Parasite Epidemiology and Control最新文献

{"title":"Seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii and potential tick vectors infesting domestic ruminants and community perception of the disease in pastoral areas of south Omo zone, southern Ethiopia","authors":"Senait Getachew , Bersissa Kumsa , Yitbarek Getachew , Getachew Kinfe , Balako Gumi , Tesfaye Rufael , Bekele Megersa","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00369","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00369","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Q fever is a worldwide occurring neglected zoonotic disease with great economic importance. The etiological agent, <em>Coxiella burnetii,</em> is a bacterium usually associated with subclinical infections in livestock, but may also cause reproductive pathology and spontaneous abortions in artiodactyl species including goats, sheep and cattle which are deemed to be the primary reservoirs of this disease.</p></div><div><h3>Aims</h3><p>The present cross-sectional and questionnaire survey was undertaken in three districts of the South Omo zone with the aims to comprehend the community perception of livestock keepers and professionals about the disease, estimate the seroprevalence of <em>Coxiella burnetii</em> (<em>C. burnetii</em>) in cattle and small ruminants and to determine the species of potential tick vectors of <em>C. burnetii</em> infesting cattle, sheep and goats.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>A standard questionnaire was used to assess the community perception of livestock keepers and animal health professionals in the area about Q fever. Sera samples were collected from 1350 ruminants comprising 450 cattle, 450 goats and 450 sheep to detect <em>C. burnetii</em> antibodies using the ELISA technique. Furthermore, a total of 279 cattle, 197 goats and 73 sheep were examined for the presence of ticks, and overall, 2720 ticks were collected (1299 from cattle, 1020 from goats and 401 from sheep) and identified to the species level using morphologically identification keys.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Findings of the study indicated that 43% of animal owners were aware of the main symptoms of the disease while the remaining 57% did not notice these symptoms in their animals. Additionally, majority of animal health professionals 76.2% in the area reported they were familiar with the causative agent of Q fever, while 23.8% expressed uncertainty regarding the cause of coxiellosis. An overall seroprevalence of <em>C. burnetii</em> of 37.6% in cattle (37.4% in female and 37.8% in male cattle) and 28.7% in small ruminants was recorded (which is significantly higher in goats than in sheep). The study indicated statistically significantly higher seroprevalence of <em>C. burnetii</em> (49.8%) in cattle infested with ticks than in those cattle free of ticks (24.2%), with three times higher seropositivity (OR = 2.97, <em>p</em> = 0.000) as compared to those cattle free of ticks (24.2%). Similarly, statistically significantly higher seroprevalence of <em>C. burnetii</em> was recorded in both sheep and goats infested with ticks (43.6%) as compared to those animals without ticks (22.9%), with the former being twice as likely to test seropositive (OR = 2.15, <em>p</em> = 0.000). A total of nine different tick species were identified, namely <em>Amblyomma variegatum</em> (<em>Am. variegatum</em>) with 26.3% (342; 217 males, 101 females and 24 nymphs), <em>Amblyomma cohaerens</em> (<em>Am. cohaerens</em>) with 47.96% (370 males, ","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000333/pdfft?md5=8897b5bd8c2742a7e5381b0d5002b9df&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000333-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141710222","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":"Prevalence and factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections among preschool-aged children in Ethiopia: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Abayeneh Girma,&nbsp;Amere Genet","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00368","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00368","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) pose a serious public health threat across the globe, particularly in children residing in poor and most deprived communities like Ethiopia. Many published articles were available separately, and a detailed nationwide review was essential to combine all the results to draw a conclusion and avoid any informational conflicts, ambiguities, or misunderstandings. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to provide pooled estimates for the individually available data on IPIs and its determinant factors among preschool-aged children (PSAC) in Ethiopia. Published and unpublished articles from various electronic databases were accessed using MeSH terms and keywords. <em>I</em>² and sensitivity analysis tests were used to assess potential sources of heterogeneity across studies. Funnel plot, Begg's, and Egger's regression tests were used to check publication bias. A random-effects model with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to calculate the pooled estimate of IPI. In this meta-analysis, a total of 14,994 PSAC were included in the 32 eligible studies. The pooled national prevalence of IPIs among PSAC was 32.52% (95% CI: 26.24, 38.80). Of these, single and mixed infections contribute 31.08% and 1.44%, respectively. According to the subgroup analysis, the highest prevalence was observed in simple random studies (39.61%; 95% CI: 29.19, 50.03), the Tigray region (58.00%; 95% CI: 54.10, 61.90), studies conducted in &gt;384 (39.47%; 95% CI: 27.73, 51.20) sample sizes, cross-sectional studies (32.76%), community-based studies (42.33%; 95% CI: 31.93, 52.74), and from 2005 to 2016 (34.53%; 95% CI: 20.13, 48.92) study periods. Intestinal parasites were significantly associated with eating raw fruits and vegetables (aOR = 3.21; 95%CI: 1.11–5.31). The high prevalence of STHs observed in this systematic review and meta-analysis underscores the need for appropriate control and prevention strategies suitable for PSAC in Ethiopia.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000321/pdfft?md5=a6da281776723d34e15ef41ff21fdd46&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000321-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141606013","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":"Plasmodium falciparum transmission based on merozoite surface protein 1 (msp1) and 2 (msp2) gene diversity and antibody responses in Ibadan, Nigeria","authors":"Tolulope A. Oyewole ,&nbsp;Nurat O. Mohammed ,&nbsp;Bright O. Osarenren ,&nbsp;Muyideen K. Tijani ,&nbsp;Kristina E.M. Persson ,&nbsp;Mofolusho O. Falade","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00366","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00366","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p>Nigeria is a major contributor to the global malaria burden. The genetic diversity of malaria parasite populations as well as antibody responses of individuals in affected areas against antigens of the parasite can reveal the transmission intensity, a key information required to control the disease. This work was carried out to determine the allelic frequency of highly polymorphic <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> genes and antibody responses against schizont crude antigens in an area of Ibadan, Nigeria.</p></div><div><h3>Materials and methods</h3><p>Blood was collected from 147 individuals with symptoms suspected to be malaria. Malaria infection was determined using a rapid diagnostic test (RDT), and <em>msp1</em> and <em>msp2</em> were genotyped by a nested PCR method. In addition, levels of IgG directed against <em>P. falciparum</em> FCR3S1.2 schizont extract was measured in ELISA.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>Approximately 25% (36/147) were positive for a <em>P. falciparum</em> infection in RDT, but only 32 of the positive samples were successfully genotyped. MAD20 was the most prevalent and K1 the least prevalent of the <em>msp1</em> alleles. For <em>msp2</em>, FC27 was more prevalent than 3D7. The mean multiplicities of infection (MOI) were 1.9 and 1.7 for <em>msp1</em> and <em>msp2</em>, respectively. IgG levels correlated positively with age, however there was no difference in median antibody levels between RDT-positive and RDT-negative individuals.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>Low MOI has before been correlated with low/intermediate transmission intensity, however, in this study, similar levels of <em>P. falciparum</em>-specific antibodies between infected and non-infected individuals point more towards a high level of exposure and a need for further measures to control the spread of malaria in this area.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000308/pdfft?md5=f57dfc101127ce8f9d117e5332045676&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000308-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141596696","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":"Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis among African children: A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Sara Kalavani ,&nbsp;Sara Matin ,&nbsp;Vahid Rahmanian ,&nbsp;Ahmad Meshkin ,&nbsp;Bahareh Bahadori Mazidi ,&nbsp;Ali Taghipour ,&nbsp;Amir Abdoli","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00365","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00365","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><p><em>Giardia duodenalis</em> (<em>G. duodenalis</em>) is one of the major causes of diarrhea among children. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the prevalence of <em>G. duodenalis</em> and associated risk factors among African children.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>We searched online databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) as well as the Google Scholar search engine for studies measured the prevalence of <em>G. duodenalis</em> among African children, published between 1 January 2000 and 15 March 2022. Due to high heterogeneity among the included studies, a random-effects meta-analysis model was employed to estimate pooled prevalence and 95% confidence intervals (CI).</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>A total of 114 articles from 29 African countries met the inclusion criteria. The pooled prevalence of <em>G. duodenalis</em> infection among African children was estimated as 18.3% (95% CI: 16.5–20.2). The highest and lowest pooled prevalence of <em>G. duodenalis</em> infection were estimated in Niger and Cameroon as 65.1% (55–75.2) and 0.08% (0.02–1.05), respectively. Considering the type of study population, the highest prevalence was related to, iron-deficient children 65.2% (61.3–69.1), handicapped children 30.4% (18.3–42.4), HIV infected children 25.7% (11.2–40.2) and displaced children 20.2% (16.5–23.9).</p></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><p>Giardiasis is common among African children, hence, prevention and control scheme of this protozoan in children should be considered by health officials and health policymakers, especially in African countries where prevalence is highest.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000291/pdfft?md5=4b3c5ad8ffcfb615661fa4a3ad312b79&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000291-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141594460","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":"Multilocus genetic analysis of Trypanosoma cruzi supports non-domestic intrusion into domestic transmission in an endemic region of Colombia","authors":"Omar Cantillo-Barraza ,&nbsp;Jeiczon Jaimes-Dueñez ,&nbsp;Paula L. Marcet ,&nbsp;Omar Triana-Chavez ,&nbsp;Andrés Gómez-Palacio","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00364","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00364","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>, the causative agent of Chagas disease, is primarily transmitted to humans by hematophagous bugs of the Triatominae subfamily. In the Colombian Caribbean region, particularly on Margarita Island, <em>T. cruzi</em> transmission is highly endemic and associated with vectors such as <em>Triatoma maculata</em> and <em>Rhodnius pallescens</em>. Additionally, <em>T. cruzi</em>-infected <em>Didelphis marsupialis</em> are commonly found in close proximity to human dwellings. Given the complex transmission dynamics involving various domestic and non-domestic hosts, this study aimed to analyze 145 <em>T. cruzi</em> clones from twelve strains isolated from <em>T. maculata, R. pallescens</em>, and <em>D. marsupialis</em> using spliced leader intergenic region (SL-IR) sequences and nine polymorphic microsatellite loci. The results indicate the presence of a single polymorphic <em>T. cruzi</em> population, suggesting sustained local transmission dynamics between triatomines adapted to <em>A. butyracea</em> forests and peridomestic areas inhabited by synanthropic mammal reservoir such as <em>D. marsupialis</em>. Notably, this population appears to lack substructure, highlighting the importance of adopting an alternative eco-health approach to complement traditional chemical vector control methods for more effective and sustainable interruption of transmission.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2024-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240567312400028X/pdfft?md5=fb058d2069ac6d31b1b79ed2c7606624&pid=1-s2.0-S240567312400028X-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141434062","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":"Genetic diversity of the PvMSP-3α gene in Plasmodium vivax isolates circulating in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India","authors":"Ram Das,&nbsp;Kapil Vashisht,&nbsp;Deepali Savargaonkar,&nbsp;L.L. Mercy Aparna,&nbsp;Ajay Nayak,&nbsp;Kailash C. Pandey","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00362","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00362","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Malaria is still a public health problem in tropical countries like India; major malaria parasite species are <em>Plasmodium falciparum</em> and <em>P. vivax</em>. Of which, <em>P. vivax</em> is responsible for ∼40% of the malaria burden at least in the Indian scenario. Unfortunately, there is limited data on the population structure and genetic diversity of <em>P. vivax</em> parasites in India. In this study, we investigated the genetic diversity of <em>P. vivax</em> strains in the South-west district, Delhi and, Nuh district, Haryana [National Capital Region (NCR)], using a polymorphic marker- <em>P. vivax</em> merozoite surface protein-3α (<em>Pv</em>MSP-3α) gene. Dried blood spots from microscopically confirmed <em>P. vivax</em> patients were used for investigation of the <em>Pv</em>MSP-3α gene. PCR-RFLP was performed on the <em>Pv</em>MSP-3α gene to investigate the genotypes and allelic variability with <em>Hha</em>I and <em>Alu</em>I restriction enzymes. In total, 40 successfully PCR amplified <em>Pv</em>MSP-3α gene segments were subjected to RFLP analysis. Amplified products showed three different base pair size variations <em>viz.</em> genotype A in 31(77.5%), genotype B in 4(10%) and genotype C in 5(12.5%) <em>P. vivax</em> specimens. RFLP with <em>Hha</em>I and <em>Alu</em>I revealed 17 (H1-H17) and 25 (A1-A25) allelic variants, respectively. Interestingly, two similar sub-allelic variants, <em>ie.</em> H8 (with <em>Hha</em>I), and A4 (with <em>Alu</em>I) clustered within the rural area of Nuh district, Haryana in two samples. With this study, we propose to commission such type of genetic diversity analysis of <em>P. vivax</em> to investigate the circulating genotypes of the parasites from distinct geographical locations across India, that can have significant implications in understanding the population structures of <em>P. vivax</em>.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000266/pdfft?md5=18d826e84ec243fa38e6d30f7689f377&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000266-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141323748","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":"Community-Based Intervention and Its Effect on Decreasing the Prevalence of Urinary Schistosomiasis in an Al-Alaqa Male Primary school in Al-Alaqa Village White Nile State, Sudan","authors":"Hamza Hussain Ahmed Balola ,&nbsp;Eltayeb Abdelazeem Idress ,&nbsp;Mohammed Hassan Moreljwab ,&nbsp;Amani Mahmoud Fadul Mokhtar ,&nbsp;Murtada Mustafa Gabir Tia ,&nbsp;Mohammed F. Alharbi ,&nbsp;Abdalla Mohamed Ahmed Osman ,&nbsp;D.S. Veerabhadra Swamy ,&nbsp;Abubakr Ali Elamin MohamedAhmed ,&nbsp;Mohamed E. Elnageeb","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00363","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00363","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Aim of study</h3><p>This study assessed the effectiveness of community-based interventions, health awareness, and treatment in controlling schistosomiasis among schoolchildren to improve policies and strategies.</p></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><p>This pre- and post-intervention study was conducted in an Al-Alaqa male primary school, and systematic simple random sampling was used to investigate 237 participants, which resulted in 132 (55.7%) infected students. The infected and noninfected students (580 students) were treated by delivering the praziquantel doses immediately after the results; after 4 weeks, the infected students received the second dose. After 6 months, the rates were investigated again, and all procedures were performed after the height and weight of the students were recorded according to the protocol. Health education was provided for all participants using posters and leaflets. The data were collected via a questionnaire and urine test. The data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), and ANOVA and t<em>-</em>tests were used to determine the significant differences between the variables.</p></div><div><h3>Results</h3><p>A urine investigation was conducted on 237 students; 132 (55.7%) had positive results which showed marked improvement and the prevalence in the school decreased to 3.8% after the intervention. The researcher found strong evidence of a relationship between the prevalence of schistosomiasis before the intervention and availability of water in the home (chi-square = 18.331, df = 1, <em>p</em> value = 000). ANOVA showed strong statistical significance (0.002 and F = 6.564) between the mean score of student age and reasons behind going to the pond.</p></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><p>This study concluded that mass chemotherapy and treatment were highly effective when associated with a health program intervention. Mass chemotherapy alone may reduce the prevalence of disease for a short time.</p></div><div><h3>Recommendation</h3><p>Community-based interventions should be applied in schools with an emphasis on health education programs through the training of schoolteachers on investigations for schistosomiasis, treatment with praziquantel, and the provision of materials (microscopes, reagents, and drugs).</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000278/pdfft?md5=96bb3e7c2097c830dac0f24b545e14c1&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000278-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141323747","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":"Factors influencing stunted growth in children: A study in Bandung regency focusing on a deworming program","authors":"Riyadi Adrizain ,&nbsp;Lia Faridah ,&nbsp;Nisa Fauziah ,&nbsp;Afiat Berbudi ,&nbsp;Deviyanthi Nur Afifah ,&nbsp;Djatnika Setiabudi ,&nbsp;Budi Setiabudiawan","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The prevalence of neglected tropical diseases, specifically those caused by soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) and other parasites that infest the intestine as part of their life cycle, remains a problem in Indonesia. We assessed the effects of deworming programs and socioeconomic and ecological factors on the incidence rate of infections with STHs and other parasites in an urban area of the Bandung Regency. We recruited 361 children with stunted growth who met the inclusion criteria, and 48 of those children were at high risk of STH infection. The study was conducted between September 2020 and September 2021. We collected possible socioeconomic factors influencing the incidence rate of infections. We found the incidence rate of STH infections among the children with stunted growth to be 3.6%. We confirmed infections with <em>Cyclospora</em> and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> after a Ziehl-Nieelsen stool smear examination in two of the 48 children at risk of infection. We found 43.75% of the children had short stature and weight below the normal limits, while stunting and severe stunting were associated with <em>Ascaris lumbricoides</em> infection (44.70%, <em>p</em> = 0.035). Parents of children with stunted and severely stunted growth were more likely to have a low education level, lack knowledge about deworming program, and to be earning a low income. The mother's occupation had a particularly strong influence on the severity of the stunting (89.58%, <em>p</em> = 0.012). Our results show that deworming programs can affect the growth and development of children and that socioeconomic and ecological factors also play a role.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000254/pdfft?md5=e95471cd7ad587ee21159a2628f1ff5e&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000254-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141279589","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 epidemiology and multilocus genotyping of Giardia duodenalis in individuals attending major public hospitals in Shiraz, southwestern Iran: A public health concern","authors":"Ali Asghari ,&nbsp;Farzad Mahdavi ,&nbsp;Kambiz Karimi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Reza Mohammadi ,&nbsp;Laya Shamsi ,&nbsp;Qasem Asgari ,&nbsp;Mohammad Hossein Motazedian ,&nbsp;Saeed Shahabi ,&nbsp;Alireza Sadrebazzaz","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00354","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00354","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><em>Giardia duodenalis</em> is one of the most common causes of waterborne disease worldwide, and is often associated with outbreaks of diarrhea in areas with poor sanitation and hygiene. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and genetic diversity of <em>G. duodenalis</em> assemblages in individuals attending major public hospitals in Shiraz, southwestern Iran. From August 2022 to May 2023, a total of 614 stool samples from individuals were collected and initially examined for <em>G. duodenalis</em> cysts using parasitological techniques, sucrose flotation, and microscopy. Microscopy-positive samples were validated by SSU-PCR amplification of the parasite DNA. A multilocus genotyping (MLG) scheme, which focused on the triose phosphate isomerase (<em>tpi</em>) and the glutamate dehydrogenase (<em>gdh</em>) genes, was employed for genotyping purposes. <em>G. duodenalis</em> cysts were found in 7.5% (46/614) and 8.5% (52/614) of samples through microscopy and SSU-PCR, respectively. Successful amplification and sequencing results were obtained for 77.3% (17/22) and 45.5% (10/22) of the infected samples at the <em>tpi</em> and <em>gdh</em> loci, respectively. MLG data for the two loci were available for only five samples. Out of the 22 samples genotyped at any loci, 54.5% (12/22) were identified as assemblage A, while 45.5% (10/22) were identified as assemblage B. AII was the most predominant sub-assemblage identified [54.5% (12/22)], followed by BIII [27% (6/22)], discordant BIII/BIV [13.6% (3/22)], and BIV [4.5% (1/22)]. In the present study, no assemblages suited for non-human animal hosts (e.g., C<img>F) were detected. This suggests that the transmission of human giardiasis in Shiraz is primarily anthroponotic. Further molecular-based analyses are necessary to confirm and expand upon these findings. These analyses will also help determine the presence and public health importance of the parasite in environmental samples, such as drinking water.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000187/pdfft?md5=8c092d4d1678c88865314969399920b6&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000187-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140817024","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":"Assessing the potential impact of livestock immunisation and acaricide use on controlling the spread of East Coast fever","authors":"Mirirai Chinyoka ,&nbsp;Gift Muchatibaya ,&nbsp;Prosper Jambwa ,&nbsp;Mhosisi Masocha ,&nbsp;Steady Mushayabasa","doi":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00357","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parepi.2024.e00357","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Immunisation of livestock with high-quality vaccines and the use of acaricides are highly ranked tick control strategies worldwide. However, the effects of coupling livestock immunisation and acaricide control on mitigating the spread of East Coast Fever (ECF) is not well understood. Effective strategies to curb the disease require an understanding of the influence of control strategies on ECF dynamics. This paper presents a new mathematical model for ECF in ticks and livestock to analyze the effect of livestock immunisation and acaricide control on preventing ECF spread. Our research is focused on examining how vaccine efficacy, inoculation rate, and acaricide efficacy affect disease progression. Our finding is that acaricide control alone may not be sufficient to stop the spread of ECF, even if it has an 80% effectiveness all the time. However, by pairing acaricide control with livestock vaccination, disease transmission is significantly reduced and elimination is possible under certain circumstances. Overall, results show that it is crucial to understand the influence of combining control strategies to mitigate the spread of this devastating livestock disease and enhance decision making among policymakers and livestock keepers.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":37873,"journal":{"name":"Parasite Epidemiology and Control","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2024-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405673124000217/pdfft?md5=fda6b85e438eb6b0c5f9bf4fa8d66bf2&pid=1-s2.0-S2405673124000217-main.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141034743","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}