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BMC Infectious Diseases Jan 2022Intestinal microsporidiosis is an opportunistic infection associated with persistent diarrhea among HIV/AIDS patients. In Yemen, however, its epidemiology is unknown....
BACKGROUND
Intestinal microsporidiosis is an opportunistic infection associated with persistent diarrhea among HIV/AIDS patients. In Yemen, however, its epidemiology is unknown. Therefore, this study determined its prevalence and predictors among HIV/AIDS patients receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Sana'a city, the capital of Yemen.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study included 402 patients receiving ART at Al-Jomhori Educational Hospital in Sana'a from November 2019 to December 2020. Data about demographics, clinical characteristics and risk factors were collected using a pre-designed questionnaire. Stool samples were collected and examined for microsporidian spores using the Gram-chromotrope Kinyoun staining. Blood samples were also collected and used for CD4 cell counting by flow cytometry. Univariate analysis was used to test the association of patients' characteristics and risk factors with intestinal microsporidiosis. Multivariable logistic regression was then used to identify the independent predictors of infection. Statistical significance was considered at P-values < 0.05.
RESULTS
Intestinal microsporidiosis was prevalent among 14.2% (57/402) of HIV/AIDS patients and was significantly associated with diarrhea (OR 3.4, 95% CI 1.7-6.6; P = 0.001). The significant independent predictors of infection were < 200 CD4 cells/µl (AOR 3.2, 95% CI 1.5-6.9; P = 0.003), not washing hands after contacting soil (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.1-5.4; P = 0.026) and before eating (AOR 3.1, 95% CI 1.5-6.4; P = 0.003), eating unwashed raw produce (AOR 2.5, 95% CI 1.2-5.3; P = 0.017) and absence of indoor latrines (AOR 6.2, 95% CI 1.5-25.9; P = 0.012).
CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of intestinal microsporidiosis among HIV/AIDS patients in Sana'a is high and comparable to that reported from several other countries, being prevalent among approximately 14.0% of patients and significantly associated with diarrhea. It could be predicted among patients who have < 200 CD4 cells/µl, have poor hand hygiene after contacting soil and before eating, usually eat unwashed raw produce, or do not possess indoor latrines. Large-scale studies on its epidemiology and predictors among HIV/AIDS patients across the country are warranted.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; HIV Infections; Humans; Microsporidiosis; Prevalence; Yemen
PubMed: 34983416
DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-07009-3 -
Folia Parasitologica 1994Microsporidiosis is an increasingly important opportunistic infection in HIV-positive patients. Five species of microsporidia (Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon... (Review)
Review
Microsporidiosis is an increasingly important opportunistic infection in HIV-positive patients. Five species of microsporidia (Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Encephalitozoon hellem and E. cuniculi, Septata intestinalis, and Pleistophora sp.) have been reported to occur in AIDS, with each agent producing a different clinicopathologic spectrum of disease. This communication reviews routine and specialized methods for diagnosis of these important pathogenic protozoa, including biopsy, cytology, ultrastructural and immunologic examination, and tissue culture, and describes the current knowledge of organ distribution for microsporidia in persons with AIDS.
Topics: AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections; Animals; Biopsy; Culture Techniques; Cytological Techniques; Humans; Microscopy, Electron; Microsporida; Microsporidiosis; Serologic Tests
PubMed: 7927059
DOI: No ID Found -
Emerging Infectious Diseases Feb 2014The insect microsporidian Anncaliia algerae was first described in 2004 as a cause of fatal myositis in an immunosuppressed person from Pennsylvania, USA. Two cases were...
The insect microsporidian Anncaliia algerae was first described in 2004 as a cause of fatal myositis in an immunosuppressed person from Pennsylvania, USA. Two cases were subsequently reported, and we detail 2 additional cases, including the only nonfatal case. We reviewed all 5 case histories with respect to clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and management and summarized organism life cycle and epidemiology. Before infection, all case-patients were using immunosuppressive medications for rheumatoid arthritis or solid-organ transplantation. Four of the 5 case-patients were from Australia. All diagnoses were confirmed by skeletal muscle biopsy; however, peripheral nerves and other tissues may be infected. The surviving patient received albendazole and had a reduction of immunosuppressive medications and measures to prevent complications. Although insects are the natural hosts for A. algerae, human contact with water contaminated by spores may be a mode of transmission. A. algerae has emerged as a cause of myositis, particularly in coastal Australia.
Topics: Aged; Apansporoblastina; Arthritis, Rheumatoid; Australia; Fatal Outcome; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Immunosuppressive Agents; Life Cycle Stages; Male; Microsporidiosis; Muscle, Skeletal; Myositis; Organ Transplantation
PubMed: 24447398
DOI: 10.3201/eid2002.131126 -
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection... 2021() and spp. are the most important zoonotic enteric pathogens associated with diarrheal diseases in animals and humans. However, it is still not known whether and...
() and spp. are the most important zoonotic enteric pathogens associated with diarrheal diseases in animals and humans. However, it is still not known whether and spp. are carried by wild rodents in Shanxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang, Shandong, and Inner Mongolia, China. In the present study, a total of 536 feces samples were collected from , , () , and in six provinces of China, and were detected by PCR amplification of the SSU rRNA gene of spp. and ITS gene of from June 2017 to November 2020. Among 536 wild rodents, 62 (11.6%) and 18 (3.4%) samples were detected as - and spp.-positive, respectively. Differential prevalence rates of and spp. were found in different regions. was more prevalent in , whereas spp. was more frequently identified in . Sequence analysis indicated that three known species/genotypes (, , and sp. rat genotype II/III) and two uncertain species ( sp. novel1 and sp. novel2) were present in the investigated wild rodents. Meanwhile, 5 known genotypes (XJP-II, EbpC, EbpA, D, and NCF7) and 11 novel genotypes (ZJR1 to ZJR7, GXM1, HLJC1, HLJC2, and SDR1) were also observed. This is the first report for existence of and spp. in wild rodents in Shanxi, Guangxi, Zhejiang, and Shandong, China. The present study also demonstrated the existence of and spp. in worldwide for the first time. This study not only provided the basic data for the distribution of and genotypes/species, but also expanded the host range of the two parasites. Moreover, the zoonotic and species/genotypes were identified in the present study, suggesting wild rodents are a potential source of human infections.
Topics: Animals; China; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; Enterocytozoon; Feces; Genotype; Mice; Microsporidiosis; Phylogeny; Prevalence; Rats; Sciuridae
PubMed: 34900760
DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.783508 -
BMC Veterinary Research Mar 2020Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are two important pathogens with zoonotic potential that cause enteric infections in a wide range of hosts, including humans....
Prevalence and genotypic identification of Cryptosporidium spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in captive Asiatic black bears (Ursus thibetanus) in Heilongjiang and Fujian provinces of China.
BACKGROUND
Cryptosporidium and Enterocytozoon bieneusi are two important pathogens with zoonotic potential that cause enteric infections in a wide range of hosts, including humans. Both are transmitted from animals to humans by direct contact or through contaminated equipment. Bears are frequently found in Chinese zoos as ornamental animals as well as farmed as commercial animals, and are therefore in close contact with zoo- or farm-keepers, but the prevalence and zoonotic potential of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi in bears is poorly understood. In this study, we aimed to provide data on the occurrence and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi in Asiatic black bears from Heilongjiang and Fujian, China. From May 2015 to December 2017, 218 fresh fecal specimens were collected from captive Asiatic black bears in Heilongjiang (n = 36) and Fujian (n = 182), China. Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi were examined by PCR amplification of the partial small subunit of ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA, respectively. C. andersoni-positive isolates were subtyped through PCR analysis of the four minisatellite/microsatellite (MS1, MS2, MS3 and MS16) loci.
RESULTS
The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium and E. bieneusi were 2.4% (4/218) and 6.4% (14/218), respectively, with 2.8% (1/36) and 22.2% (8/36) in the Heilongjiang Province, and 1.6% (3/182) and 3.3% (6/182) in the Fujian Province. Sequence analysis confirmed the presence of Cryptosporidium species: C. andersoni (n = 3) and a genotype termed Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV (n = 1). All three identified C. andersoni belonged to the MLST subtype A4, A4, A4, A1. Two known E. bieneusi genotypes D (n = 4) and SC02 (n = 10) were identified, both of which belong to zoonotic Group 1.
CONCLUSIONS
This is the first report of C. andersoni and Cryptosporidium rat genotype IV in bears. The discovery of the zoonotic potential of E. bieneusi genotype D in bears highlights its significant zoonotic potential and potential threat to human health.
Topics: Animals; China; Cryptosporidiosis; Cryptosporidium; DNA, Ribosomal; Enterocytozoon; Microsatellite Repeats; Microsporidiosis; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Prevalence; Ursidae; Zoonoses
PubMed: 32151253
DOI: 10.1186/s12917-020-02292-9 -
Cellular Microbiology Aug 2013The genetically tractable nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a convenient host for studies of pathogen infection. With the recent identification of two types of natural... (Review)
Review
The genetically tractable nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is a convenient host for studies of pathogen infection. With the recent identification of two types of natural intracellular pathogens of C. elegans, this host now provides the opportunity to examine interactions and defence against intracellular pathogens in a whole-animal model for infection. C. elegans is the natural host for a genus of microsporidia, which comprise a phylum of fungal-related pathogens of widespread importance for agriculture and medicine. More recently, C. elegans has been shown to be a natural host for viruses related to the Nodaviridae family. Both microsporidian and viral pathogens infect the C. elegans intestine, which is composed of cells that share striking similarities to human intestinal epithelial cells. Because C. elegans nematodes are transparent, these infections provide a unique opportunity to visualize differentiated intestinal cells in vivo during the course of intracellular infection. Together, these two natural pathogens of C. elegans provide powerful systems in which to study microbial pathogenesis and host responses to intracellular infection.
Topics: Animals; Caenorhabditis elegans; Disease Models, Animal; Disease Progression; Host-Pathogen Interactions; Intestines; Microsporida; Microsporidiosis; Nodaviridae; RNA Virus Infections
PubMed: 23617769
DOI: 10.1111/cmi.12152 -
PLoS Pathogens May 2019
Topics: Animals; Gastrointestinal Diseases; Gastrointestinal Tract; Humans; Microsporidia; Microsporidiosis
PubMed: 31048922
DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007668 -
Clinical Infectious Diseases : An... Jan 2006Immunosuppression associated with HIV infection or following transplantation increases susceptibility to central nervous system (CNS) infections. Because of increasing... (Review)
Review
Immunosuppression associated with HIV infection or following transplantation increases susceptibility to central nervous system (CNS) infections. Because of increasing international travel, parasites that were previously limited to tropical regions pose an increasing infectious threat to populations at risk for acquiring opportunistic infection, especially people with HIV infection or individuals who have received a solid organ or bone marrow transplant. Although long-term immunosuppression caused by medications such as prednisone likely also increases the risk for acquiring infection and for developing CNS manifestations, little published information is available to support this hypothesis. In an earlier article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, we described the neurologic manifestations of some of the more common parasitic CNS infections. This review will discuss the presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of the following additional parasitic CNS infections: malaria, microsporidiosis, leishmaniasis, and African trypanosomiasis.
Topics: Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Parasitic Infections; Humans; Immunocompromised Host; Leishmaniasis; Malaria, Cerebral; Microsporidiosis; Trypanosomiasis, African
PubMed: 16323101
DOI: 10.1086/498510 -
AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses Feb 2023Microsporidiosis caused by is a common opportunistic infection in patients with HIV/AIDS and those on immunosuppressive therapy. A significant loss of mucosal or...
Microsporidiosis caused by is a common opportunistic infection in patients with HIV/AIDS and those on immunosuppressive therapy. A significant loss of mucosal or peripheral CD4 T cells and subsequent dysfunction of the intestinal immune system may be responsible for the development of chronic microsporidiosis in these patients. We have used the Simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected macaque model to investigate this relationship. To establish the course of infection in SIV-infected animals, four SIV-infected animals were experimentally challenged with when their CD4 counts dropped to less than 300 cells/μL of blood. Analysis of fecal samples by nested polymerase chain reaction revealed that three out of four -infected macaques continued to shed spores for 7-24 months after infection, an indication of chronic microsporidiosis. Four other SIV-infected macaques, after having an initial negative phase, spontaneously acquired infection when their CD4 counts dropped to less than 600 cells/μL of blood and shed spores for 8-19 months. The shedding of spores in the feces increased relative to decrease in peripheral blood CD4 T cell numbers. Gut biopsies were obtained before and after challenge to phenotype the mucosal lymphocyte subsets using flow cytometry. The immunophenotypic analysis showed no restoration of CD4 T cells after infection in the intestinal cells. A slight increase in the percentage population of CD4 T cells in peripheral blood did not have any effect on the control of infection in the SIV-infected macaques. These preliminary studies demonstrate that SIV-infected macaques develop chronic infections as their CD4 counts dropped to below 300 cells/μL of blood.
Topics: Animals; Simian Immunodeficiency Virus; Enterocytozoon; Simian Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Macaca mulatta; HIV Infections; Microsporidiosis; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes
PubMed: 36424832
DOI: 10.1089/AID.2022.0091 -
BMC Microbiology Aug 2019Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the commonest microsporidians contributing to human microsporidiosis, and is frequently found in animals in various countries. However,...
BACKGROUND
Enterocytozoon bieneusi is one of the commonest microsporidians contributing to human microsporidiosis, and is frequently found in animals in various countries. However, there is limited epidemiological information on this microorganism in Australia. Here, we undertook the first molecular epidemiological study of E. bieneusi in cats and dogs in Victoria.
RESULTS
Genomic DNAs were extracted from 514 individual faecal deposits from cats (n = 172) and dogs (n = 342) and then tested using PCR-based sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of nuclear ribosomal DNA. Four distinct genotypes (designated D, PtEb IX, VIC_cat1 and VIC_dog1) of E. bieneusi were identified in 20 of the 514 faecal samples (3.9%). Genotype D is known to have a broad host range (humans and other animals) and has a wide geographical distribution around the world. The identification of this genotype here suggests that companion animals might represent reservoir hosts that are able to transmit E. bieneusi infection to humans in Australia. A phylogenetic analysis of ITS sequence data revealed that the novel genotype VIC_cat1 is related to the known genotype type IV within Group 1, and the new genotype VIC_dog1 is linked to a contentious "Group 3", which includes genotypes reported previously in the published literature to represent Group 2 or 3.
CONCLUSIONS
A future, large-scale phylogenetic study of all known E. bieneusi genotypes, including VIC_dog1, should aid in clarifying their relationships and assignment to Groups, and in the identification of new genotypes, thus assisting epidemiological investigations.
Topics: Animals; Cats; Disease Reservoirs; Dogs; Enterocytozoon; Feces; Genotype; Humans; Microsporidiosis; Phylogeny; Victoria; Zoonoses
PubMed: 31395004
DOI: 10.1186/s12866-019-1563-y