Parasite Epidemiology and Control最新文献

{"title":"Parasitic infection prevalence in tuberculosis patients and their household contacts in the Littoral Region of Cameroon.","authors":"Lucy Cho Nchang, Chefor Magha, Patience Agwa Fonong, Narcisse Victor Tchamatchoua Gandjui, Nancielle Mbiatong Tchatat, Desmond Akumtoh Nkimbeng, Frank Noel Nietcho, Juluis Visnel Foyet, Fanny Fri Fombad, Tatiana Djikeussi Katcho, Jerome Fru Cho, Achim Hoerauf, Manuel Ritter, Samuel Wanji","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2025.e00409","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Parasitic infections are known to suppress the cell mediated immunity that protects against tuberculosis. The status of parasitic infections among bacteriologically confirmed tuberculosis patients and their household contacts in Cameroon is not well established. This study aimed at reporting the status of parasitic infections in TB patients and their household contacts with keen interest in associated risk factors to disease exposure.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>This was a hospital based cross-sectional descriptive study carried out with newly diagnosed active tuberculosis (TB) patients and their household contacts in the Littoral Region of Cameroon. Socio-demographic data and associated factors were collected using structured questionnaires. Blood, stool, urine and skin snip samples were collected following standard guidelines for investigation of parasitic infections. Descriptive analysis was performed, bivariate analysis was computed and a multivariable analysis was done to provide adjusted odds ratios (AOR).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 712 TB patients and 472 household contacts were recruited. The overall prevalence of parasitic infections in TB patients was 25.84 % (184/712) and household contacts was 31.36 % (148/472). Blood protozoan (<i>Plasmodium falciparum)</i> infection among active TB patients (20.22 %) and their household contacts (26.27 %) was the most frequently detected parasitic infection. <i>Loa loa</i> was the predominant helminth species seen among active TB patients while <i>Schistosoma mansoni</i> was the predominant helminth infection detected in household contacts. TB patients and household contacts living in urban areas had lower odds of being associated with helminth infections (AOR 0.2, 95 % CI: 0.10-0.40; p < 0.0001 and AOR 0.11, 95 % CI: 0.04-0.27; p < 0.0001 respectively) as compared to those residing in rural areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We observed that 31 % of the TB patients and household contacts are infected with parasites including P. falciparum, Loa loa and Since helminths can downregulate immune responses against bacterial infections and thus affect treatment efficacy, we recommend that diagnosis of parasitic infections should be included during TB diagnosis and treatment programmes, especially in rural areas.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"28 ","pages":"e00409"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7617333/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047534","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Massive subcutaneous filariosis by <i>Filaria martis</i> in beech marten (<i>Martes foina</i>) in Italy.","authors":"Giovanni Sgroi, Ranju Ravindran Santhakumar Manoj, Ettore Napoli, Nicola D'Alessio, Maria Gabriella Lucibelli, Claudio de Martinis, Esterina De Carlo, Peyman Khademi, Alireza Sazmand, Vincenzo Veneziano","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00406","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00406","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The beech marten (<i>Martes foina</i>) is a small-size mustelid endangered according to the IUCN Red List. Despite the plethora of parasites potentially affecting its population decline, subcutaneous filarioids are occasionally reported in martens and their competent arthropod vectors are to date unknown. Therefore, from January 2023 to August 2024, this study investigated the presence of subcutaneous filarioids and ectoparasites of road-killed beech martens (<i>n</i> = 7) from southwestern Italy. One marten (14.3 %, 95 % CI: 2.6-51.3) was massively infected with subcutaneous filarioids, i.e., 18 specimens (11 males and 7 females) in the dorso-posterior region, where mild redness and sloughing of skin were found. All the filarioids were identified as <i>Filaria martis</i> via morphology and Sanger sequencing of the <i>cytochrome c oxidase</i> subunit I (<i>cox</i>1) gene that revealed a single sequence type (GenBank accession number PQ034642) having 100 % nucleotide identity with those available in the literature. The phylogenetic analysis displayed a bootstrap value of 100 % between the <i>cox</i>1 sequences of <i>F. martis</i> of this study and those of beech martens from Italy and European minks from Spain. Haemolymph, gut, and salivary glands of the <i>Ixodes ricinus</i> ticks collected from the infected marten scored negative for <i>F. martis</i> larvae and DNA by dissection and PCR, respectively. This study reported for the first time <i>F. martis</i> subcutaneous filariosis in southwestern Italy, previously outlined only in northern and southeastern areas, indicating the circulation of this poorly investigated filarioid. Knowledge of the competent vectors involved in the biological cycle of <i>F. martis</i> requires further experimental studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"28 ","pages":"e00406"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11757790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Blastocystis</i> and <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> infection in a male prison in Spain.","authors":"Carla Muñoz-Antoli, Jacklyn Comas, María José Irisarri-Gutiérrez, Lucrecia Acosta, José Guillermo Esteban, Rafael Toledo","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00407","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00407","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>General conditions in a prison may facilitate water- or food-borne infections.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Detection of intestinal parasites was achieved in 471 male prison inmates by standard microscopic procedures on their stool samples. Positive samples were processed by PCR amplification of a 600-bp fragment of the <i>Blastocystis</i> SSU rRNA gene and partial sequences of the <i>Giardia duodenalis bg</i> genes. Identification of subtypes/genotypes was based on Sanger sequencing methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong><i>Blastocystis</i> was found in 7.9 % (37/471) and <i>G. duodenalis</i> was found in 2.1 % (10/471). Out of the 37 <i>Blastocystis</i> positive samples, 54 % (20/37) were successfully subtyped, allowing the identification of the subtypes ST3 (50 %), ST1 (25 %), ST2 (15 %), ST4 (5 %) and ST6 (5 %). Out of 10 <i>G. duodenalis</i> positive samples, 50 % (5/10) were successfully genotyped, allowing the identification of genotypes A (80 %) and B (20 %).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The predominance of ST3 within the prison inmates, together with its low intra-ST genetic variability, reflected inter-human transmission with spatial stability. The <i>G. duodenalis</i> distribution is not wide enough to consider the possibility of a generalized transmission via contaminated water or food. Personal hygiene practices among male prison inmates may be an important measure to prevent the transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"28 ","pages":"e00407"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11780165/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143068284","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of molecular approach in combination with providing treatment and control measures for combating <i>Babesia bovis</i> and <i>Babesia bigemina</i> infections in small scale livestock farms in Thailand.","authors":"Nutsuda Klinkaew, Pairpailin Jhaiaun, Giang Thi Nguyen, Ruttayaporn Ngasaman, Domechai Keawnoi, Niorn Rattanapob, Pipat Arunvipas, Meyanee Kanjanaphan, Nuttapon Manojai, Suwitcha Panchakhan, Julaluk Jaiboon, Piyavadee Numnual, Prattana Tong-In, Thongphanchang Khanthong, Paween Srirarai, Chutima Chantarakot, Pattarakitti Noenchat, Jaroonwit Napornram, Somtat Yangsuk, Tanakrit Cham-Iam, Phuncharat Nilsuwan, Supicha Jindarut, Kanokrat Boonyok, Nipa Thammasonthijarern, Wissanuwat Chimnoi, Tawin Inpankaew, Burin Nimsuphan, Jumnongjit Phasuk, Ketsarin Kamyingkird","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00403","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00403","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Bovine babesiosis is a tick-borne disease that is caused by apicomplexan protozoan parasite in the genus of <i>Babesia. Babesia</i> infections affect cattle health, reduce milk and meat production and lead to economic losses in tropical and subtropical countries. <i>Babesia</i> parasites are difficult to diagnose in the early stage of infections during low parasitemia and asymptomatic conditions led to the lack of treatment and control at the early stage of infection. This study aimed to integrate a molecular tool for the detection and genetic characterization of <i>Babesia (B.) bovis and B. bigemina</i> in small-scale livestock farming in Thailand, and to study the risk factors association with <i>Babesia</i> infections in small scale livestock farms in Thailand. This study was conducted in four regions of Thailand between June 2023 and January 2024. Dairy and beef cattle blood samples were collected, genomic DNA were extracted and nested PCRs were performed. Data associated with <i>Babesia</i> infections were collected using a semi-structured questionnaire and interview. Nested PCR targeting <i>B. bovis</i> spherical binding protein 4 (<i>SBP4</i>) and <i>B. bigemina</i> rhoptries associating protein 1a (<i>Rap1a</i>) genes were performed and direct sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were conducted. Risk factors association with <i>Babesia</i> infections were analyzed. PCR results, chemotherapeutic treatment options, and vector control suggestions were also reported to local veterinarians and farmers within 14 days. A total of 964 livestock blood samples were collected from 126 small scale farms in four regions of Thailand. <i>B. bovis</i> infection was predominant in buffalo (31.25 %), followed by dairy cattle (11.44 %) and beef cattle (7.47 %). <i>B. bigemina</i> infection was predominant in goats (53.33 %), followed by beef cattle (25.33 %) and dairy cattle (8.88 %). Mixed infection was also detected in beef and dairy cattle at 2.09 % and 1.58 %, respectively. Molecular characterization of <i>B. bovis SBP4</i> and <i>B. bigemina RAP1a</i> sequences showed that <i>B. bigemina</i> and <i>B. bovis</i> Thai isolates were closely related among geographical areas and shared genetic similarity among different hosts but were genetically distinct from <i>B. bigemina</i> and <i>B. bovis</i> from other countries. Risk factor analysis identified five factors associated with <i>B. bovis</i> infection and one factor associated with <i>B. bigemina</i> infection in small-scale livestock farming in Thailand. All the farmers were very satisfied with the integrative approach. This study implemented sensitive and specific nested PCR methods for the detection of <i>Babesia</i> in livestock. Applying an integrative approach by providing a sensitive diagnostic tool for identification of the infected animals and providing proper treatment and control measures to local farmers help combating babesiosis in small scale livestock farms.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"28 ","pages":"e00403"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11750565/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143025185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiological investigation of trypanosomosis in livestock and distribution of vector in Dabo Hana district, Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia.","authors":"Surra Gebeyehu, Dereje Tulu Robi","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00396","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00396","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The trypanosomosis remains unresolved due to its impact on various hosts, leading to production losses in Ethiopia. In the Southwest of Oromia, multiple livestock species share grazing land in tsetse-infested areas. Thus, a cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2020 to December 2021 to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of trypanosomosis in bovines, small ruminants, and equines, as well as the distribution of the vector in the Dabo Hana district of Southwest Oromia, Ethiopia. A vector survey was carried out using 60 monoconical traps placed at intervals ranging from about 100 to 200 m. Out of the 1441 flies captured, 86.2 % were <i>Glossina</i>, 7.84 % were <i>Stomoxys</i>, and 5.96 % were <i>Tabanus</i>. The overall apparent density of flies was 12 flies per trap per day. Among the 1242 caught <i>Glossina</i> species, 85 % were identified as <i>G. tachinoides</i> and 15 % as <i>G. m. submorsitans</i>. The average age of male tsetse flies was 28 days, and the overall infection rate of trypanosomes in tsetse flies was 4.8 %. A total of 701 blood samples (190 from bovines, 384 from small ruminants, and 127 from equines) were analyzed using buffy coat and Giemsa techniques. The prevalence of trypanosomosis was found to be 10 % in bovines, 4.2 % in small ruminants, and 3.1 % in equines. A significant difference (<i>P</i> < 0.05) in trypanosome infection was observed among the three host species, as well as with respect to the age and body condition of the animals. The predominant cause of infection was <i>T. congolense</i>, accounting for 74.4 % of cases. The mean packed cell volume (PCV) values of infected bovines, small ruminants, and equines were significantly lower (<i>P</i> < 0.05) compared to those of non-infected animals. Trypanosomosis is a major livestock disease in the study area. The findings provide valuable insights into the prevalence and infection rates of trypanosomosis, identify the affected species, and highlight significant risk factors, such as age, body condition, and vector distribution. Implementing sustainable and integrated practices for trypanosomosis control is crucial, and conducting molecular techniques in different seasons is also recommended.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"e00396"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11667175/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142886227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time to change implementation units for mass drug administration against schistosomiasis in Uganda: Evidence from Communities levels data validation and its implication in planning.","authors":"Moses Adriko, Benjamin Tinkitina, Moses Arinaitwe, Edridah M Tukahebwa, Alfred Mubangizi, Jorge Cano Ortega, Honorat Zoure, Pauline N Mwinzi, Boniface Kinvi, Amadou Garba Djirmay, Sammy Njenga, Humphrey D Mazigo","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00394","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00394","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Uganda started implementing mass drug administration against schistosomiasis in 2003, with district used as an implementation unit. This resulted into misclassification of communities into wrong risk levels, under-or-over treatment and over request of praziquantel (PZQ) drugs. The objective of the current study was to reviewing the community data available at World Health Organization/ESPEN database to understand the status of schistosomiasis and identify pockets with infection. The decision tree assessment tool was used to analyzed schistosomiasis epidemiological data of 7501 communities. Before validation, the schistosomiasis endemicity status of 79 % of communities was not known. After validation, 58.6 %, 22.6 % and 16.3 % of communities were not endemic, had low and moderate endemicity status. Of 2362 communities classified having high endemicity using a district as implementation unit, 41.6 %, 12.7 % and 17.3 % of them were not endemic, had low and moderate endemicity, while only 22.7 % had high endemicity. Using the new treatment guidelines, 2,875,006 school aged children were adequately treated, 18,235 were under-treated and 2,250,013 were over treated. The results show a considerable change in endemicity status when communities were used as an implementation unit compared to district. Thus, the country control programme is recommended to use communities as implementation unit.</p>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"e00394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11697246/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142932926","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Malaria parasitemia and its association with CD4 cells, viral load and haematological parameters among HIV-infected children < 15 years in the Bonasssama Health District, Douala, Cameroon: Prevalence and risk factors","authors":"Ambe Fabrice Ngwa ,&nbsp;Ekwi Damian Nsongmayi ,&nbsp;Tanyi Pride Bobga ,&nbsp;Bih Vanessa Tita ,&nbsp;Judith Ngong Nyeme ,&nbsp;Nyanjoh Eugine Mbuh","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00390","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>One of the major causes of morbidity and death in children is malaria, and HIV infection and other factors may make the situation worse. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of malaria parasitemia among HIV-infected children under 15 years in the Bonassama Health District, Douala, Cameroon, and investigate its association with CD4 cell counts, viral load, and haematological parameters.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The study was a cross-sectional study involving 287 HIV-infected children &lt;15 years and convenient sampling was used to enrol participants. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain the characteristics of the participants from the caregivers. Venous blood was collected; blood films were made and stained using Giemsa for parasite detection. Full blood count, CD4 level and viral load were measured using a haematology auto-analyzer, pima counter and genexpert, respectively. Data were analysed using SPSS, and the chi-square test was used to assess the association. Predisposing factors to malaria were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression, and a <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05 was considered significant.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The overall prevalence of malaria and anaemia was 31.01 % and 25.44 %, respectively. Malaria prevalence was significantly higher in children &lt;5 years (42.68 %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), those presented with fever (40.70 %, <em>p</em> = 0.047), children not on antiretroviral therapy (ART) (28.6 %, <em>p</em> = 0.02) and cotrimoxazole (28.6 %, p = 0.02). Children &lt;5 years (AOR = 1.81, 95 % 1.19–2.75), those between 5 and 9 years (AOR = 1.61, 95 % CI 1.11–2.48), children not on ART(AOR = 2.2, 95 % 1.03–4.74) and Cotrimoxazole (AOR = 9.08, 95 % 2.33–43.46), febrile children (AOR = 1.72, 95 % 1.01–2.11), children with viral load &gt;3000 copies/μL(AOR = 2.933, 95 % 1.36–6.49), and CD4 count &lt;200cells/ μL (AOR = 3.09, 95 % 2.08–4.6) were factors associated with malaria parasitemia among HIV-infected children. Haemoglobin levels (<em>p</em> = 0.0016), White Blood Cells (<em>p</em> = 0.002), Red Blood Cells (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.001), neutrophils count (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), and platelet counts (<em>p</em> = 0.0164) were significantly lowered among malaria/HIV children compared to HIV-infected children.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>The study concludes that HIV-infected children under 5 years, especially those not on ART or cotrimoxazole, are at a significantly higher risk for malaria and related haematological issues. This underscores the necessity for targeted malaria screening and treatment in this vulnerable group. Public health strategies should prioritize enhancing access to ART and cotrimoxazole to mitigate these risks and improve overall health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00390"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142592779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhanced detection of Opisthorchis viverrini infection: A comparative evaluation of modified one-step FECT and conventional diagnostic methods in low-intensity setting","authors":"Suksanti Prakobwong ,&nbsp;Lakhanawan Charoensuk ,&nbsp;Kacha Chedtabud ,&nbsp;Somchai Pinlaor ,&nbsp;Srisupaph Poonlaphdecha ,&nbsp;Alexis Ribas","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT) is one of the most sensitive diagnostic method not only for all helminths, but also for <em>Opisthorchis viverrini</em> infections in stool examinations. However, it remains a diagnostic problem for light infections. We modified the one-step FECT to determine the low-intensity of <em>O. viverrini</em> infection and compared with various conventional detection methods. The study utilized 160 egg-positive and 160 randomly negative stool samples for <em>O. viverrini</em> eggs by conventional FECT (cFECT) to compare the methods, including the simple smear, the Kato-Katz method, the two commercial stool examination kits, and the one-step FECT. Our results showed that the one-step FECT method had the highest sensitivity (95.6 %), followed by cFECT (87.9 %), the Kato-Katz (55.5 %), Aquisfek SF-FIX® (48.3 %), simple smear (42.3 %), and Mini Parasep® SF (35.1 %). The ability of one-step FECT exhibited better ability to detect low parasite intensities compared to the cFECT (18 eggs per gram (e.p.g.) versus 34 e.p.g.) and the other conventional diagnostic methods. In addition, the investigation of <em>O. viverrini</em> infection in endemic regions in northeastern Thailand based on 3900 fecal samples revealed that the one-step FECT with an intensity of 66.8 e.p.g. (range 18–226) was significantly higher in sensitivity than cFECT, which had an intensity of 58.0 e.p.g. (range 34–214). Interestingly, fecal samples with less than 50 e.p.g. could not be detected by cFECT in 67 % of cases, and 69 out of 3900 samples were negative. In conclusion, one-step FECT improves the detection of low-intensity <em>O. viverrini</em> infection, which is suitable for parasites screening, especially for low-intensity infections in the community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00391"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142756649","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection of Leishmania DNA in wild-caught sand flies, Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia spp. in northern Iran","authors":"Seyed Hassan Nikookar ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Akbari ,&nbsp;Mohammad Ali Oshaghi ,&nbsp;Nasibeh Hosseini-Vasoukolaei ,&nbsp;Ahmadali Enayati ,&nbsp;Farzad Motevalli-Haghi ,&nbsp;Mahdi Fakhar","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00395","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00395","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leishmaniasis is currently considered a major health problem in Iran, posing an increasing threat to society's development in various dimensions. This study aimed to detect <em>Leishmania</em> infection in wild-caught sand flies in Sari City, northern Iran. Sand flies were collected using sticky traps, and <em>Leishmania</em> DNA was identified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting the ITS2-rDNA region, followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. A total of 138 female sand flies were tested, among which, only 1 specimen of <em>Ph. papatasi</em> (11.11 %) and <em>Ph</em>. <em>major</em> (14.28 %), 4 specimens of <em>Ph. kandelakii</em> (7.27 %) and <em>Se. dentata</em> (8.33 %), and 2 specimens of <em>Se. sintoni</em> (50 %) were naturally infected with <em>L.</em> (<em>L</em>.) <em>major</em>. This was observed in the ITS2 nested-PCR amplification assays where a ∼ 245 bp PCR band was produced. Also, RFLP analysis by <em>Mnl1</em> revealed the fragments of 55 and 70 and 120 bp for infected sand flies which are characteristic of <em>L</em>. (<em>L</em>.) <em>major</em>. Most of the sand flies were unfed, collected during warm season, found indoor. This study reperesents the first molecular detection of <em>L</em>. (<em>L</em>.) <em>major</em> in wild-caught sand flies, specifically in <em>Ph. papatasi</em> in this region, as well as <em>Ph. kandelakii</em> and <em>Ph. major</em> in Iran and even the world.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00395"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142744793","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of jittering DHS cluster locations on geostatistical model-based estimates of malaria risk in Cameroon","authors":"Salomon G. Massoda Tonye ,&nbsp;Romain Wounang ,&nbsp;Celestin Kouambeng ,&nbsp;Penelope Vounatsou","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00397","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00397","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>In low-and-middle income countries, national representative household surveys such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and the Malaria Indicator Surveys (MIS) are routinely carried out to assess the malaria risk and the coverage of related interventions. A two-stage sampling design was used to identify clusters and households within each cluster. To ensure confidentiality, DHS made the data available after jittering (displacement) of the geographical coordinates of the clusters, shifting their original locations within a radius of 10 km. Our study assessed the influence of jittering on the estimates of the geographical distribution of malaria risk and on the effects of malaria control interventions using data from the latest MIS in Cameroon.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We generated one hundred datasets by jittering the original MIS data. For each dataset, climatic factors were extracted at the jittered locations and Bayesian geostatistical variable selection was applied to identify the most important climatic predictors and malaria intervention coverage indicators. The models were adjusted for potential confounding effects of socio-economic factors. Bayesian kriging based on the selected models was used to estimate the geographical distribution of malaria risk. The influence of jittering was analysed using results of the variable selection and the Bayesian credible intervals of the regression coefficients.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Geostatistical variable selection was sensitive to jittering. Among the important predictors identified in the true data, distance to water bodies and presence of forest were mostly influenced by the jittering. Altitude and vegetation index were the least affected predictors. The various sets of selected environmental factors were able to capture the main spatial patterns of the disease risk, but the jittering increased the prediction error. The parameter estimates of the effects of socio-economic factors and intervention indicators were relatively stable in the simulated data.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>In Cameroon, the malaria risk estimates obtained from the jittered data were comparable to the ones generated using the true locations; however, jittering modified our interpretation of the relationship between environmental predictors and malaria transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00397"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11697606/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142932944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}