Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"Epidemiology of American tegumentary leishmaniasis in Bahia, Brazil (2007–2023)","authors":"Thiago Soares Rocha ,&nbsp;Luanna Chácara Pires ,&nbsp;Gisele Lopes de Oliveira ,&nbsp;Sebastião Rodrigo Ferreira","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107646","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107646","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>American tegumentary leishmaniasis (ATL) is a neglected zoonotic disease, endemic in Brazil, with variable clinical forms. In Bahia, ATL significantly impacts public health, requiring epidemiological surveillance and effective control measures. This study is intended to provide a detailed epidemiological and spatial analysis of ATL in the state of Bahia, Brazil, between 2007 and 2023. A retrospective approach was used to analyze ATL cases in Bahia through Notifiable Diseases Information System and Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics data. Methods included Bayesian smoothing, spatial autocorrelation analysis (Moran’s index), and thematic mapping with QGIS, complemented by statistical analysis using chi-squared tests and graphic tools in RStudio and SAS. Between 2007 and 2023, Bahia recorded approximately 44,427 ATL cases, with an average annual incidence rate of 17.62 cases per 100,000 inhabitants. The highest incidences rate occurred between 2010 and 2012, predominantly affecting males (59.98%) and individuals aged 15 to 34. The cutaneous form predominated (96.34%), in socially vulnerable populations, particularly those with low education. Spatial analysis identified critical clusters in municipalities, particularly during 2015–2023, with significant positive autocorrelation. Although ATL incidence rate in Bahia has declined, geographic expansion and critical clusters persist, requiring targeted surveillance. Incomplete records and treatment abandonment highlight gaps that require professional training and improved public health strategies. Integrated actions addressing socio-economic and environmental factors remain essential for effective disease control and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107646"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143931639","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":"Breaking barriers: Precision approaches to combat brain-eating amoebae infection","authors":"Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui ,&nbsp;David Lloyd ,&nbsp;Myra Conway ,&nbsp;NaveedAhmed Khan","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107643","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107643","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107643"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143961986","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":"Recent advances in black fly (Diptera: Simuliidae) research and the implication for pest and vector control","authors":"Pairot Pramual","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107613","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107613","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107613"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891147","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":"Socioecological drivers of mosquito-borne diseases: deforestation, defaunation, and social disparities","authors":"Andre B.B. Wilke ,&nbsp;Karin Kirchgatter ,&nbsp;Mauro T. Marrelli","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107620","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107620","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107620"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143891146","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":"In silico, in vitro, and in vivo assessment of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi activity of the 1H-indazole-containing ruthenium complex FOR0E2","authors":"Isabela Santos Cezar ,&nbsp;Maria Vitória Gomes das Neves ,&nbsp;Jaqueline Wang da Silva ,&nbsp;Ivanilson Pimenta Santos ,&nbsp;Danilo Kleber Santos Sales ,&nbsp;Edivaldo dos Santos Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Claudia Valeria Campos de Souza ,&nbsp;Gabriela Cruz Fernandes ,&nbsp;Carlos Daniel Silva da Silva ,&nbsp;Denise Santos de Sá ,&nbsp;Osvaldo Andrade Santos-Filho ,&nbsp;Milena Botelho Pereira Soares ,&nbsp;Cássio Santana Meira","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107639","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107639","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>There is a need for new therapeutic agents against <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em>, the etiologic agent of Chagas disease. Current treatments, such as benznidazole and nifurtimox, have limited efficacy in the chronic phase and cause significant side effects. Here we tested the effects of three ruthenium complexes against trypomastigote and amastigote forms of <em>T. cruzi</em> and evaluated their possible mechanisms of action. FOR0E2 was the most active among the three compounds, with IC₅₀ values of 0.3, 0.4 and 0.6 µM against trypomastigote forms of the Y, Tulahuen, and Colombian strains, respectively. Under the same conditions, benznidazole exhibited IC₅₀ values of 12.5, 2.17 and 13.6 µM against the Y, Tulahuen, and Colombian strains, respectively. In addition, this compound significantly inhibited amastigote proliferation of Y strain <em>in vitro.</em> Transmission and scanning electron microscopies revealed morphological and structural damage to the parasite, especially in the mitochondria and nuclear DNA following treatment with FOR0E2, which were confirmed by flow cytometry. Molecular docking studies demonstrated strong interactions between FOR0E2 and the enzyme trypanothione reductase, a key component of the parasite’s antioxidant defense. Moreover, FOR0E2 (20 mg/kg) reduced parasitemia by 36.7% in an acute infection model, though benznidazole (100 mg/kg) reduced 100% parasitemia. In conclusion, this study highlights the potential of FOR0E2, particularly due to its ability to disrupt mitochondrial function and potential inhibitory activity on trypanothione reductase, making it a promising candidate for further development as an antiparasitic agent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107639"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143942018","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":"Genetic diversity and host specificity of Blastocystis in yaks in Xinjiang, northwest China","authors":"Huigang Zhao ,&nbsp;Wenxuan Ma ,&nbsp;Bowen Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongqiang He ,&nbsp;Zhenjie Zhang ,&nbsp;Aiyun Zhao ,&nbsp;Fuchang Yu ,&nbsp;Meng Qi","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107641","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107641","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Blastocystis</em> is a common intestinal pathogen in human and animals. A total of 826 fecal samples were collected from six counties in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, and applied to PCR amplification based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (<em>SSU</em> rRNA) gene of <em>Blastocystis</em>. The infection rate of <em>Blastocystis</em> in yaks was 75.5 % (624/826), with the different sampling sites varies from 54.2 % (156/288) in Hejing to 100 % (22/22) in Aketao (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01). About 20 % of the <em>Blastocystis</em> positive samples (<em>n</em> = 163) were selected from each sampling sites to sequenced. Eight subtypes (ST10, ST14, ST21, ST24, ST25, ST26, ST42 and ST44) were identified, with ST10 (<em>n</em> = 59) was the predominant subtype, followed by ST26 (<em>n</em> = 41), ST42 (<em>n</em> = 39), ST25 (<em>n</em> = 7), ST14 (<em>n</em> = 6), ST21 (<em>n</em> = 5), ST24 (<em>n</em> = 3), ST44 (<em>n</em> = 3). 22 known sequence types were identified from the 163 sequenced samples, indicating a marked high genetic diversity. These results indicating that the infection of <em>Blastocystis</em> was common in yaks in Xinjiang, and have host specificity of <em>Blastocystis</em> subtypes in the present study.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107641"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143903363","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":"Respiratory manifestations of rickettsial disease in tropical Australia; Clinical course and implications for patient management","authors":"Roderick Gavey ,&nbsp;Alexandra G.A. Stewart ,&nbsp;Richard Bagshaw ,&nbsp;Simon Smith ,&nbsp;Stephen Vincent ,&nbsp;Josh Hanson","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107631","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107631","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Rickettsial infections have a global distribution and can cause life-threatening disease. Respiratory symptoms can be a harbinger of a more complicated disease course. However, the clinical associations – and the clinical course – of patients with rickettsial disease and respiratory involvement are incompletely defined.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This was a retrospective study of all patients with a diagnosis of scrub typhus or Queensland tick typhus (QTT) managed at Cairns Hospital in tropical Australia, between 1st January 1997 and 31st October 2023. We determined the demographic, clinical, radiological and laboratory associations of respiratory involvement which was defined as any acute abnormality of lung parenchyma identified on thoracic imaging during their hospitalisation that did not have another more likely explanation. We compared the clinical course of patients with a rickettsial infection who did – and did not – have respiratory involvement.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>There were 226 individuals included in the analysis, 51/226 (22 %) had respiratory involvement, including 18/59 (31 %) with QTT and 33/167 (20 %) with scrub typhus, <em>p</em> = 0.09. The imaging findings were heterogenous: 33/51 (65 %) had predominantly alveolar changes, 18/51 (35 %) had interstitial changes and 12/51 (24 %) had a pleural effusion. Those with respiratory involvement were older than individuals without respiratory involvement (median (interquartile range (IQR)) age 51 (37–65) years versus 38 (25–51) years (<em>p</em> = 0.0001). However, most patients (27/51, 53 %) with respiratory involvement had no comorbidity and were younger than 60. Patients with respiratory involvement were more likely to require ICU admission that patients without respiratory involvement (19/51 (38 %) versus 6/175 (3 %) <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and 9/51 (18 %) with respiratory involvement required mechanical ventilation. Patients with respiratory involvement were also more likely to require vasopressor support (14/51, 27 % versus 4/175, 2 %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001) and renal replacement therapy (4/51, 8 % versus 1/175, 0.6 %, <em>p</em> = 0.01) than patients without respiratory involvement. There were 2/226 (1 %) individuals who died from their rickettsial infection (1 scrub typhus and 1 QTT) during the study period, both had respiratory involvement.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Respiratory involvement is common in individuals with rickettsial infection in tropical Australia and is associated with a greater risk of life-threatening disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107631"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895168","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":"Heterorhabditis indica and Steinernema siamkayai in central Thailand and their potential for controlling Aedes aegypti larvae in artificial container-breeding site","authors":"Supawan Pansri ,&nbsp;Jiranun Ardpairin ,&nbsp;Chanakan Subkrasae ,&nbsp;Abdulhakam Dumidae ,&nbsp;Chanatinat Homkaew ,&nbsp;Wandee Wattanachaiyingcharoen ,&nbsp;Aunchalee Thanwisai ,&nbsp;Apichat Vitta","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107636","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107636","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) have been extensively researched as biocontrol agents because of their effectiveness against various insect pests, including <em>Aedes aegypti</em> larvae, which are significant vectors of several serious diseases. While the efficacy of EPNs in killing mosquito larvae has been evaluated in laboratory settings, there are limited studies focusing on mosquito breeding containers. This study aims to isolate and identify EPN species in central Thailand and assess their effectiveness against <em>Ae. aegypti</em> larvae in artificial breeding sites. Forty-two isolates of EPNs were molecularly identified, revealing a close relationship to <em>S. siamkayai</em> and <em>H. indica</em>. Most EPNs were isolated from loam soils with temperatures ranging from 28–35 °C, a pH between 3.0–7.0, and soil moisture content of 1–8 %. The distribution of EPNs was linked to moisture content. All selected EPN isolates demonstrated significant mortality of <em>Ae. aegypti</em> larvae compared to the control, with <em>H. indica</em> (eCAT3.5_TH and eCNW14.5_TH) showing slightly higher efficacy than <em>S. siamkayai</em> (eCKP34.1_TH). The type of artificial-breeding container and water height did not significantly affect larval mortality. The highest mortality rates were recorded in ant traps, followed by vases and plastic pots. Additionally, both male and female adult EPNs were observed in larval cadavers. While melanized EPNs were found in both larval and pupal cadavers. The EPNs can grow and complete their life cycles, indicating their sustainability and efficacy for mosquito management by reducing adult emergence.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107636"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143898455","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":"Phytophagous, blood-suckers or predators? Automated identification of Chagas disease vectors and similar bugs using convolutional neural network algorithms","authors":"Vinícius Lima de Miranda,&nbsp;Rodrigo Gurgel-Gonçalves","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107621","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107621","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Correct identification of blood-sucking bugs, such as triatomines, is important because they are vectors of Chagas' disease. Identifying these insects is often difficult for non-specialists. Deep learning is emerging as a solution for automated identification. This study evaluates the performance of three convolutional neural networks (CNNs) - AlexNet, MobileNetV2 and ResNet-50 - to identify bugs categorized by their feeding habits: 'blood-suckers', 'phytophagous' and 'predators'. A dataset of 707 dorsal view pictures was divided into training, validation, and test subsets (70 %, 10 %, and 20 %, respectively). Transfer learning was used to train the models, and Grad-CAM visualizations identified the picture regions that most influenced the predictions. All models achieved an accuracy of over 94 %, with ResNet-50 slightly outperforming the other models in terms of sensitivity and specificity. ROC and AUC analyses confirmed the reliability of these algorithms, highlighting their potential for robust bug identification. This study demonstrates the applicability of CNNs in distinguishing Triatominae from other insects, paving the way for the development of affordable vector identification tools to improve Chagas disease surveillance and control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107621"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874218","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":"Hidden Trypanosoma cruzi foci in Triatoma brasiliensis from a Brazilian Touristic area in the Northeast","authors":"Dayane Pires-Silva ,&nbsp;Elaine Folly-Ramos ,&nbsp;Cleber Galvão ,&nbsp;Myriam Harry ,&nbsp;Carlos E Almeida","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107635","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107635","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aimed to assess the risk of human-vector interactions and <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> transmission in touristic areas of northeastern Brazil. We analyzed 180 adult <em>Triatoma brasiliensis</em> specimens collected from nine peridomestic and sylvatic ecotopes across the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraíba. High <em>T. cruzi</em> infection rates were detected in both ecotopes, indicating sustained parasite circulation. Metabarcoding of blood meals revealed a broader host range than previously documented, including human blood meals in sylvatic touristic areas with high infection rates, raising concerns about vector-mediated transmission in these settings. Given the potential public health implications, our findings were formally communicated to local health and tourism authorities, with specific recommendations to inform and protect visitors in high-risk zones. These results underscore the need for targeted surveillance and vector control strategies in tourist-exposed areas, where interventions must be integrated with efforts to preserve local cultural and ecological heritage.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107635"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143895169","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}