Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clinical isolates in Jordan","authors":"Abdel Rahman M. Zueter ,&nbsp;Hadeel Al Balawi ,&nbsp;Dua’a Al Balawi ,&nbsp;Mohammad Al-Tamimi ,&nbsp;Hana M. Sawan ,&nbsp;Reem Binsuwaidan ,&nbsp;Dalal Shquair ,&nbsp;Ali Abdelfattah ,&nbsp;Hafez Al-Momani ,&nbsp;Rana Abdelqader ,&nbsp;Taghrid Mharib","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107708","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107708","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Carbapenem-resistant <em>Acinetobacter baumannii</em> (CRAB) is a significant cause of severe nosocomial infections in intensive care units (ICUs) worldwide. Various genotyping methods have been employed to study the epidemiology of CRAB.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>To investigate the genetic diversity of CRAB clinical isolates and determine their relationships to previously reported genotypes in Jordan and the neighboring countries.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A total of 107 archived CRAB clinical isolates were reactivated and analyzed using the multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) protocol. Descriptive bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses were applied to the resulting sequence types (STs).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>MLST identified 11 STs, including three novel STs (ST2528, ST2529, and ST2530), five STs (ST2125, ST708, ST164, ST969, and ST717) were detected in Jordan for the first time, and three STs (ST2, ST600, and ST85) were previously reported in this country. The predominant ST was ST2125, followed by ST2, ST600, and ST85. In addition, while most alleles had been previously reported, three novel alleles (<em>fusA</em>444, <em>fusA</em>445, and <em>recA</em>502) were identified and annotated in PubMLST database. Quantitative bioinformatics analysis revealed a sequence diversity of 0.6 % to 1.6 %, with 1 to 6 polymorphic sites at the allelic genotype level. Phylogenetic analysis of novel and existing STs exhibited genetic relationships with one another and with local STs previously identified in PubMLST database.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>CRAB MLST underscores the importance of characterizing this pathogen’s prevalence, monitoring its outbreak, and improving the clinical management of CRAB-associated infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107708"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144480425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Trichinella spiralis excretory-secretory protein alleviates autoimmune thyroiditis by modulating Th17/Treg balance via the STAT3/STAT5 pathway","authors":"Qiuyi Xu,&nbsp;Xinzhi Lin,&nbsp;Liying Song,&nbsp;Yafang Ren,&nbsp;Xueqi Bai,&nbsp;Xiyu Zhao,&nbsp;Yuyan Wang,&nbsp;Xinyi Si,&nbsp;Ruike Huang,&nbsp;Jingwen Li,&nbsp;Haoyu Zeng,&nbsp;Shaorong Long,&nbsp;Jing Cui,&nbsp;Zhong Quan Wang,&nbsp;Ruodan Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107706","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107706","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an organ-specific autoimmune disease mediated by T cells. Patients with HT are generally treated with lifelong thyroid hormone therapy. <em>Trichinella spiralis</em> is recognized as a \"master\" of immunomodulation, but the immunomodulatory effect of its excretory-secretory (ES) proteins on HT remains unclear. This study established an experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) mouse model to analyze the effects of <em>T. spiralis</em> muscle larvae (ML) ES protein intervention on thyroid pathological changes, immune cell balance and cytokine levels. The results demonstrated that ML ES protein significantly alleviated thyroid follicular destruction and inflammatory cell infiltration in EAT mice, reducing thyroid hormone and thyroid autoantibody levels. Flow cytometry analysis revealed that ES protein intervention decreased the proportion of Th17 cells, and increased the proportion of Treg cells in EAT mice. The qPCR results indicated that ES protein down-regulated mRNA expression of IL-17A and RORγt while up-regulating IL-10 and Foxp3 in EAT mouse spleen and thyroid tissues. Serum ELISA detection showed a decrease in IL-17A, CCR6 and CCL20, and an increase in IL-10 in mice. In addition, ES protein significantly inhibited the expression of NLRP3 protein in thyroid tissue, modulated the STAT3/STAT5 signaling pathway, decreased STAT3 phosphorylation and increased STAT5 phosphorylation. rIL-17A administration reversed ES protein protective effects, exacerbating thyroid damage. In conclusion, <em>T. spiralis</em> ML ES protein regulates the Th17/Treg cell balance through the STAT3/STAT5 signaling pathway, inhibits the excessive IL-17A secretion and NLRP3 inflammasome activation, and mitigates thyroid inflammation in EAT mice. This research revealed that <em>T. spiralis</em> ML ES protein could be a potential candidate immunomodulation molecule and provides new experimental evidence for the treatment of HT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107706"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Detection and isolation of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tarentolae in sand flies from a canine leishmaniasis endemic area","authors":"Marcos Antonio Bezerra-Santos ,&nbsp;Alessia Ricci ,&nbsp;Mariaelisa Carbonara ,&nbsp;Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan ,&nbsp;Oana Gusatoaia ,&nbsp;Natalizia Palazzo ,&nbsp;Petr Volf ,&nbsp;Domenico Otranto","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107704","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107704","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sand flies are blood feeding insects known as vectors of <em>Leishmania</em> spp. worldwide, with <em>Leishmania infantum</em> being the most relevant species in Southern Europe. The sympatric occurrence of <em>L. infantum,</em> which causes canine leishmaniasis (CanL), along with the reptile-associated <em>Leishmania tarentolae</em>, triggered the interest to investigate their transmission dynamics in sand fly vectors. Sand flies were collected over two consecutive years (2023–2024) in a CanL endemic area using CDC light traps and were morphologically identified. Female specimens were either screened for <em>Leishmania</em> spp. DNA by quantitative PCR (qPCR) or dissected alive for microscopic detection of flagellates. A total of 3477 sand flies (2076 males and 1401 females) were collected, and the most prevalent species were <em>Sergentomyia minuta</em> (<em>n</em> = 2379) and <em>Phlebotomus perniciosus</em> (<em>n</em> = 1020), followed by <em>Phlebotomus neglectus</em> (<em>n</em> = 44)<em>, Phlebotomus perfiliewi</em> (<em>n</em> = 12)<em>,</em> and<em>Phlebotomus papatasi</em> (<em>n</em> = 2). Promastigotes were observed microscopically in 13 <em>S. minuta</em> and one <em>P. perniciosus</em>, with <em>L. infantum</em> isolated from the latter. The qPCR analysis revealed that 50.0 % (<em>n</em> = 55/110) and 1.8 % (<em>n</em> = 2/110) of the <em>S. minuta</em> pools scored positive for <em>L. tarentolae</em> and <em>L. infantum</em>, respectively, whereas 25.0 % (<em>n</em> = 3/12) of <em>P. perniciosus</em> pools were positive for <em>L. infantum</em>. Among the individually tested engorged female sand flies, <em>L. tarentolae</em> and <em>L. infantum</em> were amplified from 35.8 % (<em>n</em> = 24/67) and 3.0 % (<em>n</em> = 2/67) of <em>S. minuta</em>, respectively, while 15.5 % (<em>n</em> = 9/58) of the <em>Phlebotomus</em> spp. (i.e., eight <em>P. perniciosus</em> and one <em>Phlebotomus</em> sp.) were positive for <em>L. infantum</em>. These findings confirm the co-circulation of <em>L. infantum</em> and <em>L. tarentolae</em> in sand flies, with a notably high detection rate of trypanosomatids in <em>S. minuta</em> through molecular and microscopic methods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107704"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Risk factors for wildlife-transmitted diseases in communities engaged in wildlife consumption– A case study on neotropical echinococcosis","authors":"María Fernanda Menajovsky ,&nbsp;Adrià San José ,&nbsp;Marcela Alvares Oliveira ,&nbsp;Joao Campos-Silva ,&nbsp;Pedro Pérez Peña ,&nbsp;José Eduard Hernández-Guevara ,&nbsp;Jhon Bosmediano ,&nbsp;Joe Saldaña ,&nbsp;Fernando Del Moral Sachetti ,&nbsp;Graciela Meza-Sanchez ,&nbsp;Xavier Rodó ,&nbsp;Pedro Mayor","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107701","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107701","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Neotropical echinococcosis (NE) is a neglected zoonotic disease in tropical Latin America caused by <em>Echinococcus vogeli</em>. This study analyzed behavioral factors influencing NE transmission across 52 settlements, including rural and urban sites (285 respondents) within its distribution range. Of the surveyed communities, cysts in pacas associated with <em>E. vogeli</em> were reported in 86.5 % of Amazonian rural communities, 75.0 % of Amazonian cities, and 75.0 % of non-Amazonian rural areas. However, only 43.7 % of respondents in Amazonian rural communities and 23.1 % in non-Amazonian rural communities perceived these lesions as dangerous. Discarded livers were often fed to dogs, particularly in Amazonian rural (62.0 %) and non-Amazonian rural (43.6 %) communities, perpetuating the parasite's cycle. Routine dog deworming was also infrequent in rural areas (13.1 % in Amazonian rural and 38.5 % in non-Amazonian rural communities) in comparison to Amazonian cities (72.7 %). Additionally, limited access to healthcare in rural regions likely delays diagnoses, worsening disease outcomes. Human activities, such as handling wild meat and feeding infected organs to dogs, are key to disease transmission. High-risk practices for <em>E. vogeli</em> transmission are significantly more frequent in rural communities. Preventive strategies should focus on wildlife handling and domestic animal sanitation to reduce NE and other zoonotic diseases related to the wild meat chain, especially in rural areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107701"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The cognitive and neurological implications of toxoplasma gondii infection: Evidence from a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Mahshid Kavakebian ,&nbsp;Tina Ghandali ,&nbsp;Hasti Nasiri ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Ramezani-Moghadam ,&nbsp;Saba Alizadeh ,&nbsp;Sara Alizadeh ,&nbsp;Melika Silakhor ,&nbsp;Mohamad Rajabi ,&nbsp;Amirali Mirmazhari ,&nbsp;Parham Asgarian ,&nbsp;Hosein Rahimi ,&nbsp;Mehdi Karimi ,&nbsp;Mahmood Moosazadeh","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107705","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107705","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, a neurotropic parasite, has been implicated in cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders, particularly Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and, to a lesser extent, Parkinson’s disease (PD). While frequently asymptomatic, latent infections can disrupt neurotransmitter systems, provoke chronic neuroinflammation, and impair neuronal metabolism—mechanisms that may accelerate cognitive deterioration. This systematic review and meta-analysis included 34 observational studies with over 24,000 participants, evaluating the association between <em>T. gondii</em> infection and cognitive outcomes in both AD and PD populations. Meta-analytical findings demonstrated a significant association between <em>T. gondii</em> infection and AD (log OR: 0.52; 95 % CI: 0.25–0.79), with pronounced impairments observed in global cognition, verbal fluency, and memory domains. In contrast, no statistically significant association was found between <em>T. gondii</em> infection and PD. These findings support a potential role for <em>T. gondii</em> in AD pathogenesis through mechanisms such as neuroinflammation and synaptic dysfunction, while its relevance to PD remains inconclusive. Longitudinal and mechanistic studies are warranted to further clarify causality and inform potential therapeutic strategies targeting parasite-mediated neural injury.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107705"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144473735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the leishmanicidal activity of m-Nitrocinnamic acid containing lipophilic peptide against leishmania donovani","authors":"Chaitali Karmakar ,&nbsp;Deblina Sarkar ,&nbsp;Amaltas Ghosh ,&nbsp;Debasish Haldar ,&nbsp;Mitali Chatterjee","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107703","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107703","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studies have demonstrated that <em>m</em>-Nitrocinnamic acid containing Lipophilic Peptide (LP) exhibits leishmanicidal activity against <em>Leishmania major</em> promastigotes; however, its efficacy against the amastigote form remains unclear. In this study, we evaluated the activity of LP against <em>Leishmania donovani</em>, the causative agent of Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL), wherein LP demonstrated both anti-promastigote and anti-amastigote activity, as measured by MTS cell viability assay and droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) respectively, the IC₅₀ derived being 22.0 and 6.0 µM respectively, while the CC₅₀ was &gt;500 µM, which translated into a safety index &gt;83. LP induced leishmanicidal activity by triggering a redox imbalance in promastigotes, by enhancing the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and caused lipid peroxidation, but failed to impact on generation of mitochondrial superoxide. Furthermore, as N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) attenuated the parasiticidal properties of LP via scavenging the free radicals, it substantiated that the cytotoxicity of LP was mediated by inducing a redox imbalance. An apoptotic-like cell death was demonstrated in promastigotes, features being an enhanced annexin V positivity, altered mitochondrial membrane potential, and cell cycle arrest at sub G₀/G₁. Collectively, this study confirmed that LP exhibited leishmanicidal activity against L. <em>donovani</em> that was mediated by an apoptotic-like cell death via disruption of redox homeostasis, and could be considered as a compound worthy of further pharmacological consideration.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107703"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144336203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular detection and genetic diversity of Anaplasma and Ehrlichia species in livestock and dogs in Pakistan","authors":"Mughees Aizaz Alvi ,&nbsp;Talha Javaid ,&nbsp;Abu Bakar Yameen ,&nbsp;Fakiha Asghar ,&nbsp;Aliza Ali ,&nbsp;Iqra Zaheer ,&nbsp;Yousef Abdal Jalil Fadladdin ,&nbsp;Hong-Bin Yan ,&nbsp;Wan-Zhong Jia ,&nbsp;Muhammad Saqib ,&nbsp;Li Li","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107700","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107700","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tick-borne pathogens of the genera <em>Anaplasma</em> and <em>Ehrlichia</em> pose notable threat to animal and human health worldwide, contributing to substantial economic and public health losses. These obligate intracellular bacteria, transmitted via tick vectors, infect several mammalian hosts, including ruminants, canines, and humans. In Pakistan, the prevalence and genetic diversity of these pathogens remain insufficiently studied despite the diverse agro-climatic conditions and extensive livestock populations of the country. In this study, molecular characterization of <em>Anaplasma</em> and <em>Ehrlichia</em> species from cattle, goats, and dogs across three major livestock-rearing regions in Pakistan: Faisalabad, Islamabad, and Okara was investigated. During April 2024, a total of 33 cattle, 80 goats, and 150 dogs blood samples were collected and analyzed through 16S rRNA gene amplification. Of the collected samples, 67 samples were PCR positive and were sent for sequencing to conduct molecular analyses. The results showed that <em>Anaplasma ovis</em> (46 isolates), <em>Anaplasma marginale</em> (10 isolates), <em>Anaplasma platys</em> (6 isolates), <em>Candidatus Anaplasma camelli</em> (1 isolate), and <em>Ehrlichia canis</em> (4 isolates) were identified. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed that Pakistani isolates clustered closely with reference strains from Asia, Africa, and Europe, suggesting possible transboundary or intercontinental spread of these pathogens. Genetic diversity analysis indicated moderate haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.602) and low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.01718). Thus, this study highlights the need for continuous molecular surveillance of <em>Anaplasma</em> and <em>Ehrlichia</em> species to assess their genetic variability and zoonotic potential. It also provides crucial data to help understand tick-borne pathogens in Pakistan and informs policy-making for effective disease management in livestock and public health sectors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107700"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Three annual cross-sectional community-based Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) and prevalence surveys for urogenital schistosomiasis infection in two rural communities within Mangochi and Nsanje Districts, southern Malawi","authors":"Peter Makaula ,&nbsp;Clinton Nkolokosa ,&nbsp;John Archer ,&nbsp;Gladys Namacha ,&nbsp;Priscilla Chammudzi ,&nbsp;Donales R. Kapira ,&nbsp;David Lally ,&nbsp;Bessie P. Ntaba ,&nbsp;Ruth Cowlishaw ,&nbsp;Angus M. O’Ferrall ,&nbsp;Sam Jones ,&nbsp;Lucas J. Cunningham ,&nbsp;Sarah Rollason ,&nbsp;Alexandra Juhász ,&nbsp;Henry Chibowa ,&nbsp;Victor Kumfunda ,&nbsp;Bright Mainga ,&nbsp;Gilbert Chapweteka ,&nbsp;Waleke Khumalo ,&nbsp;John Chiphwanya ,&nbsp;Janelisa Musaya","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107692","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107692","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In 2022 the World Health Organization (WHO) issued guidelines with key interventions to control and eliminate schistosomiasis in endemic countries. In Malawi, whilst praziquantel Mass Drug Administration (MDA) campaigns have been ongoing for over a decade, implementation of other interventions have not been formally assessed. To help formulation of an integrated country-specific control strategy, we assessed the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) and infection prevalences in two representative rural communities in Mangochi and Nsanje Districts. Longitudinal cross-sectional community-based questionnaire surveys were undertaken with participants aged from 6 to 45 years in 2022 and later repeated in 2023 and in 2024. Participants (including children aged 2 to 5 years) provided urine samples for parasitological tests. Comparative analysis involved calculation of percentages, tabulations, frequencies, and a logistic regression (logit) model to assess the effect of education level, gender, age, and study area on general and correct knowledge of schistosomiasis. A total of 1964 participants took part in the KAP surveys in 2022, and 1789 and 1908 participants were followed up in 2023 and 2024 respectively, while for the parasitological surveys, 2,319 participants took part in 2022, and 2,006 and 2,014 participants were followed up in 2023 and 2024 surveys respectively. In total, 53.2 % were from Mangochi, 55.5 % were females, 62.1 % were School-Aged Children (SAC) and 37.9 % were adults with their mean ages at 11 and 28 years, respectively. Overall, 65.5 % of respondents demonstrated satisfactory (≥50.0 % – ≤70.0 %) knowledge of schistosomiasis while only 5.1 % correctly mentioned freshwater snails as intermediate hosts. In 2022, prevalence of urogenital schistosomiasis by urine microscopy was 43.6 %, which despite annual MDA increased to 44.1 % in 2023, then after biannual MDA decreased to 27.0 % in 2024. In 2022, 10.5 % of all participants had heavy-intensity infections which increased to 11.4 % in 2023 before decreasing to 7.7 % in 2024. The majority (91.3 %) used a borehole or piped source of drinking water and used a latrine to urinate or defecate (93.8 %) although many (59.6 %) reported to have visited a freshwater body more than once in a day. Since MDA has taken place over several years in these areas and only had insufficient local impact, we strongly encourage addition of complementary methods to bolster its impact. It is therefore essential to engage individuals and communities, improving their understanding of disease and behaviour change to more effectively control and potentially eliminate schistosomiasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107692"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144293150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characterization of hemotropic Mycoplasma (hemoplasma) isolates from Thai domestic pigs using the 23S ribosomal RNA gene","authors":"Kritsada Thongmeesee ,&nbsp;Duriyang Narapakdeesakul ,&nbsp;Morakot Kaewthamasorn ,&nbsp;Suphot Wattanaphansak ,&nbsp;Sonthaya Tiawsirisup","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107698","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107698","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hemotropic <em>Mycoplasma</em>, also known as hemoplasma, is a group of bacteria belonging to the Mollicutes, responsible for causing infectious anemia in various mammalian hosts, including pigs. Based on 16S rRNA gene characterization at the species level, porcine hemoplasmas have previously been classified as <em>Mycoplasma (M.) suis</em>, M<em>. parvum</em>, ‘<em>Candidatus (Ca.)</em> M. haemosuis’, and a potentially novel species. However, due to the high sequence similarity across hemoplasmas, the 16S rRNA gene cannot differentiate at the species level. Consequently, another genetic marker, the 23S rRNA gene, has been proposed for this purpose. In our study, we employed the 23S rRNA gene to characterize porcine hemoplasma isolates (n = 49) in our laboratory, using blast analysis, phylogenetic analysis and genetic network analysis. Through the approach using the 23S rRNA gene, we could identify at least six clusters or hemoplasma species from five groups of 16S rRNA sequences found in Thai pigs. Additionally, we could elucidate one ambiguous group from a previous study as <em>M. parvum</em>. This one ambiguous group potentially represented either <em>M. suis</em> or <em>M. parvum</em> group (ntST#4) from the 16S rRNA gene alone. Notably, two of the six clusters may represent putative novel species. These findings underscore the utility of the 23S rRNA gene in characterizing and surveying of hemoplasma infection in domestic pigs globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107698"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144306616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intense rainfalls and floods reshape malaria transmission in Niger","authors":"Médard Djedanem ,&nbsp;Noura Mamane Sale ,&nbsp;Elhadji Yacoudima Y.M. Aminou ,&nbsp;Luc Descroix ,&nbsp;Jean Testa ,&nbsp;Ronan Jambou","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107699","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107699","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Problem considered</h3><div>The Sahel covers a vast semi-arid area characterized by a long dry season of about 8–9 months and a short rainy season of 3–4 months. Although arid, the Sahel is highly susceptible to vector-borne diseases, and a malaria endemic zone. After decades of drought, rainfall is increasing again, leading to a sustained increase in malaria transmission in the region. Changes in land use and urbanization are also modulating human-vector contacts and thus the incidence of malaria. Malaria control programs need to adapt to this situation. The aim of this study is to discuss the factors influencing malaria occurrence in this region, which are modulated by climate and land use.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>For this study, both original epidemiological data and recent literature are analyzed to support the discussion on adaptation of control strategies.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Overall, the perennial presence of water resulting from rainfall and/or human activities are key factors in stabilizing malaria transmission in the Sahel. Indeed, recent studies show that in Niger, transmission is increasing, but also spreading during the dry season, especially in areas closed to wild water and flooding. In the same vein, malaria morbidity is no longer largely confined to children under five.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Preventive measures, including chemoprevention of seasonal malaria and indoor residual spraying, which are currently used only during the rainy season, need to be redesigned as part of a rethink of current prevention strategies. Policy-makers and national programs should adapt their strategies to better fit the future climatic context of the Sahel.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"268 ","pages":"Article 107699"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144315752","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}