{"title":"Population structure and temporal variation of Oncomelania hupensis snails in a currently Schistosoma japonicum-eliminated area of China using microsatellite analyses.","authors":"Yu-Xin Qi, Han-Qi Peng, Meng-Rui Huang, Hui-Ying Sun, Qing Xu, Han-Xiang Zhang, Wei-Ling Gu, Da-Bing Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103018","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Schistosomiasis is the second most important tropical disease in terms of socio-economic and public health impact among human parasitic diseases. In China, Oncomelania hupensis is the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum. Despite the significant progress made, the wide distribution of O. hupensis habitats remains a major challenge to eliminating S. japonicum across China. Therefore, it is important to understand the population genetics of O. hupensis in given environment in order to guide local snail control. In this study, O. hupensis snails were collected from five snail habitats/sites (i.e., DT, JC, XG, XP and YH) in Jiaxing city in Zhejiang province of China between 2022 and 2023, and population genetic analyses were conducted based on nine microsatellites. Results showed that four O. hupensis snail populations (i.e., JC, XP and YHs) from two proximity geographically distant districts clustered together, indicating genetic exchange. Snails collected in XG and YH showed significant temporal genetic variation between two years. However, bottleneck effects were only observed in snails from two sites (JC and YH). Although the hypothesis that snail control would greatly reduce the effective population size was not completely supported by our evidence, completely eradicating snails from XG site is possible. These findings will aid in the development of more practical guidelines for local snail monitoring and control.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"103018"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142818888","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Arsalan Said, Irfan Khattak, Rao Zahid Abbas, Tahir Usman, Sher Bahadar Khan, Rahat Ullah Khan, Christine M Budke, Guilherme G Verocai
{"title":"ELISA based seroprevalence and risk factors for three zoonotic parasites (Toxoplasma gondii, Echinococcus granulosus and Trichinella spiralis) in humans in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.","authors":"Arsalan Said, Irfan Khattak, Rao Zahid Abbas, Tahir Usman, Sher Bahadar Khan, Rahat Ullah Khan, Christine M Budke, Guilherme G Verocai","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103017","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Zoonotic parasitic infections can affect both animal and human health, while also having food safety and economic implications. These pathogens can also pose occupational risks for certain groups, including veterinary professionals, animal handlers, and butchers. This study was conducted in the district of Swabi located in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of northwestern Pakistan. Serum samples from 187 males 15 years of age and older representing four different exposure groups were tested for the presence of specific antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Echinococcus granulosus, and Trichinella spiralis antigen using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The exposure groups were no current animal ownership, livestock ownership, dogs and/or cats in the household, and the occupation groups butchers, and veterinarians or para-veterinarians. Seropositivity for each parasite was evaluated by subgroup. Fisher's exact test was used to evaluate possible associations between seropositivity, and potential categorical variables obtained through administration of a questionnaire. Anti-Toxoplasma antibodies were detected in 55 (29.4 %) of the 187 samples. In addition, 26.8 % (47/175) of individuals with available samples had antibodies to E. granulosus, and a single (0.5 %; 1/187) individual had antibodies to T. spiralis. One individual was seropositive for all three parasites and 9 individuals were seropositive for two parasites. The only significant factor was that Echinococcus seropositivity was associated with age group (p = 0.023) among butchers. The knowledge obtained through this study will be informative for the implementation of prevention and control strategies against these parasites at a local scale.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"103017"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142807593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Gita Sadaula Pandey, Chet Raj Pathak, Sunil Thapa, Amir Sadaula, Prajwol Manandhar, Abdelbaset Eweda Abdelbaset, Yongjin Qiu, Mackenzie L Kwak, Naoki Hayashi, Nariaki Nonaka, Ryo Nakao
{"title":"Exploring tick-borne pathogens in community dogs in Nepal.","authors":"Gita Sadaula Pandey, Chet Raj Pathak, Sunil Thapa, Amir Sadaula, Prajwol Manandhar, Abdelbaset Eweda Abdelbaset, Yongjin Qiu, Mackenzie L Kwak, Naoki Hayashi, Nariaki Nonaka, Ryo Nakao","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in dogs are a major global health concern, with their zoonotic importance often being neglected in developing countries due to a lack of surveillance. This study aimed to highlight the incidence of six important TBPs belonging to the genera Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, and Rickettsia in a total of 230 community dogs from two sites: Lumbini and the Kathmandu Valley, of Nepal. A total of 75 (32.6 %) dogs were found to be infected with at least one TBP, with 11 (4.7 %) being co-infected with more than one TBP. The detection rates of TBPs were 13.9 % (n = 32) for Ehrlichia canis, 9.1 % (n = 21) for Anaplasma platys, 8.6 % (n = 20) for Babesia vogeli, and 6.5 % (n = 15) for Babesia gibsoni. None of the samples were positive for Theileria, Hepatozoon, or Rickettsia. There was a significant association between A. platys and E. canis infections, respectively, with the locations from which the samples were collected. Infections of TBPs in community dogs might be the source of infection for pet dogs or even humans in shared habitats. Further studies are needed to determine the prevalence and diversity of TBPs in dogs in other regions of Nepal. As some of these parasites are zoonotic, concerted efforts are required to raise awareness of, and control efforts for, these tick-borne pathogens.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"103003"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142771055","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Gnathostoma doloresi in domestic pigs in the Republic of Palau, 2020–2022","authors":"Ryo Suzuki , Toshihiro Tokiwa , Takuma Kasahara , Kashgar Rengulbai","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103001","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103001","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Gnathostoma</em> adult worms were found in the stomachs of domestic pigs in the Republic of Palau, with a prevalence of 0.7% (2/277) in the meat inspections conducted between 2020 and 2022. Based on morphological characteristics and nucleotide sequence analysis, the worms were identified as the adult stage of <em>Gnathostoma doloresi</em> Tubangui, 1925 (Rhabditida: Gnathostomatidae)<em>.</em> These findings suggest the presence of this zoonotic nematode in Palau, which warrants further surveillance to determine its route of transmission in this island country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103001"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142740080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Constantin Constantinoiu, Wei Wang, Cadhla Firth, Richard Duffy, Jaqueline Picard, Bruce Gummow
{"title":"Description of a new species of sucking louse Hoplopleura kuhnludwigi (Phthiraptera: Anoplura: Hoplopleuridae) from the Cape York rat Rattus leucopus cooktownensis (Rodentia: Muridae) in Australia using conventional methodology and novel epiflourescence microscopy.","authors":"Constantin Constantinoiu, Wei Wang, Cadhla Firth, Richard Duffy, Jaqueline Picard, Bruce Gummow","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new species of sucking louse, Hoplopleura kuhnludwigi (Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), from the Cape York rat Rattus leucopus cooktownensis Tate, 1951 (Rodentia: Muridae) is described and illustrated with photos and drawings. The host rat(s) were trapped in Northeast Queensland, Australia and identified using morphological characters and DNA sequencing. Hoplopleura kuhnludwigi is the first louse species to be described on R. leucopus. The morphology of the new louse species is contrasted with the morphology of Hoplopleura spp. previously described in Australian murids and shown to be different from other louse species that infest Australian native murids. Both conventional lice processing and staining methodology and a novel method, based on autofluorescence of chitin, have been used to describe and illustrate the diagnostic characters of H. kuhnludwigi. Processing of H. kuhnludwigi for epifluorescence microscopy (EM) is fast and easy, and the examination of the lice processed by this method can improve the accuracy of the description and identification of the lice species from genus Hoplopleura and potentially other louse species.</p>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":" ","pages":"103002"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142751455","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Epidemiology of Leishmaniasis: Risk factors for its pathology and infection","authors":"Hirotomo Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102999","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102999","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus <em>Leishmania</em>. About 20 species of <em>Leishmania</em> are pathogenic to humans, with the specific infecting species playing a crucial role in determining clinical outcomes. There are three main forms of disease: cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. In addition to the infecting species, it has recently been suggested that parasite strains and genetic factors affect disease manifestation and response to treatment. This suggests that infecting parasites are a crucial risk factor for the pathology of leishmaniasis. These parasites are transmitted by sand flies, of which more than 1000 species have been recorded. However, only approximately 10 % of these species are responsible for transmitting <em>Leishmania</em>, with each sand fly species typically transmitting specific species of <em>Leishmania</em>. Most <em>Leishmania</em> species are zoonotically transmitted by sand flies, with reservoir animals playing a crucial role in disease transmission and endemicity. This aspect of the disease ecology highlights the importance of considering both vectors and reservoir animals in endemic areas as risk factors for leishmaniasis. Our epidemiological studies on leishmaniasis focus mainly on South American countries. This review describes the epidemiological aspects of leishmaniasis in Ecuador and Peru, with a focus on pathological and infectious risks.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 102999"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142722225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Parasitic helminths and protozoa: Treasure boxes of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs","authors":"Yoshio Osada , Shoichi Shimizu, Kentaro Morita","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103000","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103000","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasites generally survive in their hosts by employing various immunomodulation and immune evasion mechanisms. “helminth therapy” is one strategy that harnesses these parasite-specific beneficial properties for the therapeutic treatment of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Although numerous experimental reports have documented the anti-autoimmune activities of parasitic infections and parasite-derived products, the underlying mechanisms remain insufficiently elucidated due to the significant diversity among parasite species and autoimmune conditions. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most prevalent autoimmune disorders, presenting a substantial opportunity for the therapeutic use of parasites as novel disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs). In this paper, we summarize the immunomodulatory properties of parasites, focusing on their anti-arthritic mechanisms, and discuss the potential of parasite-derived products for the treatment of RA.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 103000"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142731812","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dewi Masyithah Darlan , Hemma Yulfi , Sunna Vyatra Hutagalung , Merina Pangabean , Yunilda Andriyani , Irma Sepala Sari Siregar , Inke Nadia Diniyanti Lubis , Toni Wandra , Ivan Elisabeth Purba , Hiroshi Yamasaki , Yasuhito Sako
{"title":"A new focus of Taenia asiatica taeniasis in North Sumatra, Indonesia: Molecular confirmation and prevalence","authors":"Dewi Masyithah Darlan , Hemma Yulfi , Sunna Vyatra Hutagalung , Merina Pangabean , Yunilda Andriyani , Irma Sepala Sari Siregar , Inke Nadia Diniyanti Lubis , Toni Wandra , Ivan Elisabeth Purba , Hiroshi Yamasaki , Yasuhito Sako","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102996","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102996","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the Samosir Island of North Sumatra, Indonesia, the prevalence of taeniasis caused by <em>Taenia asiatica</em> was reported as 2.2 %–20.7 % during 1972–2005. In 2014, another <em>T. asiatica</em>-endemic area was confirmed in the Silau Kahean sub-district of Simalungun District, which is geographically distant from Samosir Island. This study was conducted in the Raya Kahean sub-district of Simalungun District adjacent to the Silau Kahean sub-district in September 2023. The aim was to identify a new <em>T. asiatica</em>-endemic area based on molecular confirmation in addition to determining the prevalence of taeniasis. Men aged ≥18 years and palm plantation male farmers showed a higher prevalence of taeniasis, with an overall prevalence of 21.7 % (93/428). A total of 14 proglottids obtained from 14 tapeworm carriers were identified as <em>T. asiatica</em> by COX1-multiplex PCR analysis, and a new <em>T. asiatica</em>-endemic area was detected in the Raya Kahean sub-district. Genetic analyses of COX1 and <em>pold</em> revealed that <em>T. asiatica</em> from North Sumatra has a poor genetic diversity and is a descendant of the hybrids of <em>T. asiatica</em> and <em>T. saginata</em>. Infections were associated with a habitual consumption of raw pig and wild boar livers. Basic sanitary education, improvement of traditional food habits, and implementation of sentinel surveillance and treatment for tapeworm carriers in endemic areas are required to prevent and control this parasitic disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 102996"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142710867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in sand fly saliva","authors":"Hirotomo Kato","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102998","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102998","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phlebotomine sand flies are very small hematophagous insects, and some species transmit human pathogens, such as <em>Leishmania</em> protozoa. Similar to other hematophagous insects, sand flies possess unique bioactive substances in their saliva to facilitate blood feeding. Active transcriptome and proteome analyses revealed that sand flies have unique molecules in their saliva that are structurally different from those of other arthropods. These components exert anticoagulant, antiplatelet, vasodilator, and anti-inflammatory effects on the host, and the unique bioactivities of each molecule are currently being characterized. Several bioactivities of salivary components have been associated with the exacerbation of <em>Leishmania</em> infection, and investigations on the molecular mechanisms responsible are underway. On the other hand, host immunity to some salivary components has been shown to confer protection against <em>Leishmania</em> infection, suggesting the potential of salivary components as vaccine candidates. Although some negative effects of protection by sand fly saliva have been reported, the identification of suitable immunogens and elucidation of appropriate protective immunity are expected for the development of a sand fly saliva vaccine against <em>Leishmania</em> infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 102998"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142710868","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent advances in identifying and characterizing secretory proteins of Toxoplasma gondii by CRISPR-based screening","authors":"Yuta Tachibana , Masahiro Yamamoto","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102997","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.102997","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The apicomplexan parasite, <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, develops unique secretory organelles, such as micronemes, rhoptries, and dense granules, which do not exist in other well-studied eukaryotic organisms. These secretory organelles are key features of apicomplexan parasites and discharge various proteins that are essential for invasion, replication, egress, host-parasite interactions, and virulence. Many studies have therefore focused on identifying and characterizing the proteins secreted by <em>T. gondii</em> that play essential roles in pathology and that can be targeted for therapeutics and vaccine development. The recent development of functional genetic screens based on CRISPR/Cas9 technology has revolutionized this field and has enabled the identification of genes that contribute to parasite fitness <em>in vitro</em> and <em>in vivo</em>. Consequently, characterization of genes identified by unbiased CRISPR screens has revealed novel aspects of apicomplexan biology. In this review, we describe the development of CRIPSR-based screening technology for <em>T. gondii</em>, and recent advances in our understanding of secretory proteins identified and characterized by CRISPR-based screening.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"105 ","pages":"Article 102997"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-11-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142716815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}