Yadanar Khaing, Lat Lat Htun, Kyaw San Linn, Win Ohnmar Kyaw, Theint Theint Nwae, Hla Myet Chel, Shwe Yee Win, Shiro Murata, Ryo Nakao, Nariaki Nonaka, Saw Bawm
{"title":"Microscopic examination of haemoparasites and the first molecular detection of Theileria equi in horses in Myanmar.","authors":"Yadanar Khaing, Lat Lat Htun, Kyaw San Linn, Win Ohnmar Kyaw, Theint Theint Nwae, Hla Myet Chel, Shwe Yee Win, Shiro Murata, Ryo Nakao, Nariaki Nonaka, Saw Bawm","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08488-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-025-08488-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study aimed to determine the prevalence of blood parasites in horses and identify risk factors and molecular detection of piroplasm species (Theileria equi and Babesia caballi) of horses in Myanmar. Blood samples (n = 302) were collected from five regions of Myanmar. Blood smears were screened for presence of piroplasms. Samples positive for piroplasms were subjected to molecular identification using primers specific to the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) of piroplasms. The overall prevalence of blood parasites (piroplasms, Trypanosoma spp., and microfilaria of Setaria equina) was 30.8% (93/302). The prevalence of piroplasms, Trypanosoma spp., and microfilaria of S. equina, were 22.5% (68/302), 8.3% (25/302), and 2.3% (7/302), respectively. Samples from Yangon (35.0%) and Mandalay (35.0%) showed the highest prevalence, followed by Northern Shan State, Ayeyarwady, and Nay Pyi Taw (33.9%, 25.0% and 24.6%, respectively). The hypothesized factors (age, sex, and breed) showed no significant association (p > 0.05) with the overall occurrence of blood parasites. Although no significant association (p > 0.05) was found between blood parameters (WBCs, RBCs, Hb, and HCT) and the presence of blood parasites, the negative group had a larger WBC count than the positive group. Molecular characterization of piroplasm of two obtained sequences confirmed Theileria equi. This is the first report on microscopic and molecular detection of T. equi in horses in Myanmar, and the findings provide baseline information for blood parasites in horses.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 4","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12011657/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144016793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mohamed Mohamed El-Naggar, Safaa Zaky Arafa, Samir Ahmed El-Abbassy, Jo Cable
{"title":"Light and electron microscopy of the pharynx and gastrodermis of the monogenean gill parasite Macrogyrodactylus clarii from the catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822).","authors":"Mohamed Mohamed El-Naggar, Safaa Zaky Arafa, Samir Ahmed El-Abbassy, Jo Cable","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08485-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08485-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The functional morphology of the digestive system in monogeneans is important in understanding feeding behaviour, dietary intake, and metabolic activity of the caecal epithelium. The present study used light and transmission electron microscopy to reveal detailed structure of the pharynx and gastrodermis of the viviparous gill monogenean Macrogyrodactylus clarii to compare with the congeneric skin monogenean Macogyrodactylus congolensis and other gyrodactylids. The basic components of the pharynx and gastrodermis of M. clarii are similar to M. congolensis. The pharynx comprises two regions: an anterior highly muscular region and a posterior glandular syncytium with 6 protrusible papillae. The syncytial epithelium lining the mouth and pharyngeal cavity is a modified layer with its own cell bodies, and not an extension of the general body tegument. Eversion of the pharynx has not been observed, but we postulate on the mechanism by which the pharynx and associated muscular structures function during feeding.TEM observations confirmed the similarity between the digestive system of M. clarii and M. congolensis with notable exceptions: the absence of melanin pigments and microorganism-like structures, presence of unique gastrodermis outgrowths, fibrotic vacuoles and small electron-dense secretory bodies and finally formation of deep intestinal crypts with numerous parallel intestinal lamellae in M. clarii. We discuss the possible roles of the luminal lamellar loops, gastrodermis outgrowths, deep intestinal crypts, lipid-like droplets, fibrotic vacuoles and different types of vesicles and vacuoles present in the gastrodermis cytoplasm.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 4","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978555/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143811868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Christian N Lotz, Pierre H H Schneeberger, Maura Concu, Said M Ali, Emmanuel C Mrimi, Jennifer Keiser
{"title":"Implementation of real-time PCR assays for diagnosing intestinal protozoa infections.","authors":"Christian N Lotz, Pierre H H Schneeberger, Maura Concu, Said M Ali, Emmanuel C Mrimi, Jennifer Keiser","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08483-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08483-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Intestinal protozoa infections present a major public health challenge, particularly in areas with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water. Effective diagnostic methods are critical, yet traditional microscopy, though widely used for its simplicity, lacks the sensitivity and specificity of modern techniques like real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR), making the latter a more effective tool for monitoring and assessing the burden of intestinal protozoa diseases. In this study, we implemented two duplex qPCR assays to detect Entamoeba dispar + Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium spp. + Chilomastix mesnili, along with singleplex assays for Giardia duodenalis and Blastocystis spp., using a 10 µL reaction volume. This marks the first molecular detection of Chilomastix mesnili by qPCR, enhancing diagnostic precision. Using these, we analyzed stool samples from 70 patients on Pemba Island, Tanzania, before and 54 samples after treatment with 20, 25, or 30 mg of emodepside or placebo, aiming to assess protozoa prevalence for this region and emodepside's potential antiprotozoal effects. Our qPCR reliably detected protozoa in 74.4% of samples, with Entamoeba histolytica and Entamoeba dispar in 31.4% of cases. Notably, one-third of these infections were caused by Entamoeba histolytica. No significant reduction in protozoa was observed after emodepside treatment compared to placebo. The study highlights the utility of qPCR in providing species-level differentiation and improving the speed and cost-effectiveness of testing. The high prevalence of protozoa in this region underscores the need for continued monitoring and control efforts, though emodepside was not effective against protozoa infections.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 4","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11978536/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143811848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
HaoYan Yang, TingTing Zhang, Hao Wang, LiHui Yu, BaoShan Liu
{"title":"Besnoitia was detected in the fecal samples of a cattery in Shenyang, China.","authors":"HaoYan Yang, TingTing Zhang, Hao Wang, LiHui Yu, BaoShan Liu","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08469-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08469-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Besnoitia are a genus of cyst-forming protozoa, with cats serving as the definitive host for several species of Besnoitia. In order to gain insight into the epidemiology of Besnoitia infection in cats in catteries in Shenyang City, 58 fecal samples were collected from six catteries, and oocysts conforming morphologically to Besnoitia as well as Besnoitia ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) sequences were detected, confirming the presence of this parasite in a single cattery located in Shenyang, China. The ITS1 sequences were 100% identical to Besnoitia acinonyx. The findings of this study contribute to the existing epidemiological data on the disease, providing a valuable reference for the prevention and treatment of the disease.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 4","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11961452/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143753594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Does the host matter? Testing the impact of host identity on the microbiome of a trematode parasite.","authors":"Xuhong Chai, Priscila M Salloum, Robert Poulin","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08486-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08486-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Animal microbiomes have been recognized to have significant impact on animal behaviour, development, and health. For parasites, one of the sources of their associated microbes is likely their hosts, making host identity a potential factor explaining variation of microbial communities among conspecific parasites. Using the host-parasite system including the amphipod Paracalliope fluviatilis, and isopod Austridotea annectens, and their common trematode parasite Maritrema poulini, we hypothesized that host identity has an impact on the diversity and community composition of the microbiomes of M. poulini parasites. We focused on the bacterial component of the trematodes' microbiomes. We investigated the effect of host identity under both intraspecific (among individual isopods) and interspecific (between amphipods and isopods) host levels and predicted that the effect of host identity can be detected under both host hierarchical levels. We found an effect of host identity on both the diversity and community composition of parasite microbiomes between conspecific isopod hosts, while host identity only had an impact on microbiome community composition when comparing parasites infecting amphipod versus isopod hosts. Our study results show that host identity impacts both parasite microbiome composition and taxonomic diversity, providing indirect evidence that the assembly of parasite microbiomes is not merely random, and that horizontal transmission from the host to the parasite might play a key role in shaping parasite microbiomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11947000/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731241","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Milena Camargo, Laura Vega, Marina Muñoz, Lauren Hernández-Buelvas, Leidy Pedraza, Indira M Báez-Murcia, Juan David Ramírez, Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo
{"title":"Unveiling shifts in cervical microbiota composition among Colombian women in the presence of Trichomonas vaginalis: a longitudinal study.","authors":"Milena Camargo, Laura Vega, Marina Muñoz, Lauren Hernández-Buelvas, Leidy Pedraza, Indira M Báez-Murcia, Juan David Ramírez, Manuel Alfonso Patarroyo","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08482-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08482-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Trichomonas vaginalis is a flagellated protozoan affecting human reproductive health. Although bacterial coinfections have been associated with T. vaginalis infection outcomes, pertinent data are scarce. This study was aimed at assessing vaginal bacterial community changes regarding T. vaginalis outcomes (infection, clearance, persistence) during patients' follow-up visits. This was a 1-year follow-up study involving Colombian women who provided two cytological scrapings from the cervix (one at baseline and another at follow-up), having an average 12 ± 1 month follow-up interval. T. vaginalis was detected by conventional PCR (Tvk3/7 and BTU9/2 primers). The Illumina Novaseq PE250-platform was used for assessing microbiota composition. This study involved 66 women (132 samples); 68.2% (n = 45) tested negative for T. vaginalis at baseline while 31.8% (n = 21) were initially diagnosed with T. vaginalis infection (99,304 amplicon sequence variants identified/categorised into 62 phyla and 1908 genera). Women who cleared T. vaginalis (n = 10) displayed increased microbial richness, while those having persistence (n = 11) had higher microbial diversity. Significant changes were observed regarding genus relative abundance: Lactobacillus abundance increased in the clearance group (p = 0.002), Prevotella in the persistence group (p = 0.045) and Gardnerella, Megasphaera and Sneathia in the group having acquired T. vaginalis infection (p = 0.045). Regarding relative abundance, logistic regression analysis revealed a positive trend concerning Sneathia increase (adjusted OR 2.23) and reduced Lactobacillus abundance (adjusted OR 0.39) in women with T. vaginalis persistence. DESeq analysis revealed a substantial decrease in the Ornithinimicrobium genus among women without infection during follow-up, while Ruminococcus increased in women having various T. vaginalis outcomes. The results suggested that specific bacterial genera present during T. vaginalis infection may influence its clearance, having potential implications for improving diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for enhancing women's reproductive health.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11946947/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143731243","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Krüppel homolog 1, a juvenile hormone transcription factor, regulates the reproduction and development of Aedes albopictus(Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae).","authors":"Ya-Hui Chen, Cheng Wu, Yu-Yang Xie, Yan-Hui Zhang, Xi-Tong Huang, Fen Hu, Li-Hua Xie","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08479-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08479-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The control of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) (Diptera: Culicidae), a vector for several important viral diseases, is crucial for mitigating mosquito-borne diseases. This study focused on the Krüppel homolog 1 (Kr-h1) gene, a transcription factor in juvenile hormone (JH) signaling, which plays a pivotal role in inhibiting metamorphosis and promoting adult reproduction. We characterized Aedes albopictus Kr-h1(AalbKr-h1), identified its eight zinc finger domains, and confirmed its orthology among insects through phylogenetic analysis. Expression profiling across life stages showed high level of expression in eggs, late larvae, and adults, with minimal expression in pupae. In adults, AalbKr-h1 was most active in the fat body and ovaries. Exposing larvae to a JH analogue significantly upregulated AalbKr-h1 expression in both larval and adult stages. RNAi-mediated knockdown of Kr-h1 protein reduced egg reproduction, survival rate and gene expression levels. These results provide a solid foundation for further exploration of the function of the AalbKr-h1 gene and the potential development of novel strategies for mosquito control and prevention of mosquito-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11928384/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143676941","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexandra Sack, Emily Selland, Sidy Bakhoum, Jason R Rohr
{"title":"Use of snail traps for surveillance of schistosome-shedding snails in rice fields and fragile ecosystems.","authors":"Alexandra Sack, Emily Selland, Sidy Bakhoum, Jason R Rohr","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08461-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08461-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human schistosomiasis is a waterborne trematode disease that often affects communities already dealing with poverty and limited access to health care. Sampling to look for the snail intermediate host of schistosomiasis is often done in resource-poor settings with a sweep net, but this can be damaging to aquatic plants, such as rice. To address this issue, we tested a baited snail trap to use in fragile ecosystems and rice fields where sweep netting might not be advisable. The trap design and bait options were first tested in the laboratory with Biomphalaria glabrata and Bulinus truncatus before being tested in the Senegal River Basin in rice fields and canals. The best option was a funnel trap that was also environmentally friendly because it reuses a 1.0- to 1.5-L water bottle and includes mango as bait, a very common fruit in the region. This trap can be used by others looking to sample fragile ecosystems or rice fields for intermediate host snails of human schistosomiasis and the trematodes they harbor.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11926025/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143670559","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Robert E Rollins, Jochen Dierschke, Anna Obiegala, Heiner von Buttlar, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, Miriam Liedvogel
{"title":"Analysis of ticks (Acari: Ixodida) and associated microorganisms collected on the North Sea Island of Heligoland.","authors":"Robert E Rollins, Jochen Dierschke, Anna Obiegala, Heiner von Buttlar, Lidia Chitimia-Dobler, Miriam Liedvogel","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08478-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08478-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Heligoland is an island located in the North Sea, where vegetation was almost destroyed as a result of heavy bombardment during and after the Second World War. However, over the past 70 years, the vegetation has developed from scrub towards bushy or even forested environments. This change has most likely altered habitat suitability for various organisms, including many species of ticks. Ticks can act as major vectors for various pathogens of humans and animals; thus, characterizing the occurrence of a tick population and associated microorganism on the island is of great importance in relation to public and animal health. For this characterization on Heligoland, we flagged ticks at four different locations during June 2023 and 2024. In 2024, ticks were opportunistically sampled from house pets living on the island and during the annual ringing of common murre (Uria aalge) fledglings. In total, 267 ticks were collected over the 2 years which were identified morphologically, and confirmed molecularly if needed, to four species: Ixodes ricinus (n = 132), Haemaphysalis punctata (n = 47), Ixodes uriae (n = 3), and Alectorobius maritimus (n = 85), which for the latter represents the first report in Germany. Questing tick samples positive for Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato, Rickettsia spp., Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and Babesia spp. were found in one or both years. Subsequent sequencing showed the presence of two Rickettsia species (R. helvetica, R. aeschlimannii), multiple Borrelia species (B. garinii, B. valaisiana, B. bavariensis, B. afzelii), and two Babesia species (Ba. venatorum, Ba. capreoli). Our research highlights a diverse tick and associated microorganism population on the island, which could pose public and animal health risks that will need to be monitored in the future.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11914315/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143649478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Itzel Berenice Rodríguez-Mera, Saúl Rojas-Hernández, Patricia Bonilla-Lemus, Mariela Esquivel-Solís, Frida Carrillo-Morales, Mara Gutiérrez-Sánchez, Israel López-Reyes, José Luis Osornio-Rojas, María Maricela Carrasco-Yépez
{"title":"Identification of Naegleria fowleri antigens recognized by serum antibodies from people of Mexicali Valley, México.","authors":"Itzel Berenice Rodríguez-Mera, Saúl Rojas-Hernández, Patricia Bonilla-Lemus, Mariela Esquivel-Solís, Frida Carrillo-Morales, Mara Gutiérrez-Sánchez, Israel López-Reyes, José Luis Osornio-Rojas, María Maricela Carrasco-Yépez","doi":"10.1007/s00436-025-08476-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00436-025-08476-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Naegleria fowleri is an amoeba that causes a fatal disease in the central nervous system known as primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) in humans. Most of the infections are acquired by people who practice recreational activities in water contaminated with trophozoites. Swimming and wading in irrigation channels of Mexicali are common practices for local people. Although there are some warning signposts in the surrounding sites, people continue using these channels for recreational purposes. In that region, cases of PAM have been reported; however, not everyone who comes into contact with contaminated water containing trophozoites becomes infected, and the factors influencing their immune response to N. fowleri remain unknown. We analyzed the levels of antibodies against N. fowleri in two groups: local individuals, including visitors who swam in the Mexicali channels, and a group from Mexico City (CDMX). In both groups, specific antibody responses were analyzed using immunoassays, including Western blot, ELISA, and cytochemistry. The highest levels of both IgG and IgA were found in samples from Mexicali, compared to those from CDMX. In both groups, IgG recognized polypeptide bands from N. fowleri at molecular weights of 100, 50, and 19 kDa, bands that we have already reported as immunogenic. Moreover, the IgG subjects recognized trophozoite structures such as membrane, pseudopodia, food cups, and even small like-vesicles. This antibody immune response directed against these polypeptide bands and trophozoite structures along with other factors could be participating in the defense of these people against PAM.</p>","PeriodicalId":19968,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology Research","volume":"124 3","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11910403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143634386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}