Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Natural variation in timing of egg hatching, response to water agitation, and bidirectional selection of early and late hatching strains of the malaria mosquito Anopheles gambiae sensu lato.","authors":"Emmanuel Chinweuba Ottih, Frederic Tripet","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06533-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06533-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Eggs of anopheline mosquitoes hatch within a few days of laying and require high levels of humidity to survive. Assessing natural variation in egg hatching and its environmental and genetic determinants in sibling species of the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae s.l. is important for understanding their adaptation to variable aquatic habitats. Crucially, it can also inform insectary rearing practices toward the optimization of mosquito production for genetic vector control strategies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Hatching rates and timing of egg hatching in long-established and recently colonized strains of An. gambiae s.s, Anopheles arabiensis, and Anopheles coluzzii, were compared under still water conditions (26 ℃) and with cold (4 ℃) and (15 ℃) water agitation regimes. Next, early and late hatching strains of the recently colonized An. coluzzii VK colony were generated through bidirectional selection for 18-23 generations to detect a genetic component for this trait.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Hatching rates differed significantly between species and treatments. The older An. arabiensis Senn and An. gambiae s.s. Kisumu strains had the highest proportion of hatching and preferred the nonagitation treatment at 26 °C. In contrast, the more recently colonized An. coluzzii VK and An. arabiensis Rufisque strains had lower overall hatching success but responded strongly to agitation at 4 °C, while the An. coluzzii Mopti strain did not significantly respond to water agitation. In all strains, eggs hatching started at day 2 and continued till day 5 in the older strains, whilst it was more staggered and extended up to day 6 in the younger strains. Bidirectional selection for early and late hatching over many generations resulted in early hatching selected strains with eggs hatching 2-3 days earlier than in late hatching ones indicating a significant heritable component for these traits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Water agitation and temperature and age of colonization are likely important determinants of egg hatching in natural An. gambiae s.l.</p><p><strong>Populations: </strong>Current rearing protocols systematically select for fast hatching and result in the progressive loss of staggered egg hatching in older laboratory strains. The selection of novel slow-hatching strains may prove instrumental to enable the mass production, shipping, and release of Anopheles mosquitoes across Africa as part of genetic vector control programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"478"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11577942/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142681602","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":"Diversity and prevalence of Leucocytozoon in black flies (Diptera: Simuliidae) of Thailand.","authors":"Waraporn Jumpato, Wannachai Wannasingha, Chavanut Jaroenchaiwattanachote, Ronnalit Mintara, Komgrit Wongpakam, Peter H Adler, Pairot Pramual","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06567-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06567-0","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Leucocytozoonosis, a parasitic disease of birds, is caused by haemosporidian protozoan parasites of the genus Leucocytozoon, which infect diverse avian species, including poultry. These parasites are transmitted by several black fly species, but knowledge of the factors determining the diversity and prevalence in these vectors, which is crucial for fully understanding disease epidemiology, is largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated factors associated with the prevalence and diversity of Leucocytozoon species in black flies from Thailand.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Adults of two black fly taxa (Simulium asakoae Takaoka and Davies complex and S. khelangense Takaoka, Srisuka and Saeung) were collected using sweep nets at nine locations in northern and northeastern regions of Thailand. Specimens were identified morphologically and the results corroborated by DNA barcoding. Molecular methods using specific primers for amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene of Leucocytozoon were used to detect the parasite in black flies. Species and lineages of Leucocytozoon were determined using the MalAvi database of malaria parasites and related haemosporidians in avian hosts. Regression analysis was used to examine relationships between Leucocytozoon diversity and prevalence, black fly abundance and habitat characteristics.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;A total of 11,718 adult black flies were collected, of which 4367 were members of the S. asakoae complex and 7351 were S. khelangense. For molecular detection of Leucocytozoon, we randomly selected 300 individual female black flies of the S. asakoae complex and 850 females of S. khelangense pooled into groups of five individuals (= 170 pools). A total of 34 of the 300 specimens of the S. asakoae complex and 118 of the 170 pools of S. khelangense were positive for Leucocytozoon. Fifty-four lineages (haplotypes) were identified, all of which belonged to those reported in domestic chickens, Gallus gallus, with one exception that was identified in S. khelangense and found to be closely related to the Leucocytozoon lineages reported in owls; this is the first record of the latter lineage in Asian black flies. Among these haplotypes, nine and 45 were exclusively found in the S. asakoae complex and S. khelangense, respectively. No lineage was shared between these black fly taxa. Analysis of similarity (ANOSIM) revealed significant Leucocytozoon lineage composition between the two black flies. Phylogenetic analysis found that Leucocytozoon lineages in the S. asakoae complex and S. khelangense are largely isolated, agreeing with the ANOSIM result. The overall prevalence of Leucocytozoon in the S. asakoae complex was 11.3% and ranged from 9% to 13% in each collection. Leucocytozoon prevalence in S. khelangense was 21%, varying from 13% to 37% in each collection. The Shannon H' index indicated greater Leucocytozoon diversity in S. khelangense (H' = 3.044)","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"475"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575002/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676423","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-expression gene module analysis in response to attenuated cercaria vaccine reveals a critical role for NK cells in protection against Schistosoma mansoni.","authors":"Almiro Pires da Silva Neto, Juliana Vitoriano-Souza, Mariana Ivo Khouri, Regiane Degan Favaro, Robert Alan Wilson, Luciana Cezar de Cerqueira Leite, Pablo Ivan Pereira Ramos, Leonardo Paiva Farias","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06505-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06505-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Despite decades of research, an effective schistosomiasis vaccine remains elusive. The radiation-attenuated (RA) cercarial vaccine remains the best model for eliciting high levels of protection. We have recently explored this model in mice to identify potentially protective pathways by examining gene expression patterns in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Herein, we reanalyzed the transcriptomic data from PBMC obtained from vaccinated and infected C57BL/6 mice in three timepoints (Days 7 and 17 after infection or vaccination and Day 7 post-challenge). In addition, we generated new data on PBMC collected 35 days after infection. Deconvolution analysis was performed to estimate immune cell composition by CIBERSORTx. Gene co-expression networks and over-representation analysis (ORA) were performed using the CEMiTool package. Protein-protein interaction networks were constructed using STRING, and the hub proteins for each module were identified using Cytoscape.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Co-expression network analysis identified a module (M2) associated with the infection process, grouping genes related to a Th2 immune response, and a second module (M6) associated with the vaccination process, displaying pathways related to a Th1 response, CD8 + T cells and NK cells. Within each module, five hub proteins were identified based on protein-protein interaction networks. The M2 infection module revealed Chil3, Il4, Cx3cr1, Emr1 and Ccl2 as hubs, while module M6, associated with vaccination, disclosed Prf1, Klrc1, IFN-γ, Ncr1 and Tbx21 as hub proteins.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our data point to the potentiald role of NK cells that may contribute to the RA vaccine response through the production of IFN-γ orchestrated by the T-bet transcription factor (Tbx21).</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"476"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575109/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676420","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":"Ascorbate peroxidase modulation confirms key role in Leishmania infantum oxidative defence.","authors":"Isabella Fernandes Martins Santos, Douglas de Souza Moreira, Karla Ferreira Costa, Juliana Martins Ribeiro, Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta, Ana Maria Murta Santi","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06562-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06562-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ascorbate peroxidase (APX) has emerged as a promising target for chemotherapy because of its absence in humans and crucial role in the antioxidant defence of trypanosomatids. APXs, which are class I haeme-containing enzymes, reduces hydrogen peroxide using ascorbate to produce water and monodehydroascorbate, thereby preventing cell damage caused by H₂O₂.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We aimed to create an APX-knockout L. infantum line using CRISPR/Cas9. Despite unsuccessful attempts at full knockouts, we achieved deletion of chromosomal copies post-APX episomal insertion, yielding LiΔchrAPX::LbAPX parasites. We performed phenotypic characterization to assess the impact of these genetic modifications, which included the determination of APX transcript expression levels using quantitative PCR, drug sensitivity, infectivity, and parasite survival in macrophages.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis revealed a 10- to 13-fold reduction in APX transcript expression in LiΔchrAPX::LbAPX compared with wild-type (LiWT) and APX-overexpressing (Li::Cas9::LbAPX) parasites, respectively. The episomes in those knockdown parasites remained stable even after 20 drug-free passages in vitro. Li::Cas9::LbAPX parasites showed increased resistance to trivalent antimony (Sb^III) and isoniazid, reduced tolerance to H₂O₂, and unchanged macrophage infectivity compared with LiWT. In contrast, LiΔchrAPX::LbAPX parasites were more sensitive to Sb^III and isoniazid, exhibited greater susceptibility to H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress, and 72 h post-infection, showed fewer infected macrophages and intracellular amastigotes compared with LiWT parasites.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings hint at the indispensability of APX in L. infantum and raise the possibility of its potential as a therapeutic target for leishmaniasis.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"472"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575162/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668599","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":"Novel insights into antioxidant status, gene expression, and immunohistochemistry in an animal model infected with camel-derived Trypanosoma evansi and Theileria annulata.","authors":"Reem M Ramadan, Alaa F Bakr, Esraa Fouad, Faten F Mohammed, Azza M Abdel-Wahab, Sahar Z Abdel-Maogood, Mohamed M El-Bahy, Mai A Salem","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06564-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06564-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hemoprotozoan diseases, especially trypanosomosis and theileriosis, adversely affect the productivity, growth, and performance of camels. Regular sampling and investigation of camels are challenging due to several factors. Consequently, there is a lack of knowledge on camel parasite genotyping, cytokine production, and oxidative stress parameters during infection.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The present study investigated two critical blood protozoa infecting camels in Egypt, Trypanosoma evansi and Theileria annulata, using molecular methods, specifically 18S rRNA gene analysis. Following molecular confirmation, experimental infections were induced in Swiss albino mice to assess the expression of immune response genes and oxidative stress parameters. The study further explored the correlation between histopathological alterations and inflammatory reactions in the kidney, spleen, and liver of infected mice, alongside the immunohistochemical expression of caspase-3, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Trypanosoma evansi and T. annulata isolated from naturally infected camels were molecularly identified and deposited in GenBank under accession numbers OR116429 and OR103130, respectively. Infection with T. evansi and T. annulata caused significant adverse effects on the immune condition of infected mice, increasing the pathogenicity of the infection. This was evidenced by a significant increase in oxidative stress parameter levels in both naturally infected camels and experimentally infected mice compared to healthy controls. Furthermore, the expression of immune response genes was significantly elevated in infected mice. Immunohistochemistry analysis showed a pronounced upregulation of caspase-3, PCNA, and TNF in the infected groups relative to the control group. These findings are the first to be reported in Egypt.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study successfully identified and genotyped two economically important blood protozoa, T. evansi and T. annulata, from camels in Egypt. Additionally, the experimental animal model provided valuable insights into the immune response, oxidative stress, and histopathological changes induced by these parasites, demonstrating comparable results to naturally infected camels. These findings highlight the potential of this model to study parasite-host interactions and immune responses, contributing to a better understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of T. evansi and T. annulata infections. This model may be useful for future studies focused on disease control and therapeutic interventions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"474"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575088/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668605","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":"Endoparasites of peritoneal organs and skeletal muscles of the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) in Germany.","authors":"Katrin Bisterfeld, Marie-Kristin Raulf, Patrick Waindok, Andrea Springer, Johannes Lang, Michael Lierz, Ursula Siebert, Christina Strube","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06571-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06571-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>For several decades, the European wildcat (Felis silvestris) has gradually been returning to the forests of Germany, mainly in the central and southwestern regions. To increase the knowledge about this threatened species, the endoparasite status of dead found specimens from Germany was surveyed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A total of 118 wildcats were examined for endoparasites in peritoneal organs and skeletal muscles. Owing to decomposition or incomplete carcasses, 104 gastrointestinal tracts (stomachs and intestines), 101 livers with gallbladders, 99 urinary bladders, as well as kidneys of 95 and skeletal muscles of 112 specimens were available for examination. All detected parasites were identified morphologically to genus or species level, followed by molecular examinations of one to ten specimens of each parasite species.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall endoparasite prevalence in peritoneal organs was 99.0% (103/104). Among the 99.0% (103/104) infected gastrointestinal tracts, the most frequent species were Toxocara cati (95.2% [99/104]), Hydatigera kamiyai (84.6% [88/104]), Mesocestoides litteratus (69.2% [72/104]), Strongyloides spp. (58.7% [61/104]), Cylicospirura petrowi (37.5% [39/104]), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (31.7% [33/104]), Capillaria putorii (24.0% [25/104]), and Echinococcus multilocularis (18.3% [19/104]). In 77.8% (77/99) of the urinary bladders, Capillaria plica and/or Capillaria feliscati were detected. Moreover, the liver fluke Metorchis bilis occurred in 2.0% (2/101) of the livers, and roundworm larvae (presumably Toxocara spp.) were detected in 33.0% (37/112) of the muscle samples.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results show a broad spectrum of endoparasite species infecting European wildcats in Germany. It might be assumed that some of the endoparasites could pose a risk to domestic cats (Felis catus) and humans through spillover events, or may be transmitted from domestic cats to the free-ranging population, posing a potential risk to wildcats.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"473"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575206/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668601","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":"Improving onchocerciasis elimination surveillance: trials of odour baited Esperanza Window Traps to collect black fly vectors and real-time qPCR detection of Onchocerca volvulus in black fly pools.","authors":"Monsuru A Adeleke, Kenneth N Opara, Hayward B Mafuyai, Bertram Ekejiuba Bright Nwoke, Olabanji A Surakat, Sunday B Akinde, Murphy Nwoke, Friday M Chikezie, Clement A Yaro, Ugagu Mmaduabuchi, Michael Igbe, Emeka Makata, Fatai Oyediran, Chukwuma Anyaike, Joseph Tongjura, Frances Hawkes, Zahra O Iwalewa","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06554-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06554-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Entomological data for onchocerciasis surveillance relies on sampling black flies through human landing collectors in the field and laboratory testing of the flies for infection using pooled screening O-150 PCR-ELISA assay. Both techniques require improvements. This study aimed to optimize the Esperanza Window Trap (EWT) for black fly collection. We tested alternative carbon dioxide (CO₂) mimics to attract black flies to the traps. Additionally, we evaluated new quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods that target mitochondrial DNA markers and have been proposed to enhance the sensitivity and specificity for detecting Onchocerca volvulus infections in blackflies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Traps baited with low, medium and high release rates of either 2-butanone or cyclopentanone as CO₂ mimics were field tested against traps baited with organically generated CO₂ in four ecological zones in Nigeria: Guinea savannah, derived savannah, rainforest and montane forest. The performance of EWTs baited with CO₂ or in combination with 2-butanone (low release) were subsequently evaluated against the human landing collection (HLC). Trap scaling was also pilot tested by comparing two EWTs to a single HLC team. Collected black flies were used to test detection of O. volvulus in black flies using Ov ND5 real-time PCR (qPCR) compared to the conventional pool screening O-150 PCR.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>EWTs baited with 2-butanone caught similar numbers of black flies (Simulium damnosum s.l.) to those baited with CO₂, while cyclopentanone collected significantly fewer flies in all locations. The low release of 2-butanone was the most effective overall, although HLCs collected higher numbers of black flies than EWT baited with CO₂ either singly or in combination with low-release 2-butanone. The combination of two EWTs baited with CO₂ and deployed 100 m apart from each other collected similar numbers of flies as one HLC. More black fly pools were positive for O. volvulus by Ov ND5 qPCR compared with O-150 PCR in derived savannah (31.15 vs. 15.57%), montane forest (11.54 vs. 0%) and rainforest (23.08 vs. 2.56%), with only one positive pool in Guinea savannah detected by both methods.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The 2-butanone has potential to be used in xenomonitoring as a standardized replacement for organically generated CO₂. Ov ND5 qPCR detected more positive pools than O-150 PCR. The positive pools found in foci hitherto considered to have interrupted/eliminated onchocerciasis highlight the need for more sensitive and specific methods that support programmatic assessments to identify and combat recrudescence.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"471"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11575192/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142668603","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":"Contrasting pathogen prevalence between tick and dog populations at Chornobyl.","authors":"Megan N Dillon, Barbara A Qurollo, Rachael Thomas, Madeline E Warren, Timothy A Mousseau, Jennifer A Betz, Norman J Kleiman, Matthew Breen","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06563-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06563-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The 1986 disaster at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant released massive amounts of radioactive material into the local environment. In addition to radiation, remediation efforts and abandonment of military-industrial complexes contributed to contamination with heavy metals, organics, pesticides and other toxic chemicals. Numerous studies have evaluated the effects of this contamination on the local ecology. However, few studies have reported the effect of this contamination on vector-borne pathogens and their hosts. In this manuscript, we characterize tick-borne pathogen presence at two sample locations within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, one at the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) and another 16 km away in Chornobyl City (CC).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Ticks and whole-blood samples were collected from free-breeding dogs captured at the NPP and CC. Endpoint PCR and quantitative PCR were used to identify tick species and to assess the presence of specific tick-borne pathogens, including Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Babesia spp., Bartonella spp., Francisella tularensis and general Anaplasmataceae. A droplet digital PCR assay was developed for Babesia canis and A. phagocytophilum to evaluate their presence in dogs from the two populations. Pathogen prevalences between the two sample populations were compared by calculating Z-scores.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Ticks were identified as Ixodes ricinus (n = 102) and Dermacentor reticulatus (n = 4). Overall, 56.9% of I. ricinus ticks were positive for at least one pathogen. A significantly higher prevalence of A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi was found in ticks at the NPP (44.0% and 42.0%, respectively) compared to CC (23.1% and 19.2%, respectively). Babesia spp. (including B. canis and B. caballi) were detected in 8.8% ticks at similar proportions for both populations. Interestingly, we found a significantly lower level of A. phagocytophilum in dogs at the NPP (1.8%) than in dogs at CC (11.7%). In total, 24.3% of dogs were positive for B. canis, evenly distributed across the two populations.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results of this study show contrasting pathogen prevalence in both ticks and dogs at the NPP and CC, which may reflect the differential exposures at the two locations. This work adds an important new component to our understanding of the consequences of prolonged exposure to environmental contamination on the wildlife and ecology within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"470"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11571660/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142648559","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":"Therapeutic effect of recombinant Echinococcus granulosus antigen B subunit 2 protein on sepsis in a mouse model.","authors":"Ya-Yun Qian, Fei-Fei Huang, Si-Yu Chen, Wei-Xiao Zhang, Yin Wang, Peng-Fei Du, Gen Li, Wen-Bo Ding, Lei Qian, Bin Zhan, Liang Chu, Dong-Hui Jiang, Xiao-Di Yang, Rui Zhou","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06540-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06540-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Sepsis is a potentially fatal systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) that threatens millions of lives worldwide. Echinococcus granulosus antigen B (EgAgB) is a protein released by the larvae of the tapeworm. This protein has been shown to play an important role in modulating host immune response. In this study we expressed EgAgB as soluble recombinant protein in E. coli (rEgAgB) and explored its protective effect on sepsis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The sepsis model was established by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) procedure in BALB/c mice. The therapeutic effect of rEgAgB on sepsis was performed by interperitoneally injecting 5 µg rEgAgB in mice with CLP-induced sepsis and observing the 72 h survival rate after onset of sepsis. The proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-6] and regulatory cytokines [IL-10, transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β)] were measured in sera, and the histopathological change was observed in livers, kidneys, and lungs of septic mice treated with rEgAgB compared with untreated mice. The effect of rEgAgB on the macrophage polarization was performed in vitro by incubating rEgAgB with peritoneal macrophages. The levels of TLR2 and MyD88 were measured in these tissues to determine the involvement of TLR-2/MyD88 in the sepsis-induced inflammatory signaling pathway.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In vivo, we observed that treatment with rEgAgB significantly increased the survival rate of mice with CLP-induced sepsis up to 72 h while all mice without treatment died within the same period. The increased survival was associated with reduced pathological damage in key organs such as liver, lung, and kidneys. It was supported by the reduced proinflammatory cytokine levels and increased regulatory cytokine expression in peripheral blood and key organ tissues. Further study identified that treatment with rEgAgB promoted macrophage polarization from classically activated macrophage (M1) to regulatory M2-like macrophage via inhibiting TLR2/MyD88 signal pathway.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The therapeutic effects of rEgAgB on mice with sepsis was observed in a mice model that was associated with reduced inflammatory responses and increased regulatory responses, possibly through inducing polarization of macrophages from proinflammatory M1 to regulatory M2 phenotype through inhibiting TLR2/MyD88 inflammatory pathway.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"467"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11566433/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142644250","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":"Zoonotic Dirofilaria sp. \"hongkongensis\" in subcutaneous nodules from dogs and cats, Hong Kong SAR.","authors":"Thamali Manathunga, May Tse, Livia Perles, Frederic Beugnet, Vanessa Barrs, Domenico Otranto","doi":"10.1186/s13071-024-06544-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-024-06544-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Dirofilaria sp. \"hongkongensis\" is a putative Dirofilaria species, initially identified in subcutaneous nodules in humans in Hong Kong and in other South and Southeast Asian regions. While it differs genetically from the better-known zoonotic species, Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria immitis, information on the lesions caused by Dirofilaria sp. \"hongkongensis\" in the hosts as well as on its biology is scarce. This study documents for the first time the presence of this filarioid nematode in subcutaneous nodules in dogs and cats in Hong Kong, where it was originally described in human patients, therefore providing evidence for the zoonotic nature of this parasite.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Records of Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory of City University of Hong Kong were searched between 2019 and 2024 for histological reports of possible filarioid-associated lesions. Tissue samples were collected by excisional surgical biopsy and processed with routine paraffin techniques. Selected slides were stained using various staining techniques [i.e., hematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), Grocott methenamine silver (GMS) or Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and Gram stain]. DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue were extracted, submitted to conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) and sequencing (i.e., cox1 and 12S rRNA genes) and phylogenetic analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of five subcutaneous nodules from four cats and one from a dog with histopathology suggestive of filariosis were selected. The presence of Dirofilaria sp. \"hongkongensis\" was morphologically and molecularly confirmed in one dog and one cat. Both histopathological presentation and phylogenetic analysis enabled classification of this species close to D. repens and within the subgenus Nochtiella. In the remaining three cases, one showed histological evidence of aberrant nematode migration, while non-parasitic causes were identified in the other two.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study provides the first evidence of Dirofilaria sp. \"hongkongensis\" in subcutaneous nodules in cats and dogs. The histology of clinical lesions of this filarioid species herein described is closely related to those caused by D. repens. Overall, this species should be considered in differential diagnoses of subcutaneous lesions in both animals and humans in the region.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"17 1","pages":"469"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11566833/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142644253","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}