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Experimental Parasitology Jul 2024Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. The complications of NCC include seizures, headaches,...
Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a parasitic infection caused by the larval stage of the pork tapeworm, Taenia solium. The complications of NCC include seizures, headaches, cognitive impairment, and focal neurological deficits. In addition to antiparasitic drugs and surgery, the management of NCC includes the use of corticosteroids to reduce inflammation and control symptoms. The traditional treatment with albendazole and praziquantel has not been altered over 30 years and present several side effects. There are other anti-helminthic drugs such as oxfendazole and nitazoxanide that may show efficacy in NCC treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the histopathologic aspects of experimental NCC after in vivo treatment with the combination of oxfendazole and nitazoxanide. Balb/c mice were infected with T. crassiceps cysticerci and divided into groups of 10 animals each that received a single dose through gavage as follows: group treated with NaCl 0.9% (control group); group treated by monotherapy of the anti-helminthic drugs, 30 mg/kg in single dose of oxfendazole (OXF) or nitazoxanide (NTZ); and groups treated with the combination of the drugs (OXF/NTZ group). Macroscopic and microscopic analysis were performed. There was greater presence of final stage cysticerci after treatment. The microscopic analysis of the general pathological processes showed that the monotherapy with all treatment groups induced higher perivasculitis than what was observed in the control group. In contrast, the combination treatment showed a lower observation of PMN and MN inflammatory infiltration in comparison to the other treatments and to the control one. These results show that indeed the association of benzimidazole derivatives which present both anti-helminthic and anti-inflammatory properties with other cysticidal drugs are beneficial for the NCC treatment in which the aim is to destroy parasite without inducing inflammatory damage in the brain tissue.
Topics: Animals; Neurocysticercosis; Mice; Thiazoles; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Nitro Compounds; Benzimidazoles; Brain; Female; Drug Therapy, Combination; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Anthelmintics; Taenia solium
PubMed: 38677580
DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2024.108764 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Apr 2024The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic...
The production of small ruminant autochthonous breeds in the Centre region of Portugal is practiced in a semi-extensive husbandry system, exposing animals to parasitic infections. The main objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and identify risk factors. Fecal samples of 203 goats and 208 sheep from 30 herds were collected and subjected to the modified Baermann test. The overall prevalence of infection was 57.7%, significantly higher in goats (95.6%) than in sheep (20.7%) ( < 0.001). According to the binary logistic regression model, sheep dewormed with albendazole, mebendazole plus closantel, or ivermectin plus clorsulon presented a risk of Protostrongylidae infection 29.702, 7.426, or 8.720 times higher, respectively, than those dewormed with eprinomectin. Additionally, the presence of gastrointestinal parasites was investigated in 307 fecal samples using Mini-FLOTAC. The overall prevalence of infection was 86.3%, also significantly higher in goats (93.2%) than in sheep (79.9%) ( < 0.001). Strongyle-type eggs were the most frequently identified, both in sheep (69.8%) and goats (87.8%), followed by oocysts (40.3% in sheep and 68.9% in goats). Considering the high prevalence and the burden of lungworm parasitic infection, it is urgent to determine its economic impact and the repercussions in animal health in the Centre region of Portugal to establish appropriate therapeutic guidelines.
PubMed: 38672389
DOI: 10.3390/ani14081241 -
Journal of Postgraduate Medicine Apr 2024
Topics: Humans; Neurocysticercosis; Male; Child; Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Treatment Outcome; Albendazole
PubMed: 38668848
DOI: 10.4103/jpgm.jpgm_926_23 -
BioRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Apr 2024Benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics are among the most important treatments for parasitic nematode infections in the developing world. Widespread BZ resistance in...
Benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics are among the most important treatments for parasitic nematode infections in the developing world. Widespread BZ resistance in veterinary parasites and emerging resistance in human parasites raise major concerns for the continued use of BZs. Knowledge of the mechanisms of resistance is necessary to make informed treatment decisions and circumvent resistance. Benzimidazole resistance has traditionally been associated with mutations and natural variants in the beta-tubulin gene and orthologs in parasitic species. However, variants in alone do not explain the differences in BZ responses across parasite populations. Here, we examine the roles of five beta-tubulin genes (, and ) to identify the role each gene plays in BZ response. We generated strains with a loss of each beta-tubulin gene, as well as strains with a loss of , or in a genetic background that also lacks to test beta-tubulin redundancy in BZ response. We found that only the individual loss of conferred a substantial level of BZ resistance, although the loss of was found to confer a small benefit in the presence of albendazole (ABZ). The loss of was found to confer an almost complete rescue of animal development in the presence of 30 μM ABZ, likely explaining why no additive effects caused by the loss of a second beta-tubulin were observed. We demonstrate that is the only beta-tubulin gene in where loss confers substantial BZ resistance.
PubMed: 38665774
DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.11.589070 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... Apr 2024Mass drug administration (MDA) is the cornerstone for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF). The proportion of the population that is never treated (NT) is a...
BACKGROUND
Mass drug administration (MDA) is the cornerstone for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF). The proportion of the population that is never treated (NT) is a crucial determinant of whether this goal is achieved within reasonable time frames.
METHODS
Using 2 individual-based stochastic LF transmission models, we assess the maximum permissible level of NT for which the 1% microfilaremia (mf) prevalence threshold can be achieved (with 90% probability) within 10 years under different scenarios of annual MDA coverage, drug combination and transmission setting.
RESULTS
For Anopheles-transmission settings, we find that treating 80% of the eligible population annually with ivermectin + albendazole (IA) can achieve the 1% mf prevalence threshold within 10 years of annual treatment when baseline mf prevalence is 10%, as long as NT <10%. Higher proportions of NT are acceptable when more efficacious treatment regimens are used. For Culex-transmission settings with a low (5%) baseline mf prevalence and diethylcarbamazine + albendazole (DA) or ivermectin + diethylcarbamazine + albendazole (IDA) treatment, elimination can be reached if treatment coverage among eligibles is 80% or higher. For 10% baseline mf prevalence, the target can be achieved when the annual coverage is 80% and NT ≤15%. Higher infection prevalence or levels of NT would make achieving the target more difficult.
CONCLUSIONS
The proportion of people never treated in MDA programmes for LF can strongly influence the achievement of elimination and the impact of NT is greater in high transmission areas. This study provides a starting point for further development of criteria for the evaluation of NT.
Topics: Elephantiasis, Filarial; Mass Drug Administration; Humans; Animals; Filaricides; Albendazole; Ivermectin; Prevalence; Anopheles; Disease Eradication; Wuchereria bancrofti; Diethylcarbamazine; Drug Therapy, Combination
PubMed: 38662701
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae021 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... Apr 2024Mass drug administration (MDA) of antifilarial drugs is the main strategy for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF). Recent clinical trials indicated that the...
Mass drug administration (MDA) of antifilarial drugs is the main strategy for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis (LF). Recent clinical trials indicated that the triple-drug therapy with ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine, and albendazole (IDA) is much more effective against LF than the widely used two-drug combinations (albendazole plus either ivermectin or diethylcarbamazine). For IDA-based MDA, the stop-MDA decision is made based on microfilariae (mf) prevalence in adults. In this study, we assess how the probability of eventually reaching elimination of transmission depends on the critical threshold used in transmission assessment surveys (TAS-es) to define whether transmission was successfully suppressed and triple-drug MDA can be stopped. This analysis focuses on treatment-naive Indian settings. We do this for a range of epidemiological and programmatic contexts, using the established LYMFASIM model for transmission and control of LF. Based on our simulations, a single TAS, one year after the last MDA round, provides limited predictive value of having achieved suppressed transmission, while a higher MDA coverage increases elimination probability, thus leading to a higher predictive value. Every additional TAS, conditional on previous TAS-es being passed with the same threshold, further improves the predictive value for low values of stop-MDA thresholds. An mf prevalence threshold of 0.5% corresponding to TAS-3 results in ≥95% predictive value even when the MDA coverage is relatively low.
Topics: Elephantiasis, Filarial; Mass Drug Administration; Humans; Albendazole; Filaricides; Diethylcarbamazine; Ivermectin; Animals; India; Microfilariae; Drug Therapy, Combination; Adult; Prevalence
PubMed: 38662696
DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae019 -
Cureus Mar 2024Hydatid disease is a zoonotic disease caused by the parasite . It is an endemic disease in many parts of the world. Although humans are incidental hosts of the parasite,...
Hydatid disease is a zoonotic disease caused by the parasite . It is an endemic disease in many parts of the world. Although humans are incidental hosts of the parasite, the disease sometimes results in fatal consequences. The liver and lungs are the most common sites of infection in humans. We report the case of a 45-year-old female who presented with complaints of right hypochondriac pain, fever, and cough, initially suspected as a case of liver abscess but later diagnosed as a giant calcified hydatid cyst of the liver. Imaging and immunoglobulin G for helped confirm our diagnosis. Based on her symptoms, the patient was treated symptomatically with analgesics, paracetamol, and an antitussive for pain, fever, and cough, respectively. In terms of definitive care, she was treated with oral albendazole and referred to her home district for necessary surgical intervention.
PubMed: 38659532
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.56876 -
Saudi Medical Journal Apr 2024Echinococcosis is a parasitic infection that is distributed worldwide. Its clinical presentation depends on the size and location of the cyst. A 7-year-old was found...
Echinococcosis is a parasitic infection that is distributed worldwide. Its clinical presentation depends on the size and location of the cyst. A 7-year-old was found with a superimposed infected pulmonary hydatid cyst that was initially misdiagnosed as complicated pneumonia. Our case underscores the challenges of diagnosing and managing echinococcosis, emphasizes the need for a high index of suspicion, and describes the disease's ability to mimic other clinical entities.
Topics: Humans; Echinococcosis, Pulmonary; Child; Male; Diagnosis, Differential; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 38657978
DOI: 10.15537/smj.2024.45.4.20230078 -
Iranian Journal of Parasitology 2024Echinococcosis is the most common cestode infection globally caused by the species. The most common organ involvement is the lungs and liver, but other organs can be...
Echinococcosis is the most common cestode infection globally caused by the species. The most common organ involvement is the lungs and liver, but other organs can be rarely involved. Here, we present a case with a giant cerebral hydatid cyst. A 4-year-old boy presented with abnormal gait and walking at Marmara University School of Medicine Pendik Training and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Türkiye in September 2022. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging showed a cyst of 13 cm in diameter. The cyst was enucleated successfully with no rupture. Oral albendazole therapy was started. There was no eosinophilia, and the echinococcal indirect hemagglutination test was negative. Ultrasonography detected an anechoic cystic lesion in the liver. He was evaluated for deep-organ involvement; however, no cysts were detected in other organs. The histopathological examination was compatible with a hydatid cyst. Although intracranial hydatid disease in children is rare, it should be considered among the differential diagnoses in patients with neurological symptoms, especially in endemic regions.
PubMed: 38654946
DOI: 10.18502/ijpa.v19i1.15218 -
The American Journal of Case Reports Apr 2024BACKGROUND Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by angiopathy, autoimmunity, and fibrosis. One form of scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, is...
BACKGROUND Scleroderma is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by angiopathy, autoimmunity, and fibrosis. One form of scleroderma, systemic sclerosis, is characterized by diffuse skin lesions and visceral involvement. Eosinophilic pleural effusion is a rare complication attributed to a large array of diseases. We present a case of a man with underlying systemic sclerosis who developed eosinophilic pleural effusion as a complication of associated Trichinella spiralis infection. CASE REPORT A 49-year-old man presented for bilateral inflammatory radio-ulnar-carpal joint pain, paresthesia of the hands and forearms and a 2-week history of right posterior aching thoracic pain and night sweats. The physical examination revealed sclerodermatous skin involvement of the hands, forearms, and forehead, sclerodactyly, Raynaud's phenomenon, and telangiectasias, together with muffled cardiac sounds and right basal abolishment of the vesicular breath sounds. Imagistic evaluation showed the presence of pleuro-pericardial fluid. A thoracocentesis highlighted the presence of an exudative eosinophilic pleural effusion. Laboratory findings showed leukocytosis, with elevated neutrophil and eosinophil counts. The patient was tested for a parasitic infection, but initially the results were negative. He started anti-inflammatory treatment, but no reduction of the pleural fluid was observed. Subsequent evaluation revealed specific anti-trichinella IgG antibodies. Albendazole and corticosteroid therapy were initiated, which resulted in remission of the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS This report highlights the possibility of developing rare or even not-until-now seen complications when 2 etiologically different diseases are associated. The physician should carefully assess the situation to find and resolve the underlying causes.
Topics: Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Scleroderma, Systemic; Trichinella spiralis; Trichinellosis; Pleural Effusion; Eosinophilia; Animals
PubMed: 38652711
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.943420