Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Molecular characterization of Sarcocystis spp. in intestines of coyotes and foxes from Pennsylvania, USA.","authors":"Aditya Gupta, Kyle Van Why, Justin D Brown, Benjamin M Rosenthal, Jitender P Dubey","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07515-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07515-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Wild canids serve as definitive hosts for numerous Sarcocystis species infecting livestock and wildlife. However, species-level identification in free-ranging carnivores remains difficult, impeded by the morphological resemblance among the sporocysts of various parasite species.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Intestinal mucosal scrapings from 40 wild canids: red fox (Vulpes vulpes, n = 8), gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus, n = 6) and coyote (Canis latrans, n = 26) in Pennsylvania, USA, sampled in 2024, were tested for Sarcocystis sporocysts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sporocysts were detected microscopically in intestinal homogenates digested in Chlorox in 3/6 (50%) gray foxes, 3/8 (37.5%) red foxes and 18/26 (69.2%) coyotes. PCR amplification was successful on 8/18 (44.4%) coyotes, 0/6 Gy foxes and 2/3 (66.6%) red foxes. Multi-locus genotyping was performed for the 18S rRNA, 28S rRNA, COI and ITS1 genetic markers, supporting identification of multiple species of Sarcocystis, including Sarcocystis albifronsi-like, S. cruzi, S. gjerdei-like, S. cristata/S. wenzeli-like and an additional undescribed, ungulate-associated Sarcocystis spp.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Phylogenetic analysis confirmed clustering with reference sequences with strong support. This study demonstrates that wild foxes and coyotes serve as definitive hosts for multiple species of Sarcocystis, including Sarcocystis cruzi, which uses cattle as intermediate hosts and imposes significant economic burdens on cattle production. Moreover, these findings demonstrate that wild canids harbor diverse Sarcocystis spp., supporting their role in environmental dissemination and potential transmission at the wildlife-livestock interface.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148278236","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":"Efficacy of volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents to reduce exposure to mosquito and sand fly vectors and human infection risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Ngwa Niba Rawlings, Mark Stephen Bailey, Orin Courtenay","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07393-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07393-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Volatile pyrethroid spatial repellents (VPSRs) have emerged as promising complementary tools for vector control. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the protective efficacy (PE) of VPSRs against mosquito- and sand-fly-borne human infections, and against vector numbers in traps.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Clinical infection and entomological studies that evaluated VPSRs against human infection with Plasmodium, arboviruses (Dengue and Zika), and Leishmania, and against their respective vectors, were systematically reviewed. Random-effects meta-analyses estimated pooled PE values and explored moderators including vector trapping method, deployment setting (indoor/outdoor), and active ingredient (a.i.) concentration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 49 VPSR studies containing 154 datasets met the inclusion criteria, comprising 6 trials (7 datasets) against human infection incidence, and 43 entomological studies mostly of mosquitoes (147 datasets); 73.5% tested active ingredients transfluthrin and 22.4% tested metofluthrin. Pooled estimates from transfluthrin VPSR trials indicated protective effects of 50% (95% CI 21-69%) against Plasmodium (n = 3) and 34% (95% CI 10-52%) against arboviruses (Dengue and Zika, n = 1). Evidence for Leishmania infection incidence was limited to a single trial (PE = 48%, 95% CI 26-63%). Metofluthrin showed no effect against Plasmodium (n = 1). Exposure to VPSRs was associated with substantial reductions in trapped mosquito and sand fly numbers. The comparative protection inferred from the entomological data was variably dependent on trap type: the mosquito data gave pooled mean PE values of 57-62% by human landing catches; 35-55% using Centers for Disease Control light traps (CDC-LT); and 47-88% using CDC-LT co-located with sources of CO². The wider range of pyrethroid compounds tested against Phlebotomus sand flies (n = 4) gave trap-specific PE values of 93%, 53%, and 78%, respectively. VPSR deployment in outdoor settings appeared not to be generally inferior to indoor deployment, and efficacy values tended not to differ significantly between mosquito genera. The relationship between the level of repellency (and/or lethality) and VPSR a.i. concentration is not clear, though higher concentrations (≥ 20% w/v transfluthrin or metofluthrin) appeared to be less effective.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The collective results demonstrate that transfluthrin-based VPSRs were associated with reduced vector numbers and reduced Plasmodium infection incidence, with likely effectiveness also against arboviral and Leishmania infection incidence. However, existing evidence for reduced infection incidence is very limited despite strong entomological effects. More studies to evidence-base and strengthen conclusions are needed on many key aspects of VPSR products for programmatic and sustainable scale-up.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13523321/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148278317","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":"Risk prediction of echinococcosis in China under climate change: a One Health approach.","authors":"Tengyue Diao, Nan Xu, Ning Ma, Haiyan Chen, Na Wang, Ting La, Kunyi Wu, Bo Cao","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07518-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07518-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Echinococcosis, a neglected zoonosis caused by Echinococcus parasites, imposes a dual burden on public health and socioeconomic development across China, with disproportionate impacts on impoverished pastoral communities. A critical barrier to targeted and effective control lies in the lack of high-resolution national risk maps and limited understanding of how climate change modulates transmission dynamics.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Here, we address these gaps by integrating multi-source epidemiological and environmental data to model and map high-resolution echinococcosis transmission risk across China. We further project its spatiotemporal evolution under four climate change scenarios (SSP126, SSP245, SSP370, SSP585) from 2040 to 2100, employing a One Health framework to assess echinococcosis transmission risk. Our model exhibits robust predictive performance, identifying elevation, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, isothermality, and average monthly precipitation in January as key driving factors.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results reveal concentrated high-risk regions in western and northern China, including Sichuan, Qinghai, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Gansu provinces, which are characterized by pastoral economies, socioeconomic underdevelopment, and constrained healthcare access. Future projections show a concerning expansion of high and very high transmission risk regions across all scenarios, with the most significant increase under the high-emission SSP585 pathway by the late twenty-first century.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings clarify the current echinococcosis risk landscape and its environmental determinants while providing forward-looking, spatially explicit evidence. This work establishes a science-based foundation for optimizing resource allocation, designing adaptive prevention strategies, and enhancing health equity within a One Health framework, particularly for climate-vulnerable and resource-limited settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520399/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148272195","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":"Sensitivity and specificity of HAT Bioline Abbott^® 2.0 and HAT Sero K-Set CORIS^® 2.0 for human African trypanosomiasis in the Kasai-Oriental province, Democratic Republic of the Congo: a retrospective diagnostic accuracy study.","authors":"Simon Kayembe, Fabien Vulu, Alain Mpanya, Eddy Kakiese, Rhyno Kalonji, Olivier Fataki, Nono-Raymond Swar Kuispond, Dieudonne Mumba Ngoyi","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07504-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07504-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Human African trypanosomiasis (HAT) due to Trypanosoma brucei gambiense has declined substantially in recent years, with many endemic areas now reporting very low prevalence levels as countries move toward elimination. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are increasingly used in surveillance and elimination programs; however, their performance in low-prevalence settings remains critical. This study evaluated and compared the diagnostic accuracy of two second-generation RDTs; HAT Bioline Abbott^® 2.0 and HAT Sero K-Set CORIS^® 2.0; using trypanolysis as the reference standard.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A retrospective diagnostic accuracy study was conducted on 447 archived plasma samples (227 confirmed HAT cases and 220 controls) from a previous study in the DRC. Each sample was tested with both RDTs and trypanolysis. Sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios, Cohen's kappa coefficient, and Youden's index were calculated with 95% confidence intervals. Paired comparisons were performed using McNemar's χ² test, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>HAT Bioline Abbott^® 2.0 showed a sensitivity of 85.2% (95% CI 80.4-90.0) and specificity of 72.2% (95% CI 66.4-77.9). The positive predictive value (PPV) was 73.1% (95% CI 67.5-78.6) and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 84.7% (95% CI 79.7-89.6). HAT Sero K-Set CORIS^® 2.0 demonstrated a sensitivity of 90.0% (95% CI 85.2-93.4) and a higher specificity of 88.2% (95% CI 83.5-91.7). The PPV was 87.1% (95% CI 82.0-90.9) and the NPV was 90.9% (95% CI 86.4-93.9). HAT Sero K-Set CORIS^® 2.0 showed stronger agreement with trypanolysis (κ = 0.78) and a higher Youden's index (0.78) than Abbott^® 2.0 (κ = 0.57; Y = 0.57).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this retrospective study, HAT Sero K-Set CORIS^® 2.0 demonstrated higher diagnostic accuracy under controlled laboratory conditions than HAT Bioline Abbott^® 2.0. Although both RDTs demonstrated acceptable sensitivity, neither achieved the specificity threshold (> 95%) recommended for surveillance and elimination verification in low-prevalence settings. These findings highlight the importance of optimizing specificity in serological screening tools as countries progress toward HAT elimination.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520388/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148272255","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":"Overcoming doramectin failure: field efficacy of pour-on 5% fluralaner and an experimental 1% oral formulation for the prevention of Cochliomyia hominivorax-associated umbilical myiasis in newborn calves.","authors":"Murilo Damasceno Brunet de Freitas, Daniel de Castro Rodrigues, Pablo Eduardo Martins de Paiva, Siddartha Torres, Fernando de Almeida Borges","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07455-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07455-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Myiasis caused by Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae is a reemerging challenge in the Americas due to the recent reappearance of this species in areas where it had been eradicated and reports of doramectin inefficacy, despite its recognition as the most effective avermectin for prevention in cattle. As an alternative, 5% fluralaner administered via pour-on has shown 100% efficacy in the treatment and prevention of myiasis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of three antiparasitic treatments, namely 1% doramectin administered subcutaneously, 5% fluralaner pour-on, and 1% fluralaner administered orally, in preventing umbilical myiasis caused by C. hominivorax in newborn calves.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted on a commercial beef cow-calf farm in Brazil. On day 0, during umbilical care, 200 newborn calves were randomly allocated to 4 groups: negative untreated control; 1% doramectin subcutaneously (200 µg/kg); 5% fluralaner pour-on (2.5 mg/kg); and 1% fluralaner orally (0.5 mg/kg, experimental formulation). All umbilical stumps were disinfected with 10% iodine tincture (10-30 s) without larvicidal compounds. Umbilical sites were evaluated on days 3, 7, and 14 for the presence of C. hominivorax larvae and lesion scores (0-3).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The results showed marked differences among treatments in the prevention of umbilical myiasis. In the control group, myiasis occurrence was 26% (95% CI 15-39%), confirming the high field risk of the disease. Treatment with 1% doramectin did not reduce (P = 0.8153) myiasis occurrence (22%; 95% CI 12.7-35.2%), showing a relative risk reduction of only 15.4%. Pour-on 5% fluralaner reduced myiasis occurrence to 4% (95% CI 1.1-13.4%), corresponding to a preventive efficacy of 84.6%. Despite proven 100% fluralaner efficacy, maternal licking may have contributed to the removal of the pour-on product in newborn calves, potentially reducing skin residues and being associated with the occurrence of umbilical myiasis. Orally administered 1% fluralaner showed 100% preventive efficacy. Umbilical lesion scores corroborated these findings, with a predominance of score 0 in fluralaner-treated groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Doramectin was ineffective in preventing umbilical myiasis in newborn calves, whereas orally administered fluralaner showed 100% preventive efficacy. Pour-on fluralaner did not achieve complete preventive efficacy, possibly due to maternal licking at the product application site in calves.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13520140/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148272275","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":"Vaccination with live-attenuated Toxoplasma gondii mutants RHΔtkl1 and PruΔpp2a-c induces protective immunity in sheep.","authors":"Ze-Xuan Wu, Yu Kang, Wen-Bo Hao, Yu-Xuan Wang, Zhi Zheng, Shi-Bo Huang, Xiao-Nan Zheng, Xing-Quan Zhu","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07516-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07516-9","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Toxoplasma gondii is a globally distributed intracellular parasitic protozoan. It infects nearly all warm-blooded animals and causes a zoonotic disease of worldwide significance. Currently, the only commercially available vaccine, Toxovax&lt;sup&gt;®&lt;/sup&gt;, is solely used for the prevention of Toxoplasma-induced abortion in sheep, but it has limitations such as a short shelf life and the potential of reversion to virulence. This study evaluated the safety and immune-protective efficacy of two live-attenuated strains RHΔtkl1 and PruΔpp2a-c in sheep.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Sheep were immunized via intramuscular injection in the neck with 1 × 10&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt; tachyzoites of RHΔtkl1 or PruΔpp2a-c. Sheep were challenged orally with 5 × 10&lt;sup&gt;5&lt;/sup&gt; type II Pru oocysts at 28 days post-vaccination (dpv), followed by a second challenge on day 70 with 1 × 10&lt;sup&gt;7&lt;/sup&gt; type II Pru tachyzoites injected intramuscularly at 70 dpv. Safety and immuno-protection were evaluated by monitoring clinical symptoms and body temperatures, T. gondii-specific IgG antibody levels, histopathological changes, immunohistochemistry, brain cysts, parasite load, and mouse bioassay results.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;The results demonstrated that both knockout strains induced only transient fever. Following immunization and subsequent challenge with Pru oocysts, the T. gondii-specific IgG antibody levels in sheep increased rapidly and remained elevated for an extended period. Histopathological analysis indicated mild organ lesions in heart, liver and lung tissues among immunized infected sheep, whereas non-immunized infected sheep exhibited severe widespread inflammation. Immunohistochemical analysis of brain tissue revealed significantly lower values for four parameters (positive cell ratio, density, histochemistry score, immunoreactive score) in immunized groups (P &lt; 0.01). A significant reduction in brain cysts was observed in immunized and challenged sheep (P &lt; 0.01) compared with unimmunized and challenged sheep. The parasite burden of T. gondii in heart tissue was significantly reduced (P &lt; 0.01). Compared with mice inoculated with sheep brain tissue from unimmunized groups challenged with T. gondii Pru oocysts and tachyzoites, mouse bioassay results showed that the mice inoculated with sheep brain tissue from groups immunized with RHΔtkl1 or PruΔpp2a-c tachyzoites and subsequently challenged with T. gondii Pru oocysts and tachyzoites exhibited a significantly lower proportion of positive genomic T. gondii DNA in the brain (P &lt; 0.001), as well as significantly reduced levels of T. gondii-specific antibody IgG in the serum (P &lt; 0.0001). Similarly, mice inoculated with sheep visceral tissue from the same immunized and challenged groups also showed a significantly reduced proportion of positive genomic T. gondii DNA in the brain (P &lt; 0.0001) and significantly reduced levels of T. gondii-specific antibody IgG in the serum (P &lt; 0.0001).&lt;","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13439886/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148265531","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":"Individual and spatial heterogeneity of praziquantel efficacy against Schistosoma mansoni within the context of repeated mass drug administration.","authors":"Melissa A Iacovidou, Fabian Reitzug, Sophie Winter, Annet Enzaru, Emily Asiimwe, Juliet Nambatya, Aisha Nakato, Moses Semakula, Betty Nabatte, Narcis B Kabatereine, Goylette F Chami","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07497-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07497-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Schistosomiasis control relies on the continued effectiveness of praziquantel (PZQ), yet individual and spatial heterogeneity in PZQ efficacy in the context of repeated mass drug administration (MDA) remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify individual and spatial determinants of PZQ efficacy against Schistosoma mansoni in rural Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We studied 3870 participants aged 5-90 years from 52 villages in Pakwach, Buliisa, and Mayuge districts in Uganda. Participants were recruited to the SchistoTrack cohort in January-February of 2022 and 2023. Participants received PZQ and were followed up four to five weeks later to assess cure using Kato-Katz (KK) microscopy and point-of-care circulating cathodic antigen (POC-CCA) tests. Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of cure, defined as a 100% egg reduction rate (ERR). We explored a comprehensive set of 18 sociodemographic, biomedical, water, sanitation, and hygiene, and spatial factors. Subgroup analyses were conducted for adults (aged 18-90) versus children (aged 5-17). Spatial autocorrelation in the outcome and model residuals was assessed using join count statistics and Moran's I.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 3870 clinical participants, 3704 (95.7%) received PZQ, and 3395 of these had complete clinical data. Among the 3395 treated participants, 1406 (41.4%) were infected with S. mansoni at baseline. The overall cure rate (ERR of 100%) was 76.3%, ranging from 68.9% to 85.4% across districts. Higher odds of cure were associated with older age (OR 1.34) and lower baseline infection intensity (moderate/heavy vs light OR 0.39-0.61). Greater height was associated with lower odds of cure (OR 0.99), which was driven by adults. Compared with Mayuge district, participants in Western districts had lower odds of cure (OR 0.48-0.53). In children, greater distance to water sites with snail presence was linked to higher odds of cure (OR 1.05 per 100m). Results were similar when using POC-CCA outcomes. Spatial clustering of treatment outcomes was observed by district, but no residual spatial autocorrelation remained after accounting for district effects.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Incorporating spatial analyses, refining dose assessment, and strengthening post-MDA monitoring may help maintain PZQ effectiveness and support sustainable schistosomiasis control efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13343640/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148265597","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":"ST2 blockade modulates IL-33-driven immune responses and is associated with reduced hepatic fibrosis in alveolar echinococcosis.","authors":"Emad Shamsan, Liu Chuanchuan, Fan Haining","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07462-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07462-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Infection with Echinococcus multilocularis causes alveolar echinococcosis (AE), a severe parasitic disease characterised by progressive hepatic infiltration and fibrosis. Current treatment options remain limited, and the immune-mediated mechanisms underlying fibrosis are not fully understood. This study investigated the role of the IL-33/ST2 axis in AE-associated immunopathology and evaluated the effects of ST2 blockade in an experimental model.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A murine model of AE was established in C57BL/6 mice, which were allocated to untreated infected, anti-ST2-treated infected and uninfected control groups. Liver pathology and fibrosis were assessed using haematoxylin and eosin staining, Masson's trichrome staining and transmission electron microscopy. Immune and fibrotic markers were analysed by immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. In parallel, liver samples from patients with AE were examined to evaluate translational relevance. Systemic cytokine profiles were quantified to assess immune modulation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Analysis of human AE liver samples showed an increased expression of IL-33/ST2 and associated immune and fibrotic markers, consistent with findings in the experimental mouse model. In infected mice, ST2 blockade significantly reduced metacestode lesion size and hepatic tissue invasion. This was accompanied by reduced fibrosis, as indicated by lower expression of α-smooth muscle actin, collagen I, matrix metalloproteinase-9 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1. Anti-ST2 treatment was also associated with reduced hepatic infiltration of CD4⁺ T cells, B cells and M2 macrophages, along with decreased systemic levels of IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-4, IL-13, IL-17 and IL-1β.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>ST2 blockade reduced metacestode growth and was associated with attenuated hepatic inflammation and fibrosis, supporting a role for IL-33/ST2 signalling in AE progression. Given the concurrent reduction in parasite burden, further studies are needed to determine whether the anti-fibrotic effects of ST2 inhibition are independent of parasite control.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505141/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148265595","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":"Susceptibility of Rhipicephalus microplus to fluralaner: assessment before and after implementation of a strategic control protocol in taurine cattle in a tropical region.","authors":"Haile Dean Figueiredo Chagas, Gabriel Webert Gomes, Rafael Assunção Carvalho, Arthur Matos de Santana, Ana Carolinne Lopes Ascenção, Emanuel Magalhães Souza, Bruno César Ferreira Gonzaga, Lorena Lopes Ferreira, Daniel de Castro Rodrigues, Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes, Caio Marcio Oliveira Monteiro","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07491-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07491-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fluralaner has been used in the strategic control of the Rhipicephalus microplus tick, an important ectoparasite for cattle farming. However, the effects of its application on the susceptibility profiles of these tick populations after treatment have not yet been investigated. In this study, we evaluated the effect of a strategic control protocol with fluralaner on the phenotypic susceptibility profile of a population of R. microplus before and after its implementation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Thirty naturally infested cattle were divided into two experimental groups: T01 (control group): cattle treated with a topical (spray) formulation containing a synthetic pyrethroid and two organophosphates; T02 (strategic control): cattle treated with a formulation (pour-on) containing only fluralaner. For group T01, animals were treated when the average tick count was  ≥30 to allow determination of the infestation challenge on the farm, while animals in group T02 were treated when 30% of the animals had adult ticks < 4 mm. Tick counts on animals were performed every 7 days for 266 days. Larvae monitoring in the pasture was performed every 30 days using a dragging flannel for 240 days. Larval immersion tests (LIT) and adult immersion tests (AIT) were used to assess the phenotypic susceptibility profile of ticks before and after the implementation of the strategic control protocol over a tick season in a tropical region.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The animals in the group treated with fluralaner (T02) had lower mean tick counts (p ≤ 0.05) than those observed in the control group (T01) in 35 of the 38 evaluations during the 266 days of the study. In the pasture, the number of larvae in T02 was lower (p < 0.05) in seven of the eight evaluations. There was no increase in LC50 values for larvae and engorged females after using the strategic control protocol with fluralaner for 9 months.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The use of the strategic control protocol with fluralaner resulted in a significant reduction in tick numbers on cattle and in pastures, and after 1 year of use, the population remained susceptible to this compound. No upward trend in LC50 values was observed after 9 months of fluralaner use.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13508281/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148265538","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":"Divergent urban-rural drivers of malaria vector ecology: a 6-year One Health longitudinal study in China.","authors":"Enyu Xu, Guoding Zhu, Yin Wang, Zeyin Chong, Tianjiao Cheng, Jie Liang, Wei Liang, Jun Cao, Olaf Müller, Jinkou Zhao, Ruiyun Li, Guangyu Lu","doi":"10.1186/s13071-026-07507-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-026-07507-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sustaining malaria elimination requires addressing residual transmission driven by Anopheles sinensis amid rapid environmental change, with a critical knowledge gap in understanding how climate, agricultural practices, and urbanization shape vector ecology. We quantified the One Health drivers of An. sinensis biting activity and population dynamics along urban-rural landscapes in eastern China to inform targeted control.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted longitudinal surveillance (2016-2021) in both rural and urban settings in eastern China. Biting rates and adult densities of An. sinensis were monitored using human-baited double net traps and UV-light traps. We employed a One Health concept-based analytical framework integrating generalized linear mixed models combined with distributed lag non-linear models (GLMM-DLNM) to assess lagged climate effects, regression analyses for socio-demographic, urbanization, and livestock effects, and random forests to determine variable importance. Models were validated using cross-correlation functions with the Modified Chelton method to account for temporal autocorrelation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The six-year surveillance documented 49,970 An. sinensis specimens, confirming its dominance as the primary malaria vector. We found divergent ecological drivers between urban and rural landscapes. Temperature was the dominant predictor, with biting activity and population peaking at 27.45-30.13 °C after a 1-month lag in rural settings. Precipitation exhibited threshold effects, with significant risk peaking elevation observed between 65.57 and 99.66 mm in rural settings. In urban settings, the peak risks associated with temperature and precipitation occurred at the highest levels. In rural settings, a male-biased sex ratio increased biting rates by 12.2-14.0% (IRR = 1.122-1.140). Furthermore, crop cultivation elevated vector risk (IRR = 1.034-1.043), whereas cattle or buffalo presence provided strong zooprophylaxis (IRR = 0.667-0.780). Urbanization rate modestly increased vector density (IRR = 1.053-1.077). We identified a protective urban density paradox, where higher human population density suppressed vector populations (IRR = 0.633-0.682). Cross-correlation function analyses indicated that One Health-based models captured 37.8-90.8% of the spatiotemporal variation across sites.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Climatic, zooprophylactic, and anthropogenic factors synergistically shape An. sinensis ecology. Sustaining elimination requires strategies harnessing protective urban factors and optimizing livestock management and agricultural planning in high-risk rural regions. Our One Health framework provides a replicable model for mitigating residual transmission globally.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2026-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13495405/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148259153","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}