Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"New record of Anopheles superpictus (Diptera: Culicidae) in central Italy (Tuscany): resting adults and evidence of natural breeding sites.","authors":"Ilaria Bernardini, Francesco Severini, Michela Menegon, Claudia Mangiapelo, Riccardo Bianchi, Gioia Bongiorno, Marco Di Luca, Daniela Boccolini","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06960-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06960-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Anopheles superpictus (subgenus Cellia) plays an efficient role in malaria transmission in countries of the Mediterranean basin, Eastern Europe, and the Caucasus region, where it has been involved in the transmission of both Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax. In Italy, this species was historically considered a secondary malaria vector, primarily recorded in the South including Sicily, along small rivers. It was less frequently observed in central Italy, only rarely reported in the North. Between 2022 and 2024, as part of routine investigations on residual anophelism, An. superpictus specimens were collected for the first time in the southern Maremma Plain (Magliano in Toscana, Grosseto, Tuscany).</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Adult mosquitoes were collected in animal shelters and tool premises of two farms using traps and manual aspiration methods. Larval sampling was performed by exploring potential breeding sites along the Albegna riverbed. Anophelinae adults and larvae were morphologically identified at the species level, and subsamples were molecularly confirmed by sequencing the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene and the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer 2 region.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,106 adult mosquitoes were collected from July to October 2022. Anopheles superpictus was the most abundant species recorded (n = 512; 46%), peaking in August and found in sympatry with An. labranchiae, the main historical malaria vector in Maremma Plain. Anopheles superpictus larvae were found in seven of the twelve investigated sites, with 50 specimens collected (mean density: 0.1-0.2 larvae per dip). Snapshot surveys in September 2023 and 2024 confirmed the stable occurrence of the species in the area.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anopheles superpictus was consistently recorded in an area where it had not been previously documented. These findings provide new insights into the current presence and distribution of the species in Italy and at the European level, notably including the first recent identification of natural breeding sites. Furthermore, the results highlight the importance of residual anophelism surveys in malaria surveillance, supporting the development of targeted control strategies and preparedness plans for potential malaria reintroduction in at-risk regions.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"326"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12318378/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144768921","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Vector surveillance of avian Plasmodium and West Nile virus in Culex mosquitoes from Doñana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.","authors":"Josué Martínez-de la Puente, Juliana Tamayo-Quintero, María José Ruiz-López, Jesús Veiga, Santiago Ruiz, Ana Vázquez, Laura Herrero, Ramón C Soriguer, Jordi Figuerola","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06961-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06961-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mosquito-borne pathogens produce relevant diseases causing human fatalities worldwide. In addition, mosquitoes transmit a variety of pathogens to livestock and wildlife, negatively affecting local economies and causing ecological impacts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mosquitoes collected in a highly protected wetland from southern Spain were molecularly screened for the presence of three major pathogens, including the zoonotic flavivirus West Nile virus (WNV), avian Plasmodium, and filarioid nematodes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 95 mosquito pools including 1376 females corresponding to 4 Culex species were molecularly analyzed, including 40 mosquito pools containing 390 Culex pipiens, 42 mosquito pools containing 880 Culex perexiguus, 10 mosquito pools containing 102 Culex modestus, and 3 mosquito pools containing 4 Culex laticinctus. WNV was detected in 5 Cx. perexiguus pools. Avian Plasmodium was found in 28 mosquito pools tested, including 17 pools of Cx. perexiguus and 11 pools of Cx. pipiens. Three different Plasmodium spp. lineages were found in mosquitoes, corresponding to the morphospecies: P. vaughani (SYAT05; n = 22), P. matutinum (LINN1; n = 4), and the Plasmodium sp. (SGS2; n = 1). One positive sample was not identified at the lineage level. Plasmodium prevalence was significantly associated with mosquito species and sampling session and marginally related with mosquito pool size. None of the pools tested were positive for the presence of Dirofilaria spp.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These results represent the most taxon extensive survey of pathogens in mosquitoes in Doñana. This study expands the knowledge of the diversity of pathogens naturally circulating in this protected wetland in southern Spain. Recommendations for the population are considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"323"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12317442/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144768923","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":"Performance validation of deep-learning-based approach in stool examination.","authors":"Kristal Dale Felimon Corpuz, Teera Kusolsuk, Benjamaporn Wongphan, Putza Chonsawat, Kaung Myat Naing, Siridech Boonsang, Veerayuth Kittichai, Chia-Kwung Fan, Santhad Chuwongin, Dorn Watthanakulpanich","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06878-w","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06878-w","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background: &lt;/strong&gt;Human intestinal parasitic infections (IPI) pose a significant global health issue caused by parasitic helminths and protozoa, affecting around 3.5 billion people worldwide, with more than 200,000 deaths annually. Despite advancements in molecular methods with higher sensitivity and specificity, the Kato-Katz or formalin-ethyl acetate centrifugation technique (FECT) remains the gold standard and a routine diagnostic procedure suitable for its simplicity and cost-effectiveness. However, these techniques have limitations that must be addressed. Thus, this study evaluated the performance of a deep-learning-based approach for intestinal parasite identification and compared it with that of human experts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;Human experts performed FECT and Merthiolate-iodine-formalin (MIF) techniques to serve as ground truth and reference for parasite species. Subsequently, a modified direct smear was conducted to gather images for the training (80%) and testing (20%) datasets. State-of-the-art models, including YOLOv4-tiny, YOLOv7-tiny, YOLOv8-m, ResNet-50, and DINOv2 (base, small, and large), were employed and were operated using in-house CIRA CORE platform. Overall performance was evaluated using confusion matrices, the metrics of which were calculated on the basis of the one-versus-rest and micro-averaging approaches. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and precision-recall (PR) curves were determined for visual comparison. Lastly, Cohen's Kappa and Bland-Altman analyses were used to statistically measure the significant differences and visualize the association levels between the human experts and the deep learning models' classification performance in intestinal parasite identification.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Findings demonstrated the potential of a deep-learning-based approach, particularly of models DINOv2-large (accuracy: 98.93%; precision: 84.52%; sensitivity: 78.00%; specificity: 99.57%; F1 score: 81.13%; AUROC: 0.97) and YOLOv8-m (accuracy: 97.59%; precision: 62.02%; sensitivity: 46.78%; specificity: 99.13%; F1 score: 53.33%; AUROC: 0.755; AUPR: 0.556) for their high metric values in intestinal parasite identification. Class-wise prediction showed high precision, sensitivity, and F1 scores for helminthic eggs and larvae due to more distinct morphology. Moreover, all models obtained a &gt; 0.90 k score, which indicates a strong level of agreement compared with the medical technologists. The Bland-Altman analysis also presented the best agreement between FECT performed by medical technologist A and YOLOv4-tiny, while the MIF technique performed by medical technologist B and DINOv2-small demonstrated the best bias-free agreement, with mean differences of 0.0199 and -0.0080, and standard deviation differences of 0.6012 and 0.5588, respectively.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;The results highlight the potential of integrating a deep-learning-based approach into parasite id","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"322"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12317604/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765141","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":"Comparative analysis of commercial and \"In-House\" molecular tests for the detection of intestinal protozoa in stool samples.","authors":"Giuseppe Di Pietra, Raffaele Gargiulo, Margherita Ortalli, Luciana Petrullo, Ester Oliva, Annibale Raglio, Annachiara Frigo, Ignazio Castagliuolo, Valeria Besutti","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06879-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06879-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pathogenic intestinal protozoa exhibit a global distribution and are significant causes of diarrhea, estimated to affect approximately 3.5 billion individuals annually. These intestinal infections continue to pose formidable diagnostic challenges. Microscopy remains the reference diagnostic method for intestinal protozoa, but is limited in terms of sensitivity, specificity and the ability to differentiate closely related species. Additionally, microscopy requires an experienced microbiologist. Emerging diagnostic methods, such as immunochromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), are regarded as suitable techniques for rapid screening. Molecular diagnostic technologies, particularly real-time PCR (RT-PCR), are gaining traction in non-endemic areas characterised by low parasitic prevalence owing to their enhanced sensitivity and specificity, although these techniques still face various technical challenges.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this multicentre study involving 18 Italian laboratories, we compared the performance of a commercial RT-PCR test (AusDiagnostics) and an in-house RT-PCR assay against traditional microscopy for identifying infections with Giardia duodenalis, Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba histolytica and Dientamoeba fragilis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study analysed 355 stool samples, of which 230 samples were freshly collected and 125 had been stored in preservation media. The data from our analyses show complete agreement between the AusDiagnostics and in-house PCR methods for the detection of G. duodenalis, with both methods demonstrating high sensitivity and specificity, similar to those of conventional microscopy. For Cryptosporidium spp. and D. fragilis detection, both methods showed high specificity but limited sensitivity, likely due to inadequate DNA extraction from the parasite. Molecular assays seem to be critical for the accurate diagnosis of E. histolytica. Overall, PCR results from preserved stool samples were better than those from fresh samples, likely due to better DNA preservation in the former.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Molecular methods show promise for the diagnosis of intestinal protozoan infections. The molecular assays tested in this investigation performed well for G. duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in fixed faecal specimens, while D. fragilis detection was inconsistent. These results suggest that although PCR techniques are promising in terms of reliable and cost-effective parasite identification, further standardisation of sample collection, storage and DNA extraction procedures is necessary for consistent results.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"320"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12317615/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765138","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 Revolution® Plus (selamectin plus sarolaner) against Amblyomma americanum (lone star ticks) in cats.","authors":"Susan Holzmer, Adriano F Vatta, Sara Chapin, Vickie King, Jamie A E Myers","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06962-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06962-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The efficacy of a topical combination product, Revolution® Plus, containing selamectin and sarolaner was evaluated for efficacy against Amblyomma americanum ticks in cats.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four laboratory dose confirmation efficacy studies were conducted in different geographical regions of the USA using three distinct US isolates of A. americanum. In each study, ten domestic short-hair cats were randomly allocated to each treatment group based on pretreatment host-suitability tick counts. Cats were infested with approximately 50 unfed adult ticks on day -2. On day 0, cats received either a topical placebo or a single topical dose of Revolution® Plus at the minimum dosage of 6.0 mg/kg selamectin + 1.0 mg/kg sarolaner. Cats were re-infested with approximately 50 unfed adult ticks each on days 5, 12, 19, 26, and 33. Tick counts (comprising live attached and live free ticks) were conducted at 72 h post-treatment and after each subsequent weekly re-infestation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No treatment-related adverse reactions occurred in any study. In all studies, placebo-treated cats maintained adequate infestations for the entire study duration, and cats treated with Revolution® Plus had significantly lower (P < 0.0001) least squares mean live (attached and free) tick counts than placebo-treated cats at all time points for at least 1 month. Revolution® Plus provided a mean of > 90% effectiveness based on least squares means 72 h after treatment of existing infestations, and maintained > 99.1% effectiveness 72 h after re-infestation through at least day 29.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>A single dose of Revolution® Plus administered topically at the minimum label dose of 6.0 mg/kg selamectin + 1.0 mg/kg sarolaner provided treatment and control of A. americanum on cats for at least 1 month.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"318"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315200/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765139","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":"Seasonal variation of anti-Leishmania infantum antibodies and laboratory abnormalities in dogs with leishmaniosis.","authors":"Maria Alfonsa Cavalera, Annamaria Uva, Mariaelisa Carbonara, Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan, Xavier Roura, José Joaquín Cerón, Domenico Otranto, Andrea Zatelli","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06940-7","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06940-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In dogs affected by leishmaniosis, laboratory abnormalities and anti-Leishmania antibody titers are crucial for initial and relapse diagnosis, as well as for informing therapeutic decisions. This study aimed to evaluate laboratory findings in L. infantum seropositive dogs during and after the transmission season on the basis of the evidence that anti-L. infantum antibody titers vary between sand fly and nonsand fly transmission periods in dogs from areas where leishmaniosis is endemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In September 2021 (transmission season; T1) and January 2022 (nontransmission season; T2), L. infantum seropositive dogs were physically examined, and blood sampling was performed for laboratory tests. At both time points, dogs underwent routine hematology, a complete biochemical panel including acute phase proteins (i.e., C-reactive protein [CRP] and ferritin), erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] measurement, serum capillary electrophoresis, and serology for L. infantum. Potential coinfections with other arthropod-borne (Anaplasma phagocythophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Dirofilaria spp.) and snail-borne (Angiostrongylus vasorum) pathogens were also excluded.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Total protein and CRP levels were slightly reduced in T2 compared with T1, although the difference was not statistically significant. Antibody titers also decreased in 10 out of 18 dogs (55.5%), with two (20%) becoming seronegative, while they remained constant in eight out of 18 dogs (44.4%). Furthermore, a statistically significant reduction was observed in globulin percentage, ferritin, and ESR, whereas albumin percentage and total iron levels significantly increased.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anti-L. infantum antibody titers and laboratory abnormalities in seropositive dogs living in endemic areas for leishmaniosis may vary. This variation may be related to vector seasonality and, consequently, dogs' exposure to sand fly saliva and potential reinfections. These results reinforce the importance of considering the sampling season in the clinical evaluation and management of dogs affected by leishmaniosis to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary antileishmanial treatments.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"319"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315306/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765142","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":"Insecticide resistance status and high frequency of kdr mutations in Aedes aegypti in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.","authors":"Cindy Reyes-Perdomo, Denis Escobar, Luis Galo, Oscar Urrutia, Rita Lucrecia Vizcaino, Audrey Lenhart, Gustavo Fontecha","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06953-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06953-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Aedes aegypti is the main vector of arboviruses in the Americas. Insecticide use remains the primary method for outbreak control, but prolonged application exerts selective pressure that promotes resistance. This study aimed to assess insecticide resistance and characterize key knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations in Ae. aegypti populations from the Central District of Honduras.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Larvae were collected from four localities between May and June 2023. Susceptibility to four insecticides was evaluated via bioassays. Frequencies of the F1534C and V1016I kdr alleles and their haplotypes were determined, and sequencing of the vgsc gene was performed for further genotyping.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1592 Ae. aegypti females were phenotyped. All populations were resistant to permethrin and malathion, and two were resistant to deltamethrin; all were susceptible to bendiocarb. The 1534C mutant allele was fixed (1.0), and 1016I had an overall frequency of 0.89, with local variation from 0.48 to 1.0.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Widespread resistance to commonly used insecticides was detected in Ae. aegypti from the Central District. High frequencies of kdr mutations underscore the need for continuous resistance monitoring to guide effective vector control strategies in Honduras.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"321"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12317443/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144765140","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":"Impact on the Leishmania mexicana transcriptome due to knockout of genes encoding orthologs of methyltransferases involved in m1A and m5C mRNA modifications.","authors":"Angela Moreira Bezerra, Ariely Barbosa Leite, Christian Robson de Souza Reis, João Luiz de Lemos Padilha Pitta, Suellen Rodrigues Maran, Nilmar Silvio Moretti, Danielle Maria Nascimento Moura, Antonio Mauro Rezende","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06969-8","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06969-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Chemical modifications of mRNAs constitute an alternative mechanism for gene expression regulation, which involves proteins responsible for adding, recognizing and removing these modifications. While orthologs of enzymes involved in adding m1A (TRMT6/TRMT61A) and m5C (NSUN2) modifications are present in trypanosomatid species, a clear understanding of their biological role in these parasites is necessary.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To shed light on this, we genetically manipulated the TRMT61A and NSUN2 protein-encoding genes in the Leishmania mexicana species using the CRISPR-Cas9 editing technique and analyzed the impact on cell growth and differentiation as well as the global gene expression profile.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Deletion of the genes investigated here caused changes in the normal pattern of L. mexicana differentiation, and functional analyses of differentially expressed genes in the mutants unveiled significant biological effects. For the TRMT61A gene, transcripts related to nucleotide metabolism, translation, protein folding and refolding were affected. For the NSUN2 genes, enrichment analysis indicated impacts on biological processes mostly related to nucleotide metabolism and DNA binding.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings provide insights into the role of these methyltransferases orthologs in the regulation of trypanosomatid transcriptome, contributing to our understanding of gene expression control in this parasite.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"315"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315365/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144760760","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 Senegalese and Brazilian strains of Schistosoma mansoni exhibit high compatibility with Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Biomphalaria glabrata.","authors":"Mbéré Sarr, Malick Diop, Abdoulaye Jacque Bakhoum, Souleymane Doucoure, Doudou Sow, Cheikh Tidiane Bâ, Cheikh Sokhna, Jérôme Boissier, Bruno Senghor","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06918-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06918-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Intestinal schistosomiasis, caused by Schistosoma mansoni, is endemic in both Africa and South America. In Senegal and Brazil, S. mansoni is transmitted by Biomphalaria pfeifferi and Biomphalaria glabrata, respectively. With increasing human migration from Senegal to the Americas, there is a potential risk of transferring parasite strains across continents. Understanding the compatibility between Schistosoma species and strains, and snail hosts is therefore essential. This study investigated the compatibility of two S. mansoni strains from Senegal (SmSEN) and Brazil (SmBRA) with both B. pfeifferi (BpSEN) and B. glabrata (BgBRA) originating from Senegal and Brazil, respectively.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four infection combinations were performed: (1) SmSEN + BpSEN (2) SmSEN + BgBRA (3) SmBRA + BgBRA, and (4) SmBRA + BpSEN. A minimum of 72 snails were individually exposed to five miracidia per combination.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The data show high compatibility between Brazilian and Senegalese S. mansoni with B. pfeifferi (92.4% and 77.3%, respectively). In contrast, both strains showed a low compatibility with B. glabrata, with rates of 67.3 and 48% for the Brazilian and Senegalese S. mansoni, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The high compatibility between S. mansoni and Biomphalaria species from Senegal and Brazil highlights the adaptability of S. mansoni to infect different Biomphalaria species across geographically distinct regions. These findings emphasize the importance of monitoring areas at risk of schistosomiasis emergence, particularly in the context of human migration and the invasive spread of Biomphalaria species into novel environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"314"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315208/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144760763","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 β-triketone, nitisinone, kills insecticide-resistant mosquitoes through cuticular uptake.","authors":"Zachary Thomas Stavrou-Dowd, George Parsons, Clair Rose, Faye Brown, Rosemary Susan Lees, Álvaro Acosta-Serrano, Lee Rafuse Haines","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06939-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13071-025-06939-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Insecticide resistance in disease-transmitting arthropods of agricultural, veterinary, and public health significance poses a significant threat to vector control programs worldwide. Previous studies demonstrated that blood-feeding arthropod vectors experience high mortality when ingesting blood containing inhibitors of 4-hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD), the second enzyme in tyrosine metabolism. This study investigated the mosquitocidal efficacy of HPPD inhibitors from the β-triketone class of herbicides against both susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant strains of three major disease vector species, including mosquitoes that transmit historical diseases such as malaria, reemerging infections such as dengue and Zika, and emerging viral threats such as Oropouche and Usutu viruses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four HPPD inhibitors (nitisinone, mesotrione, sulcotrione, and tembotrione) were screened using glass plate tarsal bioassays at 125 mg/m² against bloodfed Anopheles gambiae s.s. Kisumu. Nitisinone was selected for evaluation against susceptible and pyrethroid-resistant strains of An. gambiae s.s. Kisumu, An. gambiae s.l. Tiassalé 13, An. coluzzii VK7 2014, Culex quinquefasciatus Muhezha, and Aedes aegypti New Orleans. Mosquitocidal activity was assessed using glass plate tarsal contact bioassays, topical application assays (0.0001% to 1% w/v), and modified Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) bottle bioassays (0-30 μg per bottle). Female mosquitoes aged 3-5 days were bloodfed within 1 h before exposure. Mortality was recorded at 30 min and 24, 48, and 72 h post-exposure under controlled conditions. A total of 3 biological replicates of 30 mosquitoes per treatment were used.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Only nitisinone, and not mesotrione, sulcotrione, or tembotrione, exhibited significant mosquitocidal activity when bloodfed mosquitoes were exposed to treated surfaces. No significant differences in susceptibility to nitisinone were observed between insecticide-susceptible An. gambiae and strains harboring multiple insecticide-resistance mechanisms. The compound demonstrated consistent efficacy across all three mosquito species tested, indicating broad-spectrum activity against major disease vectors.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study demonstrates that nitisinone exhibits a novel mode of action distinct from current Insecticide Resistance Action Committee (IRAC) classifications by specifically targeting blood digestion processes. Its efficacy against resistant strains and potential for integration into existing vector control interventions, such as treated bednets and indoor residual spraying, highlight nitisinone as a promising candidate for expanding strategies against malaria, dengue, Zika, and other emerging viral diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"316"},"PeriodicalIF":3.5,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12315382/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144760764","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}