Journal of Parasitic Diseases最新文献

Ascariasis is a disease caused by Ascaris lumbricoides and the most common soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infection worldwide, with over 807 to 1.2 billion reported cases. Ascariasis remains prevalent in the Philippines, a tropical and developing country, and is a major problem among school children. In Luzon Island alone, the biggest island of the archipelago, cases of Ascariasis remain to be a known prevalent yet localized risk map of its distribution among marginalized provinces in the country is still neglected. Therefore, the first base map that considered the potentialities of Ascariasis distribution in Cavite province was established using ArcMap software version 10.8.2. Meanwhile, the bioclimatic, soil, and elevation variables in the modeling of the disease employ the free software package Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt); Bayesian geostatistical models predicted that the highest prevalence of Ascariasis is in Cavite. Primary data on the prevalence of Ascariasis were collected from the 22 cities and municipalities of Cavite. The results showed a relatively moderate AUC value of 0.654 which also points to the city of Bacoor in Cavite as having the greatest risk of prevalence. Predictive maps generated in this study call out public health mitigation of the STH disease.

Intestinal acaroid mite infection is a neglected rare health problem. In Egypt, several studies have investigated the prevalence of domestic mites, but few studies discussed intestinal acariasis and its associated risk factors. The present study aimed to detect the prevalence of intestinal acariasis and other helminthic infections in stool samples of school children in Kafr El-sheikh, Egypt. A total of 353 children were recruited. For each child, three stool samples were collected over three consecutive days and two Kato Katz slides were prepared from each sample. Different risk factors associated with parasitic infection were investigated through pre-designed structured interviewing questionnaire. About 70 (19.8%) children were infected with one or more parasites. Among them, 24 (34.2%) children had mite (Tyrophagus sp.) in one or more stool samples. Of the 24 cases, five cases had mite in all three stool samples. Out of the 70 infected children, 51 (72.8%) had helminthic infections: Fasciola spp., Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana, Schistosoma mansoni and Enterobius vermicularis (15.7% 8.5% 28.5% 7.1% and 15.7%, respectively). Multivariate analysis confirmed age, having a working mother, raising animals and not receiving praziquantel treatment as independent risk factor for mite infestation. To our knowledge, this is the first report which detected a relatively high prevalence of intestinal acariasis in school children in Egypt. Broader studies should be done to investigate the source of mite infestation.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12639-025-01835-x.

Canine Ehrlichiosis, caused by Ehrlichia canis and transmitted through the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), poses a significant health challenge to dogs in India, where the warm climate favors tick proliferation. This study employs a meta-analytical approach to analyze the clinical and biochemical markers of Canine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis (CME) over the past decade (2014-2024) across India. The objective is to assess the diagnostic value of thrombocytopenia and elevated liver enzymes aspartate transaminase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase (AST, ALT, ALP) in dogs affected by CME. Following PRISMA guidelines, 13 relevant studies were selected after screening 2,018 publications. Data were pooled to evaluate the associations between biochemical markers and CME. The meta-analysis found moderate associations between thrombocytopenia and CME (SMD = 0.34, I² = 94.5%) and stronger correlations with elevated liver enzymes: ALT (SMD = 2.47, I² = 94.0%), AST (SMD = 2.23, I² = 94.3%), and ALP (SMD = 2.31, I² = 91.9%). High heterogeneity among studies was noted, but the findings underscore the importance of these biochemical markers in CME diagnosis. Meta-influence analyses confirmed the robustness of the results, with no individual study disproportionately affecting the pooled estimates. Publication bias tests, including Egger's and Begg's, revealed no significant bias, ensuring the reliability of the conclusions. These findings highlight the critical role of liver enzyme evaluations in diagnosing CME, while thrombocytopenia remains a supplementary marker. This study contributes to a more standardized understanding of CME's clinical diagnosis and emphasizes the need for further research to reduce variability in future studies.

Neonatal calf diarrhoea remains a significant cause of mortality in dairy calves, often involving multiple pathogens.This study aimed to investigate the interactions between coccidian and bacterial pathogens within the intestinal tissues of calves that succumbed to diarrhoea. Intestinal samples were collected from 43 calves during 17 outbreaks in the peri-urban areas of Ludhiana, Punjab. Histopathological examination revealed the presence of sexual and asexual forms of Eimeria spp. in five calves. Immunohistochemistry detected Escherichia coli, Clostridium perfringens, and Salmonella spp. antigens in association with coccidian stages. Notably, C. perfringens exhibited a greater affinity for all stages of coccidia, including oocysts, compared to Salmonella spp., while E. coli antigens were predominantly localized extracellularly.These findings suggest that bacterial pathogens interact with specific stages of the coccidian life cycle, potentially modulating pathogenicity and contributing to the severity of intestinal lesions observed in neonatal calf diarrhoea.

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite that infects more than a third of the world's population. This parasitic protozoan can be replaced in different parts of the female and male reproductive system. Toxoplasmosis has caused changes in the function of sperm, testes, epididymis and prostate, in experimental models. Human studies have investigated the frequency of anti-T. gondii antibodies mostly in the female population, and there is little information about the relationship between this infection and sperm factors and testosterone. This cross-sectional study involved 197 male volunteers who referred to the Fertility and Infertility Research Centre of Hamadan, Hamadan, Iran, from April to December 2023. Sera and semen were collected. ELISA test was performed to detect IgG and IgM antibodies in sera. Semen analysis was carried out based on WHO guidelines. The frequency for anti-T. gondii IgG antibody was detected 48% (95 out of 197). Three percent of participants had anti-T. gondii IgM. The highest level of T. gondii IgG antibodies was observed in the age range of 36 to 40 (p < 0.001). The participants with defects in spermatozoids including abnormal morphology and non-progressive sperms had higher percentage of antibodies against T. gondii (49.1%). Testosterone on average showed normal diversity 540 ng/dl. Fifty-one-point five percent, 48.5%, 52% and 100% of rural, self-employed, smokers and pet-(cat) keeper participants were positive for toxoplasmosis respectively. Although no significant relationship was observed between any other factors except age and toxoplasmosis, it seems that the high frequency of anti-T.gondii IgG in this group of men who have infertility problems confirmed the parasite as not a main factor but a side factor with the production of pro-inflammatory substances as wells as cytokines which can lead to infertility and dysfunction of sperms.

Intestinal parasitic infections remain a significant public health issue, particularly in low-resource settings. They have been linked to poor micronutrient status and body composition, which are critical determinants of child health and development. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between intestinal parasitic infections and micronutrient status, and whether these differ according to the body composition. Serum concentrations of zinc, iron, ferritin, vitamins A, E, C, D, folate, B12 and CRP, were determined in 269 school-aged children from rural Mexico. Infection with soil transmitted helminths (STHs) and intestinal protozoa was screened in a fecal sample. Anthropometric and body composition measurements were taken. Lower ferritin, zinc and vitamin C concentrations were found in children infected with any STHs or A. lumbricoides compared to parasite-free children (p < 0.05). Children infected with any intestinal protozoa, Endolimax nana or Entamoeba coli had higher concentrations of ferritin and B12 than parasite-free children (p < 0.05). Vitamin E: lipid concentration was higher in children infected with any intestinal protozoa and E. nana. Among the children with high body fat percentage, those infected with STH had lower zinc, and those infected with intestinal protozoa had lower vitamin A than parasite-free children (p < 0.05). STH infection was associated with lower concentrations of ferritin, zinc and vitamin C, whereas intestinal protozoa infection with higher concentrations of ferritin, vitamin E: lipids, and B12. These associations differed according to body fat percentage.

Malnutrition and intestinal parasitic infections are among the major public health concerns linked with increased risk of morbidity and mortality especially in developing countries. This study sought to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of intestinal parasitic infections in malnourished children admitted in Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Maternal and Child Health Hospital in the Kumasi Metropolis. A cross-sectional study was conducted, with a total of 150 malnourished children who were selected using the simple purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire was administered to collect data on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors associated with the prevalence of intestinal parasites. Stool samples were collected and examined using the formol ether sedimentation technique. A generalized linear model (GLM) was employed to assess the impact of age, sex, and various other risk factors on the likelihood of intestinal parasite infection in malnourished children. The overall prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection was 55.3%. The protozoan parasites identified included Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba sp. while helminths identified were Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides stercoralis, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm. Strongyloides stercoralis (25.3%) was the most prevalent. The prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections was significantly related to age categories 1 to 2 years, 2 to 3 and 4 to 5 years old, rural residence, divorced marital status, and use of alcohol-based sanitizer. This study revealed that intestinal parasitic infections were prevalent among malnourished children in the study area. Soil-transmitted helminths had a higher prevalence in the children compared to protozoan infections. Marital status, residence, age and the use of hand sanitizer had a significant association with intestinal parasitic infections.

Fishes are infected with helminth parasites that affect their normal physiology, making them vulnerable to diseases that lower their productivity, and high fish mortality. Some helminths, such as trematodes, nematodes, cestodes, and acanthocephalans, heavily parasitize freshwater fish, affecting fish growth and health conditions. Therefore, the present study was carried out to investigate the length and weight relationship (LWR) and condition factors between infected and non-infected freshwater catfish Heteropneustus fossilis. The medium-length range of males was more infected with Trematodes and Cestodes, while no Nematode infection was found in the males. The medium-length range of females was more infected with trematode, cestode, nematode, and Acanthocephala, and females were comparatively more infected than males. The results showed that the growth of infected catfish species exhibited negative allometry because the regression coefficient "b" obtained was < 3. The statistical analysis showed that there was a significant difference between infected and non-infected fish in the b value. Moreover, the highest "b" value (2.24) was recorded in non-infected fish as substantial (p < 0.05) positive allometry. The present research is beneficial as it offers pertinent data for studying fish biology, assessing the condition of fish in their habitat, and evaluating parameters about population dynamics.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12639-024-01742-7.].

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s12639-025-01806-2.].