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PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases May 2024At the end of 2022, there were over 108 million forcibly displaced people globally, including refugees, asylum seekers (AS) and internally displaced people (IDPs).... (Review)
Review
Status of zoonotic disease research in refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced people, globally: A scoping review of forty clinically important zoonotic pathogens.
BACKGROUND
At the end of 2022, there were over 108 million forcibly displaced people globally, including refugees, asylum seekers (AS) and internally displaced people (IDPs). Forced migration increases the risk of infectious disease transmission, and zoonotic pathogens account for 61% of emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. Zoonoses create a high burden of disease and have the potential to cause large-scale outbreaks. This scoping review aimed to assess the state of research on a range of clinically relevant zoonotic pathogens in displaced populations in order to identify the gaps in literature and guide future research.
METHODOLOGY / PRINCIPAL FINDINGS
Literature was systematically searched to identify original research related to 40 selected zoonotic pathogens of interest in refugees, AS and IDPs. We included only peer-reviewed original research in English, with no publication date restrictions. Demographic data, migration pathways, health factors, associated outbreaks, predictive factors and preventative measures were extracted and synthesized. We identified 4,295 articles, of which 347 were included; dates of publications ranged from 1937 to 2022. Refugees were the most common population investigated (75%). Migration pathways of displaced populations increased over time towards a more complex web, involving migration in dual directions. The most frequent pathogen investigated was Schistosoma spp. (n = 99 articles). Disease outbreaks were reported in 46 publications (13.3%), with viruses being the most commonly reported pathogen type. Limited access to hygiene/sanitation, crowding and refugee status were the most commonly discussed predictors of infection. Vaccination/prophylaxis drug administration, surveillance/screening and improved hygiene/sanitation were the most commonly discussed preventative measures.
CONCLUSIONS / SIGNIFICANCE
The current research on zoonoses in displaced populations displays gaps in the spectrum of pathogens studied, as well as in the (sub)populations investigated. Future studies should be more inclusive of One Health approaches to adequately investigate the impact of zoonotic pathogens and identify transmission pathways as a basis for designing interventions for displaced populations.
Topics: Refugees; Humans; Animals; Zoonoses
PubMed: 38768252
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012164 -
Pathogens and Global Health Sep 2022The role of various parasitic infections in the occurrence of appendicitis is illustrated through cases recorded all over the world. The purpose of the current study was... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
The role of various parasitic infections in the occurrence of appendicitis is illustrated through cases recorded all over the world. The purpose of the current study was to estimate the global prevalence of parasite infestation (other than ) in appendectomy specimens.In the setting of the PRISMA guidelines, multiple databases (Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, and Google Scholar) were explored in articles published until 28 September 2020. Totally, 62 studies (106 datasets) with 77, 619 participants were included in the analysis.The pooled prevalence of parasites in appendectomy samples was as follows; 0.012% (95% CI; 0.004-0.025) for , 0.004% (95% CI; 0.001-0.009) for , 0.025% (95% CI; 0.007-0.052) for , 0.002% (95% CI; 0.001-0.005) for spp., 0.061% (95% CI; 0.020-0.122) for and 0.034% (95% CI; 0.018-0.056) for .Our results demonstrated that the risk of appendicitis may increase in the presence of helminth and protozoan infections. As such, the most cases of parasites in appendectomy specimens were reported in developing countries. Regular screening plans for diagnosis, treatment and prevention are needed for prevention of parasitic infection as well as parasitic associated appendicitis, especially in endemic regions of the world.
Topics: Animals; Appendicitis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Feces; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Parasites; Prevalence; Public Health
PubMed: 34842078
DOI: 10.1080/20477724.2021.2008701 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Jul 2020Efforts to control infection depend on the ability of programs to effectively detect and quantify infection levels and adjust programmatic approaches based on these...
Efforts to control infection depend on the ability of programs to effectively detect and quantify infection levels and adjust programmatic approaches based on these levels and program goals. One of the three major objectives of the Schistosomiasis Consortium for Operational Research and Evaluation (SCORE) has been to develop and/or evaluate tools that would assist Neglected Tropical Disease program managers in accomplishing this fundamental task. The advent of a widely available point-of-care (POC) assay to detect schistosome circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) in urine with a rapid diagnostic test (the POC-CCA) in 2008 led SCORE and others to conduct multiple evaluations of this assay, comparing it with the Kato-Katz (KK) stool microscopy assay-the standard used for more than 45 years. This article describes multiple SCORE-funded studies comparing the POC-CCA and KK assays, the pros and cons of these assays, the use of the POC-CCA assay for mapping of infections in areas across the spectrum of prevalence levels, and the validation and recognition that the POC-CCA, although not infallible, is a highly useful tool to detect low-intensity infections in low-to-moderate prevalence areas. Such an assay is critical, as control programs succeed in driving down prevalence and intensity and seek to either maintain control or move to elimination of transmission of .
Topics: Animals; Antigens, Helminth; Child; Diagnostic Tests, Routine; Feces; Female; Glycoproteins; Helminth Proteins; Humans; Immunologic Tests; Male; Point-of-Care Systems; Prevalence; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Sensitivity and Specificity; Urine
PubMed: 32400347
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0788 -
Folia Parasitologica May 2024Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne disease that has a considerable impact on human and animal health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The intermediate hosts of the...
Schistosomiasis is a snail-borne disease that has a considerable impact on human and animal health, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. The intermediate hosts of the schistosome parasites are freshwater snails of the genera Biomphalaria Preston, 1910 and Bulinus Müller, 1781. In order to identify existing gaps in the spread of the disease in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), this study compiled the available knowledge of the distribution, population dynamics and ecology of the intermediate hosts of schistosomiasis. A systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and Scopus for all malacological studies on schistosoma intermediate hosts in DRC published between 1927 and October 2022. A total of 55 records were found, of which 31 met the inclusion criteria: these were published field and experimental studies conducted in the DRC and focused on snails as intermediate hosts of schistosomes. The analysis of these studies revealed that more up-to-date data on the distribution of snail intermediate hosts in the DRC are needed. Moreover, ecological factors have been less studied for Bulinus species than for Biomphalaria species. These factors play a crucial role in determining suitable snail habitats, and the lack of comprehensive information poses a challenge in snail control. This review makes it clear that there are no current malacological data in the DRC. There is a clear need for molecular and ecological research to update the exact species status and population dynamics of all potential intermediate host species. This will facilitate targeted snail control measures that complement drug treatment in the control of schistosomiasis in the country.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Biomphalaria; Bulinus; Democratic Republic of the Congo; Schistosoma; Schistosomiasis; Snails
PubMed: 38841845
DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.010