Research

14 pages, 5895 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Inactivation of Schistosoma Using Low-Temperature Plasma

by Silvie Hejzlarová, Marta Chanová, Josef Khun, Jaroslav Julák and Vladimír Scholtz

Microorganisms 2021, 9(1), 32; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9010032 - 24 Dec 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2136

The inactivation of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and miracidia was achieved by exposure to plasma produced by the positive, negative, and axial negative corona discharges. The positive discharge appeared as the most effective, causing the death of cercariae and miracidia within 2–3 min of [...] Read more.

The inactivation of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and miracidia was achieved by exposure to plasma produced by the positive, negative, and axial negative corona discharges. The positive discharge appeared as the most effective, causing the death of cercariae and miracidia within 2–3 min of exposure. The negative discharge was less effective, and the axial discharge was ineffective. The water pre-activated (PAW) by the discharges showed similar efficiency, with the exception of the significantly effective PAW activated with axial discharge. These facts, together with the observation of various reactions among plasma-damaged schistosomes, suggest that the mechanisms of inactivation by different types of discharges are different. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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14 pages, 20833 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Canine Leishmaniasis: Serological Results in Private and Kennel Dogs Tested over a Six-Year Period (2009–2014) in Abruzzo and Molise Regions, Italy

by Fabrizio De Massis, Carla Ippoliti, Simona Iannetti, Manuela Tittarelli, Sandro Pelini, Daniele Giansante and Aurora Ciarrocchi

Microorganisms 2020, 8(12), 1915; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8121915 - 01 Dec 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2083

Abstract

This paper reports the results of serological tests for the detection of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in Abruzzo and Molise regions from 2009 to 2014, with the aim of evaluating the presence and distribution of canine leishmaniasis. Data were extracted from the Laboratory [...] Read more.

This paper reports the results of serological tests for the detection of antibodies against Leishmania spp. in Abruzzo and Molise regions from 2009 to 2014, with the aim of evaluating the presence and distribution of canine leishmaniasis. Data were extracted from the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) of the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale of Abruzzo and Molise, and then the dog identification numbers were matched with those stored in the Canine Registries of the two regions to get information about the age of dogs at time of testing. Dogs were considered positive when having an IFAT (Indirect Fluorescent Antibody Test) titer ≥1:80. In total, 41,631 dogs were tested, 85.3% from Abruzzo and 14.7% from Molise. At the provincial level, the percentage of positive dogs ranged from 5.2% (L’Aquila, Abruzzo region) to 21.8% (Campobasso, Molise region). Findings are consistent with the hypothesis that in the coastal areas, the relationships between the host, the vector, and the agent are more favorable for the spreading of CanL, and it seems that densely populated urban internal areas have less favorable conditions. Being a dog hosted in a kennel seems not to be a factor increasing the probability that dogs show positivity, even in long-term sheltering conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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12 pages, 1332 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Population Genetics of Phlebotomus papatasi from Endemic and Nonendemic Areas for Zoonotic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Morocco, as Revealed by Cytochrome Oxidase Gene Subunit I Sequencing

by Souad Guernaoui, Omar Hamarsheh, Deborah Garcia, Didier Fontenille and Denis Sereno

Microorganisms 2020, 8(7), 1010; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8071010 - 06 Jul 2020

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2795

Abstract

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by Leishmania major Yakimoff & Shokhor and transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) is a public health concern in Morocco. The disease is endemic mainly in pre-Saharan regions on the southern slope of the High Atlas Mountains. The northern [...] Read more.

Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) caused by Leishmania major Yakimoff & Shokhor and transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi (Scopoli) is a public health concern in Morocco. The disease is endemic mainly in pre-Saharan regions on the southern slope of the High Atlas Mountains. The northern slope of the High Atlas Mountains and the arid plains of central Morocco remain non-endemic and are currently considered high risk for ZCL. Here we investigate and compare the population genetic structure of P. papatasi populations sampled in various habitats in historical foci and non-endemic ZCL areas. A fragment of the mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene was amplified and sequenced in 59 individuals from 10 P. papatasi populations. Haplotype diversity was probed, a median-joining network was generated (F_ST) and molecular variance (AMOVA) were analyzed. Overall, we identified 28 haplotypes with 32 distinct segregating sites, of which seven are parsimony informative. The rate of private haplotypes was high; 20 haplotypes (71.4%) are private ones and exclusive to a single population. The phylogenetic tree and the network reconstructed highlight a genetic structuration of these populations in two well defined groups: Ouarzazate (or endemic areas) and Non-Ouarzazate (or nonendemic areas). These groups are separated by the High Atlas Mountains. Overall, our study highlights differences in terms of population genetics between ZCL endemic and non-endemic areas. To what extent such differences would impact the transmission of L. major by natural P. papatasi population remains to be investigated. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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12 pages, 1915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Malaria Elimination in Costa Rica: Changes in Treatment and Mass Drug Administration

by Luis F. Chaves, John H. Huber, Obdulio Rojas Salas, Melissa Ramírez Rojas, Luis M. Romero, José M. Gutiérrez Alvarado, T. Alex Perkins, Monica Prado and Rodrigo Marín Rodríguez

Microorganisms 2020, 8(7), 984; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8070984 - 30 Jun 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3684

Abstract

Costa Rica is a candidate to eliminate malaria by 2020. The remaining malaria transmission hotspots are located within the Huétar Norte Region (HNR), where 90% of the country’s 147 malaria cases have occurred since 2016, following a 33-month period without transmission. Here, we [...] Read more.

Costa Rica is a candidate to eliminate malaria by 2020. The remaining malaria transmission hotspots are located within the Huétar Norte Region (HNR), where 90% of the country’s 147 malaria cases have occurred since 2016, following a 33-month period without transmission. Here, we examine changes in transmission with the implementation of a supervised seven-day chloroquine and primaquine treatment (7DCPT). We also evaluate the impact of a focal mass drug administration (MDA) in January 2019 at Boca Arenal, the town in HNR reporting the greatest local transmission. We found that the change to a seven-day treatment protocol, from the prior five-day program, was associated with a 98% reduction in malaria transmission. The MDA helped to reduce transmission, keeping the basic reproduction number, R_T, significantly below 1, for at least four months. However, following new imported cases from Nicaragua, autochthonous transmission resumed. Our results highlight the importance of appropriate treatment delivery to reduce malaria transmission, and the challenge that highly mobile populations, if their malaria is not treated, pose to regional elimination efforts in Mesoamerica and México. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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15 pages, 1530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mathematical Modelling Using Predictive Biomarkers for the Outcome of Canine Leishmaniasis upon Chemotherapy

by Rafaela de Sousa Gonçalves, Flaviane Alves de Pinho, Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Rui Azevedo, Joana Gaifem, Daniela Farias Larangeira, Eduardo Milton Ramos-Sanchez, Hiro Goto, Ricardo Silvestre and Stella Maria Barrouin-Melo

Microorganisms 2020, 8(5), 745; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8050745 - 15 May 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3044

Abstract

Prediction parameters of possible outcomes of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) therapy might help with therapeutic decisions and animal health care. Here, we aimed to develop a diagnostic method with predictive value by analyzing two groups of dogs with CanL, those that exhibited a decrease [...] Read more.

Prediction parameters of possible outcomes of canine leishmaniasis (CanL) therapy might help with therapeutic decisions and animal health care. Here, we aimed to develop a diagnostic method with predictive value by analyzing two groups of dogs with CanL, those that exhibited a decrease in parasite load upon antiparasitic treatment (group: responders) and those that maintained high parasite load despite the treatment (group: non-responders). The parameters analyzed were parasitic load determined by q-PCR, hemogram, serum biochemistry and immune system-related gene expression signature. A mathematical model was applied to the analysis of these parameters to predict how efficient their response to therapy would be. Responder dogs restored hematological and biochemical parameters to the reference values and exhibited a Th1 cell activation profile with a linear tendency to reach mild clinical alteration stages. Differently, non-responders developed a mixed Th1/Th2 response and exhibited markers of liver and kidney injury. Erythrocyte counts and serum phosphorus were identified as predictive markers of therapeutic response at an early period of assessment of CanL. The results presented in this study are highly encouraging and may represent a new paradigm for future assistance to clinicians to interfere precociously in the therapeutic approach, with a more precise definition in the patient’s prognosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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Review

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20 pages, 891 KiB

Open AccessReview

Current Status and the Epidemiology of Malaria in the Middle East Region and Beyond

by Mohammad Al-Awadhi, Suhail Ahmad and Jamshaid Iqbal

Microorganisms 2021, 9(2), 338; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9020338 - 09 Feb 2021

Cited by 45 | Viewed by 9346

Abstract

Vector-borne parasitic infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Malaria is one of the most common vector-borne parasitic infection and is caused by five Plasmodium species, namely P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. Epidemiologically, [...] Read more.

Vector-borne parasitic infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Malaria is one of the most common vector-borne parasitic infection and is caused by five Plasmodium species, namely P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. Epidemiologically, differences in the patterns of malaria cases, causative agent, disease severity, antimicrobial resistance, and mortality exist across diverse geographical regions. The world witnessed 229 million malaria cases which resulted in 409,000 deaths in 2019 alone. Although malaria cases are reported from 87 countries globally, Africa bears the brunt of these infections and deaths as nearly 94% of total malaria cases and deaths occur in this continent, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the Middle East Region countries are malaria-free as no indigenous cases of infection have been described in recent years. However, imported cases of malaria continue to occur as some of these countries. Indeed, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have large expatriate population originating from malaria endemic countries. In this review, the current status and epidemiology of malaria in the Middle East Region countries and other malaria-endemic countries that are home to a large migrant workforce being employed in Middle East Region countries are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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17 pages, 302 KiB

Open AccessReview

Alternative Invasion Mechanisms and Host Immune Response to Plasmodium vivax Malaria: Trends and Future Directions

by Daniel Kepple, Kareen Pestana, Junya Tomida, Abnet Abebe, Lemu Golassa and Eugenia Lo

Microorganisms 2021, 9(1), 15; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9010015 - 23 Dec 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3939

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax malaria is a neglected tropical disease, despite being more geographically widespread than any other form of malaria. The documentation of P. vivax infections in different parts of Africa where Duffy-negative individuals are predominant suggested that there are alternative pathways for P. [...] Read more.

Plasmodium vivax malaria is a neglected tropical disease, despite being more geographically widespread than any other form of malaria. The documentation of P. vivax infections in different parts of Africa where Duffy-negative individuals are predominant suggested that there are alternative pathways for P. vivax to invade human erythrocytes. Duffy-negative individuals may be just as fit as Duffy-positive individuals and are no longer resistant to P.vivax malaria. In this review, we describe the complexity of P. vivax malaria, characterize pathogenesis and candidate invasion genes of P. vivax, and host immune responses to P. vivax infections. We provide a comprehensive review on parasite ligands in several Plasmodium species that further justify candidate genes in P. vivax. We also summarize previous genomic and transcriptomic studies related to the identification of ligand and receptor proteins in P. vivax erythrocyte invasion. Finally, we identify topics that remain unclear and propose future studies that will greatly contribute to our knowledge of P. vivax. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

Other

Jump to: Research, Review

11 pages, 3726 KiB

Open AccessOpinion

Emerging and Re-Emerging Leishmaniases in the Mediterranean Area: What Can Be Learned from a Retrospective Review Analysis of the Situation in Morocco during 1990 to 2010?

by Kahime Kholoud, Lahouari Bounoua, Denis Sereno, MoulayAbdelomain El Hidan and Mohamed Messouli

Microorganisms 2020, 8(10), 1511; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms8101511 - 30 Sep 2020

Cited by 17 | Viewed by 2785

Abstract

In Morocco, cutaneous and visceral leishmaniases represent a public health concern. In this opinion paper, we propose to highlight chosen elements that have governed the drastic increase in the incidence of leishmaniases recorded in Morocco during the period between 1990 to 2010 in [...] Read more.

In Morocco, cutaneous and visceral leishmaniases represent a public health concern. In this opinion paper, we propose to highlight chosen elements that have governed the drastic increase in the incidence of leishmaniases recorded in Morocco during the period between 1990 to 2010 in order to guide the prediction of the expansion of diseases and epidemic events. We highlight that the dispersion of the zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) form, caused by the Leishmania major parasite, appears to be closely related to that of its arthropod vector density, which is sensitive to changes in climate. The dissemination of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL) was related to an increase in human travel and local tourism during the studied decades. These are linked to economic expansion and infrastructure development. Interestingly, the main ACL foci are spatially aligned with the highways, and their occurrence was synchronized with the building of transportation infrastructure. During the above-mentioned decades, the zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) caused by Leishmania infantum has expanded from its historical northern territories, dispersing outwards in all directions. This spread follows the emergence of hamlets and villages connecting with major cities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epidemiology of Vector-Borne Diseases)

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