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Turkiye Parazitolojii Dergisi Mar 2021Immunocompromised patients are at a greater risk of developing intestinal parasite infections. In this study, we examined the presence of and other intestinal protozoa...
OBJECTIVE
Immunocompromised patients are at a greater risk of developing intestinal parasite infections. In this study, we examined the presence of and other intestinal protozoa in stool samples of immunosuppressed patients.
METHODS
A total of 100 stool samples were obtained from patients receiving chemotherapy because of solid organ tumour with haematological malignancies and those receiving immunosuppressive treatment because of rheumatic diseases, organ transplant patients and patients receiving treatment for HIV-related infections. Stool samples were examined by using the native-lugol method in which the stool concentration, modified Kinyoun acid-fast and trichrome staining methods and parasite presence were analysed. The stool samples were also examined for the presence of and using an indirect fluorescent antibody method.
RESULTS
Intestinal parasites were detected in 12% of all patients. The distribution of intestinal parasites in patients were 7% spp., 2% spp. + , 1% spp. + , 1% spp. + and 1% spp. were detected in 4% of all patients by the IFAT method and in 8% of all patients by calcoflour staining method.
CONCLUSION
In our study, the most prevalent parasite detected in the immunosuppressed patients was spp. The pathogenesis of spp. remains to be controversial, and their role in immunocompromised patients continues to remain unknown. Although these rates detected in our study are similar to the prevalence in the normal population, it is important to study these microorganisms in immunocompromised patients in terms of the associated decreasing morbidity and mortality rates.
Topics: Blastocystis; Dientamoeba; Entamoeba; Feces; Giardia; Hospitals, University; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Microsporidia; Prevalence
PubMed: 33685067
DOI: 10.4274/tpd.galenos.2020.6819 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology May 2019is a gastrointestinal trichomonad parasite whose pathogenicity is yet to be determined. The difficulty involved in microscopically diagnosing in feces led to the... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
is a gastrointestinal trichomonad parasite whose pathogenicity is yet to be determined. The difficulty involved in microscopically diagnosing in feces led to the development of real-time PCR methodologies for the detection of in stool samples. Prevalence studies in Europe show much higher levels of infection where a laboratory-developed real-time assay is the predominant assay for the detection of than in regions that use the EasyScreen assay for detection of gastrointestinal pathogens. The aim of this study was to compare a commercially available assay (Genetic Signatures EasyScreen assay) to a widely used laboratory-developed real-time PCR method. Two hundred fifty fecal samples were screened using the laboratory-developed real-time assay on four real-time PCR platforms producing a number of discrepant results. Limit-of-detection studies were undertaken to attempt to resolve sensitivity for each platform tested. The presence or absence of DNA in discrepant samples was shown using PCR amplicon next-generation sequencing. Eukaryotic 18S diversity profiling was conducted on discrepant samples to identify the presence or absence of additional protozoan species in samples that may be responsible for cross-reactivity seen in these samples. The results revealed the potential for multiple false-positive results when using the laboratory-developed real-time assay across multiple real-time platforms using manufacturer default settings. This report provides recommendations to resolve these issues where possible and suggestions for future prevalence studies, and it emphasizes the EasyScreen assay as the molecular method of choice as well as the need for standardization of detection assays across all nations screening for .
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA, Protozoan; Dientamoeba; Dientamoebiasis; Europe; False Positive Reactions; Feces; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Humans; Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 30814263
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01466-18 -
Journal of Clinical Microbiology Nov 2021Despite the global use of rotavirus vaccines, vaccine breakthrough cases remain a pediatric health problem. In this study, we investigated suspected rotavirus vaccine...
Despite the global use of rotavirus vaccines, vaccine breakthrough cases remain a pediatric health problem. In this study, we investigated suspected rotavirus vaccine breakthrough cases using next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based viral metagenomics ( = 102) and a panel of semiquantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) ( = 92) targeting known enteric pathogens. Overall, we identified coinfections in 80% of the cases. Enteropathogens such as adenovirus (32%), enterovirus (15%), diarrheagenic Escherichia coli (1 to 14%), astrovirus (10%), spp. (10%), parechovirus (9%), norovirus (9%), Clostridioides (formerly ) difficile (9%), Dientamoeba fragilis (9%), sapovirus (8%), Campylobacter jejuni (4%), and Giardia lamblia (4%) were detected. Except for a few reassortant rotavirus strains, unusual genotypes or genotype combinations were not present. However, in addition to well-known enteric viruses, divergent variants of enteroviruses and nonclassic astroviruses were identified using NGS. We estimated that in 31.5% of the patients, rotavirus was likely not the cause of gastroenteritis, and in 14.1% of the patients, it contributed together with another pathogen(s) to disease. The remaining 54.4% of the patients likely had a true vaccine breakthrough infection. The high prevalence of alternative enteropathogens in the suspected rotavirus vaccine breakthrough cases suggests that gastroenteritis is often the result of a coinfection and that rotavirus vaccine effectiveness might be underestimated in clinical and epidemiological studies.
Topics: Child; Feces; Humans; Prevalence; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; Rotavirus Vaccines
PubMed: 34586890
DOI: 10.1128/JCM.01236-21 -
Canadian Family Physician Medecin de... Dec 2017To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and rates of stool testing compliance, as well as associated patient characteristics, among newly arrived refugees at...
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites and rates of stool testing compliance, as well as associated patient characteristics, among newly arrived refugees at the Mosaic Refugee Health Clinic in Calgary, Alta.
DESIGN
Retrospective chart review.
SETTING
Primary care clinic for refugee patients.
PARTICIPANTS
A total of 1390 new refugee patients at the clinic from May 1, 2011, to June 30, 2013.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Stool ova and parasite test completion and proportion of positive test results.
RESULTS
Of 1390 patients, 74.1% (95% CI 71.7% to 76.4%) completed at least 1 stool ova and parasite test. Among those completing tests, 29.7% (95% CI 26.9% to 32.6%) had at least 1 positive result. Patients aged 6 to 18 years were more likely to have positive test results (38.5%, 95% CI 32.2% to 45.0%) than patients aged 19 to 39 were, as were those last residing in Asia (36.4%, 95% CI 30.4% to 42.8%) or sub-Saharan Africa (30.9%, 95% CI 26.8% to 35.1%), compared with those arriving from the Middle East. and or were the most prevalent parasites. If and are excluded because of their lower potential to cause harm, the overall prevalence was 16.3%.
CONCLUSION
Given the high compliance of patients submitting stool ova and parasite tests and a high prevalence of positive test results in some refugee groups, targeted screening should be considered in newly arrived refugees at greater risk of intestinal parasites.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Canada; Feces; Female; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Middle Aged; Needs Assessment; Parasite Egg Count; Parasite Load; Parasites; Prevalence; Refugees; Retrospective Studies
PubMed: 29237648
DOI: No ID Found -
International Journal For Parasitology.... Dec 2019Dientamoeba fragilis is a trichomonad parasite of the human intestine that is found worldwide. However, the biological cycle and transmission of this parasite have yet...
Dientamoeba fragilis is a trichomonad parasite of the human intestine that is found worldwide. However, the biological cycle and transmission of this parasite have yet to be elucidated. Although its pathogenic capacity has been questioned, there is increasing evidence that clinical manifestations vary greatly. Different therapeutic options with antiparasitic drugs are currently available; however, very few studies have compared the effectiveness of these drugs. In the present longitudinal study, we evaluate 13,983 copro-parasitological studies using light microscopy of stools, during 2013-2015, in Terrassa, Barcelona (Spain). A total of 1150 (8.2%) presented D. fragilis. Of these, 739 episodes were finally analyzed: those that involved a follow-up parasitology test up to 3 months later, corresponding to 586 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms (53% under 15 years of age). Coinfection by Blastocystis hominis was present in 33.6% of the subjects. Our aim was to compare therapeutic responses to different antiparasitic drugs and the factors associated with the persistence of D. fragilis post-treatment. Gender, age, and other intestinal parasitic coinfections were not associated with parasite persistence following treatment. Metronidazole was the therapeutic option in most cases, followed by paromomycin: 65.4% and 17.5% respectively. Paromomycin was found to be more effective at eradicating parasitic infection than metronidazole (81.8% vs. 65.4%; p = 0.007), except in children under six years of age (p = 0.538). Although Dientamoeba fragilis mainly produces mild clinical manifestations, the high burden of infection means we require better understanding of its epidemiological cycle and pathogenicity, as well as adequate therapeutic guidelines in order to adapt medical care and policies to respond to this health problem.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Antiprotozoal Agents; Child; Dientamoeba; Dientamoebiasis; Feces; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Metronidazole; Middle Aged; Paromomycin; Spain; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult
PubMed: 31759244
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpddr.2019.10.005 -
Le Infezioni in Medicina Mar 2013In recent years, interest in Dientamoeba fragilis on the part of biologists, clinicians and parasitologists has increased considerably due to the need to clarify the... (Review)
Review
In recent years, interest in Dientamoeba fragilis on the part of biologists, clinicians and parasitologists has increased considerably due to the need to clarify the many unresolved issues related to the parasite and the associated infection. This paper aims to provide a summary of the state of knowledge of D. fragilis in its different aspects, and, through the analysis of the literature and the most recent data, the present review aims to record the reasons why this protozoan, although little known, should not be underestimated in the diagnosis of human parasitic infections also in Italy.
Topics: DNA, Protozoan; Dientamoeba; Dientamoebiasis; Evidence-Based Medicine; Feces; Humans; Italy; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Risk Factors
PubMed: 23524895
DOI: No ID Found -
Cureus Jun 2022Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder in which abdominal pain is associated with a change in bowel habits. Gut...
Background Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorder in which abdominal pain is associated with a change in bowel habits. Gut inflammation might be one of the mechanisms of pathogenesis. However, the cause of IBS is not clearly understood. Post-infectious IBS (PI-IBS) is the onset of IBS after an episode of infectious gastroenteritis. While the exact pathophysiology of PI-IBS is not established, the mechanism might be an altered serotonin signaling activity, inflammation, malabsorption, and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Various parasites such as and have a possible role in the etiology of IBS. is one of the predominant GI parasites in developing regions of the world, and the symptoms of non-dysenteric amebic colitis may mimic those of IBS, which makes them difficult to distinguish from each other. Our study will address the relationship between the different gastrointestinal protozoan parasites in IBS and the role of antiparasitic therapy in PI-IBS. This study also aimed to determine the prevalence of GI protozoan parasites in patients with IBS in a tribal region of India. Methods We conducted a descriptive facility-based cross-sectional study of patients presenting with IBS to Saheed Laxman Nayak Medical College and Hospital, Koraput, Odisha, from 2017 to 2021. We collected stool samples for histopathological analysis using direct wet mount and formal-ether concentration microscopy techniques if diarrhea persisted beyond the antidiarrheal therapy. The samples from IBS patients were compared against 80 healthy control patient stool samples. We used IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 24.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY,) to analyze the data. Results Our study included 120 patients with IBS, of whom 67 (56%) were infected with GI parasites. In the control group, 16 (20%) were infected with GI parasites, which was significantly fewer than the test group (p<0.001). Conclusion We found a widespread infestation with GI parasites in patients with diarrhea-predominate IBS. A parasitological stool test should be included in the diagnostic approach to IBS. Initiating early diagnosis and treatment can reduce the chance of post-infectious IBS.
PubMed: 35875298
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.26091 -
Journal of Public Health Research Jul 2014Enteric protozoa are associated with diarrhoeal illnesses in humans; however there are no recent studies on their epidemiology and geographical distribution in...
BACKGROUND
Enteric protozoa are associated with diarrhoeal illnesses in humans; however there are no recent studies on their epidemiology and geographical distribution in Australia. This study describes the epidemiology of enteric protozoa in the state of New South Wales and incorporates spatial analysis to describe their distribution.
DESIGN AND METHODS
Laboratory and clinical records from four public hospitals in Sydney for 910 patients, who tested positive for enteric protozoa over the period January 2007 - December 2010, were identified, examined and analysed. We selected 580 cases which had residence post code data available, enabling us to examine the geographic distribution of patients, and reviewed the clinical data of 252 patients to examine possible links between protozoa, demographic and clinical features.
RESULTS
Frequently detected protozoa were Blastocystis spp. (57%), Giardia intestinalis (27%) and Dientamoeba fragilis (12%). The age distribution showed that the prevalence of protozoa decreased with age up to 24 years but increasing with age from 25 years onwards. The geographic provenance of the patients indicates that the majority of cases of Blastocystis (53.1%) are clustered in and around the Sydney City Business District, while pockets of giardiasis were identified in regional/rural areas. The distribution of cases suggests higher risk of protozoan infection may exist for some communities.
CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide useful information for policy makers to design and tailor interventions to target high risk communities. Follow-up investigation into the risk factors for giardiasis in regional/rural areas is needed. Significance for public healthThis research is significant since it provides the most recent epidemiological update on the common enteric protozoa affecting Australians. It reveals that enteric protozoa cause considerable disease burden in high risk city dwellers, and provides the evidence base for development of targeted interventions for their prevention and control in high risk populations. The prevalence of enteric protozoa in this metropolitan setting underscores that microorganisms do not respect borders and that a collaborative approach is needed to contain the global spread of infectious diseases. Incorporating spatial analysis is valuable in providing a compelling picture of the geographical distribution of these often neglected diseases. Local and State Public Health departments can use this information to support further inves-
PubMed: 25343139
DOI: 10.4081/jphr.2014.298 -
Microorganisms May 2021Several parasite species are shared between humans and pigs. We explored the application of next-generation sequencing-based metabarcoding supplemented with real-time...
Several parasite species are shared between humans and pigs. We explored the application of next-generation sequencing-based metabarcoding supplemented with real-time PCR to fecal DNAs from 259 samples from 116 pigs in Denmark to detect and differentiate single-celled intestinal parasites of zoonotic relevance. , , and were observed in 34/37 (92%), 148/259 (57%), and 86/259 (33%) samples, respectively. ST1, ST3, and were detected in 104/259 (40%), 161/259 (62%), and 8/259 (3%) samples, respectively. Metabarcoding and real-time PCR detected in 90/259 (35%) and 239/259 (92%) of the samples, respectively, with and observed in nearly equal proportions. subtypes 1, 3, 5, and 15 were found in 72 (28%), 6 (2%), 176 (68%), and 36 (14%) of 259 samples, respectively. was identified in 1/259 samples (<1%), while none of 37 tested samples was positive for . Our results illustrate how metabarcoding exemplifies a 'one-fits-many' approach to detecting intestinal single-celled parasites in feces supplemented with real-time PCR for selected parasites. Using metabarcoding with pathogen-specific assays may help detect emerging and previously underdetected pathogens and further elucidate the role of micro-eukaryotic parasites in human and animal health and disease.
PubMed: 34073014
DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9061189 -
Parasites & Vectors Feb 2015Several species of protozoa cause acute or chronic gastroenteritis in humans, worldwide. The burden of disease is particularly high among children living in developing...
BACKGROUND
Several species of protozoa cause acute or chronic gastroenteritis in humans, worldwide. The burden of disease is particularly high among children living in developing areas of the world, where transmission is favored by lower hygienic standards and scarce availability of safe water. However, asymptomatic infection and polyparasitism are also commonly observed in poor settings. Here, we investigated the prevalence of intestinal protozoa in two small fishing villages, Porto Said (PS) and Santa Maria da Serra (SM), situated along the river Tietê in the State of São Paolo, Brazil. The villages lack basic public infrastructure and services, such as roads, public water supply, electricity and public health services.
METHODS
Multiple fecal samples were collected from 88 individuals in PS and from 38 individuals in SM, who were asymptomatic at the time of sampling and had no recent history of diarrheal disease. To gain insights into potential transmission routes, 49 dog fecal samples (38 from PS and 11 from SM) and 28 river water samples were also collected. All samples were tested by microscopy and PCR was used to genotype Giardia duodenalis, Blastocystis sp., Dientamoeba fragilis and Cryptosporidium spp.
RESULTS
By molecular methods, the most common human parasite was Blastocystis sp. (prevalence, 45% in PS and 71% in SM), followed by D. fragilis (13.6% in PS, and 18.4% in SM) and G. duodenalis (18.2% in PS and 7.9% in SM); Cryptosporidium spp. were not detected. Sequence analysis revealed large genetic variation among Blastocystis samples, with subtypes (STs) 1 and 3 being predominant, and with the notable absence of ST4. Among G. duodenalis samples, assemblages A and B were detected in humans, whereas assemblages A, C and D were found in dogs. Finally, all D. fragilis samples from humans were genotype 1. A single dog was found infected with Cryptosporidium canis. River water samples were negative for the investigated parasites.
CONCLUSIONS
This study showed a high carriage of intestinal parasites in asymptomatic individuals from two poor Brazilian villages, and highlighted a large genetic variability of Blastocystis spp. and G. duodenalis.
Topics: Animals; Asymptomatic Diseases; Brazil; Carrier State; Dogs; Feces; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Microscopy; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Poverty Areas; Prevalence; Protozoan Infections; Protozoan Infections, Animal; Rivers
PubMed: 25889093
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0714-8