ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-03-22DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024009
Paola Juban, Jean-Mathieu Bart, Adeline Ségard, Vincent Jamonneau, Sophie Ravel
{"title":"Trypanosoma brucei gambiense group 2 experimental in vivo life cycle: from procyclic to bloodstream form.","authors":"Paola Juban, Jean-Mathieu Bart, Adeline Ségard, Vincent Jamonneau, Sophie Ravel","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024009","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024009","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trypanosoma brucei gambiense (Tbg) group 2 is a subgroup of trypanosomes able to infect humans and is found in West and Central Africa. Unlike other agents causing sleeping sickness, such as Tbg group 1 and Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, Tbg2 lacks the typical molecular markers associated with resistance to human serum. Only 36 strains of Tbg2 have been documented, and therefore, very limited research has been conducted despite their zoonotic nature. Some of these strains are only available in their procyclic form, which hinders human serum resistance assays and mechanistic studies. Furthermore, the understanding of Tbg2's potential to infect tsetse flies and mammalian hosts is limited. In this study, 165 Glossina palpalis gambiensis flies were experimentally infected with procyclic Tbg2 parasites. It was found that 35 days post-infection, 43 flies out of the 80 still alive were found to be Tbg2 PCR-positive in the saliva. These flies were able to infect 3 out of the 4 mice used for blood-feeding. Dissection revealed that only six flies in fact carried mature infections in their midguts and salivary glands. Importantly, a single fly with a mature infection was sufficient to infect a mammalian host. This Tbg2 transmission success confirms that Tbg2 strains can establish in tsetse flies and infect mammalian hosts. This study describes an effective in vivo protocol for transforming Tbg2 from procyclic to bloodstream form, reproducing the complete Tbg2 cycle from G. p. gambiensis to mice. These findings provide valuable insights into Tbg2's host infectivity, and will facilitate further research on mechanisms of human serum resistance.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"15"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10960050/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140194380","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-02-08DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024006
Oldřich Sychra, Lucie Sušilová, Tomáš Najer, Ivan Literák, Ivo Papoušek, Jana Martinů, Alfréd Trnka, Miroslav Capek
{"title":"Chewing lice of Bearded Reedling (Panurus biarmicus) and diversity of louse-host associations of birds in reed beds in Slovakia.","authors":"Oldřich Sychra, Lucie Sušilová, Tomáš Najer, Ivan Literák, Ivo Papoušek, Jana Martinů, Alfréd Trnka, Miroslav Capek","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024006","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A total of 1,621 wild birds representing 34 species were examined for chewing lice in reed beds in southwestern Slovakia during the pre-breeding migration 2008-2009 and 2016-2019. A total of 377 (23.3%) birds representing 15 species were parasitized by 26 species of chewing lice of 12 genera. Dominant genera were Penenirmus (with dominance 32.6%) and Menacanthus (29.4%), followed by Brueelia (12.6%), Acronirmus (10.8%), Philopterus (7.7%), and Myrsidea (4.2%). We evaluated 33 host-louse associations including both 1) host-generalist, parasitizing more than one host species and host-specific lice, occurring only on a single host species, and 2) lice species with large range geographic distribution, reported across the range of the distribution of their hosts and lice species with only occasional records from a limited area within the range of their hosts. The Bearded Reedling, Panurus biarmicus (Linnaeus, 1758), was parasitized by two species of chewing lice, Menacanthus brelihi Balát, 1981 and Penenirmus visendus (Złotorzycka, 1964), with conspicuously different prevalences (5.6% vs. 58.2%, respectively; n = 251). New material enabled us to redescribe both species of lice: the first one is resurrected from previous synonymy as a valid species. A fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene was sequenced from these two species in order to assess their relative phylogenetic position within their genera. Our study demonstrates the importance of an adequate identification of parasites, especially on rarely examined and endangered hosts.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10854484/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139707506","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-02-08DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024002
Ru Zhang, Yao Zhang, Shu Wei Yan, Yong Kang Cheng, Wen Wen Zheng, Shao Rong Long, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui
{"title":"Galactomannan inhibits Trichinella spiralis invasion of intestinal epithelium cells and enhances antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity related killing of larvae by driving macrophage polarization.","authors":"Ru Zhang, Yao Zhang, Shu Wei Yan, Yong Kang Cheng, Wen Wen Zheng, Shao Rong Long, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024002","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Previous studies have shown that recombinant Trichinella spiralis galectin (rTsgal) is characterized by a carbohydrate recognition domain sequence motif binding to beta-galactoside, and that rTsgal promotes larval invasion of intestinal epithelial cells. Galactomannan is an immunostimulatory polysaccharide composed of a mannan backbone with galactose residues. The aim of this study was to investigate whether galactomannan inhibits larval intrusion of intestinal epithelial cells and enhances antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), killing newborn larvae by polarizing macrophages to the M1 phenotype. The results showed that galactomannan specially binds to rTsgal, and abrogated rTsgal facilitation of larval invasion of intestinal epithelial cells. The results of qPCR, Western blotting, and flow cytometry showed that galactomannan and rTsgal activated macrophage M1 polarization, as demonstrated by high expression of iNOS (M1 marker) and M1 related genes (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α), and increased CD86<sup>+</sup> macrophages. Galactomannan and rTsgal also increased NO production. The killing ability of macrophage-mediated ADCC on larvae was also significantly enhanced in galactomannan- and rTsgal-treated macrophages. The results demonstrated that Tsgal may be considered a potential vaccine target molecule against T. spiralis invasion, and galactomannan may be a novel adjuvant therapeutic agent and potential vaccine adjuvant against T. spiralis infection.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10854486/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139707508","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":"Global prevalence and risk factors of Enterocytozoon bieneusi infection in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Yanchun Wang, Xiao-Man Li, Xing Yang, Xiang-Yu Wang, Yong-Jie Wei, Yanan Cai, Hong-Li Geng, Xin-Bo Yang, Hai-Long Yu, Hongwei Cao, Jing Jiang","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024007","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the most important zoonotic pathogens. In this study, we present a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prevalence of human E. bieneusi infection in endemic regions and analyze the various potential risk factors. A total of 75 studies were included. Among 31,644 individuals tested, 2,291 (6.59%) were E. bieneusi-positive. The highest prevalence of E. bieneusi in the male population was 5.50%. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in different age groups was varied, with 10.97% in teenagers. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in asymptomatic patients (6.49%) is significantly lower than that in HIV-infected patients (11.49%), and in patients with diarrheal symptoms (16.45%). Rural areas had a higher rate (7.58%) than urban ones. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in humans was the highest (6.42%) at altitudes <10 m. Moreover, the temperate zone marine climate (13.55%) had the highest prevalence. A total of 69 genotypes of E. bieneusi have been found in humans. This is the first global study regarding E. bieneusi prevalence in humans. Not only people with low immunity (such as the elderly, children, people with HIV, etc.), but also people in Europe in temperate marine climates should exercise caution to prevent infection with E. bieneusi during contact process with animals.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10860563/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139723539","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-10-09DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024063
Jimmy Fedna, Romain Borne, Dominique Rieffel, Gudrun Bornette, Jean-Hugues Henrys, Frédéric Grenouillet, Francis Raoul
{"title":"Molecular study of the status of Angiostrongylus cantonensis in rats in Haiti.","authors":"Jimmy Fedna, Romain Borne, Dominique Rieffel, Gudrun Bornette, Jean-Hugues Henrys, Frédéric Grenouillet, Francis Raoul","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024063","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024063","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Angiostrongylus cantonensis, commonly known as the rat lungworm, causes Eosinophilic meningitis in humans. Our study aimed to investigate the prevalence and distribution of this parasite in rats in Haiti. Rats were trapped at 8 sites, 7 in Artibonite (rural region) and one in an urban area of Port-au-Prince. After euthanasia, hearts and lungs were sampled and preserved in 70% ethanol. Subsequently, the organs were dissected to detect adult worms. Parasite DNA was amplified using PCR targeting either the nematode ITS2 gene for rodent lung tissue or cox1 for isolated worms. Subsequent sequencing allowed parasite identification. A total of 70 rats were captured, i.e. 23 Rattus norvegicus and 47 Rattus rattus. Adult nematodes morphologically compatible with A. cantonensis were isolated from 5/70 rats (7%) and identification was confirmed by sequencing. Molecular analysis of lung tissue revealed a parasite prevalence of 31.4% (22/70), and its presence at 4 of the 8 sites investigated, including Port-au-Prince. The molecular approach on lung tissue targeting the ITS2 gene enabled us to detect a prevalence 4 times higher than the visual search for adult worms alone. Only one COX1 haplotype was identified, belonging to genotype II-G, widely distributed in Brazil, the French Antilles (Guadeloupe), French Polynesia, Hawaii, and Japan. These results confirm that A. cantonensis is an endemic parasite in Haiti not only in the capital Port-au-Prince, but also in several rural areas. Direct molecular screening for Angiostrongylus DNA in rat lung tissue showed higher sensitivity than visual detection of worms during dissection and could be useful for further prevalence studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"64"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11465708/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143033988","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-05-17DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024017
Ana Letícia Pereira Fernandes, Mariana de Melo Alves, Jordania Oliveira Silva, Ividy Bison, Ariana de Castro Tavares Silva, Roberta Nunes Parentoni, Jose Romulo Soares Dos Santos, Thais Ferreira Feitosa, Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela, Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil
{"title":"Geoepidemiology, seroprevalence and factors associated with Toxoplasma gondii infection in domicilied cats from Paraíba (Brazil).","authors":"Ana Letícia Pereira Fernandes, Mariana de Melo Alves, Jordania Oliveira Silva, Ividy Bison, Ariana de Castro Tavares Silva, Roberta Nunes Parentoni, Jose Romulo Soares Dos Santos, Thais Ferreira Feitosa, Vinícius Longo Ribeiro Vilela, Arthur Willian de Lima Brasil","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1051/parasite/2024017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite responsible for toxoplasmosis, an emerging and often neglected zoonosis in South America, particularly Brazil. Felines, the only definitive hosts, excrete oocysts in their feces, potentially infecting all homeotherms. Domestic cats are primarily responsible for contaminating human environments with these oocysts. Monitoring their populations is therefore essential to ensure proper toxoplasmosis prophylaxis. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of T. gondii and exposure factors in a population of owner cats in the city of João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil. A total of 267 blood samples were collected from domestic cats aged between 1 and 15 years and tested with an immunofluorescence antibody test. The seroprevalence of antibodies against T. gondii was only 17.22% (46/267 individuals). This result therefore suggests a low contribution of domestic cats to T. gondii contamination of the urban environment. The cats' age and living environment were identified as risk factors for cat exposure to T. gondii.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"25"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11101201/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140958701","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-10-28DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024065
Yong Kang Cheng, Yao Zhang, Zhao Yu Zhang, Pei Kun Cong, Ji Yu Feng, Ru Zhang, Shao Rong Long, Xi Zhang, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui
{"title":"Biological characteristics and functions of a novel glutamate dehydrogenase from Trichinella spiralis.","authors":"Yong Kang Cheng, Yao Zhang, Zhao Yu Zhang, Pei Kun Cong, Ji Yu Feng, Ru Zhang, Shao Rong Long, Xi Zhang, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024065","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) plays an important role in the metabolism of organisms. Its high abundance in mitochondria in particular highlights its core role in cellular physiological processes. GDH catalyzes the mutual conversion between L-glutamic acid and α-ketoglutaric acids. At the same time, this transformation is accompanied by the oxidation-reduction of NAD(H) or NADP(H). This process not only helps to link amino acid metabolism with sugar metabolism, but also helps maintain the balance of intracellular pH and nitrogen homeostasis. In this study, a novel Trichinella spiralis glutamate dehydrogenase (TsGDH) was cloned, expressed and identified. The results revealed that TsGDH was expressed at various stages of development of the nematode T. spiralis, with higher expression levels in the adult worm stage, and was mainly localized in the cuticle, muscular layer, stichosome and female intrauterine embryos. After RNAi treatment, larval natural TsGDH enzyme activity was obviously reduced, and metabolism, molting, growth and reproduction were also significantly inhibited. The results indicate that TsGDH plays an important role in the development and survival of T. spiralis, and it may be a potential molecular target of anti-Trichinella vaccines and drugs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"65"},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11514599/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142505373","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-03-26DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024019
Mallorie Hide, Gregory Michel, Kevin Legueult, Raphaelle Pin, Susana Leonard, Loïc Simon, Anne-Laure Bañuls, Pascal Delaunay, Pierre Marty, Christelle Pomares
{"title":"Asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection in dogs and dog owners in an endemic area in southeast France.","authors":"Mallorie Hide, Gregory Michel, Kevin Legueult, Raphaelle Pin, Susana Leonard, Loïc Simon, Anne-Laure Bañuls, Pascal Delaunay, Pierre Marty, Christelle Pomares","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024019","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024019","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The prevalence of asymptomatic leishmaniasis in dogs and their owners in the main endemic areas of France has not been studied to date. The objective of this study was to quantify asymptomatic Leishmania infantum infection in southeast France in healthy people and their dogs using molecular and serological screening techniques. We examined the presence of parasitic DNA using specific PCR targeting kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) and specific antibodies by serology (ELISA for dogs and Western blot for humans) among immunocompetent residents and their dogs in the Alpes-Maritimes. Results from 343 humans and 607 dogs were included. 46.9% (n = 161/343) of humans and 18.3% (n = 111/607) of dogs were PCR positive; 40.2% of humans (n = 138/343) and 9.9% of dogs (n = 60/607) were serology positive. Altogether, 66.2% of humans (n = 227) and 25.7% of dogs (n = 156) had positive serologies and/or positive PCR test results. Short-haired dogs were more frequently infected (71.8%, n = 112) than long-haired dogs (12.2%, n = 19) (p = 0.043). Dogs seemed to be more susceptible to asymptomatic infection according to their breed types (higher infection rates in scenthounds, gun dogs and herding dogs) (p = 0.04). The highest proportion of dogs and human asymptomatic infections was found in the Vence Region, corresponding to 28.2% (n = 20/71) of dogs and 70.5% (n = 31/44) of humans (4.5/100,000 people). In conclusion, the percentage of infections in asymptomatic humans is higher than in asymptomatic dogs in the studied endemic area. It is questionable whether asymptomatic infection in humans constitutes a risk factor for dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10964848/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140288713","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-03-29DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024016
Tomáš Scholz, Roman Kuchta, Daniel Barčák, Gábor Cech, Mikuláš Oros
{"title":"Small intestinal flukes of the genus Metagonimus (Digenea: Heterophyidae) in Europe and the Middle East: A review of parasites with zoonotic potential.","authors":"Tomáš Scholz, Roman Kuchta, Daniel Barčák, Gábor Cech, Mikuláš Oros","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024016","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024016","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The heterophyid trematode Metagonimus romanicus (Ciurea, 1915) (Digenea) is redescribed on the basis of type material from domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) in Romania, vouchers from experimentally infected cats (Felis catus) and adults recovered from golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) infected with metacercariae from scales of chub (Squalius cephalus) and common nase (Chondrostoma nasus) (Cypriniformes: Leuciscidae) in Hungary. This trematode, endemic to Europe and neighbouring regions (northwestern Türkiye), was previously misidentified as M. yokogawai (Katsurada, 1912), a zoonotic parasite of humans in East Asia. However, the two species differ considerably both genetically and morphologically, e.g., in the position of the ventral sucker, the presence of the prepharynx, the anterior extent of the vitelline follicles and the posterior extent of the uterus. Metagonimus ciureanus (Witenberg, 1929) (syn. Dexiogonimus ciureanus Witenberg, 1929), described from domestic cats and dogs in Israel, is a valid species distributed in the Middle East and Transcaucasia, which is also confirmed by molecular data. It differs from all Metagonimus species, including M. romanicus, in having symmetrical testes instead of the oblique testes of the other congeners. The zoonotic significance of M. romanicus and M. ciureanus is unclear, but appears to be low in Europe, mainly because raw or undercooked, whole fish with scales are generally not consumed. Accidental infection of fishermen by metacercariae in the scales when cleaning fish is more likely, but has never been reported. Remains of cyprinoids with scales infected with metacercariae of Metagonimus spp. can be an important natural source of infection for dogs, cats, and other carnivores, which can serve as a reservoir for these parasites.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"20"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10979786/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140318850","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}
ParasitePub Date : 2024-01-01Epub Date: 2024-03-06DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2024012
Wei Zhao, Guangxu Ren, Long Wang, Lisha Xie, Jiayang Wang, Jialiang Mao, Yanbin Sun, Gang Lu, Huicong Huang
{"title":"Molecular prevalence and subtype distribution of Blastocystis spp. among children who have diarrheia or are asymptomatic in Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China.","authors":"Wei Zhao, Guangxu Ren, Long Wang, Lisha Xie, Jiayang Wang, Jialiang Mao, Yanbin Sun, Gang Lu, Huicong Huang","doi":"10.1051/parasite/2024012","DOIUrl":"10.1051/parasite/2024012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Blastocystis sp., a significant zoonotic parasite with a global distribution, was the focus of this study, which aimed to investigate its prevalence and genetic diversity among diarrheic and asymptomatic children in Wenzhou, China. We collected 1,032 fecal samples from Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou, China, comprising 684 from children with diarrhea and 348 from asymptomatic children. Genomic DNA extracted from these samples was used to detect Blastocystis spp. by PCR, targeting the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Subsequently, a phylogenetic tree was constructed, applying the maximum likelihood method. Blastocystis spp. were detected in 67 (6.5%) of the fecal samples. The prevalence rate of Blastocystis spp. in diarrheic children (8.8%; 60/684) was significantly higher than that in asymptomatic children (2.0%; 7/348) (χ <sup>2</sup> = 17.3, p < 0.001). Sequence analysis of the SSU rRNA gene identified five known Blastocystis spp. subtypes, ST1 (n = 12), ST2 (n = 5), ST3 (n = 35), ST4 (n = 12), and ST7 (n = 3). ST1 and ST3 were present in both diarrheic and asymptomatic children, while ST2, ST4, and ST7 were exclusive to diarrheic children. Intra-subtype genetic polymorphisms were identified, comprising four variations in ST1 (ST1-1 to ST1-4), five in ST3 (ST3-1 to ST3-5), two in ST4 (ST4-1 and ST4-2), and two in ST7 (ST7-1 and ST7-2). Notably, ST1-2 to ST1-4, ST3-3 to ST3-5, and ST7-1 and ST7-2 represent newly identified variations. The composition and genetic characteristics of subtypes among children in this region suggest various sources of infection, including human-to-human and animal-to-human transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":19796,"journal":{"name":"Parasite","volume":"31 ","pages":"12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10918642/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140050108","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}