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Veterinary World Apr 2021Balantidiasis, caused by (syn. or ), represents a neglected parasitic infection of zoonotic significance affecting a variety of hosts, including domestic pigs that are...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Balantidiasis, caused by (syn. or ), represents a neglected parasitic infection of zoonotic significance affecting a variety of hosts, including domestic pigs that are the main reservoir. has a direct life cycle with a fecal-oral route transmission that occurs mainly by the ingestion of food and water contaminated with cysts. The ingestion of meat contaminated during inappropriate slaughtering processes may represent a new potential route of transmission. Only a few studies have investigated the prevalence of in domestic pigs in Italy, despite its high prevalence and zoonotic significance. This study aimed to improve the knowledge on i prevalence in domestic swine reared both in intensive and "en plein air" breeding systems in the south of Italy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The infection rate of in pigs bred in 15 different pig farms and regularly slaughtered in South Italy, in the Calabria region, was investigated. From 2017 to 2019, 177 terminal parts of the rectums of pigs, of which 91 commercial hybrids and 86 autochthonous (Nero Calabrese), reared, respectively, in intensive and "en plein air" breeding system, were tested for parasite detection. After the slaughtering, the terminal part of the rectum was sampled and transported to the laboratories and immediately processed. For the detection of trophozoites, fresh smears of feces were examined at light microscopy. Moreover, flotation was performed using a sodium chloride solution, then smears of feces were dispersed on microscope slides and examined at light microscopy. The observed parasites were identified at the species level using morphological characteristics.
RESULTS
was detected in a total of 83 (i.e., 46.89%) pigs, with a significantly higher prevalence (p<0.0001) found in commercial hybrid (i.e., 59/91-64.84%) pigs rather than in autochthonous ones (i.e., 24/86-27.91%). It follows that the infection was more common in pigs reared in the intensive breeding system than in "en plein air" ones (p<0.0001). The infection prevalence was higher in males than in females and lower in elder animals than in younger ones (p=0.012 and p<0.0001, respectively).
CONCLUSION
The breeding system is likely the main discriminant for the parasite spread as well as the hygienic condition of the farms. Good manufacturing and hygiene practices along the food production chain are crucial in preventing human balantidiasis transmission by meat consumption. The high prevalence, the wide spectrum of host species, and its zoonotic significance push toward a greater public interest.
PubMed: 34083958
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.1044-1049 -
MedRxiv : the Preprint Server For... Dec 2023Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a critical tool for public health surveillance, building on decades of environmental surveillance work for pathogens such as...
Wastewater-based epidemiology has emerged as a critical tool for public health surveillance, building on decades of environmental surveillance work for pathogens such as poliovirus. Work to date has been limited to monitoring a single pathogen or small numbers of pathogens in targeted studies; however, few studies consider simultaneous quantitative analysis of a wide variety of pathogens, which could greatly increase the utility of wastewater surveillance. We developed a novel quantitative multi-pathogen surveillance approach (35 pathogen targets including bacteria, viruses, protozoa, and helminths) using TaqMan Array Cards (TAC) and applied the method on concentrated wastewater samples collected at four wastewater treatment plants in Atlanta, GA from February to October of 2020. From sewersheds serving approximately 2 million people, we detected a wide range of targets including many we expected to find in wastewater (e.g., enterotoxigenic and in 97% of 29 samples at stable concentrations) as well as unexpected targets including (a human threadworm rarely observed in the USA). Other notable detections included SARS-CoV-2, but also several pathogen targets that are not commonly included in wastewater surveillance like spp., , astrovirus, norovirus, and sapovirus. Our data suggest broad utility in expanding the scope of enteric pathogen surveillance in wastewaters, with potential for application in a variety of settings where pathogen quantification in fecal waste streams can inform public health surveillance and selection of control measures to limit infections.
PubMed: 37425908
DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.23.23291792 -
Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Aug 2022Parasitic diseases cause significant economic losses in swine, including free-range swine farms, the number of which in Romania has increased in the last decades. The...
Parasitic diseases cause significant economic losses in swine, including free-range swine farms, the number of which in Romania has increased in the last decades. The current study aimed to identify the parasitic profile of swine raised on two free-range (low-input) farms from Transylvania. Nine hundred sixty samples collected from weaners, fatteners, and sows were investigated by flotation, centrifugal sedimentation, modified Ziehl-Neelsen stained fecal smear, modified Blagg technique, and oocyst/egg cultures. The number of oocysts (OPG), cysts (CPG), and eggs (EPG) were counted per gram of fecal matter. The examination revealed parasitic infections with Balantidium coli, Eimeria spp., Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, Oesophagostomum spp., Strongyloides ransomi and Cryptosporidium spp. Prevalence (P) and the mean intensity (MI) of the infections varied according to age, swine category, farm, and season. The overall prevalence in both free-range farms according to the age category was 63.2%—Eimeria spp., 70.31%—B. coli, 9.38%—Oesophagostomum spp., 3.75% S. ransomi, and 18.12% Cryptosporidium spp. in weaners. In fatteners Eimeria spp. revealed a prevalence of 50.93%, B. coli—72.5 %, A. suum—63.13%, T. suis—39.06%, and in sows Eimeria spp.—39.06%, B. coli—62.19%, A. suum—34.06%, Oesophagostomum spp.—27.19%, S. ransomi—1.56% and Cryptosporidium spp.—9.38%. The study revealed statistically significant (p < 0.05) differences between age groups, seasons, and farms for all diagnosed parasites. Further research is required to better understand the epidemiology of these infections in swine from Transylvania.
PubMed: 36145387
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11090954 -
Prevalence and Risk Factors of Intestinal Parasite Infections in Greek Swine Farrow-To-Finish Farms.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2020Intestinal parasites, helminths, and protozoa challenge health and welfare of pigs and deteriorate the sustainability of swine farms leading to monetary losses. A...
Intestinal parasites, helminths, and protozoa challenge health and welfare of pigs and deteriorate the sustainability of swine farms leading to monetary losses. A multicentric survey was conducted for approximately one year. Overall, 1150 fecal samples were collected from eight intensive farms in Greece at regular intervals and examined by flotation and Ziehl-Neelsen techniques. Age, season, and time of last recorded antiparasitic treatment were assessed as possible risk factors using binary regression models. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitism in pigs was 44.7%. The most frequently detected parasites in the studied population were the protozoa (37.8%), followed by spp. (8.3%), (6.0%), and the nematodes (3.7%), (2.5%), and spp. (1.4%). Distribution of intestinal parasites in different age groups was as expected. In autumn, the prevalence of infection enhanced whereas the prevalence of spp. and infections increased in spring. Time of last recorded antiparasitic treatment influenced and infection levels. Our results demonstrated that swine intestinal parasitism in intensive farms of Greece seems to be relatively common and highlighted the importance of proper laboratory examinations, as well as the need for tailored made control programs.
PubMed: 32664245
DOI: 10.3390/pathogens9070556 -
Veterinary World Feb 2021Backyard pigs farming is a rearing system associated with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions of the pig, often causing public health and food safety problems....
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Backyard pigs farming is a rearing system associated with poor hygienic and sanitary conditions of the pig, often causing public health and food safety problems. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the occurrence of potentially zoonotic parasites in population pig reared under backyard farming in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Northeast Colombia.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From September to December 2019, a total of 558 fecal samples from 64 backyard pig farms were examined for the presence of enteric protozoan infection. The coprological diagnosis was done by direct examination using Lugol's iodine solution, buffered saline solution, and Kinyoun technique. In addition, blood samples were collected from 200 pigs. Serum was collected and used for the detection of and cysticercosis infections, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of zoonotic protozoa in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area was 65.2%, reporting 52.7% prevalence for , 33.7% for , and 5.7% for spp. Regarding the prevalence by municipalities, there was no statistical association (p>0.05), indicating that the prevalence was similar in the region under study. Pigs >7 months of age showed to be a risk factor for infection, indicating that the prevalence increases with the age, while pigs raised at >1000 masl and access to latrines, increased infection risk for and spp. infections. In the present study, infection was not detected in the analyzed sera, while cysticercosis infection was found to be 40.5%.
CONCLUSION
The high prevalence of protozoan infections and porcine cysticercosis reported in this study could be due to poor facilities, and lack of hygiene in the facilities, and suggests the possible transmission of these parasite populations between pigs and humans, thus increasing the transmission of parasites zoonotic potential. Therefore, appropriate sanitary management practices and deworming programs should be adopted to reduce the prevalence of these infectious agents.
PubMed: 33776302
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.372-379 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Jun 2019A 14 years old female Asiatic elephant was presented to the hospital with a history of mucoid watery diarrhea, inappetence and lethargy. Clinical examination revealed...
A 14 years old female Asiatic elephant was presented to the hospital with a history of mucoid watery diarrhea, inappetence and lethargy. Clinical examination revealed normal body temperature (98.2 °F), tachycardia (42 bpm), eupnoea (14/min), congested mucous membrane and dehydration. Haemato-biochemical parameters are well within the range. Microscopic examination of faecal sample revealed presence of live, motile and pear shaped ciliated protozoa. Based on clinical and laboratory examination, the condition was diagnosed as balantidiasis. The animal was treated with Tab. Metronidazole (10 mg/Kg, PO, BID) for 5 days. Supportive treatment was done with antacids, hepatoprotectants and multivitamin supplements. An uneventful recovery was noticed after 5 days of treatment.
PubMed: 31263322
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-018-1072-1 -
Veterinary World Apr 2021is a protozoan that can infect humans and non-human primates, being the domestic pigs the animals most affected by this parasite. This study aimed to compare the...
BACKGROUND AND AIM
is a protozoan that can infect humans and non-human primates, being the domestic pigs the animals most affected by this parasite. This study aimed to compare the performance of five coprological methods for diagnosis of cysts in fecal samples from pigs.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
From September to December 2019, 558 fecal samples were collected from the rectum of backyard pigs in the Bucaramanga metropolitan area, Colombia. The average age of the sampled animals was 3-4 months. Fecal samples collected were tested using the following coprological techniques: Direct examination with Lugol's iodine solution, buffered saline, centrifugation/flotation and McMaster techniques, and Ziehl-Neelsen method.
RESULTS
The results indicate that cysts were diagnosed most frequently through direct examination with Lugol's iodine solution (52.7% of the samples) followed by direct examination with a buffered saline solution (37.6%). Moderate concordance (k=0.41; p<0.05) was determined between direct method with Lugol's iodine and buffered saline solution, McMaster and buffered saline (k=0.35; p<0.05), and centrifugation/flotation and buffered saline (k=0.28; p0.05) showed a fair degree of concordance. The rest of the comparisons were classified as poor. The flotation techniques (centrifugation/flotation and McMaster) did not show good recovery of cysts.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded that the most efficient method for diagnosing this parasitosis was to an association between direct examination with Lugol's iodine solution and buffered saline.
PubMed: 34083934
DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2021.873-877 -
Veterinary Sciences Sep 2022This research described the co-infection prevalence of endoparasites in and domestic animals in the rural high mountains of Colombia by copro-parasitological...
This research described the co-infection prevalence of endoparasites in and domestic animals in the rural high mountains of Colombia by copro-parasitological examination. Some parasites have a zoonotic potential in wild endangered species and domestic animals in Colombian regions. had a notable infection with spp., spp., spp., and spp. spp., , spp., and spp. In , spp. is coinfecting with spp. (6.6%) and represents 18% of the total parasitism. In and . spp. coinfecting (34.7%), with the spp. (21.9-25%). In , spp. is coinfecting with spp. (36.2%), spp., spp., spp., and .
PubMed: 36288150
DOI: 10.3390/vetsci9100537 -
Journal of Parasitic Diseases :... Mar 2016Protozoal infections are common in the tropics. Amoebic colitis is the commonest of these infections and can lead to liver abscess as a complication. Balantidium coli is...
Protozoal infections are common in the tropics. Amoebic colitis is the commonest of these infections and can lead to liver abscess as a complication. Balantidium coli is a rare free moving protozoal parasite which is known to infest human large intestine causing a type of colitis very similar to that caused by Entamoeba histolytica. However this pathogen is not known to cause liver invasion in humans. We report here a case of liver abscess caused by B. coli, which is probably the first such case reported in Indian literature.
PubMed: 27065613
DOI: 10.1007/s12639-014-0464-0 -
Iranian Journal of Parasitology Mar 2014Balantidium coli infects humans, primates and pigs, causing serious diarrhea and dysentery. Little information on the prevalence of B. coli in primates is available in...
BACKGROUND
Balantidium coli infects humans, primates and pigs, causing serious diarrhea and dysentery. Little information on the prevalence of B. coli in primates is available in China. This investigation was conducted to determine the prevalence of B. coli infection in bred rhesus monkeys in Guangxi Zhuang Nationality Autonomous Region (GZNAR), southern China.
METHODS
A total of 120 fecal samples were collected from rhesus monkeys bred in cages in GZNAR and B. coli cysts and/or trophozoites were examined microscopically after sedimentation with water in May 2013.
RESULTS
(64.2%) samples were tested positive. The prevalence was 65% (39/60) and 63.3% (38/60) in female and male monkeys, respectively. 80% (48/60) cages in this nonhuman primate center were positive for B. coli.
CONCLUSION
The present survey revealed high circulation of B. coli in bred rhesus monkeys in GZNAR, which poses potential threats to animal and human health.
PubMed: 25642269
DOI: No ID Found