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BMC Veterinary Research May 2024Despite the importance of the electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) and the African giant catfish (Heterobranchus bidorsalis) in the foodweb of Lake Nasser, Egypt,...
Two proteocephalid cestodes in the fish Malapterurus electricus and Heterobranchus bidorsalis from Lake Nasser, Egypt: a morphological, molecular, and histopathological study.
Despite the importance of the electric catfish (Malapterurus electricus) and the African giant catfish (Heterobranchus bidorsalis) in the foodweb of Lake Nasser, Egypt, little is known about their diseases and parasitic fauna. This work describes, for the first time, cestodiasis in M. electricus and H. bidorsalis. Corallobothrium solidum and Proteocephalus sp. were identified morphologically and molecularly from M. electricus and H. bidorsalis, respectively. Using PCR, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis, the two cestodes shared rRNA gene sequence similarities yet were unique and the two new sequences for the proteocephalid genera were submitted to the GenBank database. The prevalence of infection was 75% and 40% for the two fish species, respectively. Infections significantly increased in the summer and spring and were higher in female fish than in male fish. The intestine was the preferred site of the two adult cestodes. However, in the case of C. solidum some larval cestodes were found outside the intestine in between the skin and abdominal musculature, attached to the mesentery, and within intestinal tunica muscularis. Desquamation of the intestinal epithelium and inflammation at the site of infection in addition to congestion of the intestinal wall of the tapeworm infected fish were evident, indicating that C. solidum and Proteocephalus sp. impacted the infected fish. The larval stages of C. solidum attempted to penetrate the intestine and sometimes they were encircled within fibrous layers infiltrated with inflammatory cells. The infected fish's musculature was free of cestode infections. Preventive measures should be implemented to prevent the spread of infections.
Topics: Animals; Fish Diseases; Cestoda; Egypt; Cestode Infections; Catfishes; Female; Male; Lakes; Phylogeny
PubMed: 38769538
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04048-1 -
Scientific Reports May 2024This study intends to use the basic information and blood routine of schistosomiasis patients to establish a machine learning model for predicting liver fibrosis. We...
This study intends to use the basic information and blood routine of schistosomiasis patients to establish a machine learning model for predicting liver fibrosis. We collected medical records of Schistosoma japonicum patients admitted to a hospital in China from June 2019 to June 2022. The method was to screen out the key variables and six different machine learning algorithms were used to establish prediction models. Finally, the optimal model was compared based on AUC, specificity, sensitivity and other indicators for further modeling. The interpretation of the model was shown by using the SHAP package. A total of 1049 patients' medical records were collected, and 10 key variables were screened for modeling using lasso method, including red cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD), Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), Mean corpuscular volume (MCV), hematocrit (HCT), Red blood cells, Eosinophils, Monocytes, Lymphocytes, Neutrophils, Age. Among the 6 different machine learning algorithms, LightGBM performed the best, and its AUCs in the training set and validation set were 1 and 0.818, respectively. This study established a machine learning model for predicting liver fibrosis in patients with Schistosoma japonicum. The model could help improve the early diagnosis and provide early intervention for schistosomiasis patients with liver fibrosis.
Topics: Humans; Machine Learning; Liver Cirrhosis; Schistosomiasis japonica; Male; Female; Schistosoma japonicum; Middle Aged; Adult; Animals; China; Erythrocyte Indices; Algorithms; Aged
PubMed: 38769391
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62521-1 -
Veterinary Medicine and Science Jul 2024The objective of the present study was to describe a very rare case of gallstone (cholelithiasis) in a goat associated with chronic fasciolosis. During a routine... (Review)
Review
The objective of the present study was to describe a very rare case of gallstone (cholelithiasis) in a goat associated with chronic fasciolosis. During a routine slaughterhouse-based survey, a two-and-half-year-old female Black Bengal Goat was found to be affected with severe chronic fascioliosis characterized by the massive damage in the liver. Through systemic dissection of liver, we isolated 94 adult Fasciola spp., and by PCR, we confirmed the fluke as Fasciola gigantica. The gallbladder of the goat was oedematous. On opening the gallbladder, we recovered 255 stones of variable sizes. Stones were whitish in colour and friable, and some of the fragile stones were attached to the wall of the gallbladder. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of the cholelithiasis in a goat associated with F. gigantica.
Topics: Animals; Goats; Goat Diseases; Fascioliasis; Female; Bangladesh; Cholelithiasis; Fasciola; Chronic Disease
PubMed: 38767557
DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1476 -
La Revue de Medecine Interne Jun 2024Alveolar echinococcosis is an endemic parasitic disease prevalent in certain cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Eastern France, Switzerland, Germany,...
INTRODUCTION
Alveolar echinococcosis is an endemic parasitic disease prevalent in certain cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Eastern France, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, and the United States. Widely underdiagnosed, it is associated with infection by Echinococcus multilocularis, a small tapeworm belonging to the cestode class, capable of causing multi-systemic involvement, particularly in elderly or immunocompromised patients.
CASE REPORT
We present the case of an 82-year-old patient, immunocompromised due to prolonged corticosteroid therapy and treatment with dupilumab. She was referred to our department for a diagnostic assessment of atypical hepatic and pulmonary lesions, initially suspected of tuberculosis or an IgG4-related disease. The hypothesis of alveolar echinococcosis caused by E. multilocularis was eventually considered based on a set of arguments, further confirmed by molecular diagnosis. We discuss the role of dupilumab in the systemic evolution and atypical presentation of the disease, through the induction of a specific immunosuppression.
CONCLUSION
Alveolar echinococcosis should be systematically considered in case of systemic disease with prominent hepatic and pulmonary involvement, especially in immunocompromised patients.
Topics: Humans; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Female; Echinococcosis; Aged, 80 and over; Immunocompromised Host; Echinococcus multilocularis; Echinococcosis, Hepatic; Animals
PubMed: 38760184
DOI: 10.1016/j.revmed.2024.04.002 -
ACS Infectious Diseases Jun 2024Schistosomiasis, caused by a parasitic blood fluke of the genus is a global health problem for which new chemotherapeutic options are needed. We explored the scaffold...
Schistosomiasis, caused by a parasitic blood fluke of the genus is a global health problem for which new chemotherapeutic options are needed. We explored the scaffold of gallinamide A, a natural peptidic metabolite of marine cyanobacteria that has previously been shown to inhibit cathepsin L-type proteases. We screened a library of 19 synthetic gallinamide A analogs and identified nanomolar inhibitors of the cathepsin B-type protease SmCB1, which is a drug target for the treatment of schistosomiasis mansoni. Against cultured schistosomula and adult worms, many of the gallinamides generated a range of deleterious phenotypic responses. Imaging with a fluorescent-activity-based probe derived from gallinamide A demonstrated that SmCB1 is the primary target for gallinamides in the parasite. Furthermore, we solved the high-resolution crystal structures of SmCB1 in complex with gallinamide A and its two analogs and describe the acrylamide covalent warhead and binding mode in the active site. Quantum chemical calculations evaluated the contribution of individual positions in the peptidomimetic scaffold to the inhibition of the target and demonstrated the importance of the P1' and P2 positions. Our study introduces gallinamides as a powerful chemotype that can be exploited for the development of novel antischistosomal chemotherapeutics.
Topics: Cathepsin B; Animals; Schistosoma mansoni; Crystallography, X-Ray; Schistosomicides; Protein Binding; Models, Molecular
PubMed: 38757505
DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.3c00589 -
Mathematical Biosciences Jul 2024Clonorchiasis is a zoonotic disease mainly caused by eating raw fish and shrimp, and there is no vaccine to prevent it. More than 30 million people are infected...
Clonorchiasis is a zoonotic disease mainly caused by eating raw fish and shrimp, and there is no vaccine to prevent it. More than 30 million people are infected worldwide, of which China alone accounts for about half, and is one of the countries most seriously affected by Clonorchiasis. In this work, we formulate a novel Ordinary Differential Equation (ODE) model to discuss the biological attributes of fish within authentic ecosystems and the complex lifecycle of Clonorchis sinensis. This model includes larval fish, adult fish, infected fish, humans, and cercariae. We derive the basic reproduction number and perform a rigorous stability analysis of the proposed model. Numerically, we use data from 2016 to 2021 in Guangxi, China, to discuss outbreaks of Clonorchiasis and obtain the basic reproduction number R=1.4764. The fitted curve appropriately reflects the overall trend and replicates a low peak in the case number of Clonorchiasis. By reducing the release rate of cercariae in 2018, the fitted values of Clonorchiasis cases dropped rapidly and almost disappeared. If we decrease the transmission rate from infected fish to humans, Clonorchiasis can be controlled. Our studies also suggest that strengthening publicity education and cleaning water quality can effectively control the transmission of Clonorchiasis in Guangxi, China.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Clonorchiasis; Fishes; China; Life Cycle Stages; Basic Reproduction Number; Models, Theoretical; Models, Biological; Fish Diseases; Zoonoses; Clonorchis sinensis; Mathematical Concepts
PubMed: 38754625
DOI: 10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109209 -
Acta Parasitologica Jun 2024This study aimed to develop and evaluate a lateral flow card for the detection of active Schistosoma haematobium infection.
PURPOSE
This study aimed to develop and evaluate a lateral flow card for the detection of active Schistosoma haematobium infection.
METHODS
In order to prepare the immunochromatography lateral flow strip (ICLFS), antibodies purified from schistosomiasis were conjugated passively with gold nanoparticles using a potassium carbonate buffer.
RESULTS
The novel ICLFS was able to correctly identify 64 out of 67 samples of schistosomiasis, 6 out of 90 samples of other parasites, and 0 out of 27 control samples. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV), and positive predictive value (PPV) were 95.5%, 93.3%, 90%, and 91.4% respectively. Comparatively, the sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) conjugated with gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were 91.1%, 88.8%, 85.9%, and 84.4% respectively. The increased sensitivity and specificity of ICLFS produced superior results to those of sandwich ELISA.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, ICLFS is more beneficial and precise than sandwich ELISA for detection of S. haematobium infection at early stage.
Topics: Gold; Humans; Schistosoma haematobium; Metal Nanoparticles; Animals; Schistosomiasis haematobia; Chromatography, Affinity; Sensitivity and Specificity; Antigens, Helminth; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Antibodies, Helminth; Reagent Strips
PubMed: 38753102
DOI: 10.1007/s11686-024-00841-y -
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Jul 2024The common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, is a trematode parasite found worldwide, typically with a focal distribution due to its requirement for suitable climatic and...
Estimation of diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of abattoir registrations and bulk tank milk ELISA as herd-level tests for Fasciola hepatica using Bayesian latent class modelling.
The common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica, is a trematode parasite found worldwide, typically with a focal distribution due to its requirement for suitable climatic and environmental conditions to complete its lifecycle. Bovine fasciolosis causes suboptimal production and economic losses, including liver condemnation at slaughter. The lack of reliable diagnostic methods is a disadvantage to the increasing demand for surveillance and control. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of bulk tank milk (BTM) antibody testing and aggregated abattoir registrations (AAR) of liver fluke as herd-level tests for F. hepatica infection using Bayesian latent class models. Data from the abattoirs in 2019-2021 and BTM, sampled in the winter of 2020/2021, were collected from 437 herds on the southwest coast of Norway. The BTM samples were analysed with the SVANOVIR® F. hepatica-Ab ELISA test, with results given as an optical density ratio (ODR), and later dichotomized using the recommended cut-off value from the test manufacturer (ODR ≥0.3). Based on the BTM ELISA test, 47.8% of the herds tested positive. The AAR test was defined as the herd-level proportion of female slaughtered animals registered with liver fluke infection during the study period. For this test, three cut-offs were used (a proportion of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2). The herds were split into two subpopulations ("Coastal" and "Inland"), which were expected to differ in true prevalence of F. hepatica infection based on climate-related and geographical factors. The diagnostic accuracies of both tests were estimated using Bayesian latent class models with minimally informative priors. Post-hoc analysis revealed that the maximum sum of sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of the tests was achieved with a herd-level proportion of ≥0.1 registered with liver fluke as the AAR test. Using this cut-off, the median estimate for the diagnostic accuracy of the BTM ELISA was 90.4% (84.0-96.2 95% Posterior Credible Interval (PCI)) for Se and 95.3% (90.6-100% PCI) for Sp, while the median estimate of Se for AAR was 87.5% (81.4-93.1% PCI) and the median estimate of Sp for AAR was 91.0% (85.2-96.5% PCI). The cut-off evaluation of the SVANOVIR® F. hepatica-Ab ELISA test for BTM confirmed the manufacturer's recommended cut-off of ODR ≥0.3 to denote positive and negative herds. This study suggests that AAR and BTM ELISA test can be used as herd-level tools to monitor liver fluke infection, so that appropriate interventions against infection can be implemented as necessary.
Topics: Animals; Fascioliasis; Cattle; Abattoirs; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; Fasciola hepatica; Bayes Theorem; Cattle Diseases; Sensitivity and Specificity; Milk; Latent Class Analysis; Norway; Female; Prevalence; Antibodies, Helminth
PubMed: 38744092
DOI: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2024.106213 -
Frontiers in Immunology 2024The parasitic helminth is a potent inducer of type 2 immune responses by stimulating dendritic cells (DCs) to prime T helper 2 (Th2) responses. We previously found that...
The parasitic helminth is a potent inducer of type 2 immune responses by stimulating dendritic cells (DCs) to prime T helper 2 (Th2) responses. We previously found that soluble egg antigens (SEA) promote the synthesis of Prostaglandin E (PGE2) by DCs through ERK-dependent signaling via Dectin-1 and Dectin-2 that subsequently induces OX40L expression, licensing them for Th2 priming, yet the ligands present in SEA involved in driving this response and whether specific targeting of PGE2 synthesis by DCs could affect Th2 polarization are unknown. We here show that the ability of SEA to bind Dectin-2 and drive ERK phosphorylation, PGE2 synthesis, OX40L expression, and Th2 polarization is impaired upon cleavage of high-mannose glycans by Endoglycosidase H treatment. This identifies high-mannose glycans present on glycoproteins in SEA as important drivers of this signaling axis. Moreover, we find that OX40L expression and Th2 induction are abrogated when microsomal prostaglandin E synthase-1 (mPGES) is selectively inhibited, but not when a general COX-1/2 inhibitor is used. This shows that the synthesis of PGE2 is vital for the Th2 priming function of SEA-stimulated DCs as well as points to the potential existence of other COX-dependent lipid mediators that antagonize PGE2-driven Th2 polarization. Lastly, specific PGE2 inhibition following immunization with eggs dampened the egg-specific Th cell response. In summary, our findings provide new insights in the molecular mechanisms underpinning Th2 induction by and identify druggable targets for potential control of helminth driven-Th2 responses.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Antigens, Helminth; Dendritic Cells; Dinoprostone; Lectins, C-Type; Mannose; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Ovum; OX40 Ligand; Polysaccharides; Schistosoma mansoni; Schistosomiasis mansoni; Th2 Cells
PubMed: 38742105
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1372927 -
BMC Veterinary Research May 2024The occurrence of trematodes among ruminants and their snail vectors is a major concern across various agro-ecological regions of Ethiopia. Trematodes pose significant...
The occurrence of trematodes among ruminants and their snail vectors is a major concern across various agro-ecological regions of Ethiopia. Trematodes pose significant threats to animals, causing considerable economic losses and impacting public health. In this study, we have investigated 784 ruminant fecal samples, and 520 abattoir samples, alongside the collection and identification of snail vectors from various agro-ecological regions. Fecal examinations revealed Fasciola, Paramphistomum and Schistosoma species infected 20.5% (95% CI: 17.6, 23.8), 11.7% (95% CI: 9.6, 14.2), and 6.3% (95% CI: 4.1, 9.1) of the animals, respectively. The overall prevalence of trematodes among ruminants was 28.8% (95% CI: 25.7, 32.1%), with 6.0% (95% CI: 4.3, 7.7) showing mixed infections. Fasciola was more prevalent in Asela (26%) compared to Batu (19%) and Hawassa (11.5%), while a higher proportion of animals in Batu were infected with Paramphistomum. Schistosoma eggs were detected only in Batu (12.5%), but not in other areas. Sheep and cattle exhibited higher infection rates with Fasciola, Paramphistoma, and Schistosoma compared to goats. Significant associations were observed between trematode infections and risk factors including agro-ecology, animal species, body condition score, and deworming practices. About 20.8% and 22.7% of the slaughtered animals harbored Fasciola and Paramphistomum flukes, respectively, with a higher prevalence in Asela and Hawassa abattoirs compared to Batu abattoir. Additionally, a total of 278 snails were collected from the study areas and identified as lymnae natalensis, lymnae trancatula, Biomphalaria pffiferi, Biomphlaria sudanica, and Bulinus globosus. In conclusion, the study highlights the widespread occurrence of trematode infections, emphasizing the need for feasible control measures to mitigate their economic and public health impacts.
Topics: Animals; Ethiopia; Trematode Infections; Feces; Prevalence; Snails; Sheep; Sheep Diseases; Goat Diseases; Goats; Cattle Diseases; Cattle; Trematoda; Abattoirs; Fasciola; Paramphistomatidae; Ruminants
PubMed: 38741097
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-024-04049-0