-
Parasitology Jun 2021The large-sized tapeworm Dibothriocephalus latus is known as the broad or fish-borne cestode of mammals that is capable to infect humans and cause diphyllobothriosis....
The large-sized tapeworm Dibothriocephalus latus is known as the broad or fish-borne cestode of mammals that is capable to infect humans and cause diphyllobothriosis. Recently, molecular data on D. latus has been accumulating in the literature and a complete genome sequence has been published; however, little is known about the karyotype and chromosome architecture. In this study, an in-depth karyological analysis of 2 D. latus specimens was carried out. The plerocercoids originated from a perch caught in subalpine Lake Iseo (Italy) and the tapeworms were reared in hamsters. Both specimens contained cells with a highly variable number of chromosomes ranging from18 to 27. Nevertheless, the largest portion of mitotic figures (47%) showed a number corresponding to the triploid set, 3n = 27. Accordingly, the karyotype of the analyzed specimens consisted of 9 triplets of metacentric chromosomes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with the 18S rDNA probe clearly demonstrated the presence of 3 clusters of hybridization signals on the triplet of chromosome 7, thus confirming the triploid status of the specimens. FISH with a telomeric (TTAGGG)n probe confined hybridization signals exclusively to the terminal chromosomal regions, supporting the earlier findings that this repetitive motif is a conserved feature of tapeworm telomeres.
Topics: Animals; Chromosomes; Cytogenetic Analysis; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Karyotype; RNA, Helminth; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Triploidy
PubMed: 33678200
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182021000408 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Oct 2020A 22-year-old Thai man from the Northeast region presented with acute eye swelling, itching, and discharge on his left eye. He was suspected of having gnathostomiasis...
A 22-year-old Thai man from the Northeast region presented with acute eye swelling, itching, and discharge on his left eye. He was suspected of having gnathostomiasis and treated with albendazole and prednisolone for 3 weeks. Nine months later, he was treated with high-dose oral prednisolone for the preliminary and differential diagnoses with thyroid-associated orbitopathy and lymphoma. He had been administered prednisolone intermittently over a few years. Then he developed a painless movable mass at the left upper eyelid and recurrent pseudotumor oculi was suspected. The surgical removal of the mass was performed. A white pseudosegmented worm revealed a definite diagnosis of ocular sparganosis by a plerocercoid larva. Molecular diagnosis of the causative species was made based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene. Proper technique of extraction and amplification of short fragments DNA from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue successfully identified parasite species. The result from the sequencing of the PCR-amplified cox1 fragments in this study showed 99.0% sequence homology to Spirometra ranarum. This is the first report of S. ranarum in Thailand.
Topics: Adult; Animals; DNA, Helminth; Diagnosis, Differential; Eye; Eye Diseases; Genes, Helminth; Humans; Male; Sparganosis; Sparganum; Spirometra; Thailand; Young Adult
PubMed: 33202511
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2020.58.5.577 -
Parasitology Research Jan 2021Diphyllobothriid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are causative agents of sparganosis, food-borne zoonotic parasitic disease. They have been recorded in broad spectrum...
Diphyllobothriid tapeworms of the genus Spirometra are causative agents of sparganosis, food-borne zoonotic parasitic disease. They have been recorded in broad spectrum of hosts, including humans, in all continents except Antarctica. Spirometra tapeworms have been intensively studied in several Asian countries; however, they have been rather neglected in Europe. The aim of this study was to provide a pilot screening of Spirometra spp. in Latvia, where data on sparganosis are not available. Tapeworms morphologically identified as diphyllobothriid species were isolated from grey wolves Canis lupus and Eurasian lynxes Lynx lynx from Latvia during the hunting periods 2013-2019. The parasites were subjected to molecular genotyping using sequences of the partial large (LSU rDNA; 615 bp) and small (SSU rDNA; 720 bp) subunits of the nuclear ribosomal RNA gene and complete (1566 bp) cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene of the mitochondrial DNA (cox1 mtDNA). Analyses of both ribosomal subunits of 13 tapeworms revealed no intraspecific variation within the respective rDNA subunits. On the other hand, sequence analysis of mitochondrial cox1 revealed intraspecific polymorphism displayed by 12 cox1 haplotypes. Comparison of the current data with sequences of the corresponding DNA regions deposited in the GenBank revealed 99.3-99.5% (LSU rDNA), 99.2% (SSU rDNA) and 99.6-100% (cox1 mtDNA) identity of studied tapeworms with Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, which provided the first confirmation of this diphyllobothriid tapeworm in Latvia. Since S. erinaceieuropaei is probably prevalent in Latvian wildlife and may also occur in other potential host species, further studies are needed in order to acquire complex data on its geographic distribution and transmission in the natural environment of Latvia, as well as on the spectrum of its intermediate, paratenic, and definitive hosts.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Cyclooxygenase 1; DNA, Mitochondrial; DNA, Ribosomal; Female; Humans; Latvia; Lynx; Male; Molecular Typing; Phylogeny; Sparganosis; Spirometra; Wolves; Zoonoses
PubMed: 33174072
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-020-06957-0 -
Parasites & Vectors Nov 2020Spirometra erinaceieuropaei is a diphylobothriid tapeworm with a complex life-cycle including definitive, intermediate and paratenic (transport) hosts. Multiple routes...
BACKGROUND
Spirometra erinaceieuropaei is a diphylobothriid tapeworm with a complex life-cycle including definitive, intermediate and paratenic (transport) hosts. Multiple routes of parasite transmission often make it impossible to determine what type of host a specific infected animal is considered to be. Spargana larvae cause sparganosis, a severe food- and water-borne disease mainly found in Asia. In Poland, Spirometra sp. was reported in large carnivores in Białowieża Primeval Forest for the first time in the 1940s and was recently confirmed as S. erinaceieuropaei in several mammals and snakes using molecular methods.
METHODS
In total, 583 carcasses of 9 carnivore species were necropsied between 2013 and 2019 in north-eastern (NE) Poland. The larvae of S. erinaceieuropaei (spargana) were isolated from subcutaneous tissue, counted, and preserved for genetic analyses. We calculated the prevalence and intensity of infection. To assess spatial variation in S. erinaceieuropaei infection probability in NE Poland, we applied a generalized additive model (GAM) with binomial error distribution. To confirm the species affiliation of isolated larvae, we amplified a partial fragment of the 18S rRNA gene (240 bp in length).
RESULTS
Spirometra larvae were found in the subcutaneous tissue of 172 animals of 7 species and confirmed genetically as S. erinaceieuropaei. The overall prevalence in all studied hosts was 29.5% with a mean infection intensity of 14.1 ± 33.8 larvae per individual. Native European badgers and invasive raccoon dogs were characterized by the highest prevalence. An analysis of parasite spread showed a spatially diversified probability of infection with the highest values occurring in the biodiversity hot spot, Białowieża Primeval Forest.
CONCLUSIONS
Our study revealed that various mammal species (both native and non-native) can serve as S. erinaceieuropaei reservoirs. The frequency and level of infection may differ between selected hosts and likely depend on host diversity and habitat structure in a given area. Further studies are needed to assess the distribution of the parasite throughout Europe and the environmental and biological factors influencing infection severity in wild mammals.
Topics: Animals; Carnivora; Cestode Infections; Disease Reservoirs; Geography; Life Cycle Stages; Phylogeny; Poland; Prevalence; RNA, Ribosomal, 18S; Snakes; Sparganosis; Spirometra
PubMed: 33168087
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04431-5 -
The American Journal of Tropical... Jan 2021Spinal sparganosis of the cauda equina has been rarely reported. A 54-year-old man presented at the hospital after having experienced lower back pain for 10 months,... (Review)
Review
Spinal sparganosis of the cauda equina has been rarely reported. A 54-year-old man presented at the hospital after having experienced lower back pain for 10 months, progressive weakness and numbness of the left leg for 4 months, and urinary incontinence for 3 weeks. Magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbosacral spine revealed a heterogeneous enhancing mass at the T12-S1 level. Spinal sparganosis was diagnosed by histological examination and molecular identification of the parasite in the tissue section. The patient was treated with a high dose of praziquantel because the parasitic mass was only partially removed and symptoms worsened following surgery.
Topics: Anthelmintics; Anti-Ulcer Agents; Cauda Equina; Cimetidine; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Polyradiculopathy; Praziquantel; Sparganosis
PubMed: 33124542
DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.20-0712 -
Internal Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) Feb 2021A 77-year-old woman presented at our hospital to undergo a close examination of an abnormal shadow which was observed on a chest radiograph. Contrast-enhanced computed...
A 77-year-old woman presented at our hospital to undergo a close examination of an abnormal shadow which was observed on a chest radiograph. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) images in the lung window revealed a tortuous tunnel structure (tunnel sign), which was suspected to be the migration path of a parasite. Furthermore, CT images in the mediastinal window showed a linear filling defect from the right inferior pulmonary vein to the venous ostium in the left atrium (migrating sign), which was suspected to be a migrating parasite in the pulmonary vein. Tunnel and migrating signs on chest CT images were helpful in diagnosing pulmonary sparganosis.
Topics: Aged; Female; Heart Atria; Humans; Lung; Pulmonary Veins; Sparganosis; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
PubMed: 32999230
DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.5304-20 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2020(Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although has long been studied,...
(Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although has long been studied, many aspects of its epidemiology and distribution remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mean intensity of infestation, and mean abundance of plerocercoid larvae of in European perch () and its spatial distribution in three commercial fishing areas in Lake Iseo (Northern Italy). A total of 598 specimens of were caught in 2019. The total prevalence of was 6.5%. However, there were significant differences between areas (10.2% North; 7.3% Center; 1.5% South) (Chi-square test, = 0.0018). The mean intensity of infestation ranged from 1 larva in southern area to 1.2 larvae in both the central and northern (Pisogne) areas. In addition, the mean abundance ranged from 0.02 in the southern area to 0.26 in the northern area (Pisogne). The total number of larvae (anterior dorsal-AD = 21; anterior ventral-AV = 1; posterior dorsal-PD = 15; posterior ventral-PV = 5) differed significantly between the four anatomical quadrants (Kruskal-Wallis test; = 0.0001). The prevalence of plerocercoid larvae in European perch from Lake Iseo has long been investigated, but without an appropriate sampling design. With the present study, a broader analysis in spatial distribution has been added to the existing literature, revealing new information about distribution and occurrence in Lake Iseo, with new data that will be useful for health authorities and future studies.
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; Humans; Italy; Lakes
PubMed: 32674519
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145070 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Jun 2020Human sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection and migration of the plerocercoid of Spirometra spp. Although sparganosis were reported from most parts of...
Human sparganosis is a zoonotic disease caused by infection and migration of the plerocercoid of Spirometra spp. Although sparganosis were reported from most parts of the body, the sparganum parasitizing inside cerebral artery is remarkably uncommon. We report a case of cerebral intravascular sparganosis in an elderly patient with acute ischemic stroke who was diagnosed by retrieving sparganum during mechanical thrombectomy. Finally, the parasites were identified as Spirometra erinaceieuropaei using multiplex PCR and cox1 gene sequencing.
Topics: Aged, 80 and over; Animals; Asian People; Cerebral Arteries; Humans; Male; Sparganosis; Sparganum; Spirometra; Stroke; Thrombectomy
PubMed: 32615744
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2020.58.3.309 -
Medicine May 2020Sparganosis is an infectious disease caused by a larval tapeworm of the genus Spirometra, which commonly invades subcutaneous tissues. Pulmonary and pleural involvement... (Review)
Review
RATIONALE
Sparganosis is an infectious disease caused by a larval tapeworm of the genus Spirometra, which commonly invades subcutaneous tissues. Pulmonary and pleural involvement due to sparganum has been rarely reported previously.
PATIENT CONCERNS
We herein described a case of recurrent eosinophilic pleuritis in a 24-year-old woman. She was admitted with persistent cough and shortness of breath for more than 1 month. Initial chest computed tomography scan suggested right pleural effusion and diffuse pleural thickening. Slightly elevated eosinophil counts were found in both the peripheral blood and pleural fluid. She underwent right pleurectomy but histological examination failed to obtain an etiological diagnosis. Moreover, eosinophilic pleural effusion re-appeared in the contralateral thoracic cavity one month later. After re-admission, we reviewed her medical history meticulously and found she had a history of ingesting raw snake gallbladders before hospitalization. The final diagnosis was confirmed by the markedly positive reaction against sparganum antigen in both serum and pleural fluid sample.
DIAGNOSIS
Eosinophilic pleuritis caused by sparganum infection.
INTERVENTIONS
After the diagnosis, the patient was treated with praziquantel at 75 mg/kg/d for 3 days.
OUTCOMES
Pleural effusion absorbed completely and eosinophil count in peripheral blood returned to normal range. No evidence of recurrent pleural effusion had been observed in over one year of follow-up.
LESSONS
Clinicians need to be aware the possibility of sparganum infection in cases of eosinophilic pleuritis. The specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay remains a useful method in acquiring a rapid diagnosis, especially when histological examination is unable to detect the larvae in the thoracic cavity.
Topics: Anthelmintics; Diagnosis, Differential; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Eosinophilia; Female; Humans; Medicine, Chinese Traditional; Pleurisy; Praziquantel; Recurrence; Sparganosis; Young Adult
PubMed: 32481388
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000020226 -
The Korean Journal of Parasitology Dec 2019Paleoparasitological analysis was carried on 4 Merovingian skeletons, dated from the late-5th to the late-9th centuries, and recovered in the church of...
Paleoparasitological analysis was carried on 4 Merovingian skeletons, dated from the late-5th to the late-9th centuries, and recovered in the church of Saint-Martin-au-Val in Chartres (Center region, France). The corpses were buried in stone sarcophagi, which were still sealed at the time of excavation. Parasite marker extraction was conducted on sediment samples taken from the abdominal and pelvic regions, but also on samples taken from under the head and the feet as control samples. Microscopic observation revealed the presence of 3 gastrointestinal parasites, namely the roundworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), the whipworm (Trichuris trichiura) and the fish tapeworm (genus Diphyllobothrium). This analysis contributes to a better knowledge of the health status and the lifestyle of ancient medieval populations during the Merovingian period, for which very few paleoparasitological data were available, up until now. It demonstrates the presence of the fish tapeworm for the first time during this period.
Topics: Animals; Archaeology; Ascariasis; Ascaris lumbricoides; Cadaver; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; France; Geologic Sediments; History, Ancient; Humans; Ovum; Paleopathology; Parasitology; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 31914513
DOI: 10.3347/kjp.2019.57.6.613