, chikungunya, and Zika have been described and expanded more recently. The increased presence of synanthropic vector species and spread into previously unaffected areas due to urbanization and climate warming have intensified pathogen transmission risks. This review examines recent outbreaks and reemergence of insect-borne diseases through five case studies: (i) malaria transmission linked to political instability and large-scale migration through the Amazon jungle; (ii) the expansion of triatomine bug habitats into overcrowded, substandard urban settlements, increasing Chagas disease incidence; (iii) the influence of movement and ecotourism in the Amazonia on yellow fever transmission in peri-urban areas; (iv) the spread of visceral leishmaniasis driven by deforestation and human-canine movement; and (v) dengue outbreaks in rural Amazon regions, spurred by urbanization and rural development. The findings underscore the complex interactions among vectors, pathogens, and shifting environmental and social conditions, complicating predictability and control. Addressing the social, economic, and political determinants of health is crucial to reducing disease transmission. Key measures include scaling vaccine coverage, especially for dengue and yellow fever; developing vaccines and treatments for neglected diseases; improving housing and sanitation; strengthening vector surveillance and control; fostering community engagement; enhancing data-driven interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11721252/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142952671","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 isothermal molecular tests to discriminate between Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum infections in dogs.","authors":"Rafaela Lira Nogueira de Luna, Kamila Gaudêncio da Silva Sales, Lucas Lisboa Nunes Bonifácio, Luciana Aguiar Figueredo, Thomas R Shelite, Fábio Dos Santos Nogueira, Domenico Otranto, Filipe Dantas-Torres","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06633-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06633-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>We standardized two recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assays coupled with lateral flow (LF) strips for the detection of Leishmania braziliensis and Leishmania infantum kinetoplast DNA (kDNA).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The RPA-LF assays were tested at different temperatures and reaction times, using DNA from cultured L. braziliensis and L. infantum. The L. infantum RPA-LF was also tested using clinical samples (bone marrow and skin) from infected and uninfected dogs.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The detection limits (analytical sensitivity) of the assays were 0.04 pg/μl and 0.04 ng/μl for L. braziliensis and L. infantum kDNA, respectively. Using clinical samples, the L. infantum RPA-LF successfully detected the parasite kDNA in bone marrow (21/30; 70.0%) and skin samples (23/30, 76.6%) from naturally infected dogs. We found an almost perfect agreement (kappa = 0.807) between RPA-LF for L. infantum and our reference quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), considering clinical samples with a quantification cycle (C_q) < 30, whereas the agreement with samples with a C_q > 30 (lower parasite loads) was moderate (kappa = 0.440).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The RPA-LF assays developed here may be promising diagnostic tools for point-of-care diagnosis of L. infantum and L. braziliensis infection in dogs, particularly in remote rural areas lacking laboratory infrastructure.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11705694/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142952721","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":"An integrative taxonomic approach reveals two putatively novel species of phlebotomine sand fly (Diptera: Psychodidae) in Thailand.","authors":"Samiullah Soomro, Siwaporn Tuangpermsub, Thongchai Ngamprasertwong, Morakot Kaewthamasorn","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06640-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-024-06640-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The subfamily Phlebotominae comprises 1028 species of sand fly, of which only 90 are recognized as vectors of pathogenic agents such as Trypanosoma, Leishmania, and Bartonella. In Thailand, leishmaniasis-a sand fly-borne disease-is currently endemic, with 36 documented sand fly species. However, many cryptic species likely remain unidentified. To improve our understanding of the distribution, habitat preferences, and role in disease transmission of these sand flies, further research is necessary.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Sand flies were collected using CDC light traps from 13 locations across four provinces in Thailand between October 2022 and October 2023. Initially, species identification was based on morphological characteristics, employing identification keys, and subsequently confirmed through mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI) and cytochrome b (Cytb) sequencing. Species identities were verified using BLASTN and BOLD searches. Species delimitation was conducted using Automatic Barcode Gap Discovery (ABGD) and Assemble Species by Automatic Partitioning (ASAP) with three substitution models. Additionally, intraspecific and interspecific genetic variation, neutrality tests (including Tajima's and Fu and Li's D* tests), phylogenetic analyses, and TCS haplotype network analysis were performed using the obtained sequences.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 3693 phlebotomine sand flies were collected, with 2261 (61.22%) identified as female. Integrative analyses combining morphological data, BLASTN searches, phylogenetic assessments, and species delimitation confirmed the identification of four genera: Sergentomyia, Grassomyia, Phlebotomus, and Idiophlebotomus, encompassing 12 species: Sergentomyia anodontis, Se. sylvatica, Se. perturbans, Se. barraudi, Se. hivernus, Se. khawi, Se. siamensis, Grassomyia indica, Phlebotomus barguesae, Ph. stantoni, Idiophlebotomus asperulus, and Id. longiforceps. Furthermore, molecular analysis revealed cryptic and complex species, including two putatively novel species, Se. sp. 1 and Se. sp. 2, as well as a unique haplotype.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study, which integrated genetic and morphological identification techniques, identified 12 sand fly species and unveiled cryptic and complex species, including two putatively novel species (Se. sp. 1 and Se. sp. 2) and a unique haplotype. The findings underscore the utility of mitochondrial genes, combined with species delimitation methodologies, as reliable approaches for identifying diverse sand fly species.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11702185/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142952669","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":"Insights into the biology and insecticide susceptibility of the secondary malaria vector Anopheles parensis in an area with long-term use of insecticide-treated nets in northwestern Tanzania.","authors":"Salum Abdallah Mapua, Ismail Hassan Nambunga, Joel Ouma Odero, Gustav Mkandawile, John Paliga Masalu, Najat Feruz Kahamba, Emmanuel Elirehema Hape, Nancy Stephen Matowo, Frederic Tripet, Fredros Oketch Okumu","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06634-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06634-6","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The Anopheles funestus group includes at least 11 sibling species, with Anopheles funestus Giles being the most studied and significant malaria vector. Other species, like Anopheles parensis, are understudied despite their potential role in transmission. This article provides insights into the biology and insecticide susceptibility of An. parensis, with observations of its densities in northwestern Tanzania.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Mosquitoes were collected in three villages in Misungwi district, northwestern Tanzania, using CDC light traps and battery-powered aspirators indoors and human-baited double net traps outdoors. Female Anopheles adults were morphologically sorted and identified by PCR, and a subset was tested by ELISA for vertebrate blood meal sources and Plasmodium sporozoite infections. Insecticide susceptibility was assessed using the WHO protocol (2nd edition, 2018). Unfed females were dissected to assess parity, gonotrophic status and insemination status, while blood-fed females were monitored for oviposition to estimate egg counts. The prevalence of An. parensis was generally &lt; 24% across all sites, except in Ngaya village, where it unexpectedly constituted 84% of PCR-amplified An. funestus sensu lato. This species was present in both indoor and outdoor collections, yet the females exclusively fed on non-human vertebrates, with no human blood meals detected. Parity rates were approximately 49% for resting and 46% for host-seeking females, with slightly higher percentages of both parous and inseminated females in the dry season compared to the wet season. Most parous females had oviposited once or twice, with those in the dry season ovipositing significantly more eggs. The average wing length of female An. parensis was 2.93 mm, and there was no significant impact of body size on parity, fecundity or insemination. The An. parensis mosquitoes were fully susceptible to pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates and organochlorides.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The prevalence of An. parensis was generally &lt; 24% across all sites, except in Ngaya village, where it unexpectedly constituted 84% of PCR-amplified An. funestus sensu lato. This species was present in both indoor and outdoor collections, yet the females exclusively fed on non-human vertebrates, with no human blood meals detected. Parity rates were approximately 49% for resting and 46% for host-seeking females, with slightly higher percentages of both parous and inseminated females in the dry season compared to the wet season. Most parous females had oviposited once or twice, with those in the dry season ovipositing significantly more eggs. The average wing length of female An. parensis was 2.93 mm, and there was no significant impact of body size on parity, fecundity or insemination. The An. parensis mosquitoes were fully susceptible to pyrethroids, carbamates, organophosphates and organochlorides..&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusion: &lt;/strong&gt;Th","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"549"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11687015/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142907399","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":"Identification of serum biomarkers for cystic echinococcosis in sheep through untargeted metabolomic analysis using LC-MS/MS technology.","authors":"Xiao-Xia Wu, Wan-Li Ban, Li-Jiang Wu, Wen-Jing Qi, Mehdi Borhani, Xiao-Ying He, Xiao-Lei Liu, Ming-Yuan Liu, Jing Ding","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06599-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06599-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Echinococcosis is a zoonotic disease caused by an Echinococcus tapeworm infection. While diagnostic methods for humans often rely on ultrasound imaging and immunodiagnostic techniques, diagnosis in intermediate hosts typically has no widely used diagnostic markers, hampering disease control efforts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The differences in serum metabolites of sheep infected with Echinococcus granulosus and a control group were analyzed using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) separation with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection. This provided a basis for the early diagnosis and pathogenetic study of cystic echinococcosis (CE) in intermediate hosts at the metabolomics level. Orthogonal projections to latent structures-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were used to analyze different metabolites in the serum of the two groups. The differentially abundant metabolites were entered into the MetaboAnalyst 5.0 online analysis website for processing, and the top-15-ranked metabolic pathways were set to produce bubble plots and differential abundance score plots, with a significant difference of P < 0.05 and a false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.1 as the screening conditions.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Data analyses of serum samples from both groups identified a total of 1905 significantly different metabolites, where 841 metabolites were upregulated and 1064 metabolites were downregulated. Twelve metabolites were significantly upregulated and 21 metabolites were significantly downregulated in the experimental group. Then, the 1,7-dihydroxyxanthone, 2-methylbutyrylglycine, 3,3-dimethylglutaric acid, 5,12-dihydroxy-6,8,10,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, 9-hydroperoxy-10E,12Z,15Z-octadecatrienoic acid, and trimethylamine N-oxide 6 metabolites were selected as diagnostically valuable candidate biomarkers (area under the curve [AUC] > 0.7). These differential metabolites are involved in various metabolic pathways, including amino acid metabolites (arginine, L-isoleucine, L-valine) and fatty acid metabolism (fenugreek, arachidonic acid, linolenic acid). Compared with the control group, sheep in the CE group had increased serum levels of fenugreek acid, while all other metabolites such as glycine showed significantly reduced serum levels (P < 0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Through non-targeted metabolomic analysis of the serum of CE-infected sheep, differential metabolites closely related to amino acid metabolism and the fatty acid metabolism pathway were identified. These differentially abundant metabolites can serve as biomarkers for diagnosing CE infection in intermediate sheep hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"547"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11686990/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142907396","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":"Transcriptional induction of the IMD signaling pathway and associated antibacterial activity in the digestive tract of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).","authors":"Katie Weber, Dhruva Karnik, Lisa D Brown","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06613-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06613-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fleas are insect vectors that transmit several Gram-negative bacterial pathogens acquired by ingesting infected vertebrate blood. To combat foodborne illness, insect midgut epithelial cells are armed with efficient microbial recognition and control systems, such as the immune deficiency (IMD) pathway that regulates the expression of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). However, despite their medical and veterinary importance, relatively little is known about the IMD signaling pathway and production of AMPs in the digestive tract of cat fleas (Ctenocephalides felis).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In the present study, we measured the expression of target genes comprising the IMD pathway, as well as corresponding AMP transcripts, in the digestive tract of C. felis following exposure to three different species of bacteria: Gram-negative Bartonella henselae (a flea-borne pathogen), Gram-negative Serratia marcescens (a model laboratory species), and Gram-positive Micrococcus luteus (a model laboratory species). Additionally, we examined the antibacterial activity of proteins isolated from the flea digestive tract in vitro following bacterial challenge and at different days post adult emergence to determine if feeding-induced antibacterial activity varies with age.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In our analysis of C. felis, we observed an increase in the expression of representative IMD pathway genes and associated AMP transcripts, indicating the activation of the IMD pathway. Furthermore, our results revealed that different bacterial species elicit distinct transcriptional profiles of IMD pathway genes, suggesting a species-specific response to bacterial invasion. We found that the gut of C. felis produces antibacterial molecules as a localized defense mechanism. Additionally, we observed that proteins with antimicrobial properties are synthesized as part of local defense mechanisms in the gut, with differential patterns of antibacterial activity related to infection status and age.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide essential insights into the potential mechanisms by which cat fleas regulate immune responses in their digestive tract against different bacterial species.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"546"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11687193/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142907420","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":"The evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum from mitochondrial and apicoplast genomes of China-Myanmar border isolates.","authors":"Yini Tian, Run Ye, Dongmei Zhang, Yilong Zhang","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06629-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06629-3","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;The frequent communication between African and Southeast Asian (SEA) countries has led to the risk of imported malaria cases in the China-Myanmar border (CMB) region. Therefore, tracing the origins of new malaria infections is important in the maintenance of malaria-free zones in this border region. A new genotyping tool based on a robust mitochondrial (mt) /apicoplast (apico) barcode was developed to estimate genetic diversity and infer the evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum across the major distribution ranges. However, the mt/apico genomes of P. falciparum isolates from the CMB region to date are poorly characterized, even though this region is highly endemic to P. falciparum malaria.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;We have sequenced the whole mt/apico genome of 34 CMB field isolates and utilized a published data set of 147 mt/apico genome sequences to present global genetic diversity and to revisit the evolutionary history of the CMB P. falciparum.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Genetic differentiation based on mt/apico genome of P. falciparum revealed that the CMB (Lazan, Myanmar) isolates presented high genetic diversity with several characteristics of ancestral populations and shared many of the genetic features with West Thailand (Mae Sot; WTH) and to some extent West African (Banjul, Gambia; Navrongo, Ghana; WAF) isolates. The reconstructed haplotype network displayed that the CMB and WTH P. falciparum isolates have the highest representation (five) in the five ancestral (central) haplotypes (H1, H2, H4, H7, and H8), which are comparatively older than isolates from other SEA populations as well as the WAF populations. In addition, the highest estimate of the time to the Most Recent Common Ancestor (TMRCA) of 42,400 (95% CI 18,300-82100) years ago was presented by the CMB P. falciparum compared to the other regional populations. The statistically significant negative values of Fu's Fs with unimodal distribution in pairwise mismatch distribution curves indicate past demographic expansions in CMB P. falciparum with slow population expansion between approximately 12,500-20,000 ybp.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The results on the complete mt/apico genome sequence analysis of the CMB P. falciparum indicated high genetic diversity with ancient population expansion and TMRCA, and it seems probable that P. falciparum might have existed in CMB, WTH, and WAF for a long time before being introduced into other Southeast Asian countries or regions. To reduce the impact of sample size or geographic bias on the estimate of the evolutionary timeline, future studies need to expand the range of sample collection and ensure the representativeness of samples across geographic distributions. Additionally, by mapping global patterns of mt/apico genome polymorphism, we will gain valuable insights into the evolutionary history of P. falciparum and optimised strategies for controlling P. falciparum malaria at int","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"548"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11686842/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142907402","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":"Comparison of ELISA and IFAT for Leishmania infantum by European and Middle Eastern diagnostic laboratories.","authors":"Kurayi G Mahachi, Marie Ozanne, Patrick Bourdeau, Juliana Sarquis, Eric Kontowicz, Laia Solano-Gallego, Luis Cardoso, Gaetano Oliva, Gad Baneth, Maria Grazia Pennisi, Angela M Toepp, Guadalupe Miró, Margaret Carrel, Christine A Petersen","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06631-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06631-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Visceral leishmaniosis (VL) is the most severe form of human leishmaniosis, with an estimated 95% case fatality if left untreated. Dogs act as peridomestic reservoir hosts for the protozoan parasite Leishmania infantum, a causative agent for human leishmaniosis, endemic throughout the Mediterranean basin. To assure consistent and accurate surveillance of canine infection and prevent transmission to people, consistent diagnosis of canine L. infantum infection across this region is essential for protecting both human and animal health. Our goal was to compare the accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) and immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFAT), performed at seven academic veterinary diagnostic centres across southern Europe and Israel.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We performed a known sample \"ring\" trial to compare L. infantum quantitative serological tests. Two hundred seventy-two (n = 272) canine serum samples of known serological status were chosen from these sites, representative of the region. In-house or commercial ELISA and IFAT were performed according to each laboratory's specifications. Latent Class Analysis (LCA) was used to determine sensitivity and specificity of each test. True and false positives were calculated to determine the probability of identifying samples.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sensitivity and specificity for ELISA ranged from 95 to 99% and 92% to 97%, respectively, with moderate variability from one site. Sensitivity and specificity for IFAT ranged from 89 to 99% and 83% to 94%, respectively, with increased variability compared to ELISA. Overall test agreement was 78% with a pair-wise agreement between 65 and 89%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>All sites demonstrated substantial comparative diagnostic accuracy, with good agreement based on known seropositive and seronegative samples. Studies and interventional trials that use these tests will remain valid because of high diagnostic agreement between sites.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"545"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11684067/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142903473","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":"The impact of an integrated intervention program combining drug therapy with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education on reinfection with intestinal parasitic infections among the Karen hill tribe in northern Thailand.","authors":"Woottichai Nachaiwieng, Sangob Sanit, Nattharinee Kongta, Jassada Saingamsook, Suwit Duangmano, Sakorn Pornprasert, Pradya Somboon, Jintana Yanola","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06611-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06611-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) are a major health problem among the Karen hill tribe in Thailand. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of an integrated intervention program of drug therapy combined with water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) education on reinfection with IPIs among the Karen hill tribe in an endemic area of northern Thailand.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A quasi-experimental study was conducted in two Karen villages, involving 691 residents, in Omkoi District, Chiang Mai Province; one village was designated as the intervention group and the other as the control group. Baseline information was collected regarding the infections and participants' knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to prevention and control of IPIs. Detection of benzimidazole resistance linked to the beta-tubulin gene mutation in soil-transmitted helminths (STH) was performed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and DNA sequencing. Mass drug administration (MDA) with albendazole was applied to both groups. The intervention group received WASH education, whereas the control group did not. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 3 and 6 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Baseline data revealed a 36.0% (123/342) prevalence of IPIs in the intervention group and 36.8% (96/261) in the control group. The most common helminth and pathogenic protozoan were Trichuris trichiura and Giardia lamblia, respectively. No non-synonymous mutations in the beta-tubulin gene were found. Post-intervention at 3-month and 6-month follow-ups revealed that the prevalence of IPIs in the intervention group was significantly decreased to 23.6% (P = 0.002) and 23.1% (P = 0.002), and the prevalence of pathogenic IPIs was reduced from 9.4% to 3.9% (P = 0.013) and 2.4% (P = 0.002), respectively. In contrast, no significant changes in the prevalence of IPIs were observed in the control group. The intervention group showed significant improvements in KAP scores, which were significantly higher than those in the control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>MDA alone is not effective for controlling IPIs among the Karen people due to rapid reinfection related to behavioral factors and socioeconomic conditions. We demonstrated for the first time that integration of WASH education increased KAP scores and consequently significantly reduced IPI reinfection among the Karen hill tribe in northern Thailand.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"544"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11684068/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142903475","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":"Morphological and molecular characterization of a Sarcocystis bovifelis-like sarcocyst in American beef.","authors":"Aditya Gupta, Larissa S de Araujo, Andrew Hemphill, Asis Khan, Benjamin M Rosenthal, Jitender P Dubey","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06628-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06628-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Parasites in the apicomplexan genus Sarcocystis infect cattle worldwide. Assessing the economic importance of each such parasite species requires proper diagnosis. Sarcocystis cruzi, a thin-walled species, infects virtually all cattle. The prevalence of the other thin-walled parasite, Sarcocystis heydorni, remains less well established. The remaining six species all have thick (> 3 µm) cyst walls (Sarcocystis hirsuta, S. hominis, S. bovifelis, S. bovini, S. sigmoideus, and S. rommeli). Thick-walled sarcocysts often induce inflammation in striated muscles (causing bovine eosinophilic myositis), leading to condemnation of carcasses at slaughter. One of these, S. hirsuta, can be seen macroscopically and lead to condemnation of beef. Two Sarcocystis species, S. hominis and S. heydorni, are zoonotic. Although S. hominis has been reported as prevalent in Europe, the occurrence of thick-walled species in the US remains poorly known. Here, for the first time to our knowldge, we characterize a thick-walled Sarcocystis species from a sample of beef from a local grocery store in Maryland. By morphological and genetic criteria, it closely, but not perfectly, resembles parasites previously ascribed to S. bovifelis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Beef samples were examined for Sarcocystis infection, using acid-pepsin digestion to search for bradyzoites, microscopically by compression between a glass slide and coverslip, by histology of paraffin embedded sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Molecular characterization was attempted employing genetic markers: 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, cox1, ITS1, gapdh1, ron3, and rpoB.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Molecular evaluation revealed 100% identity with S. bovifelis-like sarcocysts from naturally infected cattle from Germany and Argentina; although the condition of the frozen material precludes complete characterization by TEM, we noted morphological features which differed from the S. bovifelis originally described from experimentally infected cattle from Germany.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A novel Sarcocystis species is described from beef from the USA but not named until further evaluation.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"543"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11682628/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142896596","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}