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Journal of Immunology (Baltimore, Md. :... Jan 2022Maternal infection during pregnancy is known to alter the development and function of offspring's immune system, leading to inappropriate immune responses to common... (Review)
Review
Maternal infection during pregnancy is known to alter the development and function of offspring's immune system, leading to inappropriate immune responses to common childhood infections and immunizations. Although this is an expanding field, maternal parasitic infections remain understudied. Millions of women of reproductive age are currently at risk for parasitic infection, whereas many pregnant, chronically infected women are excluded from mass drug administration due partially to a lack of resources, as well as fear of unknown adverse fetal developmental outcomes. In areas endemic for multiple parasitic infections, such as sub-Saharan Africa, there are increased rates of morbidity and mortality for various infections during early childhood in comparison with nonendemic areas. Despite evidence supporting similar immunomodulatory effects between various parasite species, there is no clear mechanistic understanding of how maternal infection reprograms offspring immunity. This brief review will compare the effects of selected maternal parasitic infections on offspring immunity.
Topics: Adult; Africa South of the Sahara; Animals; Female; Fetal Development; Helminthiasis; Helminths; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical; Malaria, Falciparum; Parasitic Diseases; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; Soil
PubMed: 35017211
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2100708 -
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases Jan 2020January 30, 2020 is the first-ever World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (World NTD Day), a day when we celebrate the achievements made towards control of the world's...
January 30, 2020 is the first-ever World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day (World NTD Day), a day when we celebrate the achievements made towards control of the world's NTDs, yet recognize the daunting challenges we face in the control and elimination of these conditions.
Topics: Bacterial Infections; Disease Eradication; Global Health; Neglected Diseases; Parasitic Diseases; Tropical Climate; Virus Diseases; World Health Organization
PubMed: 31995572
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007999 -
Trends in Parasitology Dec 2020Wildlife vaccination is of urgent interest to reduce disease-induced extinction and zoonotic spillover events. However, several challenges complicate its application to... (Review)
Review
Wildlife vaccination is of urgent interest to reduce disease-induced extinction and zoonotic spillover events. However, several challenges complicate its application to wildlife. For example, vaccines rarely provide perfect immunity. While some protection may seem better than none, imperfect vaccination can present epidemiological, ecological, and evolutionary challenges. While anti-infection and antitransmission vaccines reduce parasite transmission, antidisease vaccines may undermine herd immunity, select for increased virulence, or promote spillover. These imperfections interact with ecological and logistical constraints that are magnified in wildlife, such as poor control and substantial trait variation within and among species. Ultimately, we recommend approaches such as trait-based vaccination, modeling tools, and methods to assess community- and ecosystem-level vaccine safety to address these concerns and bolster wildlife vaccination campaigns.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Biological Evolution; Ecosystem; Parasitic Diseases, Animal; Vaccination; Vaccines
PubMed: 32952060
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.006 -
Clinical Microbiology Reviews Dec 2023MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are conserved, short, non-coding RNAs that play a crucial role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. They have been implicated in... (Review)
Review
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are conserved, short, non-coding RNAs that play a crucial role in the post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression. They have been implicated in the pathogenesis of cancer and neurological, cardiovascular, and autoimmune diseases. Several recent studies have suggested that miRNAs are key players in regulating the differentiation, maturation, and activation of immune cells, thereby influencing the host immune response to infection. The resultant upregulation or downregulation of miRNAs from infection influences the protein expression of genes responsible for the immune response and can determine the risk of disease progression. Recently, miRNAs have been explored as diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets in various infectious diseases. This review summarizes our current understanding of the role of miRNAs during viral, fungal, bacterial, and parasitic infections from a clinical perspective, including critical functional mechanisms and implications for their potential use as biomarkers and therapeutic targets.
Topics: Humans; MicroRNAs; Gene Expression Regulation; Biomarkers; Parasitic Diseases; Communicable Diseases
PubMed: 37909789
DOI: 10.1128/cmr.00015-23 -
Pediatrics in Review Apr 2023
Topics: Humans; Chagas Disease; Infectious Disease Transmission, Vertical
PubMed: 37002357
DOI: 10.1542/pir.2022-005857 -
International Journal of Antimicrobial... Aug 2019Approximately 250 million people have been using ivermectin (IVM) annually to combat many parasitic diseases including filariasis, onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis,... (Review)
Review
Approximately 250 million people have been using ivermectin (IVM) annually to combat many parasitic diseases including filariasis, onchocerciasis, strongyloidiasis, scabies and pediculosis. Many clinical studies have proven its efficacy against these diseases and have reported the optimum dose and duration of treatment. Moreover, its antiparasitic range has increased to cover more parasitic infections, but it still requires further exploration, e.g. for trichinosis and myiasis. Furthermore, IVM showed high efficacy in killing vectors of disease-causing parasites such as mosquitoes, sandflies and tsetse flies. The World Health Organization (WHO) has managed many control programmes involving the use of IVM to achieve elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis and to reduce malaria transmission. However, IVM is not exempt from the possibility of resistance and, certainly, its intensive use has led to the emergence of resistance in some parasites. Recent research is investigating the possibility of novel drug delivery systems for IVM that increase its potential to treat a new range of diseases and to overcome the possibility of drug resistance. This review highlights the most common human uses of IVM, with special reference to the new and promising properties of IVM.
Topics: Antiparasitic Agents; Disease Transmission, Infectious; Humans; Insect Control; Insecticides; Ivermectin; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 31071469
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2019.05.003 -
International Journal of Infectious... Jul 2020Parasitic infections of the eye are a major cause of ocular-surface diseases globally. While most infections are treatable, parasites can cause varying levels of damage...
INTRODUCTION
Parasitic infections of the eye are a major cause of ocular-surface diseases globally. While most infections are treatable, parasites can cause varying levels of damage mostly due to late diagnosis or misdiagnosis as a result of doctors' unfamiliarity with their characteristics of latency and crypsis, as well as lack of awareness by the patients.
CASE REPORTS
In this study, we present three cases of phthiriasis palpebrarum, thelaziasis, and ophthalmomyiasis, respectively. Two of the cases were treated at the clinic and did not recur. One patient refused treatment and was lost to follow-up.
DISCUSSION
By evaluating the natural histories, morphology, symptoms, clinical findings, and treatment of these parasitic diseases, we systematically analyzed several distinct and unique parasite characteristics, especially latency and crypsis. Furthermore, we have proposed specific examination techniques and methods as well as prevention and treatment strategies from these specific perspectives, aiming to prompt timely diagnoses and early interventions for these diseases by health care workers and improve the public's awareness of parasitic infections.
CONCLUSION
Parasitosis on the ocular surface is a global infectious disease, and prevention strategies include maintaining personal and environmental hygiene and limiting contact with animals. We recommend that health care workers should enhance their ability to detect and diagnose these diseases while promoting the public's awareness of them in the context of our new perspectives.
Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Child; Delayed Diagnosis; Diagnostic Errors; Eye Infections, Parasitic; Eyelashes; Female; Humans; Lice Infestations; Male; Middle Aged; Myiasis; Phthirus; Recurrence; Spirurida Infections; Thelazioidea
PubMed: 32447120
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.05.061 -
Experimental Parasitology Jan 2020There is a plethora of meat-borne hazards - including parasites - for which there may be a need for surveillance. However, veterinary services worldwide need to decide... (Review)
Review
There is a plethora of meat-borne hazards - including parasites - for which there may be a need for surveillance. However, veterinary services worldwide need to decide how to use their scarce resources and prioritise among the perceived hazards. Moreover, to remain competitive, food business operators - irrespective of whether they are farmers or abattoir operators - are preoccupied with maintaining a profit and minimizing costs. Still, customers and trade partners expect that meat products placed on the market are safe to consume and should not bear any risks of causing disease. Risk-based surveillance systems may offer a solution to this challenge by applying risk analysis principles; first to set priorities, and secondly to allocate resources effectively and efficiently. The latter is done through a focus on the cost-effectiveness ratio in sampling and prioritisation. Risk-based surveillance was originally introduced into veterinary public health in 2006. Since then, experience has been gathered, and the methodology has been further developed. Guidelines and tools have been developed, which can be used to set up appropriate surveillance programmes. In this paper, the basic principles are described, and by use of a surveillance design tool called SURVTOOLS (https://survtools.org/), examples are given covering three meat-borne parasites for which risk-based surveillance is 1) either in place in the European Union (EU) (Trichinella spp.), 2) to be officially implemented in December 2019 (Taenia saginata) or 3) only carried out by one abattoir company in the EU as there is no official EU requirement (Toxoplasma gondii). Moreover, advantages, requirements and limitations of risk-based surveillance for meat-borne parasites are discussed.
Topics: Animals; Health Priorities; Humans; Meat; Parasitic Diseases; Risk Factors; Risk Management; Taenia saginata; Taeniasis; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis; Trichinella; Trichinellosis
PubMed: 31765613
DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2019.107808 -
Health Research Policy and Systems Aug 2022Academic research is one of the main avenues through which humans can fight the threat of infectious diseases. However, there have been concerns regarding whether the...
BACKGROUND
Academic research is one of the main avenues through which humans can fight the threat of infectious diseases. However, there have been concerns regarding whether the academic system has provided sufficient efforts to fight infectious diseases we potentially face. Answering these questions could contribute to evidence-based recommendations for setting research priorities and third-mission policies.
METHODS
With a focus on one of the most common categories of communicable diseases, infectious and parasitic diseases (IPDs), we searched Web of Science for articles and reviews relevant to IPDs published during the period 2000-2019 and retrieved WHO data on disease burden in corresponding years. The academic response patterns were explored by IPD subcategory and by human development level (an index established by the United Nations). We conduct the analysis in particular to gain insight into the dynamic relationship between disease burden and research effort on IPDs, scientific efforts contributed by countries with different development levels, and the variation trends in international joint efforts.
RESULTS
The greatest burden of IPDs is clustered in the developing regions of Africa, but has received academic response from both developed and developing countries. Highly developed countries dominate the ranks of academic research in this area, yet there is also a clear increase in research efforts from the countries most affected, despite their low human development scale. In fact, the overall analysis reveals an improved capability for addressing local problems from African regions. In terms of international collaboration, highly developed countries such as the United States and United Kingdom have commonly collaborated with needy regions, whereas prolific but developing nations, like China, have not.
CONCLUSIONS
From a global perspective, academia has positively responded to health needs caused by IPDs. Although the relevant research output contribution is primarily from the highly developed countries, concentrated and specialized efforts from the undeveloped regions to ease their local burden can be clearly observed. Our findings also indicate a tendency to focus more on local health needs for both developed and undeveloped regions. The insights revealed in this study should benefit a more informed and systemic plan of research priorities.
Topics: China; Communicable Diseases; Cost of Illness; Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Publications
PubMed: 35964031
DOI: 10.1186/s12961-022-00889-0 -
Acta Tropica Aug 2019Fascioliasis has emerged as a significant public health problem among ruminants and humans. Human fascioliasis is a neglected food-borne parasitic disease, which has... (Review)
Review
Fascioliasis has emerged as a significant public health problem among ruminants and humans. Human fascioliasis is a neglected food-borne parasitic disease, which has emerged or reemerged in more than 60 countries worldwide. In China, the first case of human fascioliasis was reported in 1921 in Fujian Province. The first major outbreak of this parasitic disease in 29 patients occurred in 2012 in Yunnan Province. Nonetheless, the prevalence of fascioliasis in China is probably underestimated due to the poor sensitivity of diagnostic tests, limited epidemiological data, and a poor understanding of the impact of subclinical illness. This study aimed to review the prevalence and risk factors of fascioliasis in China so as to improve the prevention and control of this disease.
Topics: Animals; China; Disease Outbreaks; Fascioliasis; Humans; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 31077642
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2019.05.007