Annals of parasitology最新文献

The World Health Organization reports that approximately 200 million people are infected with Giardia (G.) lamblia worldwide. Taking into account the emergence of resistance and the high toxicity of conventional drugs, research into new strategies to fight against G. lamblia is increasing. The aim of the study was to assess the antiprotozoal activity of 20-hydroxyecdysone in water sports athletes with giardiosis. A randomized, double-blinded, placebocontrolled clinical study was conducted. Seventy-six athletes with G. lamblia infection participated in the study and were divided into 20-hydroxyecdysone, metronidazole and placebo groups. Clinical, parasitological, haematological and biochemical analyses were performed. Positive results for antiprotozoal therapy were revealed in the 20-hydroxyecdysone and metronidazole groups. After therapy, elimination of G. lamblia was observed in 100.0% of the athletes included in the 20-hydroxyecdysone group. However, G. lamblia was resistant to metronidazole in 4.0% of athletes included in the metronidazole group. A positive clinical response to the therapy occurred in the 20-hydroxyecdysone and metronidazole groups. Our study reveals high antiprotozoal activity of 20-hydroxyecdysone against G. lamblia. Further clinical studies are necessary to evaluate the antiprotozoal efficacy of 20-hydroxyecdysone.

Cutaneous leishmaniosis (CL) is one of the most important known infectious skin diseases, and Iran, as a country at high risk of leishmaniosis. This research was carried out to describe the epidemiological status of cutaneous leishmaniosis during 2011-2018 years in Bushehr province. Total, 929 cutaneous leishmaniosis patients were registered in the Bushehr province during this period. Data analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 22. The data were analyzed using the descriptive statistics, Chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. The highest frequency was related to the age group of 1-10 years (35.1%). The patients consist (60.4%) males and (39.6%) females. The highest and lowest rates of disease were found in 2011 (16.3%) and 2017 (6.6%), respectively, and in January (16.6%) and September (3.2%), respectively. In terms of the ulcer number, (51%) of the cases had one ulcer, and (23%) had (3-5) ulcers. Dry ulcers made up (68.2%) of ulcers, while the wet ulcers made up (31.8%). The hands had accounted for (37%) of ulcers, the face for (25%), and the feet for (21%). Age of cases was significantly associated with the number and site of ulcers (P<0.001). As well, there was a significant relationship between gender and the number of ulcers (P<0.035). This eight-year study confirmed that in Iran, Bushehr province is one of the endemic areas for the cutaneous leishmaniosis. The increase in the patients in 2018, despite its decrease in previous years, is an alert for coming years. Effective disease prevention, control, and treatment measures are essential. Furthermore, the children, who are a vulnerable population, need the special care and treatment.

Fruits and vegetables are sources of parasitic infections in humans. This study was designed to determine the epidemiology of parasitic contamination of fruits, vegetables, and water, as well as the perception of retailers, buyers, and consumers about its contamination in Kwara Central, Nigeria. A cross-sectional study design was employed for this study. A total of 160 fruits, 349 vegetables, and 51 water samples were randomly purchased/collected from thirty different markets. The samples were subjected to sedimentation and modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining techniques. All the types of fruits and vegetables sampled were contaminated with one or more parasites. Eleven different species of zoonotic parasites (6 protozoans and 5 helminths) were detected. Entamoeba coli (39.8%) and Strongyloides stercoralis (9.6%) were the most prevalent protozoan and helminth respectively. The prevalence of other protozoan parasites ranged between 21.3% (Entamoeba histolytica) and 2.3% (Balantidium coli), while that of helminths was between 5.7% (Ascaris lumbricoides) and 2.1% (Trichuris trichiura). Source of fruits and vegetables, source of manure for cultivation, the source of water for washing/wetting purpose, market type, washing of fruits and vegetables before display, the presence of children at home and in the market, and knowledge of parasitic contamination were the risk factors associated (P<0.05) with parasitic contamination of fruits and vegetables among sellers. There is a need to educate the general public on the possibilities of parasitic contamination of fruits and vegetables and its public health implications.

Aquatic systems are affected by highly variable environmental conditions, including salinity changes. Changes in salinity may be gradual or sudden; such as evaporation during summer and warm periods which in turn either reduce or increase salinity. Parasites are the most common in aquatic ecosystems and their transmission is strongly influenced by environmental conditions. However, the effect of salinity on the transmission of water-dwelling parasites has not been well studied. The present study aimed to detect the effects of long-period exposure to salinity on parasites in the marshes of southern Iraq as a result of low water levels in the Tigris, Euphrates, and Shatt Al-Arab in recent years. The results appeared in this study the presence of pathogenic intestinal parasites in the marshes of southern Iraq including Schistosoma spp., Polymorphus sp., Taenia sp., Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides spp., Entamoeba histolytica, Giardia sp., Naegleria sp., Coccidia sp., Cryptosporidium sp., Acanthamoeba sp. and Blantidium sp. which were found in Haur Al-Chebaiesh and Haur Al-Hawizeh, Also, it observed highly presence of cercariae. In conclusion, these results indicated the ability of parasites to tolerance the salt stress due to its presence highly in these environmental conditions.

The present study aims to inventory the metazoan parasites of Tetragonopterus argenteus from the Lima Campos weir, municipality of Icó, Ceará, Brazil and to analyze the influence of the host size and sex on the prevalence and parasitic abundance. A total of 359 metazoan parasites specimens were collected from 54 specimens of T. argenteus, presenting a mean intensity of 7.04 parasites/fish and prevalence of 94%. A richness of 10 parasite taxa were recorded, taxonomically classified into the following groups: Monogenea (n=1), Digenea (n=2) and Nematoda (n=7). The parasite community of T. argenteus was composed of helminth species with low prevalence, low mean intensity, low mean abundance, low dominance and low diversity, predominance of endoparasites of the phylum Nematoda. As for the importance value, six species were considered secondary and showed an aggregated dispersion pattern. The host size influenced significantly the abundance of Creptrotrema sp. and the prevalence of Procamallanus (Spirocamallanus) hilarii. The results present new reports of parasites have been recorded for this host, thus expanding the ecological interactions between parasites and Characiformes fish and contributing to the knowledge of the freshwater biodiversity from Brazilian Caatinga domain.

Echinococcus granulosus is the etiologic agent of cystic echinococcosis. Numerous research studies have been conducted on natural scolicidal agents to inactivate protoscolices during surgery. This study was undertaken to compare the in vitro scolicidal effects of hydroalcoholic extracts of Calendula officinalis, Artemisia dracunculus, Artemisia absinthium and Ferula assafoetida. The scolicidal activities of the extracts were tested at different concentrations following incubation periods of 10, 30 and 60 min. The chemical composition of the hydroalcoholic extracts were analyzed using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). The major chemical components of C. officinalis, A. dracunculus, A. absinthium and F. assafoetida were identified as n-Docosane (14.17%), 2H-1-benzopyran-2-one, 7-methoxy (54.96%), n-Docosane (9.72%) and 2-methoxy-3-methyl-butyric acid, methyl ester (13.9%), respectively. The results showed that the hydroalcoholic extracts of A. absinthium and F. assafoetida at a concentration of 250 mg/ml resulted in killing 100% of the protoscolices at 60 minutes, while the concentration of 250 mg/ml of hydroalcoholic extract of C. officinalis and A. dracunculus resulted in killing 42.33% and 65.67%, respectively. The findings of the present study showed that A. absinthium and F. assafoetida have potent scolicidal effects. However, additional in vivo studies are required to confirm the efficacy of these plant-derived extracts against hydatid cyst for their clinical use.

In recent decades in Europe there has been a decline in the population of European brown hare (Lepus europaeus L.). Diseases, including parasitoses, are one of the factors considered to be the cause for the phenomenon. In this connection the aim of the present work was to update the data on the composition and distribution of endoparasites of this small mammal in Bulgaria against the background of the situation in Europe. Thirty sets of abdominal organs and forty seven faecal samples of hares from different regions of the country were investigated for presence of parasites. The faeces were analyzed with the coproscopical methods of Fulleborn, serial sedimentations, and the modified Baermann technique. Helminthological necropsies of the abdominal organs were carried out through the common technique. Parasites of the following taxa were established: Trematoda (Dicrocoelium dendriticum), Cestoda (Cysticercus pisiformis, Mosgovoyia pectinata), Nematoda (Trichuris sylvilagi, Strongylidae, Strongyloides sp., Protostrongylus spp.), Protozoa (Eimeria spp.) and Arthropoda (Pentastomum dentatum). Strongyloides sp. is reported for the first time as a part of the parasite fauna of the European brown hare in Bulgaria. Trichuris sylvilagi was the most prevalent parasite (63.3%), followed by gastrointestinal strongylids (57.43%), Eimeria spp. (55.3%), Protostrongylus spp. and Strongyloides sp. (31.9%), D. dendriticum (14.3%), C. pisiformis (10%), and M. pectinata (6.67%). The studies showed that eimeriid coccidia, gastrointestinal strongylids, and trichurids are the most common endoparasites among the population of the European brown hare both in Bulgaria and the European continent.

Aedes mosquito is the most common arboviral vector in the tropic and subtropic regions that it was dispersed in high-rise buildings up to many storeys. A study reported that similar condition in Indonesia is still limited, although the high-rise buildings are also growing rapidly throughout the country. This study aimed to understand the dispersal and density index of Aedes mosquitoes among storey buildings at the campus of Universitas Muhammadiyah Semarang, Indonesia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among four of nine-storey buildings. Eight ovitraps were placed in each storey to collect the mosquito eggs by placing them along the building corridor and near the toilet rooms. Ovistrip from each ovitrap was collected every three days, and the attached mosquito eggs were observed and counted under a microscope in the laboratory to calculate the density index. Aedes mosquitoes were found in all buildings up to the highest storey where the Ovitrap Index (OI) is the opposite of height, while the Eggs Density Index (EDI) differs according to the location of the building. OI at the 1st and 4th floor ranged between 63-100% and 38-50%. Eggs density was associated with the light intensity and air temperature. Two Aedes species were identified where Aedes aegypti was more dominant than Aedes albopictus. All high-rise buildings are exposed to Aedes mosquitoes, thus opening up opportunities for dengue virus transmission. Further study is necessarily conducted to understand the inter-storeys migration pathway of mosquitoes, preference habitats, and the highest storey exposed for control.

Primary muscular hydatidosis is an infrequent parasitic infection, caused by Echinococcus granulosus. We report 2 cases of female patients with diagnosis of primary muscular hydatidosis of the thigh. Both hail from an endemic area for hydatidosis, and had no pulmonary, hepatic, or systemic involvement. Cyst extraction was performed after the patients were given hypertonic solution, and antiparasitic treatment.

Leishmaniosis encompasses a group of diseases that is transmitted by sand flies and caused by different species of Leishmania. The skin is the initial organ to be infected by the Leishmania in cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral forms of leishmaniosis. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are capable of degrading all kinds of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. The aim of this study was to investigate the protease activity through zymography in cell extracts and extracellular secretions of L. major, L. tropica and L. infantum as three prevalent Leishmania spp. in Iran. The three Leishmania spp. were cultured in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with fetal calf serum. Promastigotes and axenic amastigotes were harvested and lysed at various phases, and extracellular secretions and cell extracts were collected. Leishmania spp. were proved by targeting kDNA gene. Enzymes were characterized according to gelatin zymography and sensitivity to distinct proteinase inhibitors. We observed proteinase bands with molecular weights (MWs) between 66 to 180 kDa in cellular extracts of axenic amastigotes of L. infantum, L. tropica, and L. major, and from 66 to 92 kDa in extracellular secretions of L. infantum. No proteinase activities were observed in extracellular secretions of axenic amastigotes and in cellular extracts of promastigotes in logarithmic and stationary phases of L. major and L. tropica. Using specific inhibitors, we determined that these proteolytic activities are due to metalloproteases. Our study demonstrated that amastigotes of all three Leishmania spp. have distinct amounts of proteinase activities and therefore can cause various types of lesions and outcomes of the disease.