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Microorganisms
Special Issues
Leishmania and Associated Diseases
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Leishmania and Associated Diseases

A special issue of Microorganisms (ISSN 2076-2607). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2022) | Viewed by 12229

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Hirotomo Kato

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Medical Zoology, Department of Infection and Immunity, Jichi Medical University, Tochigi, Japan
Interests: Leishmaniasis; Sand fly; Epidemiology; Vector biology; Vector competence
Dr. Trícia Maria Ferreira de Sousa Oliveira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Applied Preventive Veterinary Medicine, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, São Paulo, Brazil
Interests: Leishmaniases; Veterinary parasitology; Epidemiology
Dr. Suradej Siripattanapipong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
Interests: microbiology; medical parasitology; leishmaniasis

Special Issue Information

Leishmaniases are neglected tropical diseases caused by approximately 20 species of the genus Leishmania transmitted by the bite of an infected female sand fly. The transmission occurs in zoonotic cycle for most Leishmania species, but anthroponotic transmission is known for some species. The diseases are widely distributed around the world especially in tropical and subtropical areas, affecting at least 12 million people in nearly 100 countries. The clinical presentation is various, ranging from a localized cutaneous lesion to potentially fatal visceral disorder, and the infecting parasite species is the major determinant of the outcome.

This Special Issue aims to collect updated studies on Leishmania and associated diseases, from field research to laboratory study, and from basic to clinical studies. We invite you to contribute original research articles and reviews, covering broad areas of research relating Leishmania and associated diseases.

The main topics of this Special Issue will be:

  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Epidemiology
  • Vector biology
  • Vector competence
  • Host-parasite interaction
  • Prevention and vaccine strategy
  • Genetics of hosts, parasites, and vectors

Dr. Hirotomo Kato
Dr. Trícia Maria Ferreira de Sousa Oliveira
Dr. Suradej Siripattanapipong
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Microorganisms is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Leishmania
  • Sand fly
  • Reservoir
  • Epidemiology
  • Diagnosis
  • Treatment
  • Prevention
  • Host-parasite interaction
  • Vector competence
  • Genetics

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 2640 KiB  
Article
Development of a Highly Sensitive Nested PCR and Its Application for the Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Sri Lanka
by Nirmitha Lalindi De Silva, Viraji Nefertiti Hiromel De Silva, Arachchige Theja Hemapala Deerasinghe, Upeksha Lakmini Rathnapala, Makoto Itoh, Hidekazu Takagi, Mirani Vasanthamala Weerasooriya, Hirotomo Kato and Thishan Channa Yahathugoda
Microorganisms 2022, 10(5), 990; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10050990 - 09 May 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1851
Abstract
The recent surge in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka has rendered clinical diagnosis difficult; thus, laboratory confirmation is indispensable. A modified (two novel inner primers to detect CL caused by Leishmania donovani) nested Internal Transcribed Spacer-1 (ITS1) PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism [...] Read more.
The recent surge in cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) in Sri Lanka has rendered clinical diagnosis difficult; thus, laboratory confirmation is indispensable. A modified (two novel inner primers to detect CL caused by Leishmania donovani) nested Internal Transcribed Spacer-1 (ITS1) PCR-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) method was developed and tested. The sensitivity of the modified nested PCR was tested using serial dilutions (103 to 10−2) of the DNA extract of a cultured L. donovani DD8 strain. Patients (n = 194) from Southern Sri Lanka were examined clinically, microscopically (Slit Skin Smear-SSS) and using the modified nested PCR. The modified nested PCR detected 2.55 fg of parasite DNA compared to ITS1 PCR (25 fg) and detected more cases than SSS (94.3% vs. 77.3%; p < 0.01). The RFLP pattern was L. donovani in all cases. The modified nested PCR performed well in clinically doubtful lesions (95% by PCR vs. 60% by SSS; p < 0.01), ulcerated nodules (91% vs. 71.8%; p < 0.01) and plaques (100% vs. 66.7%; p < 0.01). SSS demonstrated sensitivity (80.9%), specificity (81.8%), PPV (98.7%) and NPV (20.5%) against modified PCR. Low parasite loads and atypical lesions can be diagnosed by the proposed method with higher accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania and Associated Diseases)
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15 pages, 1461 KiB  
Article
Validation of an In-House ELISA Method in the Diagnosis of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania donovani in Hambantota District, Sri Lanka
by Nirmitha Lalindi De Silva, Viraji Nefertiti Hiromel De Silva, Arachchige Theja Hemapala Deerasinghe, Upeksha Lakmini Rathnapala, Hirotomo Kato, Makoto Itoh, Hidekazu Takagi, Mirani Vasanthamala Weerasooriya and Thishan Channa Yahathugoda
Microorganisms 2022, 10(5), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms10050921 - 27 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3025
Abstract
Clinical diagnosis has become a challenge amidst a surge of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Southern Sri Lanka. The routine diagnostic method, slit-skin smear (SSS), has variable sensitivity, leading to undiagnosed cases. Improved diagnostics are urgently needed. We assessed a new in-house ELISA method for [...] Read more.
Clinical diagnosis has become a challenge amidst a surge of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Southern Sri Lanka. The routine diagnostic method, slit-skin smear (SSS), has variable sensitivity, leading to undiagnosed cases. Improved diagnostics are urgently needed. We assessed a new in-house ELISA method for its diagnostic capabilities against ITS-1 nested PCR (gold standard—Gs). A cohort of 190 clinical CL cases was examined by SSS microscopy, anti-rKRP42 IgG ELISA (serum- and urine-based), and rK39-Immunochromatographic strip test. Validation was done using non-endemic sera, and cutoffs were developed using the receiver operating curve. The sensitivity of SSS for case detection was 77.9% (authors) and 76.3% (technicians). ELISA vs. Gs demonstrated sensitivity (Sn) = 94.4%; specificity (Sp) = 50.0%; positive predictive value (PPV) = 97.1%; negative predictive value (NPV) = 33.3%; Kappa agreement (Kp) = 0.39/p < 0.01. Comparison of the combination method (SSS by technicians and ELISA) vs. Gs showed: Sn = 98.9%; Sp = 30.0; PPV = 96.2; NPV 60.0%; Kp = 0.378/p < 0.01. All methods performed better compared to SSS (29.4%) where the clinical diagnosis was doubtful (PCR = 94.15%; serum ELISA = 88.2%; combination = 94.1%; p < 0.01 for all). High serum anti-rKRP42 titers were seen in those with multiple lesions. Anti-rKRP42 urine ELISA was suboptimal as a diagnostic test. A 9% rate of positivity was seen for rk39-ICT, and positives recorded high anti-rKRP42 titers. The diagnostic accuracy can be increased above the level of the Gs by combining SSS and ELISA. Advanced studies are required to understand the association between rk39-ICT positivity and high anti-rKRP42 titers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania and Associated Diseases)
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8 pages, 1053 KiB  
Communication
Blood-Meal Sources and Trypanosoma cruzi Infection in Coastal and Insular Triatomine Bugs from the Atacama Desert of Chile
by Nicol Quiroga, Juana P. Correa, Ricardo Campos-Soto, Esteban San Juan, Raúl Araya-Donoso, Gabriel Díaz-Campusano, Christian R. González and Carezza Botto-Mahan
Microorganisms 2022, 10(4), 785; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms10040785 - 08 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2437
Abstract
Mepraia parapatrica is one of the lesser known and less abundant sylvatic triatomine species naturally infected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. M. parapatrica lives in sympatry with T. cruzi-infected rodents, but only birds, reptiles, and [...] Read more.
Mepraia parapatrica is one of the lesser known and less abundant sylvatic triatomine species naturally infected by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the etiological agent of Chagas disease. M. parapatrica lives in sympatry with T. cruzi-infected rodents, but only birds, reptiles, and marine mammals have been reported as blood-meal sources of this vector species by serology. The distribution range of this kissing bug overlaps with fishers’ settlements and tourist areas, and therefore the study of the blood-meal sources of this triatomine species is relevant. Here, we determined the blood-meal sources of M. parapatrica by NGS or standard sequencing from a coastal mainland area and an island in northern Chile, and T. cruzi infection by real-time PCR. The blood-meals of. M parapatrica included 61.3% reptiles, 35.5% mammals (including humans) and 3.2% birds. Feeding on reptiles was more frequent on the mainland, while on the island feeding on mammals was more frequent. The presence of T. cruzi-infected triatomine bugs and humans as part of the diet of M. parapatrica in both areas represents an epidemiological threat and potential risk to the human population visiting or established in these areas. Currently there are no tools to control wild triatomines; these results highlight the potential risk of inhabiting these areas and the necessity of developing information campaigns for the community and surveillance actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania and Associated Diseases)
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Review

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24 pages, 1398 KiB  
Review
Nutritional Modulation of the Immune Response Mediated by Nucleotides in Canine Leishmaniosis
by Sergi Segarra
Microorganisms 2021, 9(12), 2601; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/microorganisms9122601 - 16 Dec 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3950
Abstract
Leishmaniasis is an emerging, uncontrolled, and neglected zoonotic disease. Climate change is contributing to its ongoing global expansion. The dog is the main reservoir; hence the importance of implementing effective treatment, prevention, and control measures in this animal species to protect public health. [...] Read more.
Leishmaniasis is an emerging, uncontrolled, and neglected zoonotic disease. Climate change is contributing to its ongoing global expansion. The dog is the main reservoir; hence the importance of implementing effective treatment, prevention, and control measures in this animal species to protect public health. However, although the standard treatment for canine leishmaniosis (CanL) is effective, it does not provide full parasitological clearance, and side effects and drug resistance have been described. The host’s immune system plays a key role in the establishment and evolution of leishmaniasis. Dietary nucleotides modulate the immune response and, given their reported efficacy and safety in sick and clinically healthy Leishmania-infected dogs and because they represent a sustainable option with no associated side effects or resistance, they could be included within the prevention, treatment, and control strategies for leishmaniasis. This article briefly summarizes the scientific literature on CanL management, including unresolved issues, and reviews the scientific evidence on immunomodulatory effects of dietary nucleotides in different animal species. It also proposes a CanL management algorithm, including nucleotides. It is concluded that nutritional modulation of the immune response with nucleotides can contribute to better management of leishmaniasis following a One Health approach, especially in the COVID-19 era. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Leishmania and Associated Diseases)
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