Parasitology International最新文献

{"title":"Massive asymptomatic infestation of Pthirus pubis","authors":"Gianluca Tavoletti , Angelo Valerio Marzano , Gianluca Nazzaro","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103022","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103022","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 103022"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142896697","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":"Comparative Assessment of colorimetric assays in evaluating intracellular drug susceptibility of Leishmania tropica against conventional antileishmanial drugs","authors":"Ahmet Yıldırım,&nbsp;Tülay Aksoy,&nbsp;İbrahim Cüneyt Balcıoğlu","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103021","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103021","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to identify the most sensitive colorimetric test for assessing intracellular drug susceptibility of <em>Leishmania tropica</em> to conventional antileishmanial drugs. To this end, the efficacy of four colorimetric methods—MTT, XTT, MTS, and WST-8—was compared using reference <em>L. tropica</em> promastigotes. The intracellular drug susceptibility was further evaluated using the test with the widest absorbance range on isolates from Türkiye CL patients: two responsive to a single course of meglumine antimoniate (MA) and two that showed no clinical improvement after two treatments. CL isolates were identified via real-time PCR targeting the ITS1 region. Promastigote suspensions at standardized densities (0.08 × 10⁶ to 10 × 10⁶ promastigotes/well) were prepared in both RPMI (phenol red-containing) and RPMIØRP (phenol red-free) media, then analyzed with ELISA-based MTT, XTT, MTS, and WST-8 to identify the method with the broadest specific absorbance range. Intracellular drug susceptibility of CL isolates was subsequently assessed in a macrophage/amastigote model by infecting THP-1 macrophages with promastigotes from both reference and patient isolates, followed by treatment with MA, sodium stibogluconate (SSG), miltefosine (MTF), pentamidine (PMD), and amphotericin B (AmB). Promastigotes obtained from parasite rescue and transformation assays were analyzed using the most sensitive colorimetric method to determine IC₅₀ values. Species identification confirmed all four CL isolates as L. <em>tropica</em>, and the XTT assay provided the widest absorbance range in RPMIØRP media. IC₅₀ values for both treatment-responsive and unresponsive isolates were similar to those of the reference isolate, showing susceptibility to all tested drugs without statistically significant differences. Expanding the isolate set is necessary to further evaluate the predictive value of Sb^V (pentavalent antimonials) susceptibility for treatment outcomes. The identification of XTT as the most sensitive method for intracellular antileishmanial susceptibility testing is expected to aid in standardizing laboratory models and provide valuable insights for researchers and clinicians managing treatment-unresponsive CL cases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 103021"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142885760","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":"Simple preservation of schistosome eggs with high infectivity up to 12 weeks","authors":"Yukiteru Ouji ,&nbsp;Megumi Hamasaki ,&nbsp;Masayasu Misu ,&nbsp;Masahide Yoshikawa ,&nbsp;Shinjiro Hamano","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103020","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103020","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The lifecycle of schistosomes must be continuously maintained to clarify and understand this parasite in various aspects in laboratory settings. In the previous studies by other researchers, preservation of schistosome larvae or eggs was attempted by freezing with liquid nitrogen or organic chemicals, but frozen schistosomes were substantially impaired. The present study was conducted to determine whether schistosome eggs can be preserved under a non-frozen condition. The results showed that <em>Schistosoma mansoni</em> eggs could be maintained in phosphate-buffered saline at 4 °C, with a high level of infectivity of miracidia to freshwater snails thereafter. Furthermore, the egg hatchability was maintained for up to 12 weeks with weekly exchanges of the medium. The cercariae derived from snails infected with miracidia from preserved eggs were highly infective to mice. This simple schistosome egg preservation method allow researchers to maintain the schistosome lifecycle without freezing or other special procedures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 103020"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142877599","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":"Genetic diversity of Bartonella spp. in vampire bats and associated Streblidae bat flies in the Brazilian Amazon","authors":"Eliz Oliveira Franco ,&nbsp;Laryssa Borges de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Ana Cláudia Calchi ,&nbsp;Victória Valente Califre de Mello ,&nbsp;Daniel Antonio Braga Lee ,&nbsp;Paulo Vitor Cadina Arantes ,&nbsp;Gustavo Graciolli ,&nbsp;Rosangela Zacarias Machado ,&nbsp;Taciana Fernandes Souza Barbosa Coelho ,&nbsp;Marcos Rogério André","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Among mammals, bats stand out as important reservoirs for <em>Bartonella</em> spp., second only to rodents. In Brazil, out of the 182 species of bats described, three are hematophagous: <em>Desmodus rotundus</em>, <em>Diphylla ecaudata</em> and <em>Diaemus youngii</em>. Considering that <em>Bartonella</em> species have been increasingly associated to disease in humans, the search for such agents in animal reservoirs and ectoparasites is crucial for understanding the epidemiology of bartonelloses. The present study aimed to investigate the occurrence and genetic diversity of <em>Bartonella</em> spp. in vampire bats and Streblidae bat flies in the Brazilian Amazon. For this purpose, 228 spleen samples of <em>D. rotundus</em> and 1 of <em>D. youngi</em> were collected from four states in the northern region of Brazil (Pará (<em>n</em> = 206/<em>D. rotundus</em>; <em>n</em> = 1/<em>D. youngii</em>), Roraima (<em>n</em> = 18/ <em>D. rotundus</em>), Amapá (<em>n</em> = 3/<em>D. rotundus</em>) and Amazonas (n = 1/<em>D. rotundus</em>). Additionally, 142 Streblidae bat flies were collected from 54 <em>D. rotundus</em> (23 <em>Strebla wiedemanni</em> and 118 <em>Trichobius parasiticus</em>) and one <em>D. youngii</em> (1 <em>Trichobius diaemi</em>). Seventy-three (31.9 %; 73/228) spleen samples of <em>D. rotundus</em> (62 from Pará, 9 from Roraima and 2 from Amapá) and 45/142 (31.7 %) Streblidae bat flies (1 <em>T. diaemi</em>, 8 <em>S. wiedemanni</em> and 36 <em>T. parasiticus</em>) were positive in qPCR for <em>Bartonella</em> spp. based on the <em>nuoG</em> gene. Phylogenetic analyses based on the <em>gltA</em> and <em>rpoB</em> genes positioned the sequences obtained together with genotypes previously detected in <em>D. rotundus</em> and bat-associated flies. High genotypic diversity was found among sequences obtained from bats and Streblidae flies (6 <em>gtlA</em> and 11 <em>rpoB</em> genotypes). The genotypes identified in <em>D. rotundus</em> in the present study were exclusively shared with sequences from <em>Bartonella</em> spp. detected in vampire bats, not overlapping with genotypes previously detected in non-hematophagous bats from Brazil. Most of the sequences detected in Streblidae bat flies formed unique genotypes for each dipteran species analyzed. The present study expanded the knowledge regarding the diversity of <em>Bartonella</em> genotypes in vampire bats and associated Streblidae flies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 103019"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2024-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142847073","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":"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 ,&nbsp;Han-Qi Peng ,&nbsp;Meng-Rui Huang ,&nbsp;Hui-Ying Sun ,&nbsp;Qing Xu ,&nbsp;Han-Xiang Zhang ,&nbsp;Wei-Ling Gu ,&nbsp;Da-Bing Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103018","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103018","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Schistosomiasis is the second most important tropical disease in terms of socio-economic and public health impact among human parasitic diseases. In China, <em>Oncomelania hupensis</em> is the only intermediate host of <em>Schistosoma japonicum</em>. Despite the significant progress made, the wide distribution of <em>O. hupensis</em> habitats remains a major challenge to eliminating <em>S. japonicum</em> across China. Therefore, it is important to understand the population genetics of <em>O. hupensis</em> in given environment in order to guide local snail control. In this study, <em>O. hupensis</em> 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 <em>O. hupensis</em> 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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 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}

{"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 ,&nbsp;Irfan Khattak ,&nbsp;Rao Zahid Abbas ,&nbsp;Tahir Usman ,&nbsp;Sher Bahadar Khan ,&nbsp;Rahat Ullah Khan ,&nbsp;Christine M. Budke ,&nbsp;Guilherme G. Verocai","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103017","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103017","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>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 <em>Toxoplasma gondii, Echinococcus granulosus</em>, and <em>Trichinella spiralis</em> 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-<em>Toxoplasma</em> 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 <em>E. granulosus</em>, and a single (0.5 %; 1/187) individual had antibodies to <em>T. spiralis</em>. One individual was seropositive for all three parasites and 9 individuals were seropositive for two parasites. The only significant factor was that <em>Echinococcus</em> seropositivity was associated with age group (<em>p</em> = 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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 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}

{"title":"Exploring tick-borne pathogens in community dogs in Nepal","authors":"Gita Sadaula Pandey ,&nbsp;Chet Raj Pathak ,&nbsp;Sunil Thapa ,&nbsp;Amir Sadaula ,&nbsp;Prajwol Manandhar ,&nbsp;Abdelbaset Eweda Abdelbaset ,&nbsp;Yongjin Qiu ,&nbsp;Mackenzie L. Kwak ,&nbsp;Naoki Hayashi ,&nbsp;Nariaki Nonaka ,&nbsp;Ryo Nakao","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>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 <em>Babesia, Theileria, Hepatozoon, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia,</em> and <em>Rickettsia</em> 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 % (<em>n</em> = 32) for <em>Ehrlichia canis,</em> 9.1 % (<em>n</em> = 21) for <em>Anaplasma platys,</em> 8.6 % (<em>n</em> = 20) for <em>Babesia vogeli</em>, and 6.5 % (<em>n</em> = 15) for <em>Babesia gibsoni</em>. None of the samples were positive for <em>Theileria, Hepatozoon,</em> or <em>Rickettsia</em>. There was a significant association between <em>A. platys</em> and <em>E. canis</em> 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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 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 ,&nbsp;Toshihiro Tokiwa ,&nbsp;Takuma Kasahara ,&nbsp;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}

{"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 ,&nbsp;Wei Wang ,&nbsp;Cadhla Firth ,&nbsp;Richard Duffy ,&nbsp;Jaqueline Picard ,&nbsp;Bruce Gummow","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2024.103002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A new species of sucking louse, <em>Hoplopleura kuhnludwigi</em> (Phthiraptera: Hoplopleuridae), from the Cape York rat <em>Rattus leucopus cooktownensis</em> 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. <em>Hoplopleura kuhnludwigi</em> is the first louse species to be described on <em>R. leucopus</em>. The morphology of the new louse species is contrasted with the morphology of <em>Hoplopleura</em> 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 <em>H. kuhnludwigi</em>. Processing of <em>H. kuhnludwigi</em> 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 <em>Hoplopleura</em> and potentially other louse species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"106 ","pages":"Article 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":"OA","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}