Journal of Parasitic Diseases最新文献

Hydatidosis (Echinococcosis) is one of serious and pervasive parasitic disease in farm animals and humans. It is caused by the tapeworm cysts containing the larval stages of the Echinococcus granulosus (E. granulosus, family: Taeniidae), which is found in the small intestine of canids. Metacestode parasite can infect several organs in intermediate hosts (farm animals and humans), leading to hydatid cysts (HC). The diagnosis and identification of E. granulosus infection in animals are required for surveillance, epidemiological studies, and control of hydatidosis in endemic, emerging, or re-emerging transmission zones. There are various types of diagnostic assays of hydatidosis as antigen testing, ELISA, indirect hemagglutination, and complement fixation tests. Various types of diagnostic imaging examinations are used for HC. Since HC has a rather low diagnostic sensitivity, particularly in early infections, the diagnosis in livestock still mostly relies on post-mortem inspection because serodiagnostics are inadequate for accurate pre-mortem diagnosis. The genetic identification of the species and genotypes responsible for hydatidosis is crucial for confirming diagnostics, to understand the vectors of parasite transmission, and for the implementation of focused control measures. Efforts will be required to improve the production of particular antigens and antibodies for serological diagnostics of hydatidosis. Therefore, the present review shows the advanced approaches of radiology, serodiagnosis, molecular assay, genotypes and proteomic analysis for diagnosing E. granulosus infection in farm animals, offering conclusions, and suggests recommendations for further prospective improving specific antigen and antibody production for serological diagnosis.

Leishmaniasis is considered a neglected tropical disease of different clinical manifestations; cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. It is caused by Leishmania parasites and transmitted with correspondent sand fly vector. Diagnosis and detection of the Leishmania parasites using microscopic examination is the gold standard method, however ecological, biochemical and molecular diagnostic approaches are available with variable specificity and sensitivity. Molecular based diagnostic methods have been used extensively due to their high sensitivity and specificity. Different PCR methods depending on different DNA targets and kinetoplast DNA of Leishmania parasite, are considered very sensitive. Further research should be conducted to develop a routine molecular test with high specificity and sensitivity with a standard approach for DNA extraction and quantification. Molecular diagnosis of leishmaniasis have great influence on therapeutic decisions and response to treatment especially in patients with Leishmania-HIV coinfection. Quantitatively, the parasite loads measurement has important consequences on assessing host health, immunocompetency, and disease prognosis.

The study focuses on the development of a first-generation liposomal-based vaccine for Leishmania. This vaccine uses a cloned gene encoding the Leishmania homologue of receptors for activated C-Kinase (LACK) along with interleukin 12 (IL-12). The research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a liposomal DNA vaccine that combines a recombinant plasmid with a cytokine adjuvant to protect against Leishmania major (L. major). A cationic lipid formulation was developed using a blend of 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (DOTAP), dioleoylphosphatidylethanolamine (DOPE), and cholesterol in a 2:1:1 ratio. These cationic liposomes, comprising DOTAP and DOPE, were paired with pc-LACK and pc-IL-12 adjuvants to explore their potential as a vaccine candidate aimed at stimulating the immune system. BALB/c mice received subcutaneous (SC) immunizations with various nanoliposomal and non-liposomal compounds, administered three times at three-week intervals. Following the final booster, the immunized mice were SC challenged with 1 × 10⁶ stationary phase L. major promastigotes in a 50 µL solution. Post-challenge assessments included monitoring lesion development, evaluating splenic parasite loads, and analyzing cellular and humoral immune responses. This entailed measuring IL-4 and IFN-γ levels, culturing splenocytes, and quantifying total IgG, IgG1, and IgG2a antibodies in both the control and immunized groups. The study revealed that mice inoculated with liposomal plasmid LACK (Lip-pc-LACK) exhibited a significantly lower parasite load in their spleens when challenged with L. major (P < 0.001). The lowest parasite burden was found in the Lip-pc-LACK + Lip-pc-IL-12 group. Additionally, BALB/c mice immunized with Lip-pc-LACK, pc-LACK, and Lip-pc-LACK + Lip-pc-IL-12 demonstrated the highest levels of IFN-γ and IgG2a, along with elevated IgG1 and IL-4, compared to other groups (P < 0.001). The findings from immunization using liposomes with DOTAP and/or DOPE, combined with LACK, suggest that cationic liposomes could be an effective immune adjuvant for advancing a vaccine against L. major.

Leishmaniasis is a major neglected tropical disease that can lead to fatalities among infected individuals. Clinical identification was based on microscopic examination and parasitological culture performed by trained technicians. The limited accuracy and inconvenience associated with the microscopic analysis may lead to the misdiagnosis and recurrence of leishmaniasis. Consequently, an in-house TaqMan quantitative PCR (qPCR) method using the kinetoplast minicircle DNA (mkDNA) gene was developed simultaneously diagnose cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis in clinical specimens. A total of 77 skin lesion samples, 10 canine blood samples, aspirates and 65 samples as control were confirmed by microscopy, in vitro cultured promastigotes, and rK39 rapid diagnostic tests. The mkDNA gene was analyzed by qPCR to determine the detection limit, sensitivity, and specificity of the test. These results demonstrated a sensitivity of 96.3% (95 CI 81.03-99.91%), specificity of 100.00% (95 CI 94.04-100.00%), and accuracy of 98.85% (95 CI 93.76-99.97%). The test efficiency ranged from 70 to 97%, with an R² value of 0.988. The qPCR assay established in this study is a valuable tool for diagnosing cutaneous and visceral leishmaniasis. It is easier to perform than parasitological exanimation because it saves time and reduces the risk of contamination for clinical surveillance and determination of the incidence of leishmaniasis in Iran, an endemic region. This has paved the way for other researchers to explore commercial TaqMan real-time PCR diagnostic kits in Iran.

This study demonstrates the efficacy of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays, both targeting the major surface protein 5 (msp5) gene, for the detection of Anaplasma marginale in Indian water buffaloes. The LAMP assay exhibited superior sensitivity, detecting the pathogen in 24 out of 110 samples (21.81%), compared to PCR, which identified 16 out of 110 samples (14.55%), and conventional microscopic examination, which detected only 6 out of 110 samples (5.45%). Relative to PCR, the LAMP assay achieved a diagnostic sensitivity of 93.75% (95% CI 69.77-99.84%) and specificity of 90.43% (95% CI 82.60-95.53%), with a positive predictive value of 62.50% and a negative predictive value of 98.84%. These findings highlight the LAMP assay as a sensitive, specific, and practical diagnostic tool for A. marginale in buffaloes, particularly suitable for field conditions due to its simplicity and visual detection capabilities.

Leishmaniasis is one of zoonotic tropical diseases and includes cutaneous, mucocutaneous, and visceral types. The agent of the visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the Mediterranean region is Leishmania infantum, which may cause death if not diagnosed and treated promptly. A DNA biosensor based on gold nanoparticles has been fabricated for detection of L. infantum genome, based on Kinetoplast minicircle DNA with conserved sequence region. Initially, DNA samples were prepared from a number of patients and dogs with VL, as well as negative and positive controls. A thiolated 24-base oligonucleotide probe from kDNA was functionalized with AuNPs (AuNP-probe). AuNP-probe was then exposed to the solution containing target and non-target DNA for the hybridization. Dispersion or aggregation of the gold nanoparticles-probe conjugates in the presence or absence of a complementary DNA sequence, L. infantum genomic DNA, and clinical samples resulted in an obvious and sensitive change in the UV-vis spectra and the solution color, after acid addition. A red color for the samples containing complementary DNA was observed, whereas in the samples without complementary DNA, AuNP-probe turned blue-purple. The results indicated that this method is an easy, reliable, direct, rapid and cost-effective method for visual detection of L. infantum. A larger clinical cohort will need to be evaluated using this nanobiosensor to confirm its reliability and practical application. After validation with future studies, this nanobiosensor has potential for evolution into a portable diagnostic tool.

The present study was carried out to investigate the anti-helmintic efficacy of two commonly used plants Punica granatum and Moringa oleifera and analyse its phytoconstituents. Methanolic extract of the plants in five concentration ranging from 5 to 200 mg/ml was prepared and tested for their adulticidal and ovicidal activity through in vitro Adult Motility Test (AMT) and Egg Hatch Test (EHT). The Phytochemical analysis was carried out by HPTLC.The results of AIT indicated that there was complete cessation of motility for all the worms tested after 6 h and 7 h of exposure for methanolic extract of P. granatum and M. oleifera respectively. At highest concentration, the time taken for mortality in case of pomegranate peel extract was 195.3 ± 6.38 min while for Moringa leaves extract was 242.3 ± 6.36 min. The ovicidal activity as determined by egg hatch test demonstrated a 100 and 98.3% inhibition of egg hatching at highest concentration that was comparable to the reference drug for methanolic extract of P. granatum and M. oleifera respectively. The ovicidal action was also revealed by log probit analysis and IC 50 values of 33.92 mg/ml was recorded for M. oleifera leaves while the IC 50 value for pomegranate peel extract was calculated to be 21.33 mg/ml. The Phytochemical screening for methanolic extracts through HPTLC revealed P. granatum peel extract contained 0.084 mg/ml of rutin, 0.83 mg/ml of gallic acid and 0.328 mg/ml of quercetin. M. oleifera leaf extract contained 0.058 mg/ml of rutin, 0.218 mg/ml gallic acid and 0.592 mg/ml quercetin. While both the plant extracts showed anthelmintic activity, Pomegranate peel fared better over Moringa leaves owing to its higher inhibition of egg hatching, lesser time for mortality and lower IC 50 values. However, for further validation and formulation of novel herbal anthelmintic, in vivo and toxicity studies are essential.

Malaria remains a significant health burden, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, exacerbated by growing parasite drug resistance. Nanoparticles offer a promising strategy for effective antimalarial drug delivery, mitigating resistance, and reducing toxicity. This study investigated the antiplasmodial efficacy of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) green-synthesized using Alstonia boonei and Terminalia catappa extracts against Plasmodium berghei in mice. Characterization confirmed nanoparticle formation: visual color changes, UV-Vis SPR peaks (295 nm for T. catappa AgNPs, (TCA) 435 nm for A. boonei AgNPs (AA), 270 nm for T. catappa FeNPs (TCF), 242 nm for A. boonei FeNPs (AF), FTIR identification of capping functional groups, and SEM-EDX elemental confirmation (Ag: 77.20% and 65.20%; Fe: 60.24% and 71.40%). Acute toxicity (LD₅₀) tests showed high safety, with TCA, AA, and TCF exhibiting above 5000 mg/kg, while AF's LD₅₀ was 223.6 mg/kg. In curative assays, all nanoparticles demonstrated dose-dependent P. berghei inhibition, with AA 100 mg/kg achieving the highest at 75.6%. Prophylactic tests revealed impressive efficacy, with TCF 100 mg/kg showing 94.1% inhibition, and other nanoparticles above 87.0%. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in efficacy was observed among different nanoparticle dosages. These findings underscore the dose-dependent curative and prophylactic antiplasmodial activities of these green-synthesized nanoparticles, advocating for their further development as accessible antimalarial options.

Rabbits have become one of the most popular pets worldwide, prized for their social and friendly nature. However, they are susceptible to various parasitic diseases, including nematodosis, cestodiosis, coccidiosis, and ectoparasitic infestations such as ticks and mites. This case report describes ear canker in a 1-year-old female Angora rabbit, presented with signs of inappetence, dullness, pruritus, head shaking, and dry, crusty lesions on the inner side of the pinnae. A thorough examination of the ear was carried out followed by debridement to remove the crusts using forceps. Skin scrapings from the active lesion margins were taken, placed in 10% KOH and examined microscopically, confirming the presence of Psoroptes cuniculi infestation. It is for the first time, that the occurrence of P. cuniculi infestation in an Angora rabbit has been reported from Kashmir. The rabbit was treated with subcutaneous ivermectin at a dose of 400 µg/kg body weight, followed by a second dose after 2 weeks. Additionally, chlorpheniramine maleate at 0.4 mg/kg body weight was administered intramuscularly for 3 days as an adjunct therapy to alleviate pruritus. Significant clinical improvement was observed within 1 week, and the lesions were completely resolved after 1 month of treatment. This case highlights the successful management of P. cuniculi infestation in an Angora rabbit, with ivermectin proving effective in treating ear canker in this breed.

Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) is a significant health issue, particularly in Iraq, with a notable increase in cases during the winter months. This cross-sectional study was conducted at Ramadi Teaching Hospital, selected due to the rising incidence of CL. A total of 10 patients, aged 18-40, with an average age of 29, participated in the study, which ran from December 10, 2023, to March 2024. Blood samples were collected from the lesions of CL patients using capillary tubes, ensuring sufficient volume by using multiple tubes per sample. Patients were undergoing treatment with Pentostam as prescribed. The collected blood was transferred to tubes containing sodium chloride solution and stored at- 20 °C until DNA extraction. After storage, genomic DNA was successfully extracted from the samples. This DNA served as a template for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, utilizing specific primers designed to amplify genes associated with virulence factors. Among the 10 samples, 7 tested positive for DNA extraction, while 3 were negative. Of the 7 positive samples, PCR electrophoresis indicated that 3 were positive for the GP63 gene and 4 were negative. Conversely, 4 samples were positive for the LPG2 gene, while 3 were negative. A control group was included to facilitate comparison during PCR electrophoresis for both genes. Analysis confirmed that Leishmania major is the sole causative agent of CL in Anbar.