Pub Date : 2023-06-19DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1189872
Danica Lennox-Bulow, Luke Becker, A. Loukas, J. Seymour, M. Smout
Parasitic worms (helminths) infect almost all taxa across the animal kingdom, and pose significant challenges to public health and economies, particularly in developing countries. To address this problem, researchers have developed various tools to measure the motility and viability of helminths. However, the conditions used in anthelmintic screening assays are often not optimized, and can vary considerably between research teams. These unoptimized conditions may impact novel drug screens, as little is known about the effects of different conditions on the health of the target parasites. To improve future research, this study determined the effects of key assay parameters including, media type, media concentration, in-well parasite density, and assay duration on the infective third-stage larva (L3) of two types of hookworms, namely Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in rodents, and Necator americanus in humans. Conditions were screened over several days using the xCELLigence worm real-time motility assay (xWORM); a real-time impedance-based helminth motility assay using the xCELLigence system with 96-well microplates. While results varied depending on the species and media used, the study found that 500–1,000 L3/200-µL and a media concentration of 3.13–25% generally produced good to excellent assay conditions. The findings of this study can guide the future selection of xWORM assay parameters for novel drug trials involving these parasite species and serve as a suggested model for optimizing trial conditions for alternative parasite targets and assays.
{"title":"Optimizing the xWORM assay for monitoring hookworm larvae motility","authors":"Danica Lennox-Bulow, Luke Becker, A. Loukas, J. Seymour, M. Smout","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1189872","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1189872","url":null,"abstract":"Parasitic worms (helminths) infect almost all taxa across the animal kingdom, and pose significant challenges to public health and economies, particularly in developing countries. To address this problem, researchers have developed various tools to measure the motility and viability of helminths. However, the conditions used in anthelmintic screening assays are often not optimized, and can vary considerably between research teams. These unoptimized conditions may impact novel drug screens, as little is known about the effects of different conditions on the health of the target parasites. To improve future research, this study determined the effects of key assay parameters including, media type, media concentration, in-well parasite density, and assay duration on the infective third-stage larva (L3) of two types of hookworms, namely Nippostrongylus brasiliensis in rodents, and Necator americanus in humans. Conditions were screened over several days using the xCELLigence worm real-time motility assay (xWORM); a real-time impedance-based helminth motility assay using the xCELLigence system with 96-well microplates. While results varied depending on the species and media used, the study found that 500–1,000 L3/200-µL and a media concentration of 3.13–25% generally produced good to excellent assay conditions. The findings of this study can guide the future selection of xWORM assay parameters for novel drug trials involving these parasite species and serve as a suggested model for optimizing trial conditions for alternative parasite targets and assays.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44157099","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-15DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1162697
Viraj Muthye, J. Wasmuth
Introduction Molecular mimicry is a strategy used by parasites to evade the host’s immune system and facilitate transmission to a new host. To date, high-throughput examples of molecular mimicry have been limited to comparing protein sequences. However, recent advances in the prediction of tertiary structural models, led by Deepmind’s AlphaFold, enable the comparison of thousands of proteins from parasites and their hosts at the structural level, allowing for the identification of more mimics. Here, we present the first proteome-level search for tertiary structure similarity between proteins from Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite, and humans. Methods We assembled a database of experimentally-characterized protein tertiary structures (from the Protein Data Bank) and AlphaFold-generated protein tertiary structures from P. falciparum, human, and 15 negative control species, i.e., species not infected by P. falciparum. We aligned human and control structures to the parasite structures using Foldseek. Results We identified molecular mimicry in three proteins that have been previously proposed as mediators of Plasmodium-human interactions. By extending this approach to all P. falciparum proteins, we identified an additional 41 potential mimics that are supported by additional experimental data. Discussion Our findings demonstrate a valuable application of AlphaFold-derived tertiary structural models, and we discuss key considerations for its effective use in other host-parasite systems.
分子模仿是寄生虫逃避宿主免疫系统并传播给新宿主的一种策略。到目前为止，高通量分子模拟的例子仅限于比较蛋白质序列。然而，最近在预测三级结构模型方面的进展，由Deepmind的AlphaFold领导，可以在结构水平上比较来自寄生虫和宿主的数千种蛋白质，从而识别更多的模仿物。在这里，我们提出了第一个蛋白质组水平的搜索，从恶性疟原虫，一种引起疟疾的寄生虫，和人类之间的蛋白质三级结构的相似性。方法收集了恶性疟原虫、人类和15种阴性对照物种(即未感染恶性疟原虫的物种)经实验表征的蛋白三级结构数据库(来自protein Data Bank)和alphafold生成的蛋白三级结构数据库。我们使用Foldseek将人类和控制结构与寄生虫结构对齐。结果我们鉴定了三种蛋白质的分子拟态，这些蛋白质先前被认为是疟原虫与人相互作用的介质。通过将这种方法扩展到所有恶性疟原虫蛋白，我们确定了另外41种潜在的模拟物，这些模拟物得到了额外实验数据的支持。我们的发现证明了alphafold衍生的三级结构模型的有价值的应用，我们讨论了其在其他宿主-寄生虫系统中有效使用的关键考虑因素。
{"title":"Proteome-wide comparison of tertiary protein structures reveals molecular mimicry in Plasmodium-human interactions","authors":"Viraj Muthye, J. Wasmuth","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1162697","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1162697","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Molecular mimicry is a strategy used by parasites to evade the host’s immune system and facilitate transmission to a new host. To date, high-throughput examples of molecular mimicry have been limited to comparing protein sequences. However, recent advances in the prediction of tertiary structural models, led by Deepmind’s AlphaFold, enable the comparison of thousands of proteins from parasites and their hosts at the structural level, allowing for the identification of more mimics. Here, we present the first proteome-level search for tertiary structure similarity between proteins from Plasmodium falciparum, a malaria-causing parasite, and humans. Methods We assembled a database of experimentally-characterized protein tertiary structures (from the Protein Data Bank) and AlphaFold-generated protein tertiary structures from P. falciparum, human, and 15 negative control species, i.e., species not infected by P. falciparum. We aligned human and control structures to the parasite structures using Foldseek. Results We identified molecular mimicry in three proteins that have been previously proposed as mediators of Plasmodium-human interactions. By extending this approach to all P. falciparum proteins, we identified an additional 41 potential mimics that are supported by additional experimental data. Discussion Our findings demonstrate a valuable application of AlphaFold-derived tertiary structural models, and we discuss key considerations for its effective use in other host-parasite systems.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43085345","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-02DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1186149
A. Bosco, A. Prigioniero, Alessandra Falzarano, M. P. Maurelli, L. Rinaldi, G. Cringoli, G. Quaranta, S. Claps, R. Sciarrillo, C. Guarino, P. Scarano
Background Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a serious problem in ruminant pastures worldwide. They generate production losses, from the point of view of both the food chain and animal mortality. This study provides preliminary results concerning the use of pasture plants in the Campania region (of southern Italy) to control GINs in sheep. Methods Sixteen species of wild and cultivated perennial plants present in seminatural pastures were sampled. All species were extracted with the conventional maceration technique, using three different solvents (i.e., H2O, EtOH, and an EtOH:H2O (8:2) mixture) in order to extract different bioactive compounds. The total phenolic content (TPC; assessed via the Folin–Ciocȃlteu assay) of all extract samples was preliminarily characterized. Each sample was aliquoted across six different concentrations and an in vitro egg hatching test (EHT) was conducted to evaluate the ovicidal effect on sheep GINs. Results The results indicated that Cichorium intybus L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. extracts greatly inhibited egg hatching within 48 hours of exposure, showing efficacy (≥ 62.6%) at the three higher concentrations when compared with the other plants. Conclusion The use of extracts of wild and cultivated perennial plant species in pastures can be a valid alternative to the use of synthetic anthelmintic drugs, which can generate problems, such as anthelmintic resistance, in the long term. Looking forward, further in vitro studies that evaluate the in vitro effect of these extracts on ruminant cell cultures, and field application through in vivo studies, would likely confirm the results obtained from preliminary in vitro EHTs. All these studies should be aimed at evaluating the therapeutic potential and future applicability of specific plant cultures in pastures to achieve sustainable pest control.
{"title":"Use of perennial plants in the fight against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep","authors":"A. Bosco, A. Prigioniero, Alessandra Falzarano, M. P. Maurelli, L. Rinaldi, G. Cringoli, G. Quaranta, S. Claps, R. Sciarrillo, C. Guarino, P. Scarano","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1186149","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1186149","url":null,"abstract":"Background Gastrointestinal nematodes (GINs) are a serious problem in ruminant pastures worldwide. They generate production losses, from the point of view of both the food chain and animal mortality. This study provides preliminary results concerning the use of pasture plants in the Campania region (of southern Italy) to control GINs in sheep. Methods Sixteen species of wild and cultivated perennial plants present in seminatural pastures were sampled. All species were extracted with the conventional maceration technique, using three different solvents (i.e., H2O, EtOH, and an EtOH:H2O (8:2) mixture) in order to extract different bioactive compounds. The total phenolic content (TPC; assessed via the Folin–Ciocȃlteu assay) of all extract samples was preliminarily characterized. Each sample was aliquoted across six different concentrations and an in vitro egg hatching test (EHT) was conducted to evaluate the ovicidal effect on sheep GINs. Results The results indicated that Cichorium intybus L. and Foeniculum vulgare Mill. extracts greatly inhibited egg hatching within 48 hours of exposure, showing efficacy (≥ 62.6%) at the three higher concentrations when compared with the other plants. Conclusion The use of extracts of wild and cultivated perennial plant species in pastures can be a valid alternative to the use of synthetic anthelmintic drugs, which can generate problems, such as anthelmintic resistance, in the long term. Looking forward, further in vitro studies that evaluate the in vitro effect of these extracts on ruminant cell cultures, and field application through in vivo studies, would likely confirm the results obtained from preliminary in vitro EHTs. All these studies should be aimed at evaluating the therapeutic potential and future applicability of specific plant cultures in pastures to achieve sustainable pest control.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46863612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-24DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1197956
Josephine Schlosser-Brandenburg, Ankur Midha, R. Mugo, E. M. Ndombi, G. Gachara, D. Njomo, S. Rausch, S. Hartmann
The most important soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) affecting humans are roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, with a large proportion of the world’s population infected with one or more of these intestinal parasites. On top of that, concurrent infections with several viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and other helminths such as trematodes are common in STH-endemic areas. STHs are potent immunomodulators, but knowledge about the effects of STH infection on the direction and extent of coinfections with other pathogens and vice versa is incomplete. By focusing on Kenya, a country where STH infections in humans are widespread, we provide an exemplary overview of the current prevalence of STH and co-occurring infections (e.g. with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Plasmodium falciparum, Giardia duodenalis and Schistosoma mansoni). Using human data and complemented by experimental studies, we outline the immunomechanistic interactions of coinfections in both acutely STH transmigrated and chronically infected tissues, also highlighting their systemic nature. Depending on the coinfecting pathogen and immunological readout, STH infection may restrain, support, or even override the immune response to another pathogen. Furthermore, the timing of the particular infection and host susceptibility are decisive for the immunopathological consequences. Some examples demonstrated positive outcomes of STH coinfections, where the systemic effects of these helminths mitigate the damage caused by other pathogens. Nevertheless, the data available to date are rather unbalanced, as only a few studies have considered the effects of coinfection on the worm’s life cycle and associated host immunity. These interactions are complex and depend largely on the context and biology of the coinfection, which can act in either direction, both to the benefit and detriment of the infected host.
{"title":"Infection with soil-transmitted helminths and their impact on coinfections","authors":"Josephine Schlosser-Brandenburg, Ankur Midha, R. Mugo, E. M. Ndombi, G. Gachara, D. Njomo, S. Rausch, S. Hartmann","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1197956","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1197956","url":null,"abstract":"The most important soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) affecting humans are roundworms, whipworms, and hookworms, with a large proportion of the world’s population infected with one or more of these intestinal parasites. On top of that, concurrent infections with several viruses, bacteria, protozoa, and other helminths such as trematodes are common in STH-endemic areas. STHs are potent immunomodulators, but knowledge about the effects of STH infection on the direction and extent of coinfections with other pathogens and vice versa is incomplete. By focusing on Kenya, a country where STH infections in humans are widespread, we provide an exemplary overview of the current prevalence of STH and co-occurring infections (e.g. with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Plasmodium falciparum, Giardia duodenalis and Schistosoma mansoni). Using human data and complemented by experimental studies, we outline the immunomechanistic interactions of coinfections in both acutely STH transmigrated and chronically infected tissues, also highlighting their systemic nature. Depending on the coinfecting pathogen and immunological readout, STH infection may restrain, support, or even override the immune response to another pathogen. Furthermore, the timing of the particular infection and host susceptibility are decisive for the immunopathological consequences. Some examples demonstrated positive outcomes of STH coinfections, where the systemic effects of these helminths mitigate the damage caused by other pathogens. Nevertheless, the data available to date are rather unbalanced, as only a few studies have considered the effects of coinfection on the worm’s life cycle and associated host immunity. These interactions are complex and depend largely on the context and biology of the coinfection, which can act in either direction, both to the benefit and detriment of the infected host.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48578080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-24DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1138375
Constanza Lopez-Albizu, Rocio Rivero, G. Ballering, H. Freilij, M. S. Santini, M. Bisio
Trypanosoma cruzi infection, currently endemic in 21 countries, is a public health problem not only in the Americas but also in countries with Latin American migrants. However, it is estimated that two-thirds of people with Chagas disease currently live in urban areas and that only 10% of them are aware of it. This review summarizes the most important aspects of the diagnosis of human T. cruzi infection by describing the following aspects of clinical laboratory diagnosis: the most widely used tests available in Latin America and those expected to improve access to diagnosis of the affected population with their implementation; the advantages, disadvantages, and sensitivity of the tests in the different phases of infection; and their usefulness in the acute or chronic phases of infection and in the context of immunosuppression. In this way, we hope to contribute to broadening the knowledge about this prevalent infection in the Americas. Graphical Abstract
{"title":"Laboratory diagnosis of Trypanosoma cruzi infection: a narrative review","authors":"Constanza Lopez-Albizu, Rocio Rivero, G. Ballering, H. Freilij, M. S. Santini, M. Bisio","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1138375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1138375","url":null,"abstract":"Trypanosoma cruzi infection, currently endemic in 21 countries, is a public health problem not only in the Americas but also in countries with Latin American migrants. However, it is estimated that two-thirds of people with Chagas disease currently live in urban areas and that only 10% of them are aware of it. This review summarizes the most important aspects of the diagnosis of human T. cruzi infection by describing the following aspects of clinical laboratory diagnosis: the most widely used tests available in Latin America and those expected to improve access to diagnosis of the affected population with their implementation; the advantages, disadvantages, and sensitivity of the tests in the different phases of infection; and their usefulness in the acute or chronic phases of infection and in the context of immunosuppression. In this way, we hope to contribute to broadening the knowledge about this prevalent infection in the Americas. Graphical Abstract","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-05-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41344544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-27DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1118284
Kayo Yamada, Ning Zhang, Farzana K. Yaqub, M. Zoltner, Mark C. Field
Control of protein levels is vital to cellular homeostasis, for maintaining a steady state, to coordinate changes during differentiation and other roles. In African trypanosomes surface proteins contribute to immune evasion, drug sensitivity and environmental sensing. The trypanosome surface is dominated by the GPI-anchored variant surface glycoprotein, but additional GPI-anchored and trans-membrane domain proteins are present with known roles as nutrient receptors and signal transducers. The evolutionarily conserved deubiquitinase orthologs of Usp7 and Vdu1 in trypanosomes modulate abundance of many surface proteins, including the invariant surface glycoproteins, which have roles in immune evasion and drug sensitivity. Here we identify multiple trypanosome Skp1 paralogs and specifically a divergent paralog SkpZ. Affinity isolation and LCMSMS indicates that SkpZ forms a heterotrimeric complex with TbUsp7 and TbTpr86, a tetratricopeptide-repeat protein. Silencing SkpZ decreases TbUsp7 and TbTpr86 abundance, confirming a direct association. Further, SkpZ knockdown decreases the abundance of multiple trans-membrane domain (TMD) proteins but increases GPI-anchored surface protein levels. Hence, a heterotrimeric complex of TbTpr86, TbUsp7 and SkpZ (TUSK) regulates expression levels of a significant cohort of trypanosome surface proteins mediating coordination between TMD and GPI-anchored protein expression levels.
{"title":"TUSK: a ubiquitin hydrolase complex modulating surface protein abundance in trypanosomes","authors":"Kayo Yamada, Ning Zhang, Farzana K. Yaqub, M. Zoltner, Mark C. Field","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1118284","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1118284","url":null,"abstract":"Control of protein levels is vital to cellular homeostasis, for maintaining a steady state, to coordinate changes during differentiation and other roles. In African trypanosomes surface proteins contribute to immune evasion, drug sensitivity and environmental sensing. The trypanosome surface is dominated by the GPI-anchored variant surface glycoprotein, but additional GPI-anchored and trans-membrane domain proteins are present with known roles as nutrient receptors and signal transducers. The evolutionarily conserved deubiquitinase orthologs of Usp7 and Vdu1 in trypanosomes modulate abundance of many surface proteins, including the invariant surface glycoproteins, which have roles in immune evasion and drug sensitivity. Here we identify multiple trypanosome Skp1 paralogs and specifically a divergent paralog SkpZ. Affinity isolation and LCMSMS indicates that SkpZ forms a heterotrimeric complex with TbUsp7 and TbTpr86, a tetratricopeptide-repeat protein. Silencing SkpZ decreases TbUsp7 and TbTpr86 abundance, confirming a direct association. Further, SkpZ knockdown decreases the abundance of multiple trans-membrane domain (TMD) proteins but increases GPI-anchored surface protein levels. Hence, a heterotrimeric complex of TbTpr86, TbUsp7 and SkpZ (TUSK) regulates expression levels of a significant cohort of trypanosome surface proteins mediating coordination between TMD and GPI-anchored protein expression levels.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47598059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-24DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1149738
Babacar Souleymane Sambe, A. Diagne, Hélène Ataume Mawounge Diatta, F. M. Gaba, I. Sarr, Arona Sabène Diatta, S. Diaw, Rokhaya Sané, B. Diouf, I. Vigan-Womas, B. Mbengue, Makhtar Niang
Background The first discovery of Plasmodium vivax infections in Senegal used archived patients’ sera in place of blood pellet, the preferred specimen for the molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium species. The present study assessed the reliability of detecting P. vivax DNA in plasma in comparison to blood pellet from the same patient’s samples. Methods A total of 616 blood samples obtained from febrile patients living in Kolda (2015 and 2020), Tambacounda (2017 and 2020), and Kedougou (2020) regions in Senegal, were first screened for Plasmodium species composition by 18S ssrRNA-based nested PCR. Paired blood pellets and plasma samples were selected from a subset of 50 P. vivax-positive patients matched by age and sex with 50 P. vivax-negative patients, and subjected to a cytochrome b-based qPCR to compare the detection and quantification of P. vivax genomic DNA between the two specimen types. Results and discussion The study reports 1.8% and 14.77% of single and mixed P. vivax infections in the study population, and a high concordance (84%) between the qPCR detection of P. vivax genomic DNA from paired blood pellets and plasma samples. Importantly, all P. vivax negative samples from the blood pellets were also confirmed plasma-negative, and parasitaemia in blood pellets was higher compared to plasma samples. The results support investigations of P. vivax infections in archived sera or plasma collections with a high degree of confidence to generate additional data on the neglected P. vivax malaria, and ultimately guide strategies to control the disease.
{"title":"Molecular detection and quantification of Plasmodium vivax DNA in blood pellet and plasma samples from patients in Senegal","authors":"Babacar Souleymane Sambe, A. Diagne, Hélène Ataume Mawounge Diatta, F. M. Gaba, I. Sarr, Arona Sabène Diatta, S. Diaw, Rokhaya Sané, B. Diouf, I. Vigan-Womas, B. Mbengue, Makhtar Niang","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1149738","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1149738","url":null,"abstract":"Background The first discovery of Plasmodium vivax infections in Senegal used archived patients’ sera in place of blood pellet, the preferred specimen for the molecular diagnosis of Plasmodium species. The present study assessed the reliability of detecting P. vivax DNA in plasma in comparison to blood pellet from the same patient’s samples. Methods A total of 616 blood samples obtained from febrile patients living in Kolda (2015 and 2020), Tambacounda (2017 and 2020), and Kedougou (2020) regions in Senegal, were first screened for Plasmodium species composition by 18S ssrRNA-based nested PCR. Paired blood pellets and plasma samples were selected from a subset of 50 P. vivax-positive patients matched by age and sex with 50 P. vivax-negative patients, and subjected to a cytochrome b-based qPCR to compare the detection and quantification of P. vivax genomic DNA between the two specimen types. Results and discussion The study reports 1.8% and 14.77% of single and mixed P. vivax infections in the study population, and a high concordance (84%) between the qPCR detection of P. vivax genomic DNA from paired blood pellets and plasma samples. Importantly, all P. vivax negative samples from the blood pellets were also confirmed plasma-negative, and parasitaemia in blood pellets was higher compared to plasma samples. The results support investigations of P. vivax infections in archived sera or plasma collections with a high degree of confidence to generate additional data on the neglected P. vivax malaria, and ultimately guide strategies to control the disease.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43470739","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-04-05DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1114563
Marina Gold, M. J. Hermida
Chagas is a zoonotic disease conditioned by the need to eliminate or control the vector in human settlements before targeting infected individuals. Simultaneously it is necessary to raise awareness of health problems generated by chronic Chagas disease (ChD), for people to participate actively in vector control programs that will then enable the implementation of screening, treatment and follow-up strategies. Therefore, it is essential to engage the participation of the community in holistically designed integral programs to address ChD in all its complexity. This Perspective presents the case of Chagas management programs in the Department of General Taboada, Province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, to showcase a possible strategy in vector control, diagnosis and treatment programs that integrate ChD into the local public health system and engage community participation. Through this Perspective we argue for the importance of the contribution of social science methodologies and epistemologies in the process of integrating ChD into the public (and primary) health care system.
{"title":"An integral approach to address Chagas disease","authors":"Marina Gold, M. J. Hermida","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1114563","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1114563","url":null,"abstract":"Chagas is a zoonotic disease conditioned by the need to eliminate or control the vector in human settlements before targeting infected individuals. Simultaneously it is necessary to raise awareness of health problems generated by chronic Chagas disease (ChD), for people to participate actively in vector control programs that will then enable the implementation of screening, treatment and follow-up strategies. Therefore, it is essential to engage the participation of the community in holistically designed integral programs to address ChD in all its complexity. This Perspective presents the case of Chagas management programs in the Department of General Taboada, Province of Santiago del Estero, Argentina, to showcase a possible strategy in vector control, diagnosis and treatment programs that integrate ChD into the local public health system and engage community participation. Through this Perspective we argue for the importance of the contribution of social science methodologies and epistemologies in the process of integrating ChD into the public (and primary) health care system.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43733616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-03-13DOI: 10.3389/fpara.2023.1161108
Darcy R. Visscher, Emilie Toews, Jesse Pattison, Philip D. Walker, Colborne J. Kemna, M. Musiani, A. Massolo
Background There has been a spate of recent cases of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in Alberta, Canada. Alveolar echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, which is prevalent among coyote populations and present in domestic dogs in Alberta. Methods and results Using qPCR, we estimated the seasonal fecal prevalence of E. multilocularis in coyotes and dogs in a multiuse recreation area close to Edmonton, Alberta, where we also setup remote cameras to model seasonal changes in the overlap in temporal activity and the spatial intensity of use among coyotes, humans, and dogs, as a proxy of potential transmission. We detected E. multilocularis in 18 of 137 wild canid feces and none in 44 dog feces. After correcting for the qPCR test’s sensitivity and specificity, we estimated at 15.7% (9.7-22.7%, 95% CrI) the true fecal prevalence for coyotes. Temporal overlap between coyotes and both humans and dogs increased in the fall and winter relative to the spring and summer. Coyote intensity of use showed seasonal variations and was higher on maintained trails and locations closer to visitor parking and at sites with high intensity of dog use. Conclusions Our results reinforce the need of an integrated approach, typical of both One-Health and Eco-Health, to park management for minimizing the likelihood of transmission where human and dog activity results in significant overlap with the one of the natural definitive hosts of zoonotic parasites.
{"title":"Host spatiotemporal overlap in a park with high endemicity of Echinococcus multilocularis","authors":"Darcy R. Visscher, Emilie Toews, Jesse Pattison, Philip D. Walker, Colborne J. Kemna, M. Musiani, A. Massolo","doi":"10.3389/fpara.2023.1161108","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fpara.2023.1161108","url":null,"abstract":"Background There has been a spate of recent cases of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) in Alberta, Canada. Alveolar echinococcosis is caused by Echinococcus multilocularis, which is prevalent among coyote populations and present in domestic dogs in Alberta. Methods and results Using qPCR, we estimated the seasonal fecal prevalence of E. multilocularis in coyotes and dogs in a multiuse recreation area close to Edmonton, Alberta, where we also setup remote cameras to model seasonal changes in the overlap in temporal activity and the spatial intensity of use among coyotes, humans, and dogs, as a proxy of potential transmission. We detected E. multilocularis in 18 of 137 wild canid feces and none in 44 dog feces. After correcting for the qPCR test’s sensitivity and specificity, we estimated at 15.7% (9.7-22.7%, 95% CrI) the true fecal prevalence for coyotes. Temporal overlap between coyotes and both humans and dogs increased in the fall and winter relative to the spring and summer. Coyote intensity of use showed seasonal variations and was higher on maintained trails and locations closer to visitor parking and at sites with high intensity of dog use. Conclusions Our results reinforce the need of an integrated approach, typical of both One-Health and Eco-Health, to park management for minimizing the likelihood of transmission where human and dog activity results in significant overlap with the one of the natural definitive hosts of zoonotic parasites.","PeriodicalId":73098,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in parasitology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47325815","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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