Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"Insights into spatio-temporal dynamics of Anopheles vectors while approaching malaria elimination along the Thailand-Cambodia border","authors":"Manop Saeung ,&nbsp;Natapong Jupatanakul ,&nbsp;Aneta Afelt ,&nbsp;Kittitat Suksirisawat ,&nbsp;Suthat Lhaosudto ,&nbsp;Alex Ahebwa ,&nbsp;Jeffrey Hii ,&nbsp;Sylvie Manguin ,&nbsp;Theeraphap Chareonviriyaphap","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107545","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107545","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The international borders of Thailand are well recognized as areas with high malaria transmission risk. Although Sisaket Province, bordering Cambodia, is recognized as a malaria-prone area, major progress towards malaria elimination has been made. In fact, this province was ranked as having high malaria incidence in Thailand decades ago, increasing its potential for malaria re-establishment. To devise a re-establishment strategy, this work investigated the spatio-temporal dynamics of <em>Anopheles</em> and examined the malariogenic potential of villages in Sisaket Province. Human landing catches (HLCs) were recorded to collect adult mosquitoes from village and rubber-forest ecotypes between 18.00 and 06.00 h. The collection was conducted for two years based on four consecutive nights per season in the rainy, cool-dry, and hot-dry seasons during July 2022–March 2024, for a total of 24 nights. Based on the results, <em>Anopheles dirus</em> s.s. was the primary malaria vector and predominant in the rubber-forest areas, where positive larval habitats were found. Its biting peaks were observed between 21.00 and 22.00 h across seasons and years. The abundance of <em>An. dirus</em> was correlated positively with the amount of rainfall at two months (<em>R</em> = 0.89) and three months (<em>R</em> = 0.95) after the rainfall. Therefore, public health interventions to prevent outdoor biting should target rubber tappers and forest-goers two–three months after the rainy season. In addition, risk assessment of malaria re-establishment suggested a high potential based on the malariogenic potential scores. Thus, ongoing action is important to control any re-establishment to achieve sustainable malaria elimination in Sisaket Province.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107545"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143397750","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":"Histopathology and immunohistochemistry findings in kidney and urinary bladder of rabies virus-infected mice","authors":"Sara de Souza Pereira ,&nbsp;Cássia Nazaré de Sousa Moraes ,&nbsp;Vinicius Pacheco ,&nbsp;Érika Dayane Leal Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Victor Gabriel Bastos Chaves ,&nbsp;Marcella Katheryne Marques Bernal ,&nbsp;Roberta Nicole de Oliveira Mota ,&nbsp;Ranna Taynara dos Reis Sousa ,&nbsp;Adriana Maciel de Castro Cardoso Jaques ,&nbsp;Jorge Rodrigues de Sousa ,&nbsp;Livia Medeiros Neves Casseb","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107550","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107550","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rabies virus (RABV) is a lethal and neglected zoonosis responsible for over 60,000 deaths annually caused by the neurotropic virus <em>Lyssavirus rabies</em>. Although rabies is well-known for its severe nervous system impairment, little is known regarding the specific alterations caused in extraneural organs. Studies suggest an essential involvement of RABV in the kidneys. However, the extent of the pathological damage caused by RABV in this organ remains to be understood. This study describes the histopathological alterations and RABV antigen expression in the kidneys and urinary bladder. Viral immunostaining was observed, suggesting that RABV can successfully infect these tissues. In addition, the main alterations found in the kidneys were edema in the convoluted tubules and in the glomerulus, interstitial inflammation, atrophy of the glomerular tuft, a decrease in Bowman's capsule and Bowman's space, and the accumulation of glycogen in the tubules, which may indicate the effects of inflammation caused by RABV. Therefore, our results showed the importance of understanding the effects of histopathological alterations induced by RABV and the need for more studies concerning the inflammatory action of the virus during the infection.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107550"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143389851","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":"Big Six: Vertebrate host interactions as significant transmission drivers of bovine trypanosomosis in Nigeria – A systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Paul Olalekan Odeniran ,&nbsp;Kehinde Foluke Paul-Odeniran ,&nbsp;Aanuoluwapo Olalekan Odeyemi ,&nbsp;Isaiah Oluwafemi Ademola","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107547","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107547","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bovine trypanosomosis remains a significant challenge in Nigeria due to the widespread presence of tsetse and biting flies. Despite numerous control interventions, livestock owners continue to face the burden of high treatment costs year-round. Holistic management has been elusive, largely due to the interconnected roles of the \"Big-Six\" animal hosts in sustaining transmission dynamics. This study conducted a systematic review of publications from Web of Science, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and AJOL Online databases, following PRISMA guidelines between 2000 and 2024. Eligible studies reported trypanosomosis prevalence in cattle, small ruminants, dogs, pigs, camels, and wildlife. Subgroup analyses by breed, sex, and diagnostic techniques were performed, with point estimates evaluated at a 95 % confidence interval (CI). A total of 80 studies involving 25,171 animals were included, revealing average prevalence of 38.2 % (95 % CI: 31.4–45.3) in wildlife, pooled prevalence of 12.0 % (95 % CI: 3.0–25.1) in cattle, with 11.7 % specifically observed in trypanotolerant cattle breeds, 4.6 % (2.3–7.6) in small ruminants, 9.6 % (95 % CI: 1.9–21.5) in dogs, 10.4 % (95 % CI: 5.6–16.3) in pigs, and 28.0 % (95 % CI: 18.5–38.6) in camels. Wildlife exhibited distinct ecological patterns, while ovine and caprine data clustered closely. These findings explain the critical role of vertebrate hosts, along with bovine herd management practices, in perpetuating disease transmission within susceptible cattle populations. Effective control requires treating vertebrate hosts harbouring trypanosomes within or surrounding bovine herds and the use of insecticide-impregnated nets, alongside fencing cattle herds from forest edges. This integrated approach is essential to achieving the elimination of African animal trypanosomosis (AAT) in Nigeria and across Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107547"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143381435","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":"Spatio-temporal modeling of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis under climate change scenarios in the Maghreb region (2021–2100)","authors":"Yasmine Saadene,&nbsp;Amina Salhi","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107548","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107548","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Introduction</h3><div>Climate change presents a significant challenge to global public health, especially regarding vector-borne diseases such as cutaneous leishmaniasis. This study aims to investigate the impact of climate change on the distribution of CL in North Africa, with a focus on Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We analyzed historical epidemiological and climatic data from 2000 to 2020 and employed a Generalized Additive Model to assess the influence of climatic variables including temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and precipitation on CL incidence. Additionally, climate projection data from the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX) under the RCP 2.6 scenario were utilized to predict future CL incidence from 2021 to 2100.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings indicate an increase in CL cases in Mediterranean coastal areas, particularly in eastern Tunisia, Algeria, and parts of Morocco, due to rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. The analysis revealed varying temporal peaks in CL incidence across the three countries: short-term for Algeria (2025), mid-term for Morocco (2065), and long-term for Tunisia (2085).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study underscores the need for region-specific surveillance and response systems and emphasizes the importance of integrating climate forecasts into public health strategies to mitigate the risks of CL spread under changing climatic conditions in North Africa.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107548"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143381436","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":"Human parvovirus B19 infection in a Plasmodium vivax endemic area on the Brazil-French Guiana border","authors":"Ester dos Santos Motta ,&nbsp;Arthur Daniel Rocha Alves ,&nbsp;Luciane Almeida Amado Leon ,&nbsp;José Rodrigo Santos Silva ,&nbsp;Marcelo Cerilo-Filho ,&nbsp;Margarete do Socorro Mendonça Gomes ,&nbsp;Rubens Alex de Oliveira Menezes ,&nbsp;Ricardo Luiz Dantas Machado ,&nbsp;Rita de Cássia Nasser Cubel Garcia","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107542","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107542","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection is widespread in Brazil, over 99 % of reported malaria cases occur in the Amazon region, mainly by <em>Plasmodium vivax</em>. As B19V infection may contribute to anemia in children living in <em>P. falciparum</em> endemic areas, this study aimed to investigate the impact of B19V/<em>P. vivax</em> coinfection in residents of the municipality of Oiapoque, Amapá, Brazil. A total of 300 serum samples collected in 2014–2015, from individuals infected by <em>P. vivax</em> (<em>n</em> = 148) and non-infected (<em>n</em> = 152), were tested for B19V by serologic and molecular methods. Hemoglobin dosage and cytokine levels were evaluated by automatic method and flow cytometry/ELISA, respectively. Acute B19V infection was diagnosed in 56.8 % (84/148) of infected with <em>P. vivax</em> and 38.2 % (58/152) of non-infected individuals (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.01), and <em>P. vivax</em> was considered a risk factor for B19V infection (OR=2.19; 95 % CI; <em>p</em> = 0.001). Participants were grouped into: B19V/<em>P. vivax</em> coinfected (CO), <em>P. vivax</em> monoinfected (M), B19V monoinfected (B19V), and endemic control (EC) who were negative for both agents. A significant association was found between the CO group and lower hemoglobin levels (RRR= 0.66; 95 % CI; <em>p</em> = 0.0019), but no link was found between anemia and coinfection. It was found that higher gametocyte counts (OR=1.002; 95 % CI; <em>p</em> = 0.0164), IL-5 (RRR=1.74, 95 % CI; <em>p</em> = 0.025) and IL-10 (RRR=1.45; 95 % CI; <em>p</em> = 0.004) levels were strongly associated with the CO group. No difference in viral load was observed between the CO and B19V groups. Our study highlights the importance of monitoring the circulation of B19V in <em>P. vivax</em> endemic areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107542"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143254503","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":"A systematic review of reported symptomatic Elizabethkingia infection cases in children and adults","authors":"Bowen Jiang,&nbsp;Wenping Zhang,&nbsp;Ning Deng,&nbsp;Gang Li,&nbsp;Chao Ren,&nbsp;Fang Sun,&nbsp;Xiaojun Wang,&nbsp;Shaohu Xi,&nbsp;Shijie Wei","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107544","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107544","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Elizabethkingia infections are caused by the species Elizabethkingia, which recently has become important as a cause of serious infection among neonates and immunocompromised adults. The systematic review summarized clinical data on symptomatic infections caused by Elizabethkingia, including species identification, patient outcomes, and therapeutic approaches.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The PRISMA guidelines were followed in conducting the systematic review. A literature search was made across major databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. The inclusion criteria emphasized case reports and case series on symptomatic human infection caused by Elizabethkingia species. The studies would involve pediatric and adult subjects. Data extraction was to be performed independently by two reviewers, and because the data were heterogeneous, a narrative synthesis was done.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A total of 45 studies were included, covering cases from 2011. Elizabethkingia anophelis had the highest mortality rate (39.1 %), followed by E. meningoseptica (11.8 %) and E. miricola (33.3 %). Pediatric cases, particularly neonates, showed favorable recovery rates, with a 100 % recovery in neonates and 85.72 % in infants. In contrast, adults had a higher mortality rate (33.33 %), particularly those with comorbidities such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Species identification was crucial for determining appropriate antimicrobial treatment, with E. anophelis demonstrating significant antibiotic resistance.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Clinical outcomes from Elizabethkingia infection are quite variable, depending on species and age group. Neonates and children generally tend to have better outcomes with appropriate and timely treatment, but adults, especially those with comorbidities, have higher mortality rates. Precise species identification and targeted treatment strategies play an important role in optimizing patient outcomes. Future research should be directed at fine-tuning diagnostic techniques, exploring the evolving taxonomy, and developing age-specific therapeutic regimens.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107544"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143254502","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":"Vector-borne pathogens in dogs and in Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu stricto ticks in Morocco","authors":"Abderrahmane Zahri ,&nbsp;Kassim Abdullahi Jimale ,&nbsp;Marcos Antônio Bezerra-Santos ,&nbsp;Renata Fagundes-Moreira ,&nbsp;Felix Gregor Sauer ,&nbsp;Salma El Allali ,&nbsp;Abdelwahed Allouch ,&nbsp;Filipe Dantas-Torres ,&nbsp;Maria Bourquia ,&nbsp;Domenico Otranto","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107538","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107538","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) are of major concern in veterinary medicine worldwide. Amongst the arthropods transmitting CVBD-causing pathogens, the brown dog tick (<em>Rhipicephalus sanguineus</em> sensu lato) is an important vector of agents, such as <em>Babesia vogeli, Cercopithifilaria</em> spp., <em>Ehrlichia canis, Hepatozoon canis</em>, and <em>Anaplasma platys</em>. While data on CVBDs transmitted by <em>Rh. sanguineus</em> s.l. are limited in Morocco, <em>Leishmania</em> spp., transmitted by phlebotomine sand flies, are known to be endemic in several regions of the country. In this study, we investigated the occurrence of tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) (i.e., <em>Anaplasma</em> spp., <em>Babesia</em> spp., <em>Ehrlichia</em> spp., <em>Hepatozoon</em> spp., <em>Rickettsia</em> spp.), <em>Leishmania</em> spp. and filarioids in shelter dogs and their ticks in central Morocco. Blood samples were collected from 144 dogs, and 5,363 ticks were removed from 314 dogs of the same population. DNA samples extracted from blood and from 276 ticks (divided into 55 pools) were screened for selected pathogens by PCR and DNA sequencing. Ticks were morphologically identified as <em>Rh. sanguineus</em> s.l., and molecular analysis of 10 representative specimens confirmed them as <em>Rh. sanguineus</em> s.s. Out of 144 dogs tested, 78 (54.1 %) scored positive for at least one pathogen, with 15 (10.4 %) being co-infected. <em>H. canis</em> was the most prevalent pathogen (38.2 %, 55/144), followed by <em>L. infantum</em> (15.3 %; 22/144), <em>A. platys</em> (5.6 %; 8/144), <em>B. vogeli</em> and <em>E. canis</em> (2.8 %; 4/144). Tick DNA pools scored positive for <em>H. canis</em> (36.4 %; <em>n</em> = 20/55). All dogs tested negative for filarioids and <em>Rickettsia</em> spp. Data herein reported demonstrate a high overall prevalence of CVBD-causing pathogens in dogs from central Morocco, with the unprecedented report of <em>H. canis</em> in dogs and ticks in this country.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"263 ","pages":"Article 107538"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143187954","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":"Insights into the ecological and climate crisis: Emerging infections threatening human health","authors":"Francesco Vladimiro Segala ,&nbsp;Giacomo Guido ,&nbsp;Giacomo Stroffolini ,&nbsp;Lorenzo Masini ,&nbsp;Paolo Cattaneo ,&nbsp;Lucia Moro ,&nbsp;Leonardo Motta ,&nbsp;Federico Gobbi ,&nbsp;Emanuele Nicastri ,&nbsp;Serena Vita ,&nbsp;Roberta Iatta ,&nbsp;Domenico Otranto ,&nbsp;Pietro Locantore ,&nbsp;Edoardo Occa ,&nbsp;Giovanni Putoto ,&nbsp;Annalisa Saracino ,&nbsp;Francesco Di Gennaro","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107531","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107531","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Anthropocene era is marked by unprecedented human-induced alterations to the environment, resulting in a climate emergency and widespread ecological deterioration. A staggering number of up to one million species of plants and animals are in danger of becoming extinct, which includes over 10 % of insect species and 40 % of plant species. Unrestrained release of greenhouse gases, widespread deforestation, intense agricultural practices, excessive fishing, and alterations in land use have exceeded the ecological boundaries that were once responsible for humanity's wellbeing. As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), existing policies are expected to result in a minimum rise in global temperature of +2 °C, with more recent assessments indicating a potential increase of up to +2.9 °C. The effects of climate change and ecological degradation on the formation of diseases are complex and have multiple aspects. Deforestation diminishes biodiversity and compels wildlife to come into greater proximity with humans, hence promoting the transmission of zoonotic diseases. Climate change intensifies these impacts by modifying the habitats of disease carrying organisms, resulting in the expansion of vector-borne diseases such as malaria, dengue, and Zika virus into previously unaffected areas. Furthermore, climate change amplifies the occurrence and severity of extreme weather phenomena, which undermines water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practices. This creates an environment conducive to the transmission of waterborne diseases such as cholera in densely populated resettlement camps. Climate-induced disasters contribute to the complexity of epidemiological landscapes, exacerbating antimicrobial resistance and posing a threat to modern medical advancements. This narrative review investigates the complex connections between the ecological-climatic crises and emerging illnesses, offering an overview on how environmental changes contribute to outbreaks that pose a substantial threat to public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"262 ","pages":"Article 107531"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142998389","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":"RAGE-mediated intestinal pro-inflammatory responses triggered by Giardia duodenalis","authors":"Lu Li ,&nbsp;Yuxuan Yao ,&nbsp;Lili Cao ,&nbsp;Yukun Le ,&nbsp;Xin Li ,&nbsp;Xiaocen Wang ,&nbsp;Xichen Zhang ,&nbsp;Jianhua Li ,&nbsp;Nan Zhang ,&nbsp;Weina Jiang ,&nbsp;Pengtao Gong","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Giardia duodenalis</em> is a waterborne zoonotic protozoan that causes gastrointestinal inflammation. Giardiasis and metabolic illnesses share features such as chronic inflammation and intestinal symptoms. Receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) signaling plays a role in metabolic illnesses and intestinal inflammatory responses. The presence of protozoan viruses can influence host immunological responses triggered by protozoa. However, these effects of <em>G. duodenalis</em> remain unknown. In this study, mice treated with the RAGE inhibitor FPS-ZM1 showed more severe intestinal damage, including increased intestinal permeability and lesions, compared to that of the untreated group. Next, we found that <em>G. duodenalis</em> infection activated RAGE, leading to increased secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-1 β, IL-6, IL-12, TNF-α and IFN-γ in mouse intestinal epithelial cells. Notably, these pro-inflammatory responses were significantly higher in Giardiavirus (GLV)-free <em>Giardia</em> than those of GLV-containing <em>Giardia</em>, except for IFN-γ. Additionally, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, GSDMD-N cleavage, and the morphological observation of pyroptosis were significantly higher in cells induced by GLV-free <em>Giardia</em> than those infected with GLV-carrying <em>Giardia</em>. Differences were also observed in the MAPK (p-JNK, p-38, p-ERK) and NF-κB pathway activation, as well as reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, with higher activation in cells infected by GLV-free <em>Giardia</em>, and the ROS was involved in the regulation of p38 MAPK and JNK activation. These findings reveal the potential of RAGE as a target for developing vaccines or drugs, suggesting the differences in the regulation of host immune responses induced by GLV-free <em>Giardia</em> or GLV-containing <em>Giardia</em>, providing new insights for the prevention and treatment of giardiasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"262 ","pages":"Article 107529"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143027761","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":"Effectiveness of a timed praziquantel treatment of school children in relation to seasonal transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis in Northwestern Tanzania","authors":"Nyanda C. Justine ,&nbsp;Humphrey D. Mazigo ,&nbsp;Antje Fuss ,&nbsp;Bonnie L. Webster ,&nbsp;Eveline T. Konje ,&nbsp;Titus R. Leeyio ,&nbsp;Klaus Brehm ,&nbsp;Andreas Mueller","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107530","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107530","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Regular mass drug administration of praziquantel has a positive impact on reducing the burden of human schistosomiasis, however transmission still persists in many areas. To reach disease elimination; tailored interventions are needed to not only further reduce infections but also to tackle areas of persistent high prevalences of infection. One proposed approach is timed treatment based on the natural disease transmission cycle in relation to seasons. This study assessed the effectiveness of timed praziquantel treatment in a seasonal transmission foci of <em>S. haematobium</em> in northwestern Tanzania.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A longitudinal study was conducted among school aged children (SAC) between November 2022 and May 2023 in the Simiyu region, Tanzania. A single urine sample was collected from each of the participant and examined for <em>S. haematobium</em> eggs by the urine filtration method. Infected children were divided into two cohorts and treated with one dose of praziquantel, 40mg/kg of body weight in two different seasons. The first cohort was treated during the low transmission season, following the conclusion of the dry season in November 2022. In contrast, cohort two was treated during the high-transmission season, after the rainy season ended in May 2023. Cure rates and egg reduction rates were recorded at three-weeks post-praziquantel treatment for both cohorts.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Out of 5265 screened participants, 517 and 274 <em>S. haematobium</em> infected SAC from the first and second cohorts respectively, participated in the study. The mean age for both cohorts was 11.2 ± 1.8 years. The prevalence of <em>S. haematobium</em> infection decreased by 12.0 %, from 17.7 % (95 %CI:16.4–19.1) to 5.7 % (95 %CI: 4.9–6.5) in cohort one, and by 11.4 %, from 15.5 % (95 %CI:13.9–17.1) to 4.1 % (95 %CI:3.2–5.0) in cohort two. The mean intensity of infection also decreased by 37.4 eggs/10 ml, from 41.2 to 3.8 eggs/10 ml of urine in cohort one (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001), and by 4.1 eggs/10 ml, from 10.3 to 6.2 eggs/10 ml of urine in cohort two (<em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). The egg reduction rate was higher in cohort one (91 %) than in cohort two (40 %). Finally, there was a non-significant difference in cure rates between cohort one (64.2 %) and cohort two (69.7 %), (χ²(1) = 2.4107, <em>p</em> = 0.121).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Timed treatment with Praziquantel was effective in both cohorts, in terms of reduction in prevalence, heavy intensities, cure rate and egg reduction rates. However, it was less effective in the second cohort, which was treated during the high transmission season. In areas with seasonal transmission of <em>Schistosoma haematobium</em>, praziquantel should be administered during the low-transmission season to enhance its efficacy and increase the effectiveness of preventive chemotherapy programmes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"262 ","pages":"Article 107530"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143045441","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}