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Harada Y, Iwashita H, Moriyasu T, Nagi S, Saito N, Sugawara-Mikami M, Yoshioka K, Yotsu R. The current status of neglected tropical diseases in Japan: A scoping review. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011854. [PMID: 38166156 PMCID: PMC10786391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Little attention has been paid to neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in high-income countries and no literature provides an overview of NTDs in Japan. This scoping review aims to synthesize the latest evidence and information to understand epidemiology of and public health response to NTDs in Japan. Using three academic databases, we retrieved articles that mentioned NTDs in Japan, written in English or Japanese, and published between 2010 and 2020. Websites of key public health institutions and medical societies were also explored. From these sources of information, we extracted data that were relevant to answering our research questions. Our findings revealed the transmission of alveolar echinococcosis, Buruli ulcer, Chagas disease, dengue, foodborne trematodiases, mycetoma, scabies, and soil-transmitted helminthiasis as well as occurrence of snakebites within Japan. Other NTDs, such as chikungunya, cystic echinococcosis, cysticercosis, leishmaniasis, leprosy, lymphatic filariasis, rabies, and schistosomiasis, have been imported into the country. Government agencies tend to organize surveillance and control programs only for the NTDs targeted by the Infectious Disease Control Law, namely, echinococcosis, rabies, dengue, and chikungunya. At least one laboratory offers diagnostic testing for each NTD except for dracunculiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, onchocerciasis, and yaws. No medicine is approved for treatment of Chagas disease and fascioliasis and only off-label use drugs are available for cysticercosis, opisthorchiasis, human African trypanosomiasis, onchocerciasis, schistosomiasis, and yaws. Based on these findings, we developed disease-specific recommendations. In addition, three policy issues are discussed, such as lack of legal frameworks to organize responses to some NTDs, overreliance on researchers to procure some NTD products, and unaffordability of unapproved NTD medicines. Japan should recognize the presence of NTDs within the country and need to address them as a national effort. The implications of our findings extend beyond Japan, emphasizing the need to study, recognize, and address NTDs even in high-income countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuriko Harada
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hanako Iwashita
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Taeko Moriyasu
- Office for Global Relations, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Sachiyo Nagi
- Department of Hygiene and Public Health, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Tropical Medicine (NEKKEN), Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Nobuo Saito
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan
| | - Mariko Sugawara-Mikami
- West Yokohama Sugawara Dermatology Clinic, Kanagawa, Japan
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Faculty of Medical Technology, Teikyo University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kota Yoshioka
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Interfaculty Initiative in Planetary Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
| | - Rie Yotsu
- School of Tropical Medicine and Global Health, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan
- Department of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
- Department of Dermatology, National Center for Global Health and Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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Okazaki D, Fukuda M, Hebisawa A, Uni S, Junker K, Suzuki Y, Nakano M, Agatsuma T, Hasegawa H, Yamada M, Nakatani J, Hara T, Martin C, Kimura D, Takaoka H. Zoonotic infection caused by Onchocerca japonica (Nematoda: Filarioidea) in a 69-year-old woman in Kanto Region, Eastern Honshu, Japan. Parasitol Int 2022; 91:102643. [PMID: 35961578 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2022.102643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Reports of zoonotic infections caused by the filarial nematode Onchocerca japonica have recently increased in Japan. A 69-year-old woman living in Sosa City, Chiba Prefecture, Kanto Region, Honshu, developed a painful nodule at the metacarpophalangeal joint of the index finger of her right hand. The causative agent was identified as a female O. japonica based on the histopathological characteristics (i.e., cuticle with transverse triangular ridges but without inner striae) of the biopsy specimens of the nodule. The species identification was corroborated by cox1 gene sequencing of the worm tissues isolated from paraffin-embedded sections of the specimens. Subsequent to the excision of the nodule, followed by anthelmintic treatment, the patient remained asymptomatic. Human infection with O. japonica has not previously been reported in Kanto Region, Eastern Honshu. The present case is likely linked to the recent expansion of the geographic range of the Japanese wild boar into this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daijiro Okazaki
- Department of Dermatology, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba 289-2511, Japan
| | - Masako Fukuda
- Institute for Research Management, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Akira Hebisawa
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba 289-2511, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Department of Health, Sports, and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Welfare Studies, Kobe Women's University, Kobe 650-0046, Japan.
| | - Kerstin Junker
- National Collection of Animal Helminths, Epidemiology, Parasites and Vectors Programme, ARC-Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, Private Bag X05 Onderstepoort 0110, South Africa
| | - Yoshio Suzuki
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba 289-2511, Japan
| | - Michiyo Nakano
- Department of Dermatology, Asahi General Hospital, Chiba 289-2511, Japan
| | - Takeshi Agatsuma
- Department of Environmental Medicine, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku 783-8505, Japan
| | - Hideo Hasegawa
- Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Minoru Yamada
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto 602-8566, Japan
| | - Jun Nakatani
- Agriculture Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8666, Japan
| | - Tatsuru Hara
- Department of Parasitology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Japan
| | - Coralie Martin
- UMR7245 MCAM, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, CP52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Daisuke Kimura
- Department of Health, Sports, and Nutrition, Faculty of Health and Welfare Studies, Kobe Women's University, Kobe 650-0046, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaoka
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Fukuda M, Uni S, Igari T, Utsumi Y, Otsuka Y, Nakatani J, Uga S, Hara T, Hasegawa H, Takaoka H. Human case of Onchocerca dewittei japonica infection in Fukushima, Northeastern Honshu, Japan. Parasitol Int 2019; 72:101943. [PMID: 31220633 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2019.101943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A 73-year-old man living in Kawamata-machi, Fukushima Prefecture, Northeastern Honshu, Japan, visited a hospital with complaints of a subcutaneous swelling that had developed on the back of his left hand. The nodule was surgically removed from the vagina fibrosa tendinis of his left forefinger. Based on the histopathological characteristics, the causative agent of this nodule was identified as a female Onchocerca dewittei japonica (Spirurida: Onchocercidae). The species identification was confirmed by cox1 gene sequencing of the worm tissues from paraffin-embedded sections of the nodule. Although 11 cases of zoonotic onchocercosis have previously been recorded in Kyushu and Western Honshu, Japan, the present findings represent the first human case of infection with O. dewittei japonica in Northeastern Honshu, Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Fukuda
- Institute for Research Promotion, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan.
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Public Health, Faculty of Nursing, Kobe Women's University, Kobe 650-0046, Japan
| | - Takahiro Igari
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima 960-1295, Japan; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Ohara General Hospital, Fukushima 960-8611, Japan
| | - Yasufumi Utsumi
- Department of Diagnostic Pathology, Ohara General Hospital, Fukushima 960-8611, Japan
| | - Yasushi Otsuka
- Research Center for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
| | - Jun Nakatani
- Agriculture Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8666, Japan
| | - Shoji Uga
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Nursing, Kobe Women's University, Kobe 650-0046, Japan
| | - Tatsuru Hara
- Department of Parasitology, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume 830-0011, Japan
| | - Hideo Hasegawa
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Takaoka
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Yamada M, Shishito N, Nozawa Y, Uni S, Nishioka K, Nakaya T. A combined human case of Dirofilaria ursi infection in dorsal subcutaneous tissue and Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) infection in ventral subcutaneous tissue. Trop Med Health 2017; 45:26. [PMID: 29118653 PMCID: PMC5664901 DOI: 10.1186/s41182-017-0067-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dirofilaria ursi is a filarial nematode that parasitizes the subcutaneous tissues of the American black bear (Ursus americanus) and Japanese black bear (Ursus thiabetanus japonicus). D. ursi that has parasitized black bears has the potential to subsequently infect humans. In addition, extra-gastrointestinal anisakiasis is less common in Japan. Case presentation We report a case of ventral subcutaneous anisakiasis and dorsal subcutaneous dirofilariasis that was acquired in Fukushima, in the northern part of Japan. The patient was an 83-year-old Japanese female, and subcutaneous parasitic granulomas were present on her left abdomen (near the navel) and left scapula. A pathological examination of the surgically dissected tissue sections from each region demonstrated eosinophilic granulomas containing different species of parasites. To enable the morphological and molecular identification of these parasites, DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded sections using DEXPAT reagent, and the cytochrome oxidase 2 (COX2), internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1), 5.8S and ITS2 regions of the Anisakis larvae, and the 5S rRNA region of the male Dirofilaria were sequenced. The PCR products were examined and compared with DNA databases. Molecular analysis of the COX2 and 5S rRNA sequences of each worm revealed that the nematode found in the ventral region belonged to Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) and the male Dirofilaria found in the dorsal region was classified as D. ursi. Conclusion The present case showed a combined human case of D. ursi and A. simplex s.s. infections in subcutaneous tissues. The results of this study will contribute to the identification of unknown parasites in histological sections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minoru Yamada
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Namiko Shishito
- Department of Pathology, Shirakawa Kosei General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Nozawa
- Department of Pathology, Shirakawa Kosei General Hospital, Fukushima, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Keisuke Nishioka
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Takaaki Nakaya
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
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Lefoulon E, Giannelli A, Makepeace BL, Mutafchiev Y, Townson S, Uni S, Verocai GG, Otranto D, Martin C. Whence river blindness? The domestication of mammals and host-parasite co-evolution in the nematode genus Onchocerca. Int J Parasitol 2017; 47:457-470. [PMID: 28344097 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpara.2016.12.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2016] [Revised: 12/19/2016] [Accepted: 12/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The genus Onchocerca includes 34 described species and represents one of the largest genera of the filarial nematodes within the family Onchocercidae. Representative members of this genus are mainly parasites of ungulates, with some exceptions such as Onchocerca lupi and Onchocerca volvulus, infecting carnivores and/or humans. For a long time, the evolutionary relationships amongst onchocercids remained poorly studied, as the systematics of this genus was impaired by the high morphological variability of species included in the taxon. Although some molecular phylogenies were developed, these studies were mainly focused on bovine Onchocerca spp. and O. volvulus, including assessments of Wolbachia endosymbionts. In the present study, we analysed 13 Onchocerca spp. from a larger host spectrum using a panel of seven different genes. Analysis of the coxI marker supports its usefulness for the identification of species within the genus. The evolutionary history of the genus has been herein revised by multi-gene phylogenies, presenting three strongly supported clades of Onchocerca spp. Analyses of co-evolutionary scenarios between Onchocerca and their vertebrate hosts underline the effect of domestication on Onchocerca speciation. Our study indicates that a host switch event occurred between Bovidae, Canidae and humans. Cophylogenetic analyses between Onchocerca and the endosymbiotic bacterium Wolbachia indicate the strongest co-evolutionary pattern ever registered within the filarial nematodes. Finally, this dataset indicates that the clade composed by O. lupi, Onchocerca gutturosa, Onchocerca lienalis, Onchocerca ochengi and O. volvulus derived from recent speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie Lefoulon
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245), Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France
| | - Alessio Giannelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | - Benjamin L Makepeace
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Yasen Mutafchiev
- Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Simon Townson
- Tropical Parasitic Diseases Unit, Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research, Harrow, Middlesex, United Kingdom
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Guilherme G Verocai
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Università degli Studi di Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | - Coralie Martin
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM, UMR 7245), Sorbonne Universités, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Paris, France.
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Fukuda M, Uni S, Otsuka Y, Eshita Y, Nakatani J, Ihara K, Yoshikawa Y, Goto M, Fujiwara S, Ramli R, Azirun MS, Takaoka H. A new case of zoonotic onchocercosis in northern Kyushu, Japan. Parasitol Int 2015. [PMID: 26209456 DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2015.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
A case of zoonotic onchocercosis has been found in a resident who lived in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan for some time. A 24-year-old male developed a painful nodule on the middle finger of his right hand. The nodule was surgically removed from the vagina fibrosa tendinis of the finger at Beppu Medical Center, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture in 2012. The causative agent was identified as a female Onchocerca dewittei japonica based on its histopathological characteristics. The identity of the filarioid has been confirmed by sequencing the cox1 gene. The present study indicates that the zoonotic onchocercosis caused by O. dewittei japonica has been concentrated in northeast Kyushu.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masako Fukuda
- Research Promotion Institute, Oita University, Oita 879-5598, Japan
| | - Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Department of Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
| | - Yasushi Otsuka
- Research Center for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8580, Japan
| | - Yuki Eshita
- Department of Infectious Disease Control, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Jun Nakatani
- Agricultural Research Center, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8666, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Ihara
- Department of Orthopedics, Beppu Medical Center, Oita 874-0011, Japan
| | - Yasuji Yoshikawa
- Department of Pathology, Beppu Medical Center, Oita 874-0011, Japan
| | - Mizuki Goto
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Sakuhei Fujiwara
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita 879-5593, Japan
| | - Rosli Ramli
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Mohd Sofian Azirun
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Hiroyuki Takaoka
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Uni S, Fukuda M, Otsuka Y, Hiramatsu N, Yokobayashi K, Takahashi H, Murata S, Kusatake K, Morita E, Maruyama H, Hasegawa H, Shiwaku K, Ramli R, Azirun MS, Takaoka H. New zoonotic cases of Onchocerca dewittei japonica (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) in Honshu, Japan. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:59. [PMID: 25623081 PMCID: PMC4323255 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-0655-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 01/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Zoonotic infections with Onchocerca species are uncommon, and to date only 25 clinical cases have been reported worldwide. In Japan, five previous zoonotic infections were concentrated in Oita, Kyushu (the southern island), with one previous case in Hiroshima in the western part of Honshu (the main island). The causative agent in Japan was identified as Onchocerca dewittei japonica Uni, Bain & Takaoka, 2001 from Japanese wild boars (Sus scrofa leucomystax Temminck, 1842). Here we report two infections caused by a female and male O. dewittei japonica, respectively, among residents of Hiroshima and Shimane Prefectures in the western part of Honshu. Methods In both cases, nodules were surgically removed. The parasites in nodules were identified on the basis of their histopathological characteristics. Identification was confirmed by sequencing the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene from worms in the tissues used in the histological preparations. Results Case 1 was a 61-year-old woman from Hiroshima Prefecture who complained of a painful subcutaneous nodule on the back of her right hand. The causative agent was identified as a female O. dewittei japonica owing to transverse ridges on the cuticle and molecular analysis. Case 2 was a 78-year-old woman from Shimane Prefecture who had a painful nodule in the left temporal region. Histopathological characteristics and cox1 sequencing of the worm indicated that the causative agent was a male O. dewittei japonica. Conclusions For Cases 1 and 2, we diagnosed the causative agents as a female and male O. dewittei japonica, respectively. These findings indicate the spread of a zoonosis caused by O. dewittei japonica in the western part of Honshu, where wild boars have recently extended their habitats because of decreased annual snowfall, unused rice fields and a decline in the number of hunters in Japan. The O. dewittei japonica infection rate among wild boars was reported as 78% in Shimane Prefecture, in the western part of Honshu. Therefore, in the near future, zoonotic onchocercosis is likely to occur in Honshu as well as Kyushu, where wild boars, blackfly vectors and humans share the same habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shigehiko Uni
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. .,Department of Parasitology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan.
| | - Masako Fukuda
- Research Promotion Institute, Oita University, Oita, 879-5593, Japan.
| | - Yasushi Otsuka
- Research Center for the Pacific Islands, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, 890-8580, Japan.
| | | | | | | | - Susumu Murata
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Kenji Kusatake
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Eishin Morita
- Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Haruhiko Maruyama
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Division of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, 889-1692, Japan.
| | - Hideo Hasegawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, 879-5593, Japan.
| | - Kuninori Shiwaku
- Department of Environmental and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, Shimane, 693-8501, Japan.
| | - Rosli Ramli
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Mohd Sofian Azirun
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
| | - Hiroyuki Takaoka
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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Status and prospects of DNA barcoding in medically important parasites and vectors. Trends Parasitol 2014; 30:582-91. [PMID: 25447202 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2014.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
For over 10 years, DNA barcoding has been used to identify specimens and discern species. Its potential benefits in parasitology were recognized early, but its utility and uptake remain unclear. Here we review studies using DNA barcoding in parasites and vectors affecting humans and find that the technique is accurate (accords with author identifications based on morphology or other markers) in 94-95% of cases, although aspects of DNA barcoding (vouchering, marker implicated) have often been misunderstood. In a newly compiled checklist of parasites, vectors, and hazards, barcodes are available for 43% of all 1403 species and for more than half of 429 species of greater medical importance. This is encouraging coverage that would improve with an active campaign targeting parasites and vectors.
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Wong SSY, Fung KSC, Chau S, Poon RWS, Wong SCY, Yuen KY. Molecular diagnosis in clinical parasitology: When and why? Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2014; 239:1443-60. [DOI: 10.1177/1535370214523880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Microscopic detection and morphological identification of parasites from clinical specimens are the gold standards for the laboratory diagnosis of parasitic infections. The limitations of such diagnostic assays include insufficient sensitivity and operator dependence. Immunoassays for parasitic antigens are not available for most parasitic infections and have not significantly improved the sensitivity of laboratory detection. Advances in molecular detection by nucleic acid amplification may improve the detection in asymptomatic infections with low parasitic burden. Rapidly accumulating genomic data on parasites allow the design of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers directed towards multi-copy gene targets, such as the ribosomal and mitochondrial genes, which further improve the sensitivity. Parasitic cell or its free circulating parasitic DNA can be shed from parasites into blood and excreta which may allow its detection without the whole parasite being present within the portion of clinical sample used for DNA extraction. Multiplex nucleic acid amplification technology allows the simultaneous detection of many parasitic species within a single clinical specimen. In addition to improved sensitivity, nucleic acid amplification with sequencing can help to differentiate different parasitic species at different stages with similar morphology, detect and speciate parasites from fixed histopathological sections and identify anti-parasitic drug resistance. The use of consensus primer and PCR sequencing may even help to identify novel parasitic species. The key limitation of molecular detection is the technological expertise and expense which are usually lacking in the field setting at highly endemic areas. However, such tests can be useful for screening important parasitic infections in asymptomatic patients, donors or recipients coming from endemic areas in the settings of transfusion service or tertiary institutions with transplantation service. Such tests can also be used for monitoring these recipients or highly immunosuppressed patients, so that early preemptive treatment can be given for reactivated parasitic infections while the parasitic burden is still low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samson SY Wong
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Kitty SC Fung
- Department of Pathology, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong of New Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Sandy Chau
- Department of Pathology, United Christian Hospital, Kwun Tong of New Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Rosana WS Poon
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Sally CY Wong
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
| | - Kwok-Yung Yuen
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong, Queen Mary Hospital, Pok Fu Lam, Hong Kong
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Human ocular onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi (Spirurida, Onchocercidae) in Iran. J Helminthol 2013; 88:250-5. [DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x13000060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
AbstractCases of canine onchocerciasis caused by Onchocerca lupi are increasingly reported from Europe and the western United States of America. The zoonotic role of this parasite had already been suspected in Europe as the clinical signs and histopathology seen in two ocular cases from Albania and the Crimean region were very similar to those of canine ocular onchocerciasis. In the most recent reports of human onchocerciasis, O. lupi has been morphologically and molecularly identified as the causative agent of ocular infestation in two patients from Turkey, and one patient from Tunisia. Here, we report an additional case of nodular lesions involving two, and possibly more, immature worms in a patient from Iran. The parasite was found to belong to the genus Onchocerca based on morphological features and the species was confirmed as O. lupi from a partial sequence analysis of 12S ribosomal DNA.
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Takaoka H, Fukuda M, Otsuka Y, Aoki C, Uni S, Bain O. Blackfly vectors of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Japan. MEDICAL AND VETERINARY ENTOMOLOGY 2012; 26:372-378. [PMID: 22827756 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2012.01023.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
Studies of blackfly vectors of Onchocerca dewittei japonica Uni, Bain & Takaoka (Spirurida: Onchocercidae), a parasite of wild boar implicated in the aetiology of zoonotic onchocerciasis in Japan, and six other zoonotic Onchocerca species of this country are reviewed. Molecular identification of infective larvae found in wild-caught female blackflies showed that Simulium bidentatum (Shiraki) (Diptera: Simuliidae) is a natural vector of O. dewittei japonica, and also Onchocerca sp. sensu Fukuda et al., another parasite of wild boar. Inoculation experiments demonstrated that Simulium arakawae Matsumura and four other Simulium species are putative vectors. Similarly, S. arakawae, S. bidentatum and Simulium oitanum (Shiraki) are putative vectors of Onchocerca eberhardi Uni & Bain and Onchocerca skrjabini Rukhlyadev, parasites of sika deer. Morphometric studies of infective larvae indicated that Onchocerca lienalis Stiles, a bovine species, is transmitted by S. arakawae, Simulium daisense (Takahasi) and Simulium kyushuense Takaoka, and that Onchocerca sp. sensu Takaoka & Bain, another bovine species, is transmitted by S. arakawae, S. bidentatum, S. daisense and S. oitanum. Prosimulium sp. (Diptera: Simuliidae) and Simulium japonicum Matsumura are suspected vectors of Onchocerca suzukii Yagi, Bain & Shoho and O. skrjabini [Twinnia japonensis Rubtsov (Diptera: Simuliidae) may also transmit the latter], parasites of Japanese serow, following detection of the parasites' DNA genes in wild-caught blackflies.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Takaoka
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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CrypticOnchocercaspecies infecting North American cervids, with implications for the evolutionary history of host associations inOnchocerca. Parasitology 2012; 140:1201-10. [DOI: 10.1017/s0031182012001758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
SUMMARYParasites in the genusOnchocercainfect humans, ruminants, camels, horses, suids, and canids, with effects ranging from relatively benign to debilitating. In North America,Onchocerca cervipedisis the sole species known to infect cervids, while at least 5Onchocercaspecies infect Eurasian cervids. In this study, we report the discovery of a cervid-parasitizingOnchocercaonly distantly related toO. cervipedis. To reconstruct the phylogenetic history of the genusOnchocerca, we used newly acquired DNA sequence fromO. cervipedis(from moose in Northwest Territories, Canada) and from the newly discovered species (from white-tailed deer in upstate New York), as well as previously published sequences. Ancestral host reconstructions suggest that host switches have been common throughout the evolutionary history ofOnchocerca, and that bovid- and cervid-parasitizing species have been particularly important sources of descendant species. North America cervids might therefore serve as a source forOnchocercainvasions into new hosts. Given the high density of deer populations, the potential for zoonotic infections may also exist. Our discovery of a newOnchocercaspecies with relatively limited sampling suggests that the diversity ofOnchocercaassociated with cervids in North America may be greater than previously thought, and surveys utilizing molecules and morphology are necessary.
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Koonmee S, Intapan PM, Yamasaki H, Sugiyama H, Muto M, Kuramochi T, Kularbkeaw J, Kanpittaya J, Maleewong W, Nawa Y. Molecular identification of a causative parasite species using formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissues of a complicated human pulmonary sparganosis case without decisive clinical diagnosis. Parasitol Int 2011; 60:460-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2011.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Revised: 07/20/2011] [Accepted: 07/22/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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