Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"Social-cultural context characteristics of ethnicities on wildlife interaction and consumption in the northern provinces of Thailand","authors":"Kanokwan Suwannarong ,&nbsp;Kannika Thammasutti ,&nbsp;Thanomsin Ponlap ,&nbsp;Nattawut Tongplub ,&nbsp;Pirom Phunuan ,&nbsp;Phatthaporn Thimachi ,&nbsp;Kangsadal Suwannarong ,&nbsp;Nisachon Bubpa ,&nbsp;Alongkorn Amonsin","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107586","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107586","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This qualitative study was implemented with sixty-five respondents from ten ethnic groups across four communities in Tak and Mae Hong Son provinces of Thailand from November 2020 to January 2021. A total of 45 respondents (69.2 %) participated in focus group discussions (FGDs), while 20 respondents (30.8 %) were involved in-depth interviews (IDIs) to determine the characteristics of wildlife interactions, consumption, and the usage of traditional medicines (TMs), with particular emphasis on the influence of socio-cultural contexts, ethnic backgrounds, the impacts of COVID-19, and law enforcement regulations on these interaction activities. The findings revealed that most interaction activities involving hunting wild animals were for personal or family consumption, crop protection, and the use of animal parts to treat diseases and their symptoms. These findings should be disseminated to local and national health and environmental protection authorities to develop communication campaigns aimed at enhancing proper wildlife interaction and consumption, particularly by promoting appropriate wildlife contact literacy among rural ethnic communities residing in forested and border areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107586"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143668828","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":"Serologic and molecular survey for Rickettsia in small mammals in the Andes of Colombia","authors":"Johnathan Alvarez‑Londoño ,&nbsp;Estefani T. Martínez-Sánchez ,&nbsp;Mariana Aristizábal-Mier ,&nbsp;Luisa M. Orozco-Piedrahita ,&nbsp;Álvaro A. Faccini-Martínez ,&nbsp;Maria Carolina A. Serpa ,&nbsp;Marcelo B. Labruna ,&nbsp;Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves ,&nbsp;Gabriel J. Castaño-Villa ,&nbsp;Fredy A. Rivera‑Páez","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107589","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107589","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Zoonotic vector-borne infectious diseases represent a significant global challenge. Ticks are one of the most important vectors globally, transmitting a wide range of pathogens. Among these pathogens, bacteria of the genus <em>Rickettsia</em> cause zoonotic diseases, knows as rickettsioses, that primarily affect tropical and subtropical regions. Rickettsiae are transmitted between vertebrate hosts and vectors, with some wild mammals serving as key amplifying hosts. In Colombia, the limited information on wild reservoirs contrasts with their high diversity, which includes 553 native mammal species, and 51 species of ticks associated with wild mammal hosts. To detect <em>Rickettsia</em> exposure and infections in wild mammals from the Colombian Andean region, serum, blood, and organ samples were collected from wild mammals in the Departments of Caldas and Risaralda, Colombia, between July 2021 and November 2022. A total of 147 mammals belonging to 58 species and three orders (Didelphimorphia, Chiroptera, and Rodentia) were captured. The indirect immunofluorescence assays analysis detected antibodies for <em>Rickettsia</em> in 100 % of didelphids, 65.2 % of rodents, and 45.9 % of bats. <em>Rickettsia</em> DNA was detected in 4.1 % of the mammals analyzed, with ‘<em>Candidatus</em> Rickettsia andeanae’, <em>Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia rickettsii</em>, and <em>Rickettsia parkeri</em> identified in rodents and bats. The detection of <em>Rickettsia</em> in wild mammals reinforces their role as reservoirs and highlights the need to investigate their ecology to improve surveillance and control of rickettsiosis in Colombia.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107589"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143655794","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High genotype diversity and zoonotic potential of Enterocytozoon bieneusi in laboratory mice from two medical experimental animal centers","authors":"Lan Yao ,&nbsp;He Li ,&nbsp;Xinyu Hu ,&nbsp;Zhen Li ,&nbsp;Haowen Dong ,&nbsp;Yanyan Jiang ,&nbsp;Jianping Cao","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107585","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107585","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Enterocytozoon bieneusi</em> is a common zoonotic pathogen in wild, farmed and pet rodents worldwide. Recently, one study reported <em>E. bieneusi</em> infection in laboratory mice. To investigate the positive rate and genotype distribution of <em>E. bieneusi</em> in laboratory mice and assess the zoonotic potential of <em>E. bieneusi</em> isolates, 390 mixed mouse fecal specimens were collected from two medical experimental animal centers in Heilongjiang Province, China. <em>E. bieneusi</em> was identified and genotyped by nested PCR amplification and sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Seventy-one specimens (18.2%) were positive for <em>E. bieneusi</em>, and 38 genotypes were identified, including eight known genotypes (EbpC, D, Peru8, CS-4, Henan-III, CHC5, ETMK4 and SHWR14) and 30 novel genotypes (HLJLM1 to HLJLM30). Genotypes CHC5 and ETMK4 were firstly detected in rodents. Genotype EbpC showed a dominance (50.7%, 36/71) in positive specimens. Zoonotic genotypes (EbpC, D, Peru8, Henan-III and CS-4) accounted for 64.8% (46/71) of <em>E. bieneusi</em>-positive specimens. In phylogenetic analysis, the novel genotypes fell into three subgroups (1a, 1d, 1e) of Group 1. The identification of known zoonotic genotypes and the phylogenetic result of novel genotypes indicate the potential of laboratory mice in the transmission of <em>E. bieneusi</em> to humans. The routine detection of <em>E. bieneusi</em> should be a recommended practice in laboratory animals to ensure the accuracy of the experimental results. Meanwhile, health education of the potential zoonotic transmission of <em>E. bieneus</em>i should be provided to those people having close contact with laboratory mice and their feces.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107585"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143646689","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":"Antibodies against 12 infectious agents in free-ranging Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber L.) from the Czech Republic","authors":"Kamil Sedlák ,&nbsp;Roman Vodička ,&nbsp;Eva Bártová ,&nbsp;Marie Budíková ,&nbsp;Aleš Vorel","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107584","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107584","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, populations of beavers are rising and spreading in Europe, so we can expect increasing human contact with them in future. The aim of the study was to examine the blood samples of free-ranging beavers to detect antibodies to 12 infectious agents. In total, the blood samples from 76 free-ranging Eurasian beaver (<em>Castor fiber</em> L.) were used for the detection of antibodies to 12 infectious agents, including 3 parasites (<em>Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Trichinella</em> spp.), 5 bacteria (<em>Brucella</em> spp., <em>Chlamydophila abortus, Coxiella burnetti, Francisella tularensis, Leptospira</em> spp.), and 4 viruses (Aujeszky's Disease Virus ADV, Hepatitis E virus HEV, Tick-borne Encephalitis virus TBEV, and West Nile Fever virus WNV). The sera were examined by Agglutination test, or Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, depending on the tested pathogen. Out of 76 animals, the following seropositivity was obtained: <em>T. gondii</em> 18.4 % (14/76), <em>N. caninum</em> 7.9 % (6/76), <em>Leptospira</em> spp. 3.9 % (3/76), <em>F. tularensis</em> 2.6 % (2/76) and Hepatitis E virus 2.6 % (2/76), with statistically significant differences in the positivity of animals to different pathogens (p=0.0007). Antibodies to the other 7 agents were not found. In total, 19 of 76 (25 %) animals had antibodies at least to one tested pathogen, with single infection in 12 animals (15.8 %) and mixed infection of 2-3 agents in 7 animals (9.2 %). There was no difference in positivity between individuals' genders (24.2 % for females and 23.7 % for males, p=0.7244), age of animals (juvenile 15.4 %, subadults 20 %, adults 31.6 %, p=0.3962), area (South Moravia 31.9 %, Český les 28.6 %, Elbe (Labe) River 14.3 %, and Šumava National Park 0 %, p=0.1894) and year of sampling (from 9 positive samples in 2008 to 0 positive samples in 2010). This first seroepidemiological study, dedicated to a wide range of pathogens, determined the extent to which this animal species is infected with these pathogens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107584"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143639358","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 surveillance of antifolate drug resistance markers in Plasmodium vivax from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, northwest Pakistan","authors":"Thu Hằng Nguyễn ,&nbsp;Hương Giang Lê ,&nbsp;Tuấn Cường Võ ,&nbsp;Đăng Thùy Dương Nguyễn ,&nbsp;Kim Oanh Nguyễn ,&nbsp;Minkyoung Cho ,&nbsp;Youn-Kyoung Goo ,&nbsp;Sahib Gul Afridi ,&nbsp;Byoung-Kuk Na","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107583","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107583","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emergence and spread of antimalarial drug resistance pose significant challenges in the fight against malaria. Mutations in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and dihydropteroate synthetase (DHPS) in <em>Plasmodium vivax</em> are associated with sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) drug resistance. This study assessed SP resistance status in <em>P. vivax</em> isolates collected in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, Pakistan, by analyzing mutations in <em>pvdhfr</em> and <em>pvdhps</em>. Both genes were successfully amplified concurrently from 112 Pakistan <em>P. vivax</em> isolates. Sequence analysis of <em>pvdhfr</em> indicated that mutations F57L, S58R, and S117N were present with frequencies of 0.9 %, 31.3 %, and 46.4 %, respectively. The predominant wild-type haplotype F₅₇S₅₈T₆₁S₁₁₇ was identified in 51.8 % of samples, whereas mutant haplotypes were also detected: F₅₇<strong><u>R</u></strong>₅₈T₆₁<strong><u>N</u></strong>₁₁₇ (29.5 %), F₅₇S₅₈T₆₁<strong><u>N</u></strong>₁₁₇ (16.9 %), F₅₇<strong><u>R</u></strong>₅₈T₆₁S₁₁₇ (0.9 %), and <strong><u>L</u></strong>₅₇<strong><u>R</u></strong>₅₈T₆₁S₁₁₇ (0.9 %). In <em>pvdhps</em>, the sole mutation A383 G was found at a low frequency of 1.8 %, leading to a mutant haplotype S₃₈₂<strong><u>G</u></strong>₃₈₃K₅₁₂A₅₅₃V₅₈₅. The integrated analysis of <em>pvdhfr</em> and <em>pvdhps</em> haplotypes showed that the wild-type haplotype was the most prevalent (50.9 %), followed by mutant haplotypes F₅₇<strong><u>R</u></strong>₅₈T₆₁<strong><u>N</u></strong>₁₁₇/ S₃₈₂A₃₈₃K₅₁₂A₅₅₃V₅₈₅ (28.6 %) and F₅₇S₅₈T₆₁<strong><u>N</u></strong>₁₁₇/S₃₈₂A₃₈₃K₅₁₂A₅₅₃V₅₈₅ (16.9 %). These findings indicate a relatively low level of antifolate resistance in Pakistan <em>P. vivax</em> isolates, suggesting that Pakistan <em>P. vivax</em> may still be amenable to SP treatment. Nevertheless, the persistence of similar mutation rates and patterns associated with SP resistance in the Pakistan <em>pvdhfr</em> and <em>pvdhps</em> populations, despite the absence of current SP pressure, underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring of SP resistance in the Pakistan <em>P. vivax</em> population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107583"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603384","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":"Local necrosis induced by intralesional treatment with amphotericin B- deoxycholate","authors":"Felipe Carvalho-Gondim ,&nbsp;Érika Yoko Suzuki ,&nbsp;Bartira Rossi-Bergmann ,&nbsp;Ariane de Jesus Sousa-Batista","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107581","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107581","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intralesional (IL) treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis with pentavalent antimonials has greatly reduced the systemic toxicity imposed by the conventional intramuscular and intravenous injections. Nevertheless, therapeutic failure with antimonials can occur due to drug resistance and/or short retention in the inflamed skin. Here we evaluated the safety and efficacy of IL treatment with injectable amphotericin B (AmB), a powerful antileishmanial drug that is less prone to drug resistance, but due to its amphiphilic nature is formulated with the ionic detergent sodium deoxycholate (Deox). Thus, Deox-AmB reconstituted with injectable water as directed was evaluated <em>in vivo</em> in L. amazonensis - infected mice in comparison with equivalent Deox or AmB alone. On days 7, 10, 14 and 17 of infection, the infected ears were injected with 10, 50 or 150 μg of AmB/dose. After 34 days of infection, AmB was most effective in killing the parasites at 150 μg/dose. However, at that effective dose Deox-AmB produced severe skin necrosis due to Deox. Our findings indicate that the necrotizing effect of Deox should be considered before using commercial Deox-AmB formulations containing this stabilizing agent for intralesional treatment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107581"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603383","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":"Tick-borne pathogens in ticks removed from humans in Northern Italy, 2018–2023","authors":"Emanuela Olivieri ,&nbsp;Sara Rigamonti ,&nbsp;Nadia Vicari ,&nbsp;Irene Bertoletti ,&nbsp;Alessandro Bianchi ,&nbsp;Iyad Karaman ,&nbsp;Claudio Marco Lodola ,&nbsp;Giuseppe Polonini ,&nbsp;Andrea Grassi ,&nbsp;Michele Pesciaroli ,&nbsp;Vito Tranquillo ,&nbsp;Paola Prati","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107582","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107582","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The rising prevalence and transmission of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) represent a significant public health issue all over the world, including in Italy.</div><div>The region of Lombardy, in Northern Italy, is particularly endemic for TBPs. While evidence indicates a high exposure risk to infected ticks, there is a lack of data on ticks collected from humans.</div><div>Therefore, a long-term surveillance programme was implemented from 2018 to 2023 to identify selected pathogens in ticks retrieved from humans. The presence of <em>Rickettsia</em> spp., <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> sensu lato complex<em>, Francisella</em> spp.<em>, Coxiella burnetii</em> and tick-borne encephalitis virus was evaluated. A total of 2,453 ticks were collected and most belonged to the species <em>Ixodes ricinus</em> (93.5 %; n = 2,293). Additionally, <em>Ixodes</em> spp. (n = 35), <em>Ixodes hexagonus</em> (n = 7), <em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> (sensu lato) species complex (n = 16), <em>Dermacentor</em> spp. (n = 5), <em>Dermacentor reticulatus</em> (n = 7) and <em>Dermacentor marginatum</em> (n= 1) were identified. The nymph stage was the prevalent life stage at retrieval (n = 1,778), followed by adults (n = 443) and larvae (n = 134). Overall, 18.7 % (459/2,453) of ticks were infected with at least one pathogen and co-infections were found in 6.3 % (29/459) of the positive ticks. In the examined sample, the frequency of infection in adult ticks (90/443; 20.3 %) was higher than that observed in nymphs (335/1778; 18.8 %). The most frequently detected pathogens were <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> s.l. (10.1 %) and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. (10 %). Interestingly, <em>Francisella tularensis</em> and <em>Coxiella burnetii</em> were found to be of low prevalence, suggesting a lower exposure of humans to these diseases, despite still posing a serious threat to human health due to their pathogenicity. This study raises awareness about the potential risk of tick-borne diseases in Northern Italy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107582"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143603385","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":"Assessing the therapeutic potential of silicon dioxide nanoparticles in acute and chronic toxoplasmosis in BALB/c mice","authors":"Ahmad Nematollahi ,&nbsp;Monireh Khordadmehr ,&nbsp;Parisa Shahbazi ,&nbsp;Reyhaneh Moghaddami ,&nbsp;Kimia Moradi ,&nbsp;Deniz Armanmanesh ,&nbsp;Misagh Yaghubinejad ,&nbsp;Ata Moghimi ,&nbsp;Ehsan Ahmadpour","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107576","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107576","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by the obligate intracellular parasite <em>Toxoplasma gondii</em>, represents a significant global health concern, particularly for immunocompromised individuals. This study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of silicon dioxide nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) against both acute (<em>T. gondii</em> RH strain) and chronic (<em>T. gondii</em> PRU strain) infections in BALB/c mice. In the acute infection model, mice (<em>n</em> = 40) were infected with 10⁴ T. gondii tachyzoites, while the chronic infection model (<em>n</em> = 40) involved the injection of 50 active cysts. Mice were treated with SiO2-NPs or pyrimethamine. Evaluations of parasite load and histopathological changes were conducted. The results showed that SiO2-NPs significantly reduced the number of cysts in the brain, indicating their effectiveness in controlling T. gondii proliferation. In cases of acute infection, there was a statistically significant decrease in parasite load (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). Although there was no significant difference between the pyrimethamine and SiO2-NPs groups (<em>p</em> &gt; 0.05), nanoparticles exhibited greater efficacy than pyrimethamine in acute infection. Furthermore, histopathological analysis revealed that mice were treated with SiO2-NPs displayed less severe lesions compared to the positive control group. The findings suggest that SiO2-NPs may offer a dual therapeutic advantage by reducing parasite load while also mitigating tissue damage. Further research is needed to explore the mechanisms behind the effectiveness of SiO2-NPs and to assess their long-term effects on T. gondii infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107576"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143584296","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":"Incidence and prediction of cutaneous leishmaniasis cases and its related factors in an endemic area of Southeast Morocco: Time series analysis","authors":"Adnane Hakem ,&nbsp;Abdelaati El Khiat ,&nbsp;Abdelkacem Ezzahidi ,&nbsp;Souad Bouhout ,&nbsp;Driss Ait Ali ,&nbsp;Brahim El Houate ,&nbsp;Idriss Boutaayamou","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107579","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107579","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a neglected vector-borne disease that poses a serious health problem in many countries including Morocco. The present study aimed to determine the incidence and trend of CL from 2018 to 2022 and its forecast for 2024 –2026 in an endemic region of Morocco. The study also examined the association of various environmental, demographic, and socioeconomic factors with CL cases using ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. The Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model was applied to predict the number of new CL cases based on time-series data of monthly CL cases from January 2010 to December 2023. Over the 5-year study period, 2,713 cases of CL were reported, with an accumulated incidence rate of 859.44 cases per 100.000 inhabitants. The overall incidence rate decreased from 254.45 per 100,000 individuals in 2018 to 63.19 per 100,000 in 2022 with an average annual decrease rate of 23.77 %. Interestingly, the disease was slightly more common in females and the age group of 0–5 years was the most affected. In this study, single lesions were more prominent (65 %) and frequently affected facial parts (34 %). In addition, the seasonal variation showed a peak incidence in winter. The OLS analysis revealed a significant correlation between vulnerability rate, population density, altitude, urbanization, and the number of cases. The results showed a decreasing trend in the forecasted numbers of CL cases with approximately 59 cases per year. These findings can be used by relevant authorities to develop effective interventions for the prevention and control of CL.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107579"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143584299","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The interplay between Trypanosoma cruzi and the microbiome of Triatoma infestans: Implications for the host's immune response","authors":"Paula Ragone,&nbsp;Cecilia Parodi,&nbsp;Nicolás Tomasini,&nbsp;Federico Ramos,&nbsp;Alejandro Uncos,&nbsp;Cecilia Pérez Brandán","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107577","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107577","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The infection dynamics of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> is shaped by the parasite's genetics and interactions with host and vector factors. While most studies in the area use axenic parasite cultures devoid of insect fecal components, this study is focused on the immune response and the parasite loads generated after the interaction of <em>T. cruzi</em> with feces from <em>Triatoma infestans</em> in a murine model. First, using metagenomics, we analyzed the microbiota of infected and uninfected feces. Illumina sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) revealed a predominance of the genus <em>Arsenophonus</em> in infected feces and of <em>Enterococcus</em> in uninfected ones. C57BL/6J mice inoculated with <em>T. cruzi</em> infected feces, displayed distinct immune responses compared to those inoculated with culture-derived metacyclic trypomastigotes alone, with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-ɣ, TNF-α) and higher amounts of IL-10, suggesting a regulatory response. Besides, total anti-<em>T. cruzi</em> IgG levels remained similar among groups, but IgG1 and IgG2c were reduced in the <em>T. cruzi</em> infected feces group, indicating a balanced Th1/Th2 response. Notably, mice inoculated with <em>T. cruzi</em> infected feces demonstrated significantly reduced blood and muscle parasite loads, potentially limiting inflammation and parasite dissemination. These findings highlight the possible role of vector fecal microbiota in shaping immune responses and influencing disease outcomes during natural <em>T. cruzi</em> infections.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"264 ","pages":"Article 107577"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-03-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143584301","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}