-
Lancet (London, England) Jul 2019Scabies is a parasitic disease of the skin that disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations. The disease causes considerable morbidity and leads to severe... (Review)
Review
Scabies is a parasitic disease of the skin that disproportionately affects disadvantaged populations. The disease causes considerable morbidity and leads to severe bacterial infection and immune-mediated disease. Scientific advances from the past 5 years suggest that scabies is amenable to population-level control, particularly through mass drug administration. In recognition of these issues, WHO added scabies to the list of neglected tropical diseases in 2017. To develop a global control programme, key operational research questions must now be addressed. Standardised approaches to diagnosis and methods for mapping are required to further understand the burden of disease. The safety of treatments for young children, including with ivermectin and moxidectin, should be investigated. Studies are needed to inform optimum implementation of mass treatment, including the threshold for intervention, target, dosing, and frequency. Frameworks for surveillance, monitoring, and evaluation of control strategies are also necessary.
Topics: Global Health; Humans; Mass Drug Administration; Neglected Diseases; Population Surveillance; Public Health; Scabies; World Health Organization
PubMed: 31178154
DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31136-5 -
Marine Drugs Jan 2023Parasitic diseases, especially those caused by protozoans and helminths, such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis,... (Review)
Review
Parasitic diseases, especially those caused by protozoans and helminths, such as malaria, trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, Chagas disease, schistosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and lymphatic filariasis, are the cause of millions of morbidities and deaths every year, mainly in tropical regions. Nature has always provided valuable antiparasitic agents, and efforts targeting the identification of antiparasitic drugs from plants have mainly focused on glycophytes. However, salt-tolerant plants (halophytes) have lately attracted the interest of the scientific community due to their medicinal assets, which include antiparasitic properties. This review paper gathers the most relevant information on antiparasitic properties of halophyte plants, targeting human uses. It includes an introduction section containing a summary of some of the most pertinent characteristics of halophytes, followed by information regarding the ethnomedicinal uses of several species towards human parasitic diseases. Then, information is provided related to the antiprotozoal and anthelmintic properties of halophytes, determined by in vitro and in vivo methods, and with the bioactive metabolites that may be related to such properties. Finally, a conclusion section is presented, addressing perspectives for the sustainable exploitation of selected species.
Topics: Humans; Antiparasitic Agents; Salt-Tolerant Plants; Parasitic Diseases; Antiprotozoal Agents; Anthelmintics
PubMed: 36827107
DOI: 10.3390/md21020066 -
Memorias Do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz 2022Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., respectively. They are among... (Review)
Review
Chagas disease and leishmaniasis are neglected tropical diseases caused by the protozoan parasites Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp., respectively. They are among the most important parasitic diseases, affecting millions of people worldwide, being a considerable global challenge. However, there is no human vaccine available against T. cruzi and Leishmania infections, and their control is based mainly on chemotherapy. Treatments for Chagas disease and leishmaniasis have multiple limitations, mainly due to the high toxicity of the available drugs, long-term treatment protocols, and the occurrence of drug-resistant parasite strains. In the case of Chagas disease, there is still the problem of low cure rates in the chronic stage of the disease. Therefore, new therapeutic agents and novel targets for drug development are urgently needed. Antioxidant defence in Trypanosomatidae is a potential target for chemotherapy because the organisms present a unique mechanism for trypanothione-dependent detoxification of peroxides, which differs from that found in vertebrates. Cellular thiol redox homeostasis is maintained by the biosynthesis and reduction of trypanothione, involving different enzymes that act in concert. This study provides an overview of the antioxidant defence focusing on iron superoxide dismutase A, tryparedoxin peroxidase, and ascorbate peroxidase and how the enzymes play an important role in the defence against oxidative stress and their involvement in drug resistance mechanisms in T. cruzi and Leishmania spp.
Topics: Animals; Antioxidants; Chagas Disease; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Trypanosoma cruzi
PubMed: 35239945
DOI: 10.1590/0074-02760210401 -
Acta Tropica Jul 2021Echinococcoses are serious zoonotic diseases in China's vast, western and north-western pastoral areas that has one of the highest prevalence in the world. The two most... (Review)
Review
Echinococcoses are serious zoonotic diseases in China's vast, western and north-western pastoral areas that has one of the highest prevalence in the world. The two most common forms, cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE), are co-epidemic in some areas causing a grave threat to people's health and economic development. Echinococcus spp. are transmitted through domestic, sylvatic and mixed cycles involving many kinds of host. Successful transmission requires a favourable environment for the growth of the parasites and survival of their eggs, while the unique customs and religious beliefs in the endemic areas pose a challenge to the prevention and control of these parasites. Based on previous epidemiological studies, this paper reviews the particular factors affecting the transmission of Echinococcus parasites in China, with a focus on biological (parasite genotype and the species, age, sex and density of hosts), environmental (landscape and climate) and social (age, gender, ethnicity, education, occupation, life style, cultural customs, living conditions and hygiene practices of humans in the endemic areas). These three factors interact with each other and jointly determine the parasites' transmission intensity, the study of which supports the formulation of the strategies and measures that are significant for control of these infections.
Topics: Animals; China; Echinococcosis; Epidemiologic Studies; Humans; Prevalence
PubMed: 33878307
DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2021.105921 -
PloS One 2019In South Korea, Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims data contain comprehensive information on healthcare services for almost the entire population. The present... (Review)
Review
INTRODUCTION
In South Korea, Health Insurance Review and Assessment claims data contain comprehensive information on healthcare services for almost the entire population. The present study used claims data on parasitic diseases from 2011 to 2018, and associated medical expenses to investigate infection trends associated with endemic parasitic diseases in South Korea, including those not monitored by Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
METHODS
Basic data regarding each parasitic disease were curated from the Healthcare Bigdata Hub (http://opendata.hira.or.kr). Ten endemic parasitic diseases, three pandemic protozoan diseases, and three ectoparasitic diseases were evaluated between 2011 and 2018. Data on each parasitic disease included the number of patients of each sex, age range within 5 years, province, and total medical expenses. Heatmap and principal component analysis were performed to visualize the incidence pattern of parasitic diseases by provinces.
RESULTS
Clonorchiasis and pinworm infections decreased remarkably from 6,097 and 4,018 infections in 2011 to 3,008 and 1,988 infections in 2018, respectively. Other endemic parasitic diseases mostly declined or remained steady over the 8-year period, except for anisakiasis, which doubled from 409 in 2011 to 818 in 2018. Provinces close to North Korea had a higher frequency of claims for Plasmodium vivax infection. The highest rate of clonorchiasis was in Gyeongsangnam-do, while that of anisakiasis was in southern Korea. Jeju province had the highest number of claims for cysticercosis, anisakiasis, pinworm infection, and soil-transmitted helminth infections. The total medical expense for anisakiasis was 65 million Korean won (57,000 US$) in 2011, rising to 237 million Korean won (206,000 US$) in 2018. The medical expense for trichomoniasis was 6,063 million won and for scabies was 1,669 million won in 2018. Since the claims data include only data reported by healthcare providers, some discrepancies might have occurred.
CONCLUSION
Our findings provide the basis for a health policy to reduce further infections and medical expense.
Topics: Clonorchiasis; Databases, Factual; Enterobiasis; Health Expenditures; Humans; National Health Programs; Parasitic Diseases; Principal Component Analysis; Republic of Korea
PubMed: 31770393
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0225508 -
Annales de Biologie Clinique Jun 2020The diagnosis of parasitic and fungal infections, historically based on the detection of these pathogens using direct diagnosis (macro/microscopic examination, culture)... (Review)
Review
The diagnosis of parasitic and fungal infections, historically based on the detection of these pathogens using direct diagnosis (macro/microscopic examination, culture) or serological methods, has considerably evolved in the last decades, especially with the development of molecular approaches and mass spectrometry. These techniques, as well as most analyses of parasitic and fungal serology, are mostly the preserve of Hospital University Centers Parasitology-Mycology laboratories. In 2016, the French association of medical parasitology and mycology teachers and hospital practitioners (Anofel) has provided a Catalogue of rare analyses, regularly updated and freely accessible on the Anofel website (https://anofel.net/). This tool, which hinges on 4 parts (parasitology, parasitic serology, mycology, and fungal serology), aims to provide information on all available analyses, and a list of hospital laboratories able to undertake them. It is complementary to the other reference works that were developed by our association, including the Guide of analyses and methods in parasitology and mycology, published in 2018, and the eANOFEL pictures and videos database, freely accessible online (http://www.eanofel.fr). In this article, we draw-up a state-of-the-art of the most specialized techniques available in the parasitology-mycology laboratories and presented in the Catalogue of rare analyses of the Anofel collegium, and their interest for the diagnosis of these infections.
Topics: Clinical Laboratory Services; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Humans; Laboratories, Hospital; Mycology; Mycoses; Parasitic Diseases; Parasitology
PubMed: 32540816
DOI: 10.1684/abc.2020.1554 -
Trends in Parasitology Dec 2020For visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a major vector-borne parasitic disease, an alternative sexual transmission route is well documented in dogs but evidence is lacking in... (Review)
Review
For visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a major vector-borne parasitic disease, an alternative sexual transmission route is well documented in dogs but evidence is lacking in humans. Here, we discuss the current knowledge and key questions to be answered as it may be an additional obstacle in ongoing VL elimination programs.
Topics: Animals; Disease Eradication; Humans; Leishmaniasis, Visceral; Sexually Transmitted Diseases
PubMed: 32943348
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.08.002 -
Biomolecules May 2023The triamine spermidine is a key metabolite of the polyamine pathway. It plays a crucial role in many infectious diseases caused by viral or parasitic infections.... (Review)
Review
The triamine spermidine is a key metabolite of the polyamine pathway. It plays a crucial role in many infectious diseases caused by viral or parasitic infections. Spermidine and its metabolizing enzymes, i.e., spermidine/spermine-N-acetyltransferase, spermine oxidase, acetyl polyamine oxidase, and deoxyhypusine synthase, fulfill common functions during infection in parasitic protozoa and viruses which are obligate, intracellular parasites. The competition for this important polyamine between the infected host cell and the pathogen determines the severity of infection in disabling human parasites and pathogenic viruses. Here, we review the impact of spermidine and its metabolites in disease development of the most important, pathogenic human viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, HIV, Ebola, and in the human parasites and . Moreover, state-of-the-art translational approaches to manipulate spermidine metabolism in the host and the pathogen are discussed to accelerate drug development against these threatful, infectious human diseases.
Topics: Humans; Spermidine; Trypanosoma brucei brucei; Plasmodium falciparum; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Polyamines; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 37238673
DOI: 10.3390/biom13050803 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2022Parasitic diseases are still a huge problem for mankind. They are becoming the main cause of chronic diseases in the world. Migration of the population, pollution of the... (Review)
Review
Parasitic diseases are still a huge problem for mankind. They are becoming the main cause of chronic diseases in the world. Migration of the population, pollution of the natural environment, and climate changes cause the rapid spread of diseases. Additionally, a growing resistance of parasites to drugs is observed. Many research groups are looking for effective antiparasitic drugs with low side effects. In this work, we present the current trends in the search for antiparasitic drugs. We report known drugs used in other disease entities with proven antiparasitic activity and research on new chemical structures that may be potential drugs in parasitic diseases. The described investigations of antiparasitic compounds can be helpful for further drug development.
Topics: Animals; Antiparasitic Agents; Parasites; Parasitic Diseases
PubMed: 35268635
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27051534 -
Biomolecules Jul 2021Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs), small biologically active molecules, produced by different organisms through their innate immune system, have become a considerable... (Review)
Review
Anti-microbial peptides (AMPs), small biologically active molecules, produced by different organisms through their innate immune system, have become a considerable subject of interest in the request of novel therapeutics. Most of these peptides are cationic-amphipathic, exhibiting two main mechanisms of action, direct lysis and by modulating the immunity. The most commonly reported activity of AMPs is their anti-bacterial effects, although other effects, such as anti-fungal, anti-viral, and anti-parasitic, as well as anti-tumor mechanisms of action have also been described. Their anti-parasitic effect against leishmaniasis has been studied. Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease. Currently among parasitic diseases, it is the second most threating illness after malaria. Clinical treatments, mainly antimonial derivatives, are related to drug resistance and some undesirable effects. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic agents has become a priority, and AMPs constitute a promising alternative. In this work, we describe the principal families of AMPs (melittin, cecropin, cathelicidin, defensin, magainin, temporin, dermaseptin, eumenitin, and histatin) exhibiting a potential anti-leishmanial activity, as well as their effectiveness against other microorganisms.
Topics: Animals; Antiprotozoal Agents; Humans; Leishmania; Leishmaniasis; Malaria; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins
PubMed: 34356608
DOI: 10.3390/biom11070984