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Journal of Clinical Microbiology Nov 2022Advances in laboratory techniques have revolutionized parasitology diagnostics over the past several decades. Widespread implementation of rapid antigen detection tests...
Advances in laboratory techniques have revolutionized parasitology diagnostics over the past several decades. Widespread implementation of rapid antigen detection tests has greatly expanded access to tests for global parasitic threats such as malaria, while next-generation amplification and sequencing methods allow for sensitive and specific detection of human and animal parasites in complex specimen matrices. Recently, the introduction of multiplex panels for human gastrointestinal infections has enhanced the identification of common intestinal protozoa in feces along with bacterial and viral pathogens. Despite the benefits provided by novel diagnostics, increased reliance on nonmicroscopy-based methods has contributed to the progressive, widespread loss of morphology expertise for parasite identification. Loss of microscopy and morphology skills has the potential to negatively impact patient care, public health, and epidemiology. Molecular- and antigen-based diagnostics are not available for all parasites and may not be suitable for all specimen types and clinical settings. Furthermore, inadequate morphology experience may lead to missed and inaccurate diagnoses and erroneous descriptions of new human parasitic diseases. This commentary highlights the need to maintain expert microscopy and morphological parasitology diagnostic skills within the medical and scientific community. We proposed that light microscopy remains an important part of training and practice in the diagnosis of parasitic diseases and that efforts should be made to train the next generation of morphological parasitologists before the requisite knowledge, skills, and capacity for this complex and important mode of diagnosis are lost. In summary, the widespread, progressive loss of morphology expertise for parasite identification negatively impacts patient care, public health, and epidemiology.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Parasitic Diseases; Parasites; Microscopy; Feces; Bacteria
PubMed: 36314793
DOI: 10.1128/jcm.00986-22 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Mar 2022The human intestinal microbiota is composed of a complex combination of microorganisms including bacteria, virus, and eukaryotes. The microbiota plays a critical role in...
The human intestinal microbiota is composed of a complex combination of microorganisms including bacteria, virus, and eukaryotes. The microbiota plays a critical role in homeostasis through creating a mucosal barrier, providing protective responses to pathogens, and affecting the immune system and metabolism of the host. Molecules secreted by parasites can alter composition of microbiota both by acting directly on the microbial community and indirectly by affecting the host physiology On the other hand, the microbiota composition can affect the survival, physiology, and virulence of many parasitic protozoa. Explanation of possible interactions between the microbiota, immune response, and protozoa may further clarify the underlying mechanisms of infectivity, clinical variations, and life-cycle of protozoa.
PubMed: 35299914
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-021-01443-5 -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Jun 2023Babesiosis is a globally distributed parasitic infection caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa. The full spectrum of neurologic symptoms, the underlying...
Babesiosis is a globally distributed parasitic infection caused by intraerythrocytic protozoa. The full spectrum of neurologic symptoms, the underlying neuropathophysiology, and neurologic risk factors are poorly understood. Our study sought to describe the type and frequency of neurologic complications of babesiosis in a group of hospitalized patients and assess risk factors that might predispose patients to neurologic complications. We reviewed medical records of adult patients who were admitted to Yale-New Haven Hospital, New Haven, Connecticut, USA, during January 2011-October 2021 with laboratory-confirmed babesiosis. More than half of the 163 patients experienced >1 neurologic symptoms during their hospital admissions. The most frequent symptoms were headache, confusion/delirium, and impaired consciousness. Neurologic symptoms were associated with high-grade parasitemia, renal failure, and history of diabetes mellitus. Clinicians working in endemic areas should recognize the range of symptoms associated with babesiosis, including neurologic.
Topics: Adult; Humans; United States; Babesiosis; Babesia microti; Connecticut; Nervous System Diseases; Parasitemia
PubMed: 37209667
DOI: 10.3201/eid2906.221890 -
Trends in Parasitology Mar 2021Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan agent of Chagas' disease, displays a complex population structure made up of multiple strains showing a diverse ecoepidemiological... (Review)
Review
Trypanosoma cruzi, the protozoan agent of Chagas' disease, displays a complex population structure made up of multiple strains showing a diverse ecoepidemiological distribution. Parasite genetic variability may be associated with disease outcome, hence stressing the need to develop methods for T. cruzi typing in vivo. Serological typing methods that exploit the presence of host antibodies raised against polymorphic parasite antigens emerge as an appealing approach to address this issue. These techniques are robust, simple, cost-effective, and are not curtailed by methodological/biological limitations intrinsic to available genotyping methods. Here, we critically assess the progress towards T. cruzi serotyping and discuss the opportunity provided by high-throughput immunomics to improve this field.
Topics: Animals; Chagas Disease; Humans; Parasitology; Serologic Tests; Species Specificity; Trypanosoma cruzi
PubMed: 33436314
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.12.002 -
Nucleic Acids Research Jan 2022Since 2005, the Pathogen-Host Interactions Database (PHI-base) has manually curated experimentally verified pathogenicity, virulence and effector genes from fungal,...
Since 2005, the Pathogen-Host Interactions Database (PHI-base) has manually curated experimentally verified pathogenicity, virulence and effector genes from fungal, bacterial and protist pathogens, which infect animal, plant, fish, insect and/or fungal hosts. PHI-base (www.phi-base.org) is devoted to the identification and presentation of phenotype information on pathogenicity and effector genes and their host interactions. Specific gene alterations that did not alter the in host interaction phenotype are also presented. PHI-base is invaluable for comparative analyses and for the discovery of candidate targets in medically and agronomically important species for intervention. Version 4.12 (September 2021) contains 4387 references, and provides information on 8411 genes from 279 pathogens, tested on 228 hosts in 18, 190 interactions. This provides a 24% increase in gene content since Version 4.8 (September 2019). Bacterial and fungal pathogens represent the majority of the interaction data, with a 54:46 split of entries, whilst protists, protozoa, nematodes and insects represent 3.6% of entries. Host species consist of approximately 54% plants and 46% others of medical, veterinary and/or environmental importance. PHI-base data is disseminated to UniProtKB, FungiDB and Ensembl Genomes. PHI-base will migrate to a new gene-centric version (version 5.0) in early 2022. This major development is briefly described.
Topics: Animals; Apicomplexa; Bacteria; Databases, Factual; Diplomonadida; Fungi; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Insecta; Internet; Nematoda; Phenotype; Phylogeny; Plants; User-Computer Interface; Virulence
PubMed: 34788826
DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkab1037 -
Trends in Parasitology Feb 2022Interactions between the Anopheles mosquito vector and Plasmodium parasites shape how malaria is transmitted in endemic regions. The long association of these two... (Review)
Review
Interactions between the Anopheles mosquito vector and Plasmodium parasites shape how malaria is transmitted in endemic regions. The long association of these two organisms has led to evolutionary processes that minimize fitness costs of infection and benefit both players through shared nutrient resources, parasite immune suppression, and mosquito tolerance to infection. In this review we explore recent data describing how Plasmodium falciparum, the deadliest malaria parasite, associates with one of its most important natural mosquito hosts, Anopheles gambiae, and we discuss the implications of these findings for parasite transmission and vector control strategies currently in development.
Topics: Animals; Anopheles; Host-Parasite Interactions; Malaria; Malaria, Falciparum; Mosquito Vectors; Plasmodium; Plasmodium falciparum
PubMed: 34548252
DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2021.08.009 -
Medecine Tropicale Et Sante... Mar 2023At the end of his professorial mandate at the Val de Grâce hospital, Alphonse Laveran, who was Chief Doctor, was appointed to Lille and then Nantes. These assignments...
At the end of his professorial mandate at the Val de Grâce hospital, Alphonse Laveran, who was Chief Doctor, was appointed to Lille and then Nantes. These assignments however deprived him of a hospital service where he could carry on his research. In 1896, faced with the inflexibility of his military hierarchy, he applied for early retirement; he was then 50 years old. Dr Roux welcomed him to the Pasteur Institute as a honorary department head, where he started a second career as a volunteer. He would spend the following 25 years there, addressing the great protozoology issues. Together with Félix Mesnil, he undertook the study of trypanosomiasis and leishmaniases. In 1907 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine to honor "his work on the role of protozoa as pandemic vectors". He allocated a large part of his prize money to set up a parasitology laboratory at the Pasteur Institute, where all the discoveries and observations carried out in the colonies would converge. In 1908, he funded the Society of Exotic Pathology. He authored no less than 600 publications where his memorable research is recorded. Despite his somewhat outwardly rigid appearance, the man proved to be of amiable approach thanks to "the simplicity of his manners, his amenity and his great heart".
Topics: Humans; History, 20th Century; Nobel Prize; Medicine; France; Parasitology
PubMed: 37525644
DOI: 10.48327/mtsi.v3i1.2023.313 -
Journal of Ayub Medical College,... 2023A group of eukaryotic organisms that are either free-living or parasitic and feed on organic matter, such as microorganisms or organic detritus. This group is referred...
BACKGROUND
A group of eukaryotic organisms that are either free-living or parasitic and feed on organic matter, such as microorganisms or organic detritus. This group is referred to as a polyphyletic classification. They can be found in a wide variety of patterns and sizes, ranging from an amoeba, which can vary its shape, to a paramecium, which has a fixed shape and a complicated structure. The objective was to find out the occurrence of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas among Dental Patients visiting the Periodontology Department Dental Section, Sandeman, Provincial Hospital Quetta.
METHODS
The study design was randomized cross-sectional and conducted in the Department of Periodontology Dental Section, Sandeman Provincial Hospital Quetta, from March 2022 to February 2023. A total of 110 known cases of periodontitis and gingivitis were recruited in this study, and further to laboratory work the bacterial biofilm samples were collected from both gingivitis and periodontitis patients. The dental plaque was placed on individual glass microscope slides and a drop of saline and mixed and covered with a coverslip. The wet smear was examined immediately under 40X, and the objective for the presence and absence of motile amoebae or flagellated protozoa was recorded. .
RESULTS
out of 110 known cases of periodontitis and gingivitis 91 (83%) patients were males and 19 (17%) were females among 110 patients, 40 (36%) patients were periodontitis and 70 (64%) patients were gingivitis. Among 40 (36%) periodontitis patients 3(7.5%) were Entamoeba gingivalis and 4(10%) were Trichomonas Tenax while 70 (64%) cases of Gingivitis 20 (28%) of Entamoeba gingivalis and 1(1%) Trichomonas tenax was recorded. No patient had both species of protozoa were seen in this study.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study revealed the frequency of occurrence of E. gingivalis and T. tenax and the state of periodontitis and gingivitis. The prevalence of E. gingivalis was higher than T. tenax. We recommended further research with a higher number of patients and may use more advanced and reliable laboratory techniques such as PCR and electron microscopy.
Topics: Male; Female; Humans; Trichomonas; Entamoeba; Cross-Sectional Studies; Gingivitis; Periodontitis
PubMed: 38406902
DOI: 10.55519/JAMC-S4-12660 -
PloS One 2022The increasing interest to perform and investigate the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has generated an urge for feasible donor screening. We report...
BACKGROUND
The increasing interest to perform and investigate the efficacy of fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) has generated an urge for feasible donor screening. We report our experience with stool donor recruitment, screening, follow-up, and associated costs in the context of clinical FMT trials.
METHODS
Potential stool donors, aged between 18-65 years, underwent a stepwise screening process starting with an extensive questionnaire followed by feces and blood investigations. When eligible, donors were rescreened for MDROs and SARS-CoV-2 every 60-days, and full rescreening every 4-6 months. The costs to find and retain a stool donor were calculated.
RESULTS
From January 2018 to August 2021, 393 potential donors underwent prescreening, of which 202 (51.4%) did not proceed primarily due to loss to follow-up, medication use, or logistic reasons (e.g. COVID-19 measures). 191 potential donors filled in the questionnaire, of which 43 (22.5%) were excluded. The remaining 148 candidates underwent parasitology screening: 91 (61.5%) were excluded, mostly due to Dientamoeba fragilis and/or high amounts of Blastocystis spp. After additional feces investigations 18/57 (31.6%) potential donors were excluded (mainly for presence of Helicobacter Pylori and ESBL-producing organisms). One donor failed serum testing. Overall, 38 out of 393 (10%) potential donors were enrolled. The median participation time of active stool donors was 13 months. To recruit 38 stool donors, €64.112 was spent.
CONCLUSION
Recruitment of stool donors for FMT is challenging. In our Dutch cohort, failed eligibility of potential donors was often caused by the presence of the protozoa Dientamoeba fragilis and Blastocystis spp.. The exclusion of potential donors that carry these protozoa, especially Blastocystis spp., is questionable and deserves reconsideration. High-quality donor screening is associated with substantial costs.
Topics: Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Fecal Microbiota Transplantation; Donor Selection; SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Feces; Clostridium Infections
PubMed: 36264933
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276323 -
Parasites & Vectors Jun 2023Dirofilariasis, the disease caused by Dirofilaria spp., and in particular by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in canines, occurs frequently in canids and... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Dirofilariasis, the disease caused by Dirofilaria spp., and in particular by Dirofilaria immitis and Dirofilaria repens in canines, occurs frequently in canids and felids, and occasionally in humans, in temperate, sub-tropical and tropical regions globally. Although highly effective, safe and convenient preventive medicines have been available for the treatment of dirofilariasis for the past three decades, the disease remains a major veterinary and public health concern in endemic areas. The insect vectors, host-parasite relationships and interactions of Dirofilaria spp. have received little attention in China, and there is very little information in English regarding the prevalence of dirofilariasis in animals and humans in the country. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the status of canine dirofilariasis in China based on the available literature in English and in Chinese.
METHODS
We systematically searched five databases for epidemiologic studies on the prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in China and finally selected 42 studies eligible for inclusion in the systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model in the meta package in R v4.2.1.
RESULTS
The random effects model gave a pooled and weighted prevalence of Dirofilaria infection among dogs in China in the past 100 years of 13.8% (2896/51,313, 95% confidence interval 8.2-20.4%) with a high level of heterogeneity (I = 99.5%).
CONCLUSIONS
Our analyses indicated that the prevalence of canine dirofilariasis in China has gradually declined, but that the range of Dirofilaria spp. has expanded. Older and outdoor dogs presented a higher rate of positive infection. The findings indicated that more attention should be paid to host factors for the effective control and management of this disease.
Topics: Animals; Dogs; China; Dirofilaria immitis; Dirofilaria repens; Dirofilariasis; Dog Diseases; Prevalence
PubMed: 37340314
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05770-9