Journal of Parasitic Diseases最新文献

Coccidiosis is an enteric protozoan parasitic disease that results in significant economic losses due to high mortality and morbidity, particularly in poultry farms run on a deep litter system, as well as the costs associated with its treatment and control. From time to time, several approaches have been adopted for its prevention and control, among which current approaches include the use of anticoccidial drugs, herbal plants, and vaccines. Anticoccidial drugs work well to stop coccidiosis, but their use is limited because some Eimeria strains are becoming partially or completely resistant to them. As a result, new anticoccidial drugs are urgently needed that will take years to commercialize, and there is an increasing demand for drug-free poultry meat. Safe alternatives are herbal plants and their mixtures like Natustat^®, Cocciban^®, Herbacox^®, Coxynil^®, Peptasan^®, of which many have been evaluated. Moreover, various essential oils and oocyst-based vaccines are available to control the disease. A few vaccines have even been commercialized, like Immunocox, Paracox, Livacox, Coocivac, etc. As a result, the emphasis should now be on peptide, plant-based, and transgenic vaccines. This review provides a thorough examination of the anticoccidial activities exhibited by various interventions, including commercial drugs, herbal mixtures, probiotics, nanoparticles, essential oils, and vaccines, in the context of coccidiosis. Additionally, the review sheds light on the comparative effectiveness of these interventions as opposed to conventional drugs commonly employed to manage diseases in poultry.

Poultry production is crucial for food and nutrition security level through the provision of eggs and meat and it also generates income. However, parasitic diseases are among the major constraints to the poultry industry across the world as they can affect the health, welfare, and production performance. These parasitic diseases can be broadly classified as endo-, ecto- and haemoparasites and they occur as single infection or in combination and affect productivity of poultry in Nigeria. This review focuses on summarizing all the major classes of parasitic diseases of poultry in Nigeria from 1980 to 2022. We search two electronic databases (Google Scholar and AJOL) to retrieve relevant articles published from 1980 to 2022 across the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria comprising both North and South. Our findings regarding endo-parasites, indicates that the major species of nematodes registered includes Ascaridia galli, Heterakis gallinarum, Subuluru brumpti and Capillaria species. As per cestodes, some of the documented species from published literature were Raillietina species (specifically R. tetragona, R. cesticillus and R. echinobothrida) and Choanotaenia infundibulum. Prosthogonimus species was the only documented trematodes infecting poultry in Nigeria. On the side of ecto-parasites, almost all the major groups which include ticks (Argas persicus, and Ornothodoros moubata), mites (Dermanyssus gallinae and Knemidocoptes mutans), fleas (Echinophaga gallinacean) and lice (Menacanthus stramineus, Menopon gallinae, Lipeurus caponis and Columbicola columbae) have all been documented infesting poultry across the country. Lastly, protozoan parasites including haemoparasites (Plasmodium spp., Haemoproteus spp. and Leucocytozoon spp.) and coccidian (Eimeria spp. and Cryptosporidium spp.) were observed to infect poultry in Nigeria. In conclusion, this review has provided available information on the occurrence and distribution of the ecto-, endo- and haemoparasites in different types of poultry in Nigeria.

Intestinal parasitic infections are still considered to be a serious public health problem, which are caused by intestinal helminths and protozoa. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections in Thi-Qar Province, south of Iraq during a 6-year period. Epidemiological data and medical information regarding intestinal parasitic infections were obtained from patient records at the Public Health Department of the Thi-Qar Health Office, after diagnosing their infection microscopically. This study started from the beginning of January 2015 until the end of December 2020. During the study period, 341,505 intestinal parasitic infections were classified. Total annual infections were successively recorded in the following proportions: 17.17, 12.47, 13.94, 21.56, 24.73 and 10.14. Of the 341,505 patients; 170,208 (49.84%) and 171,297 (50.16%) were males and females, respectively, without a significant difference. The top of total infection cases was shown in the age group of 5-14 years (35.13%), whereas the lowest proportion (4.12%) was recorded in the < 1-year age group. Although the intestinal parasitic infections recorded in the province's districts, Al-Shatra (24.64%) and Al-Nassriya (22.12%) showed the highest proportions. Total infections occurred in all months. Of the 341,505 intestinal parasitic infections, 292,897 (85.76%), 38,005 (11.13%), 10,505 (3.08%), 96 (0.03%), 1 (0.0003%) and 1 (0.0003%) were infected with enterobiasis, amoebiasis, giardiasis, hymenolepiasis, ascariasis and taeniasis, respectively. The intestinal parasitic infections are considered an uncontrolled health problem in Thi-Qar Province that increase in low-hygienic rural regions, and also in young ages. By tracking indicator of annual infections, we observed growing height with infection rates during the study years, especially enterobiasis and amoebiasis.

Mosquito-borne diseases continue to pose significant public health challenges globally. Synthetic insecticides, raise concerns regarding their environmental impact and human health risks. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Crateva adansonii crude extracts against malaria vector Anopheles gambiae. The leaf, stem and root were extracted with ethanol, GC-MS analysis was done and a concentration of 1%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 20% was used for the bioassay. Mortality data was recoded, and the lethal concentrations were estimated. Bioactive profiling of the crude extracts revealed the presence of hexadecanoic acid, 1-(2-cyclohexyliminocyclopentyl) ethanone, heptadecanoic acid, N-(2-amino-2-oxoethyl) tetradec-2-ynamide and octadecanoic acid for leaf extract. Presence of tetradecane, hexadecane, octadecane, 5-methoxyquinoline-6-carbonitrile, 1-methoxy-3-methylsulfanylbenzene, and Octadecanoic acid was revealed for bark extracts. Additionally, presence of (E)-octadec-6-enoic acid, diethyl bis(trimethylsilyl) silicate, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-5-sulfanylidene-1,2,4-triazolidin-3-one and 3-(furan-2-yl)-4-prop-2-enyl-1 H-1,2,4-triazole-5-thione was revealed for bark extracts. Larvicidal activity recorded 100% larval mortality at 15% and 20% concentrations within 12, 18, and 24 h for the root extracts. 20% concentration of the leaf extract recorded 100% mortality in 6 h. The root extract recorded the lowest lethal concentration against the larvae at 0.04% and 8.07% for LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ respectively at 24 h. Similarly, complete mortality was observed in the leaf and bark extract at 20% concentration in 6 h with the lowest LC₅₀ and LC₉₀ being 1.78 and 14.75 respectively. Ethanolic extract of C. adansonii plant exhibited strong insecticidal activities against malaria vector. Use of plant product as plant-based mosquito control agent will help in reducing the eco-toxic effects of synthetic chemicals.

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of urinary schistosomiasis among school pupils in Jama'are Local Government Area of Bauchi State, Nigeria, a parasitic infection affecting over 250 million people, with most cases concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the study area from January 2024 to May 2024 to address these issues. The urine samples of 384 school pupils aged 6-15 were examined to detect Schistosoma haematobium eggs. A structured questionnaire was used to gather data on socio-demographic characteristics and risk factors. Chi-square, univariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were used to examine relationships. DNA extraction, cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene amplification, sequencing, and phylogenetic analysis were performed to determine the S. haematobium strain. The prevalence of S. haematobium was 14.60% (95% CI 11.20-18.50) among primary school pupils. The chi-square analysis revealed a significant association with all socio-demographic variables except age. Other risk factors, such as water source, fishing, playing in shallow water, toilet facility, itching experience, and blood in urine, were significantly associated with schistosomiasis infection. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that pupils who defecated anywhere were 43 times more likely to contract schistosomiasis compared to those who used the water system at homes [AOR (95% CI): 43.56 (1.15-1646.52)]. Children experiencing itching had a 105 times higher risk of contracting the infection [AOR (95% CI): 104.84 (15.45-771.37)], while those with haematuria had a significantly higher likelihood of becoming infected [AOR (95% CI): 281.88 (32.70-2429.96). A phylogenetic tree analysis revealed that S. haematobium isolates were primarily pure strains closely related to S. haematobium from Nigeria and other African nations. The study found a moderate S. haematobium infection among primary school pupils, recommending that government authorities implement chemotherapeutic interventions, educational campaigns, and safe water sources.

Amblyomma neumanni ticks collected on horses from the North-West of Argentina were analyzed for the presence of the Piroplasm agents Babesia and Theileria. A total of 97 adult ticks from four different provinces (Jujuy, Santiago del Estero, Salta, Tucumán) were included in this study. Genomic DNA was isolated, and conventional PCR assays were applied for the detection of the 18S rDNA gene of Babesia and Theileria species. One sample corresponding to a male of A. neumanni collected in Tapia, Tucumán Province, resulted positive. Phylogenetic analyses carried out with the obtained 18S rDNA partial gene sequences resulted in the identification of Theileria cervi. Although the detection of T. cervi in A. neumanni collected on a horse does not represent direct evidence of its vector competence regarding this Theileria species, it can be seen as an indication of the circulation of T. cervi in the epidemiological circuit formed by the interaction A. neumanni-horses.

Coenurus cerebralis consists of several protoscolices and it contains a transparent cyst wall. Domestic and wild canids constitute the predators, while a wide range of herbivores are the prey hosts. The study aims to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships and nucleotide diversity using partial sequences of the ND1 gene in different regions of Iran. Samples were gathered from areas with various climatic locations in Iran. Sheep were slaughtered and their brain was used at abattoir and were palpated and incised to check for the presence of C.cerebralis cysts. With immediate DNA extraction, a PCR test for the ND1 gene using specific primers was done. Subsequently, the total diameter of the cyst lies within 0.5 to 5 cm, and the amount of protoscolices in the cyst lies within 50-350 protoscolex, the average length of large and small hooks was 195 and 93 μm respectively. Sequencing results of Iranian Taenia multiceps isolates from sheep's brain coenurus cyst in this study showed no differences in partial NADH gene among the Iranian isolates and had high similarity with the sequences of T. multiceps isolates from Turkey, Italy, Greece, Egypt, and Australia. Based on molecular alignment and phylogenetic analysis, the close relationship between Iranian isolates from the same hosts as Turkey and China was correlated to the same geographical conditions and high rate of trade between countries. These results gave important information for further studies of molecular epidemiology and control of C. cerebralis infestation to the public, medical associations, entomologists, and pest control operators in Iran.

Toxoplasma gondii, responsible for toxoplasmosis, is one of the worldwide prevalent parasitic zoonoses infecting warm-blooded animals including humans with cats being the definitive host. Congenital transmission can occur and leads to congenital toxoplasmosis, which may result in foetal or neonatal death, or severe malformations. In this study, we aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated factors among pregnant women in a rural setting of Burkina Faso. We conducted a cross-sectional study from December 2020 to March 2021 in the Nanoro health district area. Women attending antenatal care for the first time at the selected health centers were enrolled in the study. For each participant, socio-demographic and clinical data were collected through a questionnaire. In addition, venous blood was drawn for the detection and avidity determination of IgG antibodies to T. gondii by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with seropositivity. Out of 416 participants, 37.3% were positive for specific anti-T. gondii IgG antibodies and only two of 149 women with interpretable results (1.3%) had low avidity IgG antibodies suggestive of recent primary infection. Younger age (16-18 years) was significantly associated with seronegativity (OR = 0.48, 95% CI:0.27-0.86, p = 0.013), while multipara (OR = 2.20, 95% CI:1.37-3.76, p value = 0.001) and multigravida (OR = 2.27, 95% CI:1.37-3.76, p = 0.001) were significantly more likely seropositive. The multivariate logistic regression showed that being at the third trimester of pregnancy (OR = 4.17, 95% CI:1.68-10.36, p = 0.002) and being often in contact with a cat (OR = 1.72, 95% CI:1.03-2.37, p = 0.035) were significantly associated with seropositivity. Our findings suggest that Toxoplasma gondii is widespread in the area, resulting in a high exposure risk of pregnant women and we indeed found two women with evidence of recent exposure. To avoid the potentially serious consequences to the foetus, there is an urgent need for systematic screening during antenatal care visits and awareness campaigns.

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by Schistosoma species, affects millions of people worldwide. This review explores the therapeutic challenges of schistosomiasis, focusing on the mechanisms of action of current treatments and their limitations. Praziquantel, the standard therapy, induces lesions and muscle contractions in the parasites, thereby facilitating their clearance by the host immune system. However, the biological complexity of schistosomes and their ability to modulate the immune response present hurdles to sustained treatment efficacy. Challenges include the emergence of resistance, adverse side effects, and inconsistent cure rates. Additionally, the remarkable longevity of schistosomes-spanning years to decades-complicates the evaluation of treatment outcomes. Addressing these issues, requires ongoing surveillance, research into novel therapeutic agents, and an integrated approach that combines medical interventions with preventive measures. This paper underscores the importance of understanding schistosome biology and advocates for comprehensive strategies to improve the management and control of this debilitating parasitic infection.

The Mediterranean region is recognized as one of the most impacted areas of which Algeria has been traditionally acknowledged as endemic for leishmaniasis. This study carried out in Algiers, north-central Algeria, aimed to carry outa serological and clinical investigation of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) invarious dog breeds, outlining the risk factors associated with Leishmania infection. Blood samples, along with clinical data and general information, were gathered and examined from 305 dogs, of which 210 were males and 95 were females. Numerous breeds made up this sample, including the local breed, German shepherd, pitbul, foxhound, among others. Anti-Leishmania IgG antibodies were detected using IFAT and samples were scored as positive at a cut-off dilution of ≥ 1:80. Anti-Leishmania antibodies were detected (95% CI 15.21-24.13%) of dogs of which 6.48% were clinically asymptomatic. Factors such as age, breed, and presence of clinical signs of leishmaniasis were found to significantly impact the prevalence of Leishmania infection, while gender did not show a significant association. The highest rates of infection were found in dogs aged 4-6 years (33.33%) and over 6 years (34.62%) (p < 0.001). In relation to breed, local dogs showed a significantly lower infection rate compared to other breeds (p < 0.01). All dogs that were clinically diagnosed with leishmaniasis tested seropositive and the predominant clinical sign noted were adenopathy (81.40%), weight loss (67.44%) and skin ulcers (48.84%). Adenopathy was significantly more frequent (4.38-11.67 times) compared to the other symptoms (p < 0.001). The isoenzymatic characterization of30seropositive dogs revealed the presence of the zymodeme L. infantum MON-1. The current study confirmed the endemic status of CanLin Algeriaand identified several factors that may influence the seropositivity in the study region.

Supplementary information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12639-025-01801-7.