Parasite Epidemiology and Control最新文献

{"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}

{"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":"Resurgence of scabies in Italy: The new life of an old disease","authors":"Antonio Laganà ,&nbsp;Ilaria Saia ,&nbsp;Giovanni Genovese ,&nbsp;Giuseppa Visalli ,&nbsp;Giuseppa D'Andrea ,&nbsp;Salvatore Sidoti ,&nbsp;Angela Di Pietro ,&nbsp;Alessio Facciolà","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00392","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00392","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Scabies, an old parasitic disease with a worldwide presence, has witnessed a recent resurgence in many parts of the world even in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a study on this resurgence in the Italian province of Messina, Sicily, evaluating the general features of affected people to better understand the possible modes of transmission. Specifically, we considered all the scabies notifications made in the period 2003–2022. Then, we focused on those cases occurred in the three-years period 2020–2022 carrying out an active surveillance by calling patients and asking them questions about their recent habits and movements and their consequent chances of contracting the disease. In total, 935 cases of scabies were reported from 2003 to 2022, with a remarkable increase between 2020 and 2022, when 288 cases were reported. Of these patients, we were able to reach by phone 240 (83.3 %) and interview them. Students were the most affected group (24.1 %), followed by retirees (21.0 %) and healthcare workers (13.2 %). Unfortunately, concerning the possible mode of transmission, more than half (58.5 %) of patients were not able to understand the real source of their infection. When known, the most common ways of transmission were a familiar origin (10.7 %) followed by causes linked to health environments (nursing home stays and hospital admissions). Moreover, 66.9 % of all the reported cases were part of an outbreak. Larger outbreaks occurred in healthcare facilities for more than half of the cases (69.4 %), the majority of which (88.9 %) were in nursing homes. Our research confirms the resurgence of scabies in our territory similar to trends in other European countries. Some critical factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, probably played a key role in influencing this epidemiological trend and showed the importance of always monitoring the epidemiology of all notifiable diseases to enable prompt action by competent authorities to limit their spread to the community.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00392"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142706950","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":"Evaluating the performance of a virtual platform ‘T-BOM’ for mentorship in tropical diseases research among early career scientists: Insights from a pilot in Nigeria and other resource-limited settings","authors":"Hammed Oladeji Mogaji ,&nbsp;Akan Itinah ,&nbsp;Oyinkansola Suliat Fadiji ,&nbsp;Olamide Olaitan Omitola ,&nbsp;Tawkalitu Eniola Mogaji ,&nbsp;Olajide Murtala Keshinro ,&nbsp;Falilat Eniola Mogaji ,&nbsp;Mahmud Umar Ali ,&nbsp;Moses Aikins ,&nbsp;Franklin N. Glozah ,&nbsp;Dako-Gyeke Phyllis ,&nbsp;Uwem Friday Ekpo","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00393","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00393","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Research mentorship plays a crucial role in advancing science. However, there are limited virtual platforms for cultivating mentorship among early career infectious diseases researchers in resource challenged settings. This study reports the findings from the utilization of a recently developed virtual mentorship platform, including its achievements, challenges and needs.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We developed a web-based application called Top-Bottom Open Mentorship (TBOM) freely accessible at <span><span>www.tbommodel.com</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>. The platform hosts mentors and allows mentees to send connection requests. In this paper, we present the utilization of this platform, including the opportunities and challenges encountered during the first year of implementation. Utilization data was generated monthly, while opportunities and challenges were captured using a users' perception survey. Data were analyzed in R software and summarized thematically as appropriate.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Between October 2022 and November 2023, the platform registered 81 users, comprising 63 mentees [54.3 % males, 75 % graduate students] from five countries [Nigeria, Cameroon, Brazil, Sudan, and Ghana], and 18 mentors [78 % males] from six countries [Nigeria, USA, Cameroon, Kenya, Brazil, and Tanzania]. Platform engagement increased from 19.4 % (7 users out of 36 who registered) to 51 % (41 users out of 81 who registered) over the year. Also, a total of 16 mentorship cycles were completed, with 9 currently running. Mentees reported having access to job opportunities, enhanced skills in writing, time management, and grant sourcing, and improved research prospects. However, challenges identified include time zone differences, limited number of mentors, mentee's readiness, and associated internet connection issues.</div></div><div><h3>Interpretation</h3><div>The achievements of T-BOM over a period of one-year are challenged by intrinsic factors from both mentees and mentors, as well as erratic internet services in resource-limited settings. While the platform offers significant opportunities for improving research mentorship, these challenges need to be carefully addressed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00393"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142706951","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 ,&nbsp;Benjamin Tinkitina ,&nbsp;Moses Arinaitwe ,&nbsp;Edridah M. Tukahebwa ,&nbsp;Alfred Mubangizi ,&nbsp;Jorge Cano Ortega ,&nbsp;Honorat Zoure ,&nbsp;Pauline N. Mwinzi ,&nbsp;Boniface Kinvi ,&nbsp;Amadou Garba Djirmay ,&nbsp;Sammy Njenga ,&nbsp;Humphrey D. Mazigo","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00394","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00394","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>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.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00394"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-11-01","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":"Species richness and abundance of wild tsetse flies collected from selected human-wildlife-livestock interface in Tanzania","authors":"Filbert E. Mdee ,&nbsp;Venance T. Msoffe ,&nbsp;Eliakunda M. Mafie ,&nbsp;Ladslaus L. Mnyone","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00389","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00389","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The successful control of tsetse flies largely depends on understanding of the species available and abundance. This study assessed the species richness, abundance and apparent density of wild collected tsetse flies from selected human-wildlife-livestock interface in Tanzania. Seasonal trapping using baited NZI, Pyramidal and Biconical traps was done across selected wards. Traps were set at 200 m apart, emptied after every 24 h then rotated to the next sites after 72 h. Collected flies were identified morphologically and letter confirmed using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Only two <em>Glossina</em> species; <em>Glossina pallidipes</em> (<em>n</em> = 371; 47.32 %) and <em>Glossina morsitans morsitans</em> (<em>n</em> = 413; 52.68 %) were identified. Among them, 96 flies (80 Female, 16 Male) were blood fed; 57(48 Female and 9 Male) <em>G. pallidipes</em> and 39(32 Female and 7 Male) <em>G.m. morsitans</em>. Tsetse fly abundance varied across wards (χ² = 4.597, df = 1, <em>p</em> = 0.032), villages (χ² = 9.491, df = 3, <em>p</em> = 0.023), habitats (χ² = 17.239, df = 2, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), months (χ² = 13.507, df = 3, <em>p</em> = 0.004) and deployed traps (χ² = 6.348, df = 2, <em>p</em> = 0.04). About 78.82 % of the total catch occurred in Kisaki ward (<em>n</em> = 618; p &lt; 0.001) and 21.17 % (<em>n</em> = 166; p = 0.032) in Bwakila chini. Similarly, 62.37 % of the catch occurred in Mbojoge village. NZI traps (<em>n</em> = 422; 54 %; 4.98 FTD) were most successful traps. Moreover, 78.06 % of the catch occurred in bushed grassland habitat (<em>n</em> = 612; 55.41 FTD) while 5.48 % in farmland (<em>n</em> = 43; 7.17 FTD). This study recommends NZI and Pyramidal traps for tsetse flies control at the interface and proposes wet season as appropriate time for successful trapping of the flies. Finally, it attracts a need for assessing tsetse flies' blood meal sources and the infection status to establish the prevalence to inform existing trypanosome control programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00389"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142538839","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":"Epidemiology, risk factors and vector density of trypanosomosis in cattle in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Melkie Dagnaw Fenta ,&nbsp;Atsede Solomon Mebratu ,&nbsp;Kalkidan Getnet ,&nbsp;Moges Maru ,&nbsp;Bemrew Admassu Mengistu","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Bovine trypanosomosis remains a major barrier to livestock productivity, agricultural progress, and socioeconomic development in Ethiopia's large tsetse belt regions, threatening 70 million cattle. Therefore, this review examined published literature from the last ten years to estimate the pooled prevalence, risk factors, and vector density of bovine trypanosomosis. This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, using PubMed, Web of Science, HINARI, Google, and Google Scholar. Pooled prevalence and risk factors were calculated with a random effects model in R software, with a 95 % confidence interval. This meta-analysis included research published after 2015 on trypanosomosis in Ethiopian cattle, where <em>Trypanosoma</em> was classified at least to the genus level. Studies on other species, lacking specific prevalence data and published before 2015 were excluded.</div></div><div><h3><strong>Result</strong>s</h3><div>A total of 26 articles were included in this meta-analysis. The overall pooled proportion of bovine Trypanosomosis cases was 9 % (95 % CI: 8–9 %). Considerable heterogeneity was observed across the included studies (I² = 94 %; <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). The highest pooled prevalence of trypanosomosis was reported in Amhara and Oromia (8 %), followed by Benishangul Gumuz (BSGR) (7 %). Based on the subspecies analysis, the highest pooled proportion was 65 % (95 % CI: 58 %–71 %) for <em>T. congolense</em> (I² = 81 %: <em>p</em> = 0.01), followed by 32 % for <em>T. vivax</em> (I² = 60 %: <em>P</em> = 0.61) and 19 % for <em>T. brucei</em> (95 % CI: 7 %–41 %). Among the risk factors, poor body condition, black coat color, and packed cell volume (PCV) were found to be significant for the development of this disease. Black-coated animals were 2.36 and 3.48 times more susceptible to trypanosomosis than red- and white-coated animals, respectively. According to the pooled odds ratio, animals in poor body condition were 2.82 times more likely to have bovine trypanosomosis. Animals infected with <em>Trypanosoma</em> were 18 times more likely to have a lower packed cell volume (PCV) compared to non-infected animals. The study found that Tsetse flies were responsible for 72.32 % of bovine trypanosomosis cases, with <em>Glossina pallidipes</em> and <em>Glossina tachinoides</em> being the most common species. The remaining 27.68 % were due to other biting insects. The study highlights the need for science-based risk mitigation strategies to control <em>Trypanosoma</em> infections, emphasizing the crucial role of Tsetse flies, particularly <em>G. pallidipes</em> and <em>G. tachinoides</em>, in transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00388"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142535418","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":"Extrinsic and intrinsic drivers of prevalence and abundance of hard-bodied ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) in one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius)","authors":"Rachid Chaibi ,&nbsp;Nora Mimoune ,&nbsp;Farouk Benaceur ,&nbsp;Latifa Stambouli ,&nbsp;Lamine Hamida ,&nbsp;Rabah Khedim ,&nbsp;Radhwane Saidi ,&nbsp;Mohammed Hocine Benaissa ,&nbsp;Hicham Gouzi ,&nbsp;Souad Neffar ,&nbsp;Haroun Chenchouni","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00387","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00387","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Ticks are ectoparasites and can be vectors of a wide range of pathogens, posing significant health risks to livestock. In the Sahara Desert of Algeria, particularly among one-humped camels (<em>Camelus dromedarius</em>), there is a need to better understand the factors influencing tick infestation patterns to improve livestock management and health outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, intensity, and abundance of hard-bodied ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) among dromedaries, examining both intrinsic factors (sex, age, coat color) and extrinsic variables (farming systems, vegetation types, climate zones, and elevation) that might influence tick infestation in this region.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Ticks were collected from 286 dromedaries across nine sites in the pre-Saharan regions of Algeria, with elevations ranging from 736 m to 980 m. The sampled camels, which ranged in age from 6 days to 21 years, were examined for tick infestations. The ticks were identified through macroscopic and microscopic methods, and their abundance was analyzed in relation to the camels' characteristics and environmental factors. Three breeding systems were recognized: extensive, intensive, and mixed.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 980 ticks were collected, with <em>Hyalomma dromedarii</em> Koch, 1844 being the most abundant species (553 specimens), followed by <em>Hyalomma impeltatum</em> Schulze &amp; Schlottke, 1930 (393 specimens), and <em>Hyalomma excavatum</em> Koch, 1844 (34 specimens). <em>H. dromedarii</em> showed a preference for parasitizing brown-coated dromedaries and exhibited significantly higher infestation levels during spring (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). No significant association was observed between tick infestation and the camels' age or sex (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05). However, the farming system had a significant impact on tick abundance, with extensive and mixed systems showing higher tick burdens compared to intensive systems (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Additionally, the vegetation type, climate zone, and foraging habitat elevation were found to significantly influence tick densities and prevalence.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>This study provides essential insights into the tick infestation dynamics in dromedaries in drylands of Algeria. It highlights the influence of coat color, seasonality, and farming practices on tick burden, with brown-coated camels being more susceptible during the spring. The findings underline the importance of considering both intrinsic and extrinsic factors when developing effective tick control strategies, especially for camels raised in extensive or mixed farming systems in diverse arid rangelands. Future research should expand the scope to cover other arid regions in North Africa for a comprehensive understanding of tick-host dynamics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00387"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142535417","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":"An update on Leishmania martiniquensis infections: Transmission, clinical characteristics, and treatment","authors":"Somayyeh Ahmadi ,&nbsp;Maryam Hataminejad ,&nbsp;Bahman Rahimi Esboei ,&nbsp;Seyed Abdollah Hosseini ,&nbsp;Mahdi Fakhar","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00386","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00386","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Leishmaniasis, caused by intracellular protozoa of the <em>Leishmania</em> genus, continues to be a global health issue, with approximately 700,000 to 1 million new cases occur annually worldwide. The disease is transmitted via the bite of infected female sand flies of the genus <em>Phlebotomus</em>, resulting in a range of symptoms known as cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral leishmaniasis. The species <em>Leishmania (Mundinia) martiniquensis</em>, discovered in 1995, has been linked to cases in individuals with HIV, presenting with diverse clinical pictures. Interestingly, biting midges, not sandflies, has proved to serve as its potentially biological vector. This study focuses on understanding the transmission, clinical aspects, and effective treatment of L. <em>martiniquensis</em> infections.</div><div>A comprehensive search strategy was employed to identify relevant published papers on the epidemiology, transmission, clinical characteristics, and treatment of L. <em>martiniquensis</em> up to August 2024. The clinical manifestations encompass localized cutaneous leishmaniasis, disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis, mucocutaneous leishmaniasis, and visceral leishmaniasis. Leishmaniasis is associated with comorbidities such as inadequate nutrition, population displacement, and reduced immunity. Risk factors for <em>Leishmania</em> infection include the presence of domestic animals, age, gender, and environmental factors. Amphotericin B deoxycholate (AmB) is the main treatment. Combination therapy with allicin and andrographolide may reduce AmB side effects. Recent research investigates other treatments including 8-hydroxyquinoline, which works synergistically with AmB against L. <em>martiniquensis</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00386"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142535416","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":"A randomized controlled trial of Tickoff® (Metarhizium anisopliae ICIPE 7) for control of tick infestations and transmission of tick-borne infections in extensively grazed zebu cattle in coastal Kenya","authors":"Joseph Wang’ang’a Oundo ,&nbsp;Shewit Kalayou ,&nbsp;Gerrit Gort ,&nbsp;Gebbiena M. Bron ,&nbsp;Constantianus J.M. Koenraadt ,&nbsp;Quirine ten Bosch ,&nbsp;Daniel Masiga","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The entomopathogenic fungus <em>Metarhizium anisopliae</em> isolate ICIPE 7 is being developed as an eco-friendly alternative to chemical acaricides in managing natural tick infestation on livestock. Its impact on tick infestation and tick-borne infections in cattle under natural conditions are yet unclear. We conducted a randomized controlled field trial to assess the safety and effects of Tickoff® (a formulation of <em>M. anisopliae</em> isolate ICIPE 7) and the chemical acaricide Triatix® on tick infestation and incidence of <em>Anaplasma marginale</em> and <em>Theileria parva</em> in extensively grazed zebu cattle in coastal Kenya. A total of 217 eligible herds comprising 1459 intent-to-treat zebu cattle were enrolled from 12 villages. The herds were randomly assigned in a 1:1:1 ratio to Tickoff®, Triatix®, or Tickoff® excipients. Tick counts, treatment administrations, and adverse events were registered every two weeks for seven months. The mortality of ticks collected from treated cattle was monitored in vitro. Infections with <em>A. marginale</em> and <em>T. parva</em> were monitored every two months. No adverse events were reported in either treatment group. Tickoff® did not significantly affect tick infestation (<em>p</em> = 0.869) or infection incidence (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05) compared to excipients. Triatix® significantly reduced tick infestation (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and incidence of <em>T. parva</em> (<em>p</em> = 0.042), but not <em>A. marginale</em> (<em>p</em> = 0.509) compared to the reference Tickoff®. In ticks that were removed from cattle, Tickoff® demonstrated significant pathogenicity in vitro relative to excipients (hazard ratio: 8.50, 95 % CI: 4.67–15.47). Fungus growth and sporulation were also observed on tick cadavers from Tickoff®, but not from excipients. While Tickoff® did not impact tick counts, its delayed, but significant effect on tick mortality may hinder onward pathogen transmission and give rise to indirect (i.e., to untreated animals) epidemiological effects, that were not picked up with this study design. Additionally, adverse environmental conditions resulted in low tick abundance and pathogen circulation towards the end of the study period, reducing the power of the study. This work re-emphasizes the challenges of randomized controlled field trials and the complexity of assessing the impact of vector control products on both direct and indirect impacts on pathogen transmission.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":"27 ","pages":"Article e00384"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142425219","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}