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Wężyk D, Romanek W, Małaszewicz W, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Mixed-sex clusters on grass blades: breeding strategy of the ornate dog tick, Dermacentor reticulatus. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:58. [PMID: 38336751 PMCID: PMC10854131 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06129-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ornate dog tick Dermacentor reticulatus is second only to the hard tick Ixodes ricinus in terms of importance as a vector of infectious organisms, especially of Babesia canis, the agent of canine babesiosis. Both the geographical range and local densities of D. reticulatus are steadily increasing in many regions of Europe. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that D. reticulatus possesses an efficient breeding strategy that allows for a rapid increase in tick numbers and densities through the formation of mixed-sex clusters/aggregations while questing in the environment. METHODS An observational study was carried out in the spring of 2023, at three sites in two regions in Central and North-Eastern Poland, both characterised by high tick densities. At each site, a 400-m-long transect was inspected for questing ticks. All noted ticks were collected, and tick numbers and sexes per stem were recorded. Differences in tick distribution by site and sex were analysed statistically. RESULTS A total of 371 D. reticulatus (219 females, 152 males) ticks were collected from 270 grass stems over a combined 1200 m of transect. The majority of grass stems (74.4%) were occupied by just a single individual, with two-tick clusters the second most common category. The maximum number of D. reticulatus individuals observed on a single grass stem was six. Mixed-sex clusters were significantly more common than single-sex clusters at all three sites. With study sites combined, mixed-sex clusters accounted for 17.4% (95% confidence limit [95% CL] 13.9-21.6%) of observations, while for multiple males and multiple females, the values were 2.6% (95% CL: 1.4-4.7%) and 5.6% (95% CL: 3.7-8.3%), respectively. CONCLUSIONS Mixed-sex clusters of D. reticulatus ticks were significantly more common than single-sex clusters, which we hypothesise reflects an efficient, likely pheromone-mediated breeding strategy of this expansive tick species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dagmara Wężyk
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Romanek
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Wiktoria Małaszewicz
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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Mohd Hanapi IR, Behnke JM, Sahimin N, Saifulazmi NF, Golam Mohammad Khan ASJ, Abdul Mutalib RNS, Lau YL, Mohd Zain SN. Intestinal parasitic infections and risk analysis among urban refugees in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2024; 118:18-32. [PMID: 37497742 DOI: 10.1093/trstmh/trad047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global studies show intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) have been introduced and spread with refugee inflows from low to high socio-economic countries. However, there is relatively limited information on the prevalence of infections among the community. METHODS A 2-year cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors for infections among urban refugees in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 418 faecal samples were collected and examined by microscopy. RESULTS Faecal screening revealed moderate levels (32.3%) of infections in the community. Three nematode (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworm) and three protozoan species (Entamoeba, Giardia and Cryptosporidium) were recorded, with the highest prevalence being A. lumbricoides (20.6%) followed by T. trichiura (10.3%), while other infections were <5%. Statistical analysis found that young males with less education were more likely to be infected with helminths. Additionally, living near waste disposal sites, the presence of stray animals, eating with bare hands, bare footedness, poor handwashing practices and no anthelmintic treatment constituted significant risk factors for helminth infections. Protozoan infections were linked to drinking tap water or from water dispensers and poor handwashing practices. CONCLUSIONS These findings emphasize the importance of health education in addition to introduction of biannual anthelmintic treatment to promote community health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzah Ruzana Mohd Hanapi
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Norhidayu Sahimin
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Nur Fadlin Saifulazmi
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Raisya Nur Syazmeen Abdul Mutalib
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kulliyah of Allied Health Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - Yee Ling Lau
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Jackson JA, Bajer A, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Gilbert FS, Grzybek M, Alsarraf M, Behnke JM. Remotely sensed localised primary production anomalies predict the burden and community structure of infection in long-term rodent datasets. Glob Chang Biol 2023; 29:5568-5581. [PMID: 37548403 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The increasing frequency and cost of zoonotic disease emergence due to global change have led to calls for the primary surveillance of wildlife. This should be facilitated by the ready availability of remotely sensed environmental data, given the importance of the environment in determining infectious disease dynamics. However, there has been little evaluation of the temporal predictiveness of remotely sensed environmental data for infection reservoirs in vertebrate hosts due to a deficit of corresponding high-quality long-term infection datasets. Here we employ two unique decade-spanning datasets for assemblages of infectious agents, including zoonotic agents, in rodents in stable habitats. Such stable habitats are important, as they provide the baseline sets of pathogens for the interactions within degrading habitats that have been identified as hotspots for zoonotic emergence. We focus on the enhanced vegetation index (EVI), a measure of vegetation greening that equates to primary productivity, reasoning that this would modulate infectious agent populations via trophic cascades determining host population density or immunocompetence. We found that EVI, in analyses with data standardised by site, inversely predicted more than one-third of the variation in an index of infectious agent total abundance. Moreover, in bipartite host occupancy networks, weighted network statistics (connectance and modularity) were linked to total abundance and were also predicted by EVI. Infectious agent abundance and, perhaps, community structure are likely to influence infection risk and, in turn, the probability of transboundary emergence. Thus, the present results, which were consistent in disparate forest and desert systems, provide proof-of-principle that within-site fluctuations in satellite-derived greenness indices can furnish useful forecasting that could focus primary surveillance. In relation to the well-documented global greening trend of recent decades, the present results predict declining infection burden in wild vertebrates in stable habitats; but if greening trends were to be reversed, this might magnify the already upwards trend in zoonotic emergence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph A Jackson
- School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Manchester, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Pathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Francis S Gilbert
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
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Musah-Eroje M, Burton L, Kerr N, Behnke JM. Quantitative assessment of spicule length in Heligmosomoides spp. (Nematoda, Heligmosomidae): distinction between H. bakeri, H. polygyrus and H. glareoli. Parasitology 2023; 150:1022-1030. [PMID: 37705292 PMCID: PMC10941215 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
Nematode spicules play a vital role in the reproductive activity of species that possess them. Our primary objective was to compare the lengths of spicules of the laboratory mouse (Mus musculus) – maintained isolate H. bakeri – with those of H. polygyrus from naturally infected wood mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). On a more limited scale, we also included H. glareoli from bank voles (Myodes glareolus), a species reputed to possess longer spicules than either of the 2 former species. In total, we measured 1264 spicules (H. bakeri, n = 614; H. polygyrus n = 582; and H. glareoli, n = 68). There was a highly significant difference between the spicule lengths of the Nottingham-maintained H. bakeri (mean = 0.518 mm) and H. polygyrus (0.598 mm) from 11 different localities across the British Isles. A comparison of the spicules of H. bakeri maintained in 4 different laboratories in 3 continents revealed a range in the mean values from 0.518 to 0.540 mm, while those of worms from Australian wild house mice were shorter (0.480 mm). Mean values for H. polygyrus from wood mice from the British Isles ranged from 0.564 to 0.635 mm, although isolates of this species from Norway had longer spicules (0.670 mm). In agreement with the literature, the spicules of H. glareoli were considerably longer (1.098 mm). Since spicules play a vital role in the reproduction of nematode species that possess them, the difference in spicule lengths between H. bakeri and H. polygyrus adds to the growing evidence that these 2 are quite distinct species and likely reproductively isolated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayowa Musah-Eroje
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Laura Burton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Nicola Kerr
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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Behnke-Borowczyk J, Korzeniewicz R, Łukowski A, Baranowska M, Jagiełło R, Bułaj B, Hauke-Kowalska M, Szmyt J, Behnke JM, Robakowski P, Kowalkowski W. Variability of Functional Groups of Rhizosphere Fungi of Norway Spruce ( Picea abies (L.) H.Karst.) in the Boreal Range: The Wigry National Park, Poland. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:12628. [PMID: 37628809 PMCID: PMC10454689 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241612628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 08/04/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Rhizosphere microbial communities can influence plant growth and development. Natural regeneration processes take place in the tree stands of protected areas, which makes it possible to observe the natural changes taking place in the rhizosphere along with the development of the plants. This study aimed to determine the diversity (taxonomic and functional) of the rhizosphere fungal communities of Norway spruce growing in one of four developmental stages. Our research was based on the ITS region using Illumina system sequencing. Saprotrophs dominated in the studied rhizospheres, but their percentage share decreased with the age of the development group (for 51.91 from 43.13%). However, in the case of mycorrhizal fungi, an opposite trend was observed (16.96-26.75%). The most numerous genera were: saprotrophic Aspergillus (2.54-3.83%), Penicillium (6.47-12.86%), Pyrenochaeta (1.39-11.78%), pathogenic Curvularia (0.53-4.39%), and mycorrhizal Cortinarius (1.80-5.46%), Pseudotomentella (2.94-5.64%) and Tomentella (4.54-15.94%). The species composition of rhizosphere fungal communities was favorable for the regeneration of natural spruce and the development of multi-generational Norway spruce stands. The ratio of the abundance of saprotrophic and mycorrhizal fungi to the abundance of pathogens was high and promising for the durability of the large proportion of spruce in the Wigry National Park and for forest ecosystems in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Robert Korzeniewicz
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Adrian Łukowski
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Marlena Baranowska
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Radosław Jagiełło
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Bartosz Bułaj
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Maria Hauke-Kowalska
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Janusz Szmyt
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University Park Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Piotr Robakowski
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
| | - Wojciech Kowalkowski
- Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625 Poznań, Poland; (R.K.); (A.Ł.); (M.B.); (R.J.); (B.B.); (M.H.-K.); (J.S.); (P.R.); (W.K.)
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Krupińska M, Antolová D, Tołkacz K, Szczepaniak K, Strachecka A, Goll A, Nowicka J, Baranowicz K, Bajer A, Behnke JM, Grzybek M. Publisher Correction: Grassland versus forest dwelling rodents as indicators of environmental contamination with the zoonotic nematode Toxocara spp. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3748. [PMID: 36878939 PMCID: PMC9988849 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30420-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Krupińska
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81‑519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Aleksander Goll
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81‑519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81‑519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Karolina Baranowicz
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81‑519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | | | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81‑519, Gdynia, Poland.
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Tołkacz K, Kowalec M, Alsarraf M, Grzybek M, Dwużnik-Szarek D, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis and Hepatozoon sp. in voles (Microtus spp.): occurrence and evidence for vertical transmission. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1733. [PMID: 36720952 PMCID: PMC9889374 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28346-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis (CNM) and Hepatozoon spp. are important vector-borne parasites of humans and animals. CNM is a relatively recently discovered pathogen of humans. Hepatozoon are parasites of reptiles, amphibians and mammals, commonly found in rodents and carnivores worldwide. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of CNM and Hepatozoon spp. in three species of Microtus and to assess the occurrence of vertical transmission in naturally-infected voles. Molecular techniques were used to detect pathogen DNA in blood and tissue samples of captured voles and their offspring. The prevalence of CNM in the vole community ranged 24-47% depending on Microtus species. The DNA of CNM was detected in 21% of pups from three litters of six infected Microtus dams (two Microtus arvalis and one M. oeconomus) and in 3/45 embryos (6.6%) from two litters of eight CNM-infected pregnant females. We detected Hepatozoon infection in 14% of M. arvalis and 9% of M. oeconomus voles. Hepatozoon sp. DNA was detected in 48.7% of pups from seven litters (6 M. arvalis and 1 M. oeconomus) and in two embryos (14.3%) obtained from one M. arvalis litter. The high prevalence of CNM infections in the Microtus spp. community may be a result of a relatively high rate of vertical transmission among naturally infected voles. Vertical transmission was also demonstrated for Hepatozoon sp. in M. arvalis and M. oeconomus. Our study underlines the significance of alternative routes of transmission of important vector-borne pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland. .,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5A, 02-106, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Maciej Kowalec
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9, 81-512, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik-Szarek
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
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Krupińska M, Antolová D, Tołkacz K, Szczepaniak K, Strachecka A, Goll A, Nowicka J, Baranowicz K, Bajer A, Behnke JM, Grzybek M. Grassland versus forest dwelling rodents as indicators of environmental contamination with the zoonotic nematode Toxocara spp. Sci Rep 2023; 13:483. [PMID: 36627309 PMCID: PMC9832041 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23891-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Small mammals are suspected of contributing to the dissemination of Toxocara canis and helping with the parasite survival during periods when there is a temporary absence of suitable definitive hosts. While the primary aim of the current study was the assessment of seroprevalence of Toxocara spp. infections in wild rodents in Poland, we also explored the role of intrinsic (sex, age) and extrinsic factors (study site) influencing dynamics of this infection to ascertain whether grassland versus forest rodents play a greater role as indicators of environmental contamination with T. canis. We trapped 577 rodents belonging to four species (Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus agrestis, Alexandromys oeconomus) in north-eastern Poland. Blood was collected during the parasitological examination, and serum was frozen at - 80 °C until further analyses. A bespoke enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibodies against Toxocara spp. We found Toxocara spp. antibodies in the sera of all four rodent species with an overall seroprevalence of 2.8% [1.9-4.1%]. There was a significant difference in seroprevalence between vole species, with the grassland species (M. arvalis, M. agrestis and A. oeconomus) showing a 16-fold higher seroprevalence (15.7% [8.7-25.9%]) than the forest-dwelling M. glareolus (0.98% [0.5-1.8%]). We hypothesise that the seroprevalence of Toxocara spp. differs between forest and grassland rodents because of the higher contamination of grasslands by domestic dogs and wild canids. Our results underline the need for wide biomonitoring of both types of ecosystems to assess the role of rodents as indicators of environmental contamination with zoonotic pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyna Krupińska
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.,Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | - Aleksander Goll
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Karolina Baranowicz
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | | | | | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland.
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Migalska M, Przesmycka K, Alsarraf M, Bajer A, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Grzybek M, Behnke JM, Radwan J. Long term patterns of association between MHC and helminth burdens in the bank vole support Red Queen dynamics. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:3400-3415. [PMID: 35510766 PMCID: PMC9325469 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes encode proteins crucial for adaptive immunity of vertebrates. Negative frequency-dependent selection (NFDS), resulting from adaptation of parasites to common MHC types, has been hypothesized to maintain high, functionally relevant polymorphism of MHC, but demonstration of this relationship has remained elusive. In particular, differentiation of NFDS from fluctuating selection, resulting from changes in parasite communities in time and space (FS), has proved difficult in short-term studies. Here, we used temporal data, accumulated through long-term monitoring of helminths infecting bank voles (Myodes glareolus), to test specific predictions of NFDS on MHC class II. Data were collected in three, moderately genetically differentiated subpopulations in Poland, which were characterized by some stable spatiotemporal helminth communities but also events indicating introduction of new species and loss of others. We found a complex association between individual MHC diversity and species richness, where intermediate numbers of DRB supertypes correlated with lowest species richness, but the opposite was true for DQB supertypes - arguing against universal selection for immunogenetic optimality. We also showed that particular MHC supertypes explain a portion of the variance in prevalence and abundance of helminths, but this effect was subpopulation-specific, which is consistent with both NFDS and FS. Finally, in line with NFDS, we found that certain helminths that have recently colonized or spread in a given subpopulation, more frequently or intensely infected voles with MHC supertypes that have been common in the recent past. Overall, our results highlight complex spatial and temporal patterns of MHC-parasite associations, the latter being consistent with Red Queen coevolutionary dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Migalska
- Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 7, 30-387, Krakow, Poland
| | - Karolina Przesmycka
- Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Entomology and Pathology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625, Poznań, Poland
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-429, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Science, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Jacek Radwan
- Institute of Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614, Poznań, Poland
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10
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Mohd Hanapi IR, Sahimin N, Maackara MJB, Annisa AS, Abdul Mutalib RNS, Lewis JW, Behnke JM, Lau YL, Mohd Zain SN. Prevalence of anti-Leptospira antibodies and associated risk factors in the Malaysian refugee communities. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:1128. [PMID: 34724919 PMCID: PMC8561983 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06830-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Refugees in Malaysia, who are afflicted by poverty, conflict and poor health, are vulnerable to a range of zoonotic infections in the deprived environmental and social conditions under which they live. Exposure to infections such as leptospirosis, for which rodents are primary hosts, is of particular concern. Methods A wellness program was conducted to determine the presence of antibodies against Leptospira (seroprevalence) in 11 refugee community schools and centers in the Klang Valley, Malaysia. A total of 433 samples were assessed for IgG and IgM antibodies against Leptospira, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Results Overall Leptospira seroprevalence was 24.7%, with 3.0% being seropositive for anti-Leptospira IgG and 21.7% for anti-Leptospira IgM. Factors significantly associated with overall Leptospira seroprevalence included: age, ethnicity, pet ownership, knowledge of disease and awareness of disease fatality. For IgM seroprevalence, significant risk factors included sex, ethnicity, eating habits with hands, pet ownership, the presence of rats, walking in bare feet and water recreation visits. Conclusions These findings highlight the need for improvements in health and well-being among the refugee community through disease awareness programs and provision of healthy behavior programs, particularly in hygiene and sanitation through community engagement activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izzah Ruzana Mohd Hanapi
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Norhidayu Sahimin
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | | | - Aufa Shofia Annisa
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Raisya Nur Syazmeen Abdul Mutalib
- Department of Biomedical Science, Kulliyah of Allied Health Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, 25200, Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
| | - John W Lewis
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 OEX, UK
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Yee Ling Lau
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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11
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Mansur FAF, Luoga W, Behnke JM, Buttle DJ, Duce IR, Garnett MC. Developing novel anthelmintics: the stability of cysteine proteinase activity in a supernatant extract of papaya latex. Heliyon 2021; 7:e08125. [PMID: 34693054 PMCID: PMC8515243 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e08125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant derived cysteine proteinases (CPs) have long been known to possess anthelmintic properties but have attracted renewed attention recently because of the acute need to discover novel methods for controlling helminth infections as a result of increasing drug resistance. However, surprisingly little is known about the stability of these proteins under typical storage and in vivo exposure conditions. We found that CPs in a supernatant preparation from papaya latex (PLS) were stable during the initial refinement process and when stored under low temperatures, but lost activity during dialysis and within 7 days of storage when kept at ambient temperature (18–20 °C). The enzyme activity in PLS was not affected by repeated freeze-thaw cycles and was also stable under typical in vitro assay conditions at 37 °C used for quantifying effects on helminths. Active enzyme activity was still detectable in the colon 3–4 h after oral administration in rodent models.
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Affiliation(s)
- F A F Mansur
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK.,Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia, Persiaran Ilmu, Putra Nilai 71800, Malaysia
| | - W Luoga
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - J M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - D J Buttle
- Department of Infection and Immunity, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - I R Duce
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - M C Garnett
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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12
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Sebaa S, Behnke JM, Baroudi D, Hakem A, Abu-Madi MA. Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan infection among symptomatic and asymptomatic populations in rural and urban areas of southern Algeria. BMC Infect Dis 2021; 21:888. [PMID: 34461837 PMCID: PMC8406907 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06615-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Intestinal parasitic infections are amongst the most common infections worldwide and have been identified as one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality among disadvantaged populations. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections and to identify the significant risk factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections in Laghouat province, Southern Algeria. METHODS A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 623 symptomatic and 1654 asymptomatic subjects. Structured questionnaires were used to identify environmental, socio demographic and behavioral factors. Stool specimens were collected and examined using direct wet mount, formalin-ether concentration, xenic in vitro culture and staining methods. RESULTS A highly significant difference of prevalence was found between symptomatic (82.3%) and asymptomatic subjects (14.9%), with the majority attributable to protozoan infection. The most common species in the symptomatic subjects were Blastocystis spp. (43.8%), E. histolytica/dispar (25.4%) and Giardia intestinalis (14.6%) and more rarely Enterobius vermicularis (02.1%), Teania spp. (0.6%) and Trichuris trichiura (0.2%), while in asymptomatic population Blastocystis spp. (8%), Entamoeba coli (3.3%) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (2.5%) were the most common parasites detected with no case of helminth infection. Multivariate log-linear analysis showed that contact with animals was the main risk factor for transmission of these protozoa in both populations. Furthermore, living in rural areas was significantly associated with combined protozoan infection in the asymptomatic population, whereas, in the symptomatic population an increasing trend of protozoan infection was detected in the hot season. In addition, Blastocystis spp. and G. intestinalis infection were found to be associated with host sex and contact with animals across the study period. CONCLUSIONS Based on these results, several strategies are recommended in order to effectively reduce these infections including good animal husbandry practices, health education focused on good personal hygiene practices and adequate sanitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumia Sebaa
- Laboratory of Exploration and Valorization of Steppic Ecosystems, Faculty SNV, University of Ziane Achour, 17000, Djelfa, Algeria
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Djamel Baroudi
- Food Hygiene Laboratory Quality Analysis System, National Veterinary School, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Ahcene Hakem
- Laboratory of Exploration and Valorization of Steppic Ecosystems, Faculty SNV, University of Ziane Achour, 17000, Djelfa, Algeria.,Research Center in Agropastoralism, Moudjbara Road, 17000, Djelfa, Algeria
| | - Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit, QU-Health, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
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13
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Sahimin N, Mohd Hanapi IR, Nurikhan ZA, Behnke JM, Mohd Zain SN. Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors for Toxoplasma gondii Infections Among Urban Poor Communities in Peninsular Malaysia. Acta Parasitol 2021; 66:524-534. [PMID: 33219942 DOI: 10.1007/s11686-020-00304-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic infection linked to compromised hygiene and sanitation via the handling of infected cat faeces, eating undercooked contaminated meat or transplacental transmission. We conducted a study to determine seroprevalence and risk factors associated with toxoplasmosis among the urban poor communities in Malaysia. METHODS The demographic profiles for each participant were obtained through a questionnaire survey prior to blood collection. A total of 389 participants were recruited and blood samples screened for the presence of anti-Toxoplasma IgG and IgM antibody using an ELISA commercial kit, SERION ELISA classic Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM. RESULTS The overall T. gondii seroprevalence was 69.6% with 56.8% seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG, 7.7% seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM and 5.1% seropositive for both IgG and IgM antibodies. The presence of both antibody classes in blood samples indicated high avidity, suggesting latent infection. Univariate analysis revealed significant associations that included; age, ethnicity, location and employment status while, significant lifestyle factors included source of drinking water and eating style. A multifactorial statistical model that incorporated all the significant effects from the first-stage univariate analyses listed above revealed that age and ethnicity were the two dominant and independent effects on IgG seroprevalence. For seroprevalence of IgM, the multifactorial model revealed a significant interaction between work and accommodation. IgM seroprevalence was higher among the unemployed inhabitants of PPR (Program Perumahan Rakyat) than those living in non-PPR accommodation, and higher than among the employed irrespective of their accommodation. CONCLUSION High seroprevalence of Toxoplasmosis in the community calls for increased awareness of disease transmission and improvements in hygiene and sanitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norhidayu Sahimin
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Izzah Ruzana Mohd Hanapi
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Zarin Amalina Nurikhan
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
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14
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Chourabi M, Boughattas S, Abdallah AM, Ismail A, Behnke JM, Al-Mekhlafi HM, Abu-Madi M. Genetic Diversity and Prevalence of Giardia duodenalis in Qatar. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021; 11:652946. [PMID: 34017691 PMCID: PMC8129557 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2021.652946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Giardia duodenalis is a common human intestinal parasite worldwide, and the causative agent of diarrhea, with the severity of disease ranging from asymptomatic to intense and debilitating infection. G. duodenalis is known to consist of eight genetically distinct assemblages, named from A to H. No data available on the genotypes and genetic diversity of G. duodenalis circulating in Qatar. Methods We genotyped 54 human Giardia isolates, collected from asymptomatic immigrants in Qatar, using a multilocus genotyping (MLGs) tool. We also investigated relationships between the subjects’ genotypes and their demographic data. Results Genomic DNA from 54 isolates were tested by PCR and sequence analysis at three loci: glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), β-giardin (bg) and triose phosphate (tpi)). Assemblage A was identified in nine (16.67%), assemblage B in thirty (55.55%), and a mixture of assemblages A+B in fifteen (27.78%) isolates. All assemblage A isolates, genotyped in different loci, were assigned to sub-assemblage AII, and six of them had MLGs AII-1 while one new MLG was identified in two isolates. Sequences of assemblage B isolates have high level of genetic diversity and high presence of heterogeneous peaks, especially within the gdh gene. No significant associations between genotypes and the immigrants’ demographic data were found due to the extensive number of new variants. Conclusions MLGs was used herein to genotype 54 immigrant Giardia isolates. The high level of genetic variability found in our isolates hampered MLGs determination, more investigations are now required to consolidate our findings, and to enable a comprehensive understanding of the diversity within G. duodenalis assemblage B isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marwa Chourabi
- Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences-QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sonia Boughattas
- Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences-QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Atiyeh M Abdallah
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences-QU Health, Doha, Qatar.,Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit-QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Medical Commission, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Hesham M Al-Mekhlafi
- Medical Research Centre, Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen
| | - Marawan Abu-Madi
- Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences-QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.,Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Sciences-QU Health, Doha, Qatar.,Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Research Unit-QU Health, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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15
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Grzybek M, Antolová D, Tołkacz K, Alsarraf M, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Nowicka J, Paleolog J, Biernat B, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii among Sylvatic Rodents in Poland. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:1048. [PMID: 33917803 PMCID: PMC8068096 DOI: 10.3390/ani11041048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2021] [Revised: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular Apicomplexan parasite with a broad range of intermediate hosts, including humans and rodents. Rodents are considered to be reservoirs of infection for their predators, including cats, felids, pigs, and wild boars. We conducted a multi-site, long-term study on T. gondii in northeastern Poland. The study aimed to monitor the seroprevalence of T. gondii in the four abundant vole species found in the region (Myodes glareolus, Microtus arvalis, Microtus agrestis, and Alexandromys oeconomus) and to assess the influence of both extrinsic (year of study and study site) and intrinsic (host sex and host age) factors on seroprevalence. A bespoke enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect antibodies against T. gondii. We examined 577 rodent individuals and detected T. gondii antibodies in the sera of all four rodent species with an overall seroprevalence of 5.5% [4.2-7.3] (3.6% [2.6-4.9] for M. glareolus and 20% [12-30.9] for M. arvalis, M. agrestis, and A. oeconomus). Seroprevalence in bank voles varied significantly between host age and sex. Seroprevalence increased with host age and was higher in females than males. These results contribute to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of T. gondii in voles in Poland and confirm that T. gondii also circulates in M. glareolus and M. arvalis, M. agrestis and A. oeconomus. Therefore, they may potentially play a role as reservoirs of this parasite in the sylvatic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (J.N.); (B.B.)
| | - Daniela Antolová
- Institute of Parasitology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, 040 01 Košice, Slovakia;
| | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland;
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (M.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (M.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Phytopathology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, 60-637 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (J.N.); (B.B.)
| | - Jerzy Paleolog
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Environmental Biology, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 20-950 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Beata Biernat
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (J.N.); (B.B.)
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (M.A.); (A.B.)
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16
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Behnke JM, Rogan MT, Craig PS, Jackson JA, Hide G. Long-term trends in helminth infections of wood mice ( Apodemus sylvaticus) from the vicinity of Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, England. Parasitology 2021; 148:451-463. [PMID: 33256865 PMCID: PMC11010161 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182020002243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Helminth infections in wood mice (n = 483), trapped over a period of 26 years in the woods surrounding Malham Tarn in North Yorkshire, were analysed. Although 10 species of helminths were identified, the overall mean species richness was 1.01 species/mouse indicating that the helminth community was relatively depauperate in this wood mouse population. The dominant species was Heligmosomoides polygyrus, the prevalence (64.6%) and abundance (10.4 worms/mouse) of which declined significantly over the study period. Because of the dominance of this species, analyses of higher taxa (combined helminths and combined nematodes) also revealed significantly declining values for prevalence, although not abundance. Helminth species richness (HSR) and Brillouin's index of diversity (BID) did not show covariance with year, neither did those remaining species whose overall prevalence exceeded 5% (Syphacia stroma, Aonchotheca murissylvatici and Plagiorchis muris). Significant age effects were detected for the prevalence and abundance of all higher taxa, H. polygyrus and P. muris, and for HSR and BID, reflecting the accumulation of helminths with increasing host age. Only two cases of sex bias were found; male bias in abundance of P. muris and combined Digenea. We discuss the significance of these results and hypothesize about the underlying causes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, NottinghamNG7 2RD, UK
| | - Michael T Rogan
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Philip S Craig
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Joseph A Jackson
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
| | - Geoff Hide
- Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, SalfordM5 4WT, UK
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17
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Younes N, Behnke JM, Ismail A, Abu-Madi MA. Socio-demographic influences on the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infections among workers in Qatar. Parasit Vectors 2021; 14:63. [PMID: 33472686 PMCID: PMC7816503 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04449-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The rapid growth of Qatar in the last two decades has been associated with an enormous expansion of building programs in its cities and in the provision of new service industries. This in turn has attracted a large influx of immigrant workers seeking employment in jobs associated with food handling, domestic service, and the building industry. Many of these immigrants come from countries in the tropics and subtropics where intestinal parasitic infections are common. In this study, we explored the environmental and socio-demographic characteristics of immigrant workers in Doha Qatar, which might explain the persistence of the parasites that they harbor. Methodology This cross-sectional survey was conducted among 2486 newly arrived immigrant workers and those who visited Qatar previously during the period 2012–2014. Through questionnaires and census data, we characterized the socio-demographic conditions at an individual, family, and neighborhood levels. Results Overall, the prevalence of combined protozoan infection was 11.7% and that of helminth was 7.0%. Combined protozoan infections were significantly associated with immigrant workers arriving in Doha for the first time. In univariate log-linear statistical models fitted in phase 1 of the analysis, significant associations were observed between the prevalence of combined protozoan infections and personal and familial factors that included religion, the level of education of subjects, both parents’ educational levels and their jobs, and the number of siblings. Furthermore, environmental effects on the prevalence of protozoan infections including the country of origin, the floor of the house, toilet type, household content index, provision of household water, farming background showed strong associations with protozoan infections. However, in phase 2, multifactorial binary logistic generalized linear models focusing only on the significant effects identified in phase 1, showed that only five factors retained significance (age class, floor of the house, household contents index, father’s education, and the number of siblings). The only factors that had a significant effect on the prevalence of helminth infections were the subjects’ age class and the mother’s educational level. Conclusions The prevalence of intestinal protozoan parasites among immigrant workers in Qatar is clearly multifactorial in origin determined by key familial relationships of subjects and also the environment, in which the subjects lived prior to their arrival in Qatar. Moreover, our results suggest that screening protocols for applicants for visas/work permits need to be revised giving more careful attention to the intestinal protozoan infections that potential immigrant workers may harbor.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadin Younes
- Biomedical Science Department, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Medical Commission, Ministry of Public Health, P.O. Box 42, Doha, Qatar
| | - Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Biomedical Science Department, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
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Alsarraf M, Levytska V, Mierzejewska EJ, Poliukhovych V, Rodo A, Alsarraf M, Kavalevich D, Dwużnik-Szarek D, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Emerging risk of Dirofilaria spp. infection in Northeastern Europe: high prevalence of Dirofilaria repens in sled dog kennels from the Baltic countries. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1068. [PMID: 33441797 PMCID: PMC7806926 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80208-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dirofilariasis is a fast-spreading disease of dogs and humans in Europe. We investigated whether Dirofilaria spp. have spread northwards in Europe, invading the Baltic countries. Altogether, 424 blood samples were collected from eight countries in the period 2017-2019, including 227 samples from sled dogs and 197 samples from other dogs. PCR amplification and sequencing were conducted employing three genetic markers (mitochondrial [mt] 12S rDNA, mt cytochrome c oxidase subunit I [COI] gene and mt dehydrogenase subunit I [NAD1] gene). The SNAP test (IDEXX) for detection of D. immitis infections was also implemented. The DNA of D. repens was detected in 59 of 424 dogs (prevalence 13.9%). D. repens was found in sled dogs from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Belarus. Only one dog from Estonia was infected, apparently an imported case. The highest prevalence was recorded in Lithuania (38%). Among pet dogs from the Ukraine, six dogs tested positive (3.8%). Our study has revealed a high prevalence of D. repens infections in Lithuania and Latvia, but no evidence for spread of the heartworm D. immitis. We conclude that sled dog kennels constitute hot spots for D. repens transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mustafa Alsarraf
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Viktoria Levytska
- Department of Infection and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Technology in Animal Husbandry, State Agrarian and Engineering University in Podilia, 13 Shevcnenka Street, Kamianets-Podilskyi, 32300 Ukraine
| | - Ewa J. Mierzejewska
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Vasyl Poliukhovych
- Department of Infection and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Technology in Animal Husbandry, State Agrarian and Engineering University in Podilia, 13 Shevcnenka Street, Kamianets-Podilskyi, 32300 Ukraine
| | - Anna Rodo
- grid.13276.310000 0001 1955 7966Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 159c Nowoursynowska Street, 02-766 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dziyana Kavalevich
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik-Szarek
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- grid.4563.40000 0004 1936 8868School of Life Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- grid.12847.380000 0004 1937 1290Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
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Grzybek M, Tołkacz K, Sironen T, Mäki S, Alsarraf M, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Biernat B, Nowicka J, Vaheri A, Henttonen H, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Zoonotic Viruses in Three Species of Voles from Poland. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10101820. [PMID: 33036253 PMCID: PMC7599905 DOI: 10.3390/ani10101820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Wild rodents constitute a significant threat to public health. We tested 77 voles from northeastern Poland for the presence of antibodies to hantaviruses, arenaviruses and cowpox viruses. We report 18.2% overall seroprevalence of zoonotic viruses. Our results contribute to knowledge about the role of Polish voles as possible reservoirs of viral infections. Abstract Rodents are known to be reservoir hosts for a plethora of zoonotic viruses and therefore play a significant role in the dissemination of these pathogens. We trapped three vole species (Microtus arvalis, Alexandromys oeconomus and Microtus agrestis) in northeastern Poland, all of which are widely distributed species in Europe. Using immunofluorescence assays, we assessed serum samples for the presence of antibodies to hantaviruses, arenaviruses and cowpox viruses (CPXV). We detected antibodies against CPXV and Puumala hantavirus (PUUV), the overall seroprevalence of combined viral infections being 18.2% [10.5–29.3] and mostly attributed to CPXV. We detected only one PUUV/TULV cross-reaction in Microtus arvalis (1.3% [0.1–7.9]), but found similar levels of antibodies against CPXV in all three vole species. There were no significant differences in seroprevalence of CPXV among host species and age categories, nor between the sexes. These results contribute to our understanding of the distribution and abundance of CPXV in voles in Europe, and confirm that CPXV circulates also in Microtus and Alexandromys voles in northeastern Poland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (B.B.); (J.N.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-58-3491941
| | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology for Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Str, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (K.T.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
- Department of Antarctic Biology, Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, 5A Pawińskiego Str, 02-106 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.S.); (S.M.); (A.V.)
| | - Sanna Mäki
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.S.); (S.M.); (A.V.)
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology for Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Str, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (K.T.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Pathology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71c, 60-625 Poznan, Poland;
| | - Beata Biernat
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (B.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Joanna Nowicka
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519 Gdynia, Poland; (B.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Antti Vaheri
- Department of Virology, University of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 3, 00014 Helsinki, Finland; (T.S.); (S.M.); (A.V.)
| | - Heikki Henttonen
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Latokartanonkaari 9, 00790 Helsinki, Finland;
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK;
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology for Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Str, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland; (K.T.); (M.A.); (A.B.)
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20
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Levecke B, Cools P, Albonico M, Ame S, Angebault C, Ayana M, Behnke JM, Bethony JM, Cringoli G, Dana D, Guillard B, Viet Hoa NT, Kang G, Kattula D, Keiser J, Kotze AC, Matoso LF, Maurelli MP, McCarthy JS, Mekonnen Z, Mirams G, Montresor A, Oliveira RC, Periago MV, Pinto SA, Rinaldi L, Sayasone S, Sumo L, Tchuem-Tchuenté LA, Cam Thach DT, Thomas E, Zeynudin A, Verweij JJ, Vlaminck J, Vercruysse J. Identifying thresholds for classifying moderate-to-heavy soil-transmitted helminth intensity infections for FECPAKG2, McMaster, Mini-FLOTAC and qPCR. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008296. [PMID: 32614828 PMCID: PMC7413557 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The World Health Organization (WHO) has defined moderate-to-heavy intensity (M&HI) infections with soil-transmitted helminths (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and the two hookworms, Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus) based on specific values of eggs per gram of stool, as measured by the Kato-Katz method. There are a variety of novel microscopy and DNA-based methods but it remains unclear whether applying current WHO thresholds on to these methods allows for a reliable classification of M&HI infections. We evaluated both WHO and method-specific thresholds for classifying the M&HI infections for novel microscopic (FECPAKG2, McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC) and DNA-based (qPCR) diagnostic methods. For this, we determined method-specific thresholds that best classified M&HI infections (defined by Kato-Katz and WHO thresholds; reference method) in two multi-country drug efficacy studies. Subsequently, we verified whether applying these method-specific thresholds improved the agreement in classifying M&HI infections compared to the reference method. When we applied the WHO thresholds, the new microscopic methods mainly misclassified M&HI as low intensity, and to a lesser extent low intensity infection as M&HI. For FECPAKG2, applying the method-specific thresholds significantly improved the agreement for Ascaris (moderate → substantial), Trichuris and hookworms (fair → moderate). For Mini-FLOTAC, a significantly improved agreement was observed for hookworms only (fair → moderate). For the other STHs, the agreement was almost perfect and remained unchanged. For McMaster, the method-specific thresholds revealed a fair to a substantial agreement but did not significantly improve the agreement. For qPCR, the method-specific thresholds based on genome equivalents per ml of DNA moderately agreed with the reference method for hookworm and Trichuris infections. For Ascaris, there was a substantial agreement. We defined method-specific thresholds that improved the classification of M&HI infections. Validation studies are required before they can be recommended for general use in assessing M&HI infections in programmatic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Levecke
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
- * E-mail:
| | - Piet Cools
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Marco Albonico
- Center for Tropical Diseases, Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar, Italy
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Shaali Ame
- Public Health Laboratory-Ivo de Carneri, Chake Chake, United Republic of Tanzania
| | | | - Mio Ayana
- Jimma University Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey M. Bethony
- Microbiology, Immunology, and Tropical Medicine, George Washington University Medical Center, Washington D.C., United States of America
| | - Giuseppe Cringoli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Daniel Dana
- Jimma University Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | | | - Nguyen Thi Viet Hoa
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | - Gagandeep Kang
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Deepthi Kattula
- Department of Gastrointestinal Sciences, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Jennifer Keiser
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Infection Biology, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland & University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andrew C. Kotze
- Division of Agriculture and Food, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, St. Lucia, Australia
| | - Leonardo F. Matoso
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Research Center René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Maria P. Maurelli
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - James S. McCarthy
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Zeleke Mekonnen
- Jimma University Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | | | - Antonio Montresor
- Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Rodrigo Corrêa Oliveira
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Research Center René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Maria V. Periago
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Research Center René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Simone A. Pinto
- Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Immunology, Research Center René Rachou - FIOCRUZ, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Laura Rinaldi
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Somphou Sayasone
- Lao Tropical and Public Health Institute, Ministry of Health, Vientiane Capital, Lao People’s Democratic Republic
| | - Laurentine Sumo
- Centre for Schistosomiasis and Parasitology, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon
| | | | - Dang Thi Cam Thach
- Department of Parasitology, National Institute of Malariology, Parasitology and Entomology, Ha Noi, Vietnam
| | | | - Ahmed Zeynudin
- Jimma University Institute of Health, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Jaco J. Verweij
- Laboratory for Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Elisabeth-Tweesteden Hospital, Tilburg, The Netherlands
| | - Johnny Vlaminck
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Jozef Vercruysse
- Department of Virology, Parasitology and Immunology, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
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Bajer A, Alsarraf M, Dwużnik D, Mierzejewska EJ, Kołodziej-Sobocińska M, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Banasiak Ł, Grzybek M, Tołkacz K, Kartawik N, Stańczak Ł, Opalińska P, Krokowska-Paluszak M, Górecki G, Alsarraf M, Behnke JM. Rodents as intermediate hosts of cestode parasites of mammalian carnivores and birds of prey in Poland, with the first data on the life-cycle of Mesocestoides melesi. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:95. [PMID: 32087754 PMCID: PMC7036256 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-3961-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Rodents constitute an important part of the diet of many carnivore species. This predator-prey food chain is exploited by helminth parasites, such as cestodes, whose larval stages develop in rodents and then mature to the adult stage in predators. The main aim of our study was to use molecular techniques for identification of cestode species recovered from both intermediate and definitive hosts, with a particular focus on the genus Mesocestoides. Methods Larval cestodes were obtained during our long-term studies on rodent helminth communities in the Mazury Lake District in the north-east Poland in 2000–2018. Cestode larvae/cysts were collected from body cavities or internal organs (e.g. liver) during autopsies. Adult tapeworms were derived from nine red foxes, three Eurasian badgers and one Eurasian lynx. PCR amplification, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses were conducted employing three genetic markers: 18S rDNA, mitochondrial (mt) 12S rDNA and the mt cytochrome c oxydase subunit 1 (cox1) gene fragment. Results Altogether 19 Mesocestoides samples were analyzed, including 13 adult tapeworms from definitive hosts and six larval samples from 4 bank voles and 2 yellow-necked mice. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three well-supported trees of similar topology. In each case the Mesocestoides samples formed two separate clades. All isolates from foxes, the lynx isolate and two isolates from rodents grouped with Mesocestoides litteratus. Four isolates from rodents and all three isolates from Eurasian badgers were resolved in a separate clade, most similar to North American M. vogae (syn. M. corti). Examination of fixed, stained adult specimens from Eurasian badgers revealed consistency with the morphology of Mesocestoides melesi. Therefore, this clade is likely to represent M. melesi, a species first described in 1985 from the Eurasian badger Meles meles. Molecular analysis allowed also the identification of Taenia crassiceps, Hydatigera kamiyai and Cladotaenia globifera among larvae derived from rodents. Conclusions Molecular and phylogenetic analyses support the recognition of M. melesi as a valid species. Our data represent the first record of the larvae of this species in rodents. This is the first report on the occurrence of H. kamiyai in rodents from Poland.![]()
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bajer
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa J Mierzejewska
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Phytopathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Łukasz Banasiak
- Department of Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, Institute of Botany, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9B, 81-519, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Natalia Kartawik
- Department of Forest Phytopathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Łukasz Stańczak
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Patrycja Opalińska
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Krokowska-Paluszak
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Górecki
- Department of Game Management and Forest Protection, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Mustafa Alsarraf
- Department of Eco-Epidemiology of Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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Grzybek M, Sironen T, Mäki S, Tołkacz K, Alsarraf M, Strachecka A, Paleolog J, Biernat B, Szczepaniak K, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Vaheri A, Henttonen H, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Zoonotic Virus Seroprevalence among Bank Voles, Poland, 2002-2010. Emerg Infect Dis 2019; 25:1607-1609. [PMID: 31310209 PMCID: PMC6649315 DOI: 10.3201/eid2508.190217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Bank voles in Poland are reservoirs of zoonotic viruses. To determine seroprevalence of hantavirus, arenavirus, and cowpox virus and factors affecting seroprevalence, we screened for antibodies against these viruses over 9 years. Cowpox virus was most prevalent and affected by extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Long-term and multisite surveillance is crucial.
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Sahimin N, Yunus MH, Douadi B, Yvonne Lim AL, Noordin R, Behnke JM, Mohd Zain S. Entamoeba infections and associated risk factors among migrant workers in Peninsular Malaysia. Trop Biomed 2019; 36:1014-1026. [PMID: 33597471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The influx of low skilled migrant workers to Malaysia from low socio-economic countries where gastrointestinal parasitic infections are prevalent has raised concerns about transmission to the local population. Three methods for detection (serology, microscopy and molecular techniques) were utilized to identify Entamoeba infections amongst the targeted cohort and determine risk factors associated with infection. Serological screening of 484 migrant workers from five working sectors in Peninsular Malaysia using IgG4 ELISA based on the rPPDK antigen showed an overall seroprevalence of 7.4% (n = 36; CL95 = 5.3-10.1%) with only one factor statistically associated with seropositivity of anti-amoebic antibodies, i.e. years of residence in Malaysia (χ2 1 = 4.007, p = 0.045). Microscopic examination of 388 faecal samples for protozoan cysts and trophozoites showed a slightly higher prevalence (11.6%; n=45; CL95: 8.4-14.8%). Meanwhile, amplification of the 16S rDNA gene detected two species i.e. Entamoeba dispar (23/388; 5.9%; CL95: 3.6-8.3%) and E. histolytica (11/388; 2.8%; CL95: 1.2-4.5%) and mixed infections with both parasites in only three samples (3/388; 0.8%; CL95: 0.2-2.2%). Entamoeba dispar infection was significantly associated with those employed in food and domestic services (χ2 4 = 12.879, p = 0.012). However, none of the factors affected the prevalence of E. histolytica infection. Despite the low prevalence of E. histolytica in faecal samples of the study cohort, the presence of this pathogenic parasite still poses potential public health risks and calls for tighter control strategies based on better availability of chemotherapeutic treatment and accessibility to appropriate health education.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Sahimin
- Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre (TIDREC), University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - M H Yunus
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - B Douadi
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - A L Yvonne Lim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - R Noordin
- Institute for Research in Molecular Medicine, Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800 Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
| | - J M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - S Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Boughattas S, Behnke JM, Al-Sadeq D, Ismail A, Abu-Madi M. Cryptosporidium spp., prevalence, molecular characterisation and socio-demographic risk factors among immigrants in Qatar. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007750. [PMID: 31661498 PMCID: PMC6818760 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The World Health Organization WHO has estimated that in developed countries, up to 30% of the population may suffer from foodborne diseases each year, and that in developing countries up to 2 million deaths per annum can be attributed to cryptosporidiosis. Reports have already emphasized the role of immigrants in outbreaks of parasitic diseases especially those working in food processing industries. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Herein we assessed Cryptosporidium spp. infections among immigrants in Qatar with a special focus on food handlers and housemaids. The overall prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. by q-PCR among 839 asymptomatic subjects was 4.5%. Based on the Gp60 gene, the majority of isolates were identified as C. parvum subtype IIdA20G1b. The positive sample for C. hominis was subtyped as IeA12G3T3. Seven mixed infections were also identified (four C. parvum + C. hominis, and three C. parvum + C. meleagridis). The prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. did not differ significantly between the sexes or age classes but varied significantly between subjects affiliated to different religions with the lowest prevalence among the Muslims. Multifactorial analysis retained also marked significance with education, income, and a house contents index. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results contribute to a better understanding of the epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis and the risk factors associated with the likelihood of carrying this infection among immigrant workers from developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Boughattas
- College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Duaa Al-Sadeq
- College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Medical Commission, Ministry of Public Health, Doha, Qatar
| | - Marawan Abu-Madi
- College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
- * E-mail:
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Grzybek M, Cybulska A, Tołkacz K, Alsarraf M, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Szczepaniak K, Strachecka A, Paleolog J, Moskwa B, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. infection in bank voles ( Myodes glareolus) - A long term study. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2019; 9:144-148. [PMID: 31193257 PMCID: PMC6524169 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Rodents play an important role as reservoir hosts of zoonotic diseases. As a component of our long-term programme of monitoring parasitic infections in bank vole populations in three ecologically similar sites in NE Poland, we screened blood samples for signs of a serological response to the presence of Trichinella spp. The overall seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. was 1.52%, but prevalence was largely concentrated in one of our three study sites and confined to the oldest individuals in the study. Seroprevalence of Trichinella spp. did not differ between the sexes. Although a local prevalence of 1.52% may seem low, when this is extrapolated to the national population of bank voles in peak years, perhaps numbering hundreds of millions of animals, the number of infected bank voles on a country wide scale is likely to be huge. Our results suggest that bank voles may be reservoirs of Trichinella spp. However, on the basis of our results we consider their importance as epidemiologically significant hosts for Trichinella spp. to be moderate and their role in this context to require further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdansk, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Cybulska
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | | | | | - Klaudiusz Szczepaniak
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Laboratory of Environmental Biology and Apidologie, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jerzy Paleolog
- Department of Zoology, Ecology and Wildlife Management, University of Life Science in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Bożena Moskwa
- Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Dwużnik D, Mierzejewska EJ, Drabik P, Kloch A, Alsarraf M, Behnke JM, Bajer A. The role of juvenile Dermacentor reticulatus ticks as vectors of microorganisms and the problem of 'meal contamination'. Exp Appl Acarol 2019; 78:181-202. [PMID: 31119415 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-019-00380-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Juvenile Dermacentor reticulatus ticks inhabit nests and burrows of their rodent hosts and cannot be collected from vegetation. To detect vertical transmission of Babesia canis in D. reticulatus, we studied larvae and nymphs collected from rodents. However, the molecular techniques used for detection of pathogen DNA are sensitive enough to detect not only pathogens vectored by ticks but also those taken up with current or previous blood meals ('meal contamination') or just present in the environment and on the tick or host surface ('environmental contaminations'). Thus, an additional aim of our study was to evaluate the extent of such contamination while studying feeding ticks collected from rodents. Juvenile D. reticulatus were collected from 140 rodents: 91 bank voles trapped in two forest sites in the Mazury Lake District and 49 rodents (Apodemus and Microtus spp.) from an open habitat near the town of Białobrzegi in Central Poland. Altogether 504 D. reticulatus ticks, comprising 266 individually evaluated nymphs and 238 larvae assigned to 50 larval pools, were studied for the presence of Babesia, Bartonella and Rickettsia spp. DNA. Statistical analyses were conducted to (1) evaluate the effect of rodent host factors (species, sex and age) on prevalence of infection in ticks, and (2) to compare the frequency of positive samples between groups of pathogen-positive and pathogen-negative rodent hosts. To complete the last aim, blood samples obtained from 49 rodents from Białobrzegi were studied for the presence of Babesia and Bartonella DNA. Infestation of rodent hosts with juvenile ticks ranged between 46 and 78%, with a mean abundance of 3.6 ticks/rodent for D. reticulatus and 4.8 ticks/rodent for Ixodes ricinus. The highest prevalence of PCR-positive D. reticulatus samples was obtained for Rickettsia spp. (28%) and R. raoultii was identified in 22 sequenced PCR products. Babesia DNA was detected in 20 (7.5%), including B. microti in 18 (6.8%) and B. canis in two (0.8%) of 266 D. reticulatus nymphs that were analyzed. Babesia microti DNA was also detected in four pools of D. reticulatus larvae (4/50 pools = 8%). The detection success of B. microti in D. reticulatus was associated with the species of the rodent hosts of the ticks (much higher for typical B. microti-host-species such as Microtus spp. than for Apodemus spp.) and host age (3 × higher in ticks collected from adult hosts in comparison to juvenile ones). Moreover, the DNA of B. microti was detected in 68% of D. reticulatus nymphs collected from B. microti-positive rodents in comparison to only 1.6% of nymphs collected from B. microti-negative rodents. Bartonella DNA was detected in 18% of D. reticulatus tick samples (38% of larval pools, 14% of nymphs). Again, host factors played important roles for 'tick positivity'-the highest prevalence of positive ticks was on Apodemus spp., which are regarded as Bartonella reservoirs. Bartonella DNA was detected in 42% of nymphs and 57% of larval pools collected from Bartonella-positive rodents in comparison to 28% of nymphs and 11% of larvae collected from Bartonella-negative rodents. Vertical transmission of B. canis in D. reticulatus ticks was confirmed in the field. Additionally, we demonstrated that 'meal contamination' generates a confounding signal in molecular detection of pathogen DNA extracted from ticks collected from infected hosts and must be taken into account in evaluating the competence of tick species as vectors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa J Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Paulina Drabik
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kloch
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, University of Warsaw, ul. Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.
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Kloch A, Wenzel MA, Laetsch DR, Michalski O, Bajer A, Behnke JM, Welc-Falęciak R, Piertney SB. Author Correction: Signatures of balancing selection in toll-like receptor (TLRs) genes - novel insights from a free-living rodent. Sci Rep 2019; 9:7394. [PMID: 31073198 PMCID: PMC6509137 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-43510-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Agnieszka Kloch
- University of Warsaw, Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, ul. Zwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warszawa, Poland.
| | - Marius A Wenzel
- University of Aberdeen, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
| | - Dominik R Laetsch
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA, United Kingdom.,University of Edinburgh, Institute of Evolutionary Biology, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK
| | - Olek Michalski
- Data Analysis & Visualisation, ul. Przy Agorze 5a m. 98, 01-960, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Anna Bajer
- University of Warsaw, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG7, United Kingdom
| | - Renata Welc-Falęciak
- University of Warsaw, Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02-096, Warszawa, Poland
| | - Stuart B Piertney
- University of Aberdeen, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Tillydrone Avenue, Aberdeen, AB24 2TZ, UK
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Tołkacz K, Alsarraf M, Kowalec M, Dwużnik D, Grzybek M, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Bartonella infections in three species of Microtus: prevalence and genetic diversity, vertical transmission and the effect of concurrent Babesia microti infection on its success. Parasit Vectors 2018; 11:491. [PMID: 30165879 PMCID: PMC6117881 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-018-3047-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bartonella spp. cause persistent bacterial infections in mammals. Although these bacteria are transmitted by blood-feeding arthropods, there is also evidence for vertical transmission in their mammalian hosts. We aimed to determine: (i) the prevalence and diversity of Bartonella spp. in a Microtus spp. community; (ii) whether vertical transmission occurs from infected female voles to their offspring; (iii) the effect of concurrent Babesia microti infection on the success of vertical transmission of Bartonella; and (iv) the impact of congenital infection on pup survival. RESULTS We sampled 124 Microtus arvalis, 76 Microtus oeconomus and 17 Microtus agrestis. In total, 115 embryos were isolated from 21 pregnant females. In the following year 11 pregnant females were kept until they had given birth and weaned their pups (n = 62). Blood smears and PCR targeting the Bartonella-specific rpoB gene fragment (333bp) were used for the detection of Bartonella. Bartonella DNA was detected in 66.8% (145/217) of the wild-caught voles. Bartonella infection was detected in 81.8% (36/44) of pregnant female voles. Bartonella-positive individuals were identified among the embryos (47.1%; 40/85) and in 54.8% (34/62) of pups. Congenitally acquired Bartonella infections and co-infection with B. microti had no impact on the survival of pups over a 3-week period post partum. Among 113 Bartonella sequences, four species were detected: Bartonella taylorii, Bartonella grahamii, Bartonella doshiae and a Bartonella rochalimae-like genotype. Bartonella taylorii clade B was the dominant species in wild-caught voles (49%), pregnant females (47%), their embryos (85%), dams (75%) and pups (95%). CONCLUSIONS High prevalence of Bartonella spp. infection maintained in Microtus spp. community is followed by a high rate of vertical transmission of several rodent species of Bartonella in three species of naturally infected voles, M. arvalis, M. oeconomus and M. agrestis. Congenitally acquired Bartonella infection does not affect the survival of pups. Co-infection with B. microti does not affect the effectiveness of the vertical transmission of Bartonella in voles. Bartonella taylorii clade B was found to be the dominant species in wild-caught voles, including pregnant females and dams, and in their offspring, and was also found to be the most successful in vertical transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Kowalec
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine in Gdynia, Medical University of Gdansk, Powstania Styczniowego 9, 81-512, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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Grzybek M, Alsarraf M, Tołkacz K, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Biernat B, Stańczak J, Strachecka A, Guz L, Szczepaniak K, Paleolog J, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Seroprevalence of TBEV in bank voles from Poland-a long-term approach. Emerg Microbes Infect 2018; 7:145. [PMID: 30108201 PMCID: PMC6092418 DOI: 10.1038/s41426-018-0149-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2018] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Rodents are known to play a significant role as reservoir hosts for TBEV. During three sequential expeditions at 4-year intervals to three ecologically similar study sites in NE Poland, we trapped bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and then tested their blood for the presence of specific antiviral antibodies to TBEV. The strongest effects on seroprevalence were the extrinsic factors, site of capture of voles and year of sampling. Seroprevalence increased markedly with increasing host age, and our analysis revealed significant interactions among these three factors. Seroprevalence did not differ between the sexes. Therefore, based on the seroprevalence results, the dynamics of TBEV infection differ significantly in time, between local sub-populations of bank voles and with increasing host age. To fully understand the circulation of the virus among these reservoir hosts and in the environment, long-term monitoring is required and should employ a multi-site approach, such as the one adopted in the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | | | | | | | - Beata Biernat
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Joanna Stańczak
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Aneta Strachecka
- Department of Biological Basis of Animal Production, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Leszek Guz
- Department of Biology and Fish Disease, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Klaudiusz Szczepaniak
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jerzy Paleolog
- Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology & Wildlife Management, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Sahimin N, Douadi B, Yvonne Lim AL, Behnke JM, Mohd Zain SN. Distribution of Giardia duodenalis (Assemblages A and B) and Cryptosporidium parvum amongst migrant workers in Peninsular Malaysia. Acta Trop 2018; 182:178-184. [PMID: 29501402 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2018.02.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2017] [Revised: 02/26/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The influx of low skilled workers from socioeconomically deprived neighbouring countries to Malaysia has raised concerns about the transmission of communicable gastrointestinal diseases such as giardiasis and cryptosporidiosis to the local population. Therefore, a cross sectional study was conducted to investigate the prevalence of both diseases and the genetic diversity of these pathogens in the migrant population. Microscopic examination of faecal samples from 388 migrant workers involved in five working sectors were screened and 10.8% (n = 42) were found to be positive with Giardia spp. and 3.1% (n = 12) with Cryptosporidium spp. infections. PCR amplicons at the triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) gene were successfully obtained for Giardia duodenalis from 30 (30/388; 7.73%) samples with assemblages AII and B in 13 (13/30; 43.3%) and 17 (17/30; 56.7%) positive samples, respectively. Nine samples (9/388; 2.3%) were identified as Cryptosporidium parvum using PCR-RFLP analysis. Country of origin, duration of residence in Malaysia and working sectors significantly influenced G. duodenalis assemblage AII infections amongst the targeted population. Meanwhile, C. parvum infection was significantly associated with those working in the food service sector. Despite the low presence of pathogenic G. duodenalis and C. parvum in the study population, the results highlight the risk of anthroponotic foodborne and waterborne transmission and therefore call for implementation of control strategies through improvements in personal hygiene and sanitation standards.
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Dwużnik D, Gortat T, Behnke JM, Gryczyńska A, Bednarska M, Mikoszewski AS, Kozakiewicz M, Bajer A. Comparison of helminth community of Apodemus agrarius and Apodemus flavicollis between urban and suburban populations of mice. Parasitol Res 2017; 116:2995-3006. [PMID: 28913695 PMCID: PMC5660139 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-017-5609-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The growing human population and the development of urban areas have led to fragmentation and destruction of many natural habitats but have also created new urban habitats. These environmental changes have had a negative impact on many species of plants and animals, including parasite communities. The aim of present study was to compare the helminth communities of Apodemus flavicollis and Apodemus agrarius in natural and urban habitats. Helminth burdens were assessed in 124 mice, 48 A. flavicollis, and 76 A. agrarius from two managed forests close to the city boundaries and two city parks within Warsaw, Central Poland. In total, eight species of helminths, Nematoda (n = 3), Digenea (n = 2), and Cestoda (n = 3), were identified. Helminth community structure and prevalence/abundance of individual helminth species differed significantly between the two Apodemus species. Overall, prevalence and abundance of helminth species were significantly higher in A. agrarius compared to A. flavicollis. For A. flavicollis, higher prevalence and abundance of helminths were detected in individuals from managed forest habitats in comparison to city parks. In striped field mice, much higher prevalence and mean abundance were recorded in rodents trapped in city parks than in managed forests. This phenomenon may be explained by better adaptation of A. agrarius, compared to A. flavicollis, to city habitats, resulting in high local densities of mice and the full range of parasite species affecting this host species. Our data confirm also that the established routes of infection exist for selected helminth species in the urban environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa Street 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Tomasz Gortat
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Alicja Gryczyńska
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bednarska
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa Street 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Antoni S Mikoszewski
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michał Kozakiewicz
- Department of Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw, Miecznikowa Street 1, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
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Abu-Madi M, Boughattas S, Behnke JM, Sharma A, Ismail A. Coproscopy and molecular screening for detection of intestinal protozoa. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:414. [PMID: 28877704 PMCID: PMC5588727 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2346-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Intestinal parasitosis is one of several health concerns about immigrants who travel from endemic to non-endemic regions. Reliable rapid sensitive diagnostic tools, for use in non-endemic regions, are urgently required to enable frequent assessment of immigrant workers in jobs where risk of local transmission is a particular concern (e.g. food-handlers). We assessed the burden of intestinal protozoa in newly arrived immigrants and those applying for renewal of work permits in Qatar (n = 735), by both microscopic examination of stool samples and by Real Time PCR methodology. Results Prevalence was considerably higher using RT-PCR compared with coproscopy (Blastocystis hominis: 65.2 vs 7.6%; Giardia duodenalis: 14.3 vs 2.9%; Entamoeba histolytica: 1.6 vs 1.2%). Dientamoeba fragilis was sought only by RT-PCR (prevalence of 25.4%). Prevalence of G. duodenalis was significantly higher in male subjects, associated with blue collar workers and declined over time. Prevalence of B. hominis varied significantly with region of origin of subjects with highest values recorded among African immigrants. Prevalence of D. fragilis also varied with region of origin of subjects, and was lower in young female subjects and in renewal applicants compared with first-time applicants for work permits. Conclusions We strongly recommend that, henceforth, intestinal protozoa should be screened by RT-PCR, with a particular focus on frequent assessment of immigrant food-handlers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Sonia Boughattas
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Aarti Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Medical Commission, Ministry of Public Health, P.O. Box 42, Doha, Qatar
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Bajer A, Rodo A, Alsarraf M, Dwużnik D, Behnke JM, Mierzejewska EJ. Abundance of the tick Dermacentor reticulatus in an ecosystem of abandoned meadows: Experimental intervention and the critical importance of mowing. Vet Parasitol 2017; 246:70-75. [PMID: 28969783 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The effect of agricultural activities on the environment has been falling in many areas of Europe in recent years and the associated abandonment of crop fields, meadows and pastures may enable an increase in tick densities. In the present study we assessed whether regular mowing would have a negative effect on Dermacentor reticulatus populations and whether the cessation of regular mowing would cause an increase in abundance of D. reticulatus ticks. Two field experiments were conducted during a five-year period (2012-2016) in the Mazowieckie (Mazovia) region of Central Poland. Experiment 1: The long-term effect of mowing on tick population was tested in the meadow ecosystem of Stoski, an old fallow land plot that was mowed three times a year. Experiment 2: Neglecting the cultivation by abandonment of arable land was evaluated in Kury village. Four areas (2 experimental 'fallow lands', 2 control meadows) were selected. The first fallow land plot was a fenced off area comprising mostly of a horse pasture and the second fallow land plot was designated in an old abandoned orchard. At each site, ticks were collected in consecutive springs and autumns by dragging at least twice during each season from experimental and control areas. Altogether 1452 D. reticulatus ticks were collected and their densities were compared by multifactorial ANOVA. In the end of the first experiment, a significant decrease (6 times) in tick abundance was observed in the mowed area in comparison to old fallow land. In the end of the second experiment, tick abundance was three times higher in the experimental fallow lands in comparison to the control meadows. In conclusion it was found that regular mowing significantly reduced the density of questing D. reticulatus ticks in open areas. Cessation of mowing may enhance the number of ticks and the associated risk of acquiring tick-borne diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Anna Rodo
- Department of Pathology and Veterinary Diagnostics, Warsaw University of Life Sciences-SGGW, 159c Nowoursynowska Street, 02-766, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University Park, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ewa J Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
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Boughattas S, Behnke JM, Al-Ansari K, Sharma A, Abu-Alainin W, Al-Thani A, Abu-Madi MA. Molecular Analysis of the Enteric Protozoa Associated with Acute Diarrhea in Hospitalized Children. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2017; 7:343. [PMID: 28824878 PMCID: PMC5539595 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2017.00343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 07/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Pediatric diarrhea is a common cause of death among children under 5 years of age. In the current study, we investigated the frequency of intestinal parasites among 580 pediatric patients with chronic diarrhea. Parasitic protozoa (all species combined) were detected by molecular tools in 22.9% of the children and the most common parasite was Cryptosporidium spp. (15.1%). Blastocystis hominis was detected in 4.7%, Dientamoeba fragilis in 4%, Giardia duodenalis in 1.7%, and Entamoeba histolytica in 0.17%. Protozoan infections were observed among all regional groups, but prevalence was highest among Qatari subjects and during the winter season. Typing of Cryptosporidium spp. revealed a predominance of Cryptosporidium parvum in 92% of cases with mostly the IIdA20G1 subtype. Subtypes IIdA19G2, IIdA18G2, IIdA18G1, IIdA17G1, IIdA16G1, and IIdA14G1 were also detected. For Cryptosporidium hominis, IbA10G2 and IbA9G3 subtypes were identified. This study provides supplementary information for implementing prevention and control strategies to reduce the burden of these pediatric protozoan infections. Further analyses are required to better understand the local epidemiology and transmission of Cryptosporidium spp. in Qatar.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Boughattas
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar UniversityDoha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University ParkNottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Khalid Al-Ansari
- Hamad Medical Corporation, Paediatric Emergency CenterDoha, Qatar
| | - Aarti Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar UniversityDoha, Qatar
| | - Wafa Abu-Alainin
- Molecular Genetics Laboratory, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical CorporationDoha, Qatar
| | - Asma Al-Thani
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar UniversityDoha, Qatar
| | - Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar UniversityDoha, Qatar
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Alsarraf M, Mierzejewska EJ, Mohallal EME, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Genetic and phylogenetic analysis of the ticks from the Sinai Massif, Egypt, and their possible role in the transmission of Babesia behnkei. Exp Appl Acarol 2017; 72:415-427. [PMID: 28849399 PMCID: PMC5583268 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-017-0164-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Accepted: 07/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Following the description of Babesia behnkei in the region of St. Katherine, Sinai, the present study was undertaken to determine the role of local tick species as vectors of piroplasms. First we assessed the local fauna of ticks, especially species occurring on rodents, camels and encountered in the environment, and then we compared genotypes of ticks from isolated wadis. Finally, we assessed the role of local tick species as potential vectors of Babesia spp. During our expedition to the Sinai Massif in a 4-week period in August-September 2012, 393 ticks were collected, including 235 adult questing ticks collected from the environment (ground level in the wadis) and 158 engorging ticks from camels and rodents. Amplification and sequencing of a 600 bp fragment of the conservative 18S rDNA and a 440 bp fragment of the more variable mitochondrial (mt) 16S rDNA were carried out to enable the identification of 54 ticks and to assess the genetic variability of ticks collected from two distant isolated wadis. The camel tick Hyalomma dromedarii constituted the majority (80-90%) of adult ticks collected from three wadis in the Sinai Mountains near St. Katherine. Among juvenile ticks collected from rodents, three genotypes were identified: H. dromedarii; Hyalomma sp. showing low homology with H. dromedarii, H. lusitanicum or H. aegyptium; and Rhipicephalus sp. A new genotype of Hyalomma was identified in an isolated montane valley, W. Gebal. Babesia/Theileria DNA was not detected in any of the ticks, which is likely due to the low infection rate in the limited number of ticks that were examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Ewa J. Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
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Alsarraf M, Mohallal EME, Mierzejewska EJ, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Welc-Falęciak R, Bednarska M, Dziewit L, Zalat S, Gilbert F, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Description of Candidatus Bartonella fadhilae n. sp. and Candidatus Bartonella sanaae n. sp. (Bartonellaceae) from Dipodillus dasyurus and Sekeetamys calurus (Gerbillinae) from the Sinai Massif (Egypt). Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2017; 17:483-494. [PMID: 28541836 PMCID: PMC5512320 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2016.2093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bartonella spp. are parasites of mammalian erythrocytes and endothelial cells, transmitted by blood-feeding arthropod ectoparasites. Different species of rodents may constitute the main hosts of Bartonella, including several zoonotic species of Bartonella. The aim of this study was to identify and compare Bartonella species and genotypes isolated from rodent hosts from the South Sinai, Egypt. Prevalence of Bartonella infection was assessed in rodents (837 Acomys dimidiatus, 73 Acomys russatus, 111 Dipodillus dasyurus, and 65 Sekeetamys calurus) trapped in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012 in four dry montane wadis around St. Katherine town in the Sinai Mountains. Total DNA was extracted from blood samples, and PCR amplification and sequencing of the Bartonella-specific 860-bp gene fragment of rpoB and the 810-bp gene fragment of gltA were used for molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The overall prevalence of Bartonella in rodents was 7.2%. Prevalence differed between host species, being 30.6%, 10.8%, 9.6%, and 3.6% in D. dasyurus, S. calurus, A. russatus, and A. dimidiatus, respectively. The phylogenetic analyses of six samples of Bartonella (five from D. dasyurus and one from S. calurus) based on a fragment of the rpoB gene, revealed the existence of two distinct genetic groups (with 95–96% reciprocal sequence identity), clustering with several unidentified isolates obtained earlier from the same rodent species, and distant from species that have already been described (90–92% of sequence identity to the closest match from the GenBank reference database). Thus, molecular and phylogenetic analyses led to the description of two species: Candidatus Bartonella fadhilae n. sp. and Candidatus Bartonella sanaae n. sp. The identification of their vectors and the medical significance of these species need further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alsarraf
- 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Ewa J Mierzejewska
- 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- 3 Department of Forest Phytopathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences , Poznań, Poland
| | - Renata Welc-Falęciak
- 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bednarska
- 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Lukasz Dziewit
- 4 Department of Bacterial Genetics, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Microbiology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
| | - Samy Zalat
- 5 Department of Zoology, Suez Canal University , Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Francis Gilbert
- 6 School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- 6 School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Bajer
- 1 Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, University of Warsaw , Warsaw, Poland
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Sahimin N, Lim YAL, Ariffin F, Behnke JM, Basáñez MG, Walker M, Lewis JW, Noordin R, Abdullah KA, Mohd Zain SN. Socio-demographic determinants of Toxoplasma gondii seroprevalence in migrant workers of Peninsular Malaysia. Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:238. [PMID: 28506241 PMCID: PMC5433061 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2167-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The number of migrants working in Malaysia has increased sharply since the 1970's and there is concern that infectious diseases endemic in other (e.g. neighbouring) countries may be inadvertently imported. Compulsory medical screening prior to entering the workforce does not include parasitic infections such as toxoplasmosis. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection among migrant workers in Peninsular Malaysia by means of serosurveys conducted on a voluntary basis among low-skilled and semi-skilled workers from five working sectors, namely, manufacturing, food service, agriculture and plantation, construction and domestic work. METHODS A total of 484 migrant workers originating from rural locations in neighbouring countries, namely, Indonesia (n = 247, 51.0%), Nepal (n = 99, 20.5%), Bangladesh (n = 72, 14.9%), India (n = 52, 10.7%) and Myanmar (n = 14, 2.9%) were included in this study. RESULTS The overall seroprevalence of T. gondii was 57.4% (n = 278; 95% CI: 52.7-61.8%) with 52.9% (n = 256; 95% CI: 48.4-57.2%) seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgG only, 0.8% (n = 4; 95% CI: 0.2-1.7%) seropositive for anti-Toxoplasma IgM only and 3.7% (n = 18; 95% CI: 2.1-5.4%) seropositive with both IgG and IgM antibodies. All positive samples with both IgG and IgM antibodies showed high avidity (> 40%), suggesting latent infection. Age (being older than 45 years), Nepalese nationality, manufacturing occupation, and being a newcomer in Malaysia (excepting domestic work) were positively and statistically significantly associated with seroprevalence (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The results of this study suggest that better promotion of knowledge about parasite transmission is required for both migrant workers and permanent residents in Malaysia. Efforts should be made to encourage improved personal hygiene before consumption of food and fluids, thorough cooking of meat and better disposal of feline excreta from domestic pets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norhidayu Sahimin
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yvonne A. L. Lim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Farnaza Ariffin
- Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, UiTM Sungai Buloh Campus, Sungai Buloh, Selangor Malaysia
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Maria-Gloria Basáñez
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, St Mary’s Campus, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG UK
| | - Martin Walker
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences and London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL97TA UK
| | - John W. Lewis
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX UK
| | - Rahmah Noordin
- Institute for Research Molecular Medicine, University of Science Malaysia, Gelugor, Penang Malaysia
| | | | - Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Tołkacz K, Bednarska M, Alsarraf M, Dwużnik D, Grzybek M, Welc-Falęciak R, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Prevalence, genetic identity and vertical transmission of Babesia microti in three naturally infected species of vole, Microtus spp. (Cricetidae). Parasit Vectors 2017; 10:66. [PMID: 28166832 PMCID: PMC5294907 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-017-2007-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vertical transmission is one of the transmission routes for Babesia microti, the causative agent of the zoonotic disease, babesiosis. Congenital Babesia invasions have been recorded in laboratory mice, dogs and humans. The aim of our study was to determine if vertical transmission of B. microti occurs in naturally-infected reservoir hosts of the genus Microtus. Methods We sampled 124 common voles, Microtus arvalis; 76 root voles, M. oeconomus and 17 field voles, M. agrestis. In total, 113 embryos were isolated from 20 pregnant females. Another 11 pregnant females were kept in the animal house at the field station in Urwitałt until they had given birth and weaned their pups (n = 62). Blood smears and/or PCR targeting the 550 bp 18S rRNA gene fragment were used for the detection of B. microti. Selected PCR products, including isolates from females/dams and their embryos/pups, were sequenced. Results Positive PCR reactions were obtained for 41% (89/217) of the wild-caught voles. The highest prevalence of B. microti was recorded in M. arvalis (56/124; 45.2%), then in M. oeconomus (30/76; 39.5%) and the lowest in M. agrestis (3/17; 17.7%). Babesia microti DNA was detected in 61.4% (27/44) of pregnant females. Vertical transmission was confirmed in 81% (61/75) of the embryos recovered from Babesia-positive wild-caught pregnant females. The DNA of B. microti was detected in the hearts, lungs and livers of embryos from 98% of M. arvalis, 46% of M. oeconomus and 0% of M. agrestis embryos from Babesia-positive females. Of the pups born in captivity, 90% were born to Babesia-positive dams. Babesia microti DNA was detected in 70% (35/50) of M. arvalis and 83% (5/6) of M. oeconomus pups. Congenitally acquired infections had no impact on the survival of pups over a 3-week period post partum. Among 97 B. microti sequences, two genotypes were found. The IRU1 genotype (Jena-like) was dominant in wild-caught voles (49/53; 92%), pregnant females (9/11; 82%) and dams (3/5; 60%). The IRU2 genotype (Munich-like) was dominant among B. microti positive embryos (20/27; 74%) and pups (12/17; 71%). Conclusion A high rate of vertical transmission of the two main rodent genotypes of B. microti was confirmed in two species of naturally infected voles, M. arvalis and M. oeconomus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Tołkacz
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bednarska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Dorota Dwużnik
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Grzybek
- Department of Parasitology and Invasive Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, 12 Akademicka Street, 20-950, Lublin, Poland
| | - Renata Welc-Falęciak
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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Abu-Madi MA, Behnke JM, Ismail A, Boughattas S. Assessing the burden of intestinal parasites affecting newly arrived immigrants in Qatar. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:619. [PMID: 27903290 PMCID: PMC5131437 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1906-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In the last decades, the enormous influx of immigrants to industrialized countries has led to outbreaks of parasitic diseases, with enteric infections being amongst the most frequently encountered. In its strategy to control such infection, Qatar has established the Pre-Employment Certificate (PEC) program which requires medical inspection before arrival in Qatar and which is mandatory for immigrant workers travelling to the country. To assess the reliability of the PEC, we conducted a survey of intestinal parasites, based on examination of stool samples provided by immigrant workers (n = 2,486) recently arrived in Qatar. Results Overall prevalence of helminths was 7.0% and that of protozoa was 11.7%. Prevalence of combined helminths was highest among the western Asians and the highest prevalence of combined protozoan parasites was among workers from North to Saharan Africa. Analysis of temporal changes showed an increasing trend of protozoan infections over the investigated 3 years. A major contribution to this temporal change in prevalence came from Blastocystis hominis as well as from other protozoan species: Giardia duodenalis and Endolimax nana. Analysis of the temporal trend in species richness of the protozoan species showed a significant increase in the mean number of species harboured per subject across this period. Conclusion The increase of protozoan infections over recent years raises some concerns. It suggests that screening protocols for applicants for visas/work permits needs to be revised giving more careful attention to the intestinal protozoan infections that potential immigrants may harbor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Ahmed Ismail
- Medical Commission, Ministry of Public Health, P.O. Box 42, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sonia Boughattas
- Department of Biomedical Science, College of Health Sciences, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
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Sahimin N, Lim YAL, Ariffin F, Behnke JM, Lewis JW, Mohd Zain SN. Migrant Workers in Malaysia: Current Implications of Sociodemographic and Environmental Characteristics in the Transmission of Intestinal Parasitic Infections. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2016; 10:e0005110. [PMID: 27806046 PMCID: PMC5091761 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0005110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A cross-sectional study of intestinal parasitic infections amongst migrant workers in Malaysia was conducted. A total of 388 workers were recruited from five sectors including manufacturing, construction, plantation, domestic and food services. The majority were recruited from Indonesia (n = 167, 43.3%), followed by Nepal (n = 81, 20.9%), Bangladesh (n = 70, 18%), India (n = 47, 12.1%) and Myanmar (n = 23, 5.9.2%). A total of four nematode species (Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Enterobius vermicularis and hookworms), one cestode (Hymenolepis nana) and three protozoan species (Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia sp. and Cryptosporidium spp.) were identified. High prevalence of infections with A. lumbricoides (43.3%) was recorded followed by hookworms (13.1%), E. histolytica/dispar (11.6%), Giardia sp. (10.8%), T. trichura (9.5%), Cryptosporodium spp. (3.1%), H. nana (1.8%) and E. vermicularis (0.5%). Infections were significantly influenced by socio-demographic (nationality), and environmental characteristics (length of working years in the country, employment sector and educational level). Up to 84.0% of migrant workers from Nepal and 83.0% from India were infected with intestinal parasites, with the ascarid nematode A. lumbricoides occurring in 72.8% of the Nepalese and 68.1% of the Indian population. In addition, workers with an employment history of less than a year or newly arrived in Malaysia were most likely to show high levels of infection as prevalence of workers infected with A. lumbricoides was reduced from 58.2% to 35.4% following a year's residence. These findings suggest that improvement is warranted in public health and should include mandatory medical screening upon entry into the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norhidayu Sahimin
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yvonne A. L. Lim
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Farnaza Ariffin
- Primary Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Teknologi Mara Sungai Buloh Campus, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - John W. Lewis
- School of Biological Sciences, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Siti Nursheena Mohd Zain
- Institute of Biological Science, Faculty of Science, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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Abu-Madi MA, Behnke JM, Boughattas S, Al-Thani A, Doiphode SH. A decade of intestinal protozoan epidemiology among settled immigrants in Qatar. BMC Infect Dis 2016; 16:370. [PMID: 27496143 PMCID: PMC4974681 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-016-1728-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 07/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The World Health Organization estimates that about 3.5 billion people worldwide are affected by intestinal parasitic infections. Reports have already emphasized the role of immigrants in outbreaks of parasitic diseases in industrialized countries. With the mass influx of immigrants to Qatar, patent intestinal parasitic infections have been observed. Herein, the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections was analysed in 29,286 records of subjects referred for stool examination at the Hamad Medical Corporation over the course of a decade (2005 to 2014, inclusive). Results Overall prevalence of combined protozoan infections was 5.93 % but there were significant temporal trends, age and sex effects and those arising from the region of origin of the subjects. The most common protozoan was Blastocystis hominis (overall prevalence 3.45 %). Giardia duodenalis, Chilomastix mesnili, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hartmanni, Endolimax nana, Iodamoeba butschlii, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Cryptosporidium sp. and a single case of Isospora were also detected. The prevalence of combined protozoan infections, G. duodenalis and the non-pathogenic amoebae all declined significantly across the decade. That of B. hominis varied between years but showed no directional trend across years and there was no evidence that prevalence of E. histolyitica/dispar changed significantly. Protozoan infections were observed among all regional groups, but prevalence was higher among subjects from the Arabian Peninsula, Africa and Asia compared to those from the Eastern Mediterranean and Qatar. Prevalence was higher among male subjects in all cases, but age-prevalence profiles differed between the taxa. Conclusion These results offer optimism that prevalence will continue to decline in the years ahead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Centre, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Sonia Boughattas
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Centre, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Asma Al-Thani
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Centre, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sanjay H Doiphode
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
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Abu-Madi M, Behnke JM, Sharma A, Bearden R, Al-Banna N. Prevalence of Virulence/Stress Genes in Campylobacter jejuni from Chicken Meat Sold in Qatari Retail Outlets. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156938. [PMID: 27258021 PMCID: PMC4892673 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Chicken meat from the shelves of supermarkets in Qatar was tested for the presence of Campylobacter spp. and the presence of five virulence genes (htrB, cdtB, clpP, cadF and ciaB) was assessed in isolates. Forty eight percent of the chickens provided for supermarkets by Saudi (53%) and Qatari (45.9%) producers were found to be contaminated and the most important factor affecting the overall prevalence of contaminated chickens was the store from which chicken samples originated. Variation in prevalence of Campylobacter in chicken meat from different stores was evident even when the same producer supplied the three stores in our survey. Differences in the prevalence and in the combinations of virulence genes in isolates that can and cannot grow in a classic maintenance medium (Karmali) were identified, providing a starting point for linking presence/absence of particular virulence genes with actual in vivo virulence and pathogenicity. Because of the relatively low infective doses of Campylobacter that are required to initiate infection in humans, it will be important to explore further the relationships we identified between certain Campylobacter virulence genes and their capacity for survival in poultry meat, and hence their contribution to the incidence of campylobacteriosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom NG7 2RD
| | - Aarti Sharma
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Rebecca Bearden
- Department of Biomedical Science, Biomedical Research Center, College of Health Sciences, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Nadia Al-Banna
- College of Medicine, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
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Alsarraf M, Bednarska M, Mohallal EME, Mierzejewska EJ, Behnke-Borowczyk J, Zalat S, Gilbert F, Welc-Falęciak R, Kloch A, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Long-term spatiotemporal stability and dynamic changes in the haemoparasite community of spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) in four montane wadis in the St. Katherine Protectorate, Sinai, Egypt. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:195. [PMID: 27059180 PMCID: PMC4826546 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1471-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Long-term field studies of parasite communities are rare but provide a powerful insight into the ecological processes shaping host-parasite interactions. The aim of our study was to monitor long-term trends in the haemoparasite communities of spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) and to identify the principal factors responsible for changes over a 12 year period. Methods To this end we sampled four semi-isolated populations of mice (n = 835) in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 in four dry montane valleys (wadis) located in the Sinai Massif, Egypt. Results Overall 76.2 % of spiny mice carried at least one of the five haemoparasite genera (Babesia, Bartonella, Haemobartonella, Hepatozoon, Trypanosoma) recorded in the study. Prevalence of haemoparasites varied significantly between the sites with the highest overall prevalence in Wadi Tlah and the lowest in W. El Arbaein, and this changed significantly with time. In the first two surveys there was little change in prevalence, but by 2008, when the first signs of a deepening drought in the region had become apparent, prevalence began to drift downwards, and by 2012 prevalence had fallen to the lowest values recorded from all four sites over the entire 12-year period. The overall mean species richness was 1.2 ± 0.03, which peaked in 2004 and then dropped by more than 50 % by 2012. Species richness was highest among mice from Wadi Tlah and peaked in age class 2 mice (young adults). Site was the most significant factor affecting the prevalence of individual parasite species, with Trypanosoma acomys and Hepatozoon sp. occurring mainly in two wadis (W. Tlah & W. Gharaba). In four of the five genera recorded in the study we observed a significant drop in prevalence or/and abundance since 2004, the exception being Hepatozoon sp. Conclusions During the 12-year-long period of study in the Sinai, we observed dynamic changes and possibly even cycles of prevalence and abundance of infections which differed depending on parasite species. Although the exact reasons cannot be identified at this time, we hypothesize that the effects of a 15-year-long scarcity of rainfall in the local environment and a fall in host densities over the period of study may have been responsible for a drop in transmission rates, possibly by a negative impact on vector survival. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1471-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammed Alsarraf
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Bednarska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Ewa J Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jolanta Behnke-Borowczyk
- Department of Forest Phytopathology, Faculty of Forestry, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań, Poland
| | - Samy Zalat
- Department of Zoology, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, Egypt
| | - Francis Gilbert
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Renata Welc-Falęciak
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Kloch
- Department of Ecology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096, Warsaw, Poland.
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Tsoleridis T, Onianwa O, Horncastle E, Dayman E, Zhu M, Danjittrong T, Wachtl M, Behnke JM, Chapman S, Strong V, Dobbs P, Ball JK, Tarlinton RE, McClure CP. Discovery of Novel Alphacoronaviruses in European Rodents and Shrews. Viruses 2016; 8:84. [PMID: 27102167 PMCID: PMC4810274 DOI: 10.3390/v8030084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Revised: 02/29/2016] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Eight hundred and thirteen European rodents and shrews encompassing seven different species were screened for alphacoronaviruses using PCR detection. Novel alphacoronaviruses were detected in the species Rattus norvegicus, Microtus agrestis, Sorex araneus and Myodes glareolus. These, together with the recently described Lucheng virus found in China, form a distinct rodent/shrew-specific clade within the coronavirus phylogeny. Across a highly conserved region of the viral polymerase gene, the new members of this clade were up to 22% dissimilar at the nucleotide level to the previously described Lucheng virus. As such they might represent distinct species of alphacoronaviruses. These data greatly extend our knowledge of wildlife reservoirs of alphacoronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Okechukwu Onianwa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Emma Horncastle
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Emma Dayman
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Miaoran Zhu
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | | | - Marta Wachtl
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Sarah Chapman
- Twycross Zoo, Burton Road, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 3PX, UK.
| | - Victoria Strong
- Twycross Zoo, Burton Road, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 3PX, UK.
| | - Phillipa Dobbs
- Twycross Zoo, Burton Road, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 3PX, UK.
| | - Jonathan K Ball
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Rachael E Tarlinton
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK.
| | - C Patrick McClure
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, UK.
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Abu-Madi MA, Behnke JM, Boughattas S, Al-Thani A, Doiphode SH, Deshmukh A. Helminth infections among long-term-residents and settled immigrants in Qatar in the decade from 2005 to 2014: temporal trends and varying prevalence among subjects from different regional origins. Parasit Vectors 2016; 9:153. [PMID: 26984202 PMCID: PMC4793708 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-016-1433-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Travel and migration from developing regions, where tropical diseases are common, to more developed industrialised nations can contribute to the introduction and subsequent spread of infections. With its rapidly expanding economy, Qatar has attracted vast numbers of immigrant workers in the last two decades, often from countries with poor socio-economic levels. Many used to arrive with patent intestinal parasitic infections. METHODS We analysed the prevalence of helminth infections in a dataset of 29,286 records of subjects referred for stool examination at the Hamad Medical Corporation over the course of a decade (2005 to 2014, inclusive). RESULTS Overall prevalence of combined helminth infections was low (1.86 %) but there were significant temporal trends, age and sex effects and those arising from the region of origin of the subjects. The most common helminths were hookworms (overall prevalence 1.22 %), which accounted for 70.1 % of cases, and therefore patterns for combined helminth infections were largely driven by hookworms. In both cases, and also in Trichuris trichiura and Ascaris lumbricoides, prevalence peaked in 2008, since when prevalence has been steadily falling. Helminth infections were largely concentrated among subjects from five Asian countries (Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India and Pakistan), and there was a highly biased prevalence in favour of male subjects in all cases. Prevalence of all three nematodes peaked in age class 7 (mean age 25.5 years, range = 20-29) and there were significant interactions between region of origin, sex of subjects and prevalence of hookworms. CONCLUSION These results offer optimism that prevalence will continue to decline in the years ahead, especially if control is targeted at those most at risk of carrying infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan A Abu-Madi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Science, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Sonia Boughattas
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Science, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Asma Al-Thani
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Health Science, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar
| | - Sanjay H Doiphode
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
| | - Anand Deshmukh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Hamad Medical Corporation, Qatar, P.O. Box 3050, Doha, Qatar
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Setsuda A, Da N, Hasegawa H, Behnke JM, Rana HB, Dhakal IP, Sato H. Intraspecific and interspecific genetic variation of Gongylonema pulchrum and two rodent Gongylonema spp. (G. aegypti and G. neoplasticum), with the proposal of G. nepalensis n. sp. for the isolate in water buffaloes from Nepal. Parasitol Res 2015; 115:787-95. [PMID: 26531300 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4806-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 10/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The gullet worm (Gongylonema pulchrum) has been recorded from a variety of mammals worldwide. In an earlier study, we demonstrated two separate transmission cycles in cattle (Bos taurus) and wild mammals in Japan based on nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal RNA gene (rDNA) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (cox-1) region of mitochondrial DNA of multiple isolates of different origins. Our earlier study additionally demonstrated two major cox-1 haplotypes of G. pulchrum prevalent in cattle in Japan. In the present study, we collected G. pulchrum from cattle and goats (Capra hircus) in Alashan League, Inner Mongolia, China; Gongylonema aegypti from spiny mice (Acomys dimidiatus) in the Sinai Peninsula, Egypt; and Gongylonema neoplasticum from a black rat (Rattus rattus) in Okinawa Island, Japan, to analyze their genetic relationships with G. pulchrum in Japan. The gullet worms from Alashan League had almost identical rDNA nucleotide sequences and two cox-1 haplotypes as seen in G. pulchrum from the cattle in Japan. The two rodent Gongylonema spp. had distinct rDNA nucleotide sequences compared with those of G. pulchrum; only the 18S and 5.8S rDNA sequences showed high identities at 97.2-98.7%, while the remaining sequences were less than 75% identical. The 18S, 5.8S, and 28S rDNA sequences of the two rodent Gongylonema spp. showed nucleotide identities of 99.8% (1811/1814), 100% (158/158), and 98.9% (3550/3590), respectively. The cox-1 regions showed 91.6% (338/369)-92.1% (340/369) identities, with completely identical amino acid sequences. The genetic diversities of three distinct Gongylonema spp. and their possible intraspecific genetic variation may allow us to resolve the taxonomic position of Gongylonema spp. which display few obvious morphological differences from their congeners. Consequently, the Gongylonema isolate from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Nepal reported in our previous study is concluded to be a new species, and Gongylonema nepalensis n. sp. is erected for it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aogu Setsuda
- Laboratory of Parasitology, United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan
| | - Nengtai Da
- Animal Toxicopathy Prevention and Cure Institution of Alashan League, Bayanhot, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, 750300, People's Republic of China
| | - Hideo Hasegawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Hasama, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
| | - Hari Bahadur Rana
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries, Agricultural and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
| | - Ishwari Prasad Dhakal
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries, Agricultural and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal
| | - Hiroshi Sato
- Laboratory of Parasitology, United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, 1677-1 Yoshida, Yamaguchi, 753-8515, Japan.
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Abu-Madi M, Aly M, Behnke JM, Clark CG, Balkhy H. The distribution of Blastocystis subtypes in isolates from Qatar. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:465. [PMID: 26384209 PMCID: PMC4573284 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1071-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2015] [Accepted: 09/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Blastocystis is a common single-celled intestinal parasite of humans and other animals comprising at least 17 genetically distinct small subunit ribosomal RNA lineages (subtypes (STs)), nine of which have been found in humans. The geographic distribution of Blastocystis subtypes is variable, but the subtypes present in Qatar are at present unknown. Methods Stool samples were collected from randomly selected, apparently healthy subjects arriving in Qatar for the first time. Blastocystis subtypes were determined by sequencing of the small subunit rRNA gene (SSU rDNA) PCR products. Phylogenetic analyses were done using Maximum Composite Likelihood method. Results 71.1 % of samples were positive for Blastocystis infection based on PCR-detection methodology compared to only 6.9 % by microscopy. Prevalence of Blastocystis did not differ between the sexes nor between age classes. However, there was a regional difference in prevalence with subjects arriving from Africa showing the highest (87.6 %), those from Western Asia intermediate (68.6 %) and from Eastern Asia the lowest prevalence (67.6 %). Genetic analysis detected only three STs. ST3 was the most common (69.3 %) and ST2 was the rarest (3.5 %), while ST1 had a prevalence of 27.2 %. ST2 showed a regional variation, being absent from the 64 Western Asian Blastocystis-positive subjects. Both ST1 and ST3 showed significant differences in prevalence between the sexes. Conclusions This is the first report exploring the distribution of Blastocystis subtypes in our region. We recommend that stool screening via microscopy for the presence of Blastocystis should be abandoned since it is extremely insensitive. In future, the prevalence of Blastocystis infections should be based on PCR methodology and we predict that in the years ahead diagnostic PCR will become the tool of choice. More work is needed to identify the full range of Blastocystis subtypes that circulate in our region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marawan Abu-Madi
- Department of Health Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Biomedical Research Center, Qatar University, P.O. Box 2713, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Mahmoud Aly
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, National Guard Health Affairs, Mail Code: 2216, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, KSA. .,King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Jerzy M Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom, NG7 2RD.
| | - C Graham Clark
- Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, London, United Kingdom.
| | - Hanan Balkhy
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, National Guard Health Affairs, Mail Code: 2216, P.O. Box 22490, Riyadh, 11426, KSA. .,King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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Mierzejewska EJ, Alsarraf M, Behnke JM, Bajer A. The effect of changes in agricultural practices on the density of Dermacentor reticulatus ticks. Vet Parasitol 2015; 211:259-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2015.05.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2015] [Revised: 05/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Mierzejewska EJ, Welc-Faleciak R, Karbowiak G, Kowalec M, Behnke JM, Bajer A. Dominance of Dermacentor reticulatus over Ixodes ricinus (Ixodidae) on livestock, companion animals and wild ruminants in eastern and central Poland. Exp Appl Acarol 2015; 66:83-101. [PMID: 25717007 PMCID: PMC4412838 DOI: 10.1007/s10493-015-9889-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 02/17/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The most common tick species parasitizing animals in Poland are Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus. These tick species differ in their distribution, habitats, seasonal activity and host specificity. Ixodes ricinus is the most prevalent and widely distributed, whereas the range of D. reticulatus is limited to eastern and central parts of the country with several new foci in the middle-west and the west. However, as in many central European countries, the range of D. reticulatus is expanding, and some authors have correlated this expansion with an increasing number of available hosts. The aim of the present study was to determine the tick fauna on domestic and livestock animals in two areas endemic for I. ricinus and D. reticulatus and to compare the risk of infestation with different tick species in open and forest areas. Over a 14 month period, 732 ticks were collected from five host species including domestic animals (dogs and cats), livestock (cows and horses) and wildlife (European bison) in two areas, central and NE Poland, endemic for D. reticulatus. Three tick species were recorded: D. reticulatus (623 individuals; 85.1% of all collected ticks), I. ricinus (106 individuals; 14.5%) and three females of Ixodes hexagonus (0.4%) from a dog. Dermacentor reticulatus was the dominant tick species found on four host species and constituted 86, 81, 97 and 100% of all ticks from dogs, horses, cows and bison, respectively, and was collected from animals throughout the year, including during the winter. The common tick, I. ricinus, was the dominant tick collected from cats (94%). Fully-engorged, ready-for-reproduction females of D. reticulatus were collected from all host species. In May 2012, questing ticks were collected by dragging in forest or open habitats. The density of adult marsh ticks in open areas was around 2 ticks/100 m(2) in the majority of locations, with a maximum of 9.5 ticks/100 m(2). The density of adult I. ricinus was much lower in its typical habitat (forests: range 0.8-2.2 ticks/100 m(2)) between three and seven times lower than the density of D. reticulatus in its typical habitat. In regions endemic for marsh ticks, this tick species constitutes the main risk of tick infestation for livestock and dogs throughout the year. Livestock and companion animals are competent hosts for D. reticulatus, enabling the completion of the tick's life cycle. Anti-tick treatment should be adjusted to marsh tick seasonal activity and drug sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa J. Mierzejewska
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Renata Welc-Faleciak
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Karbowiak
- W. Stefański Institute of Parasitology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Twarda 51/55, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Maciej Kowalec
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jerzy M. Behnke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD UK
| | - Anna Bajer
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, 1 Miecznikowa Street, 02-096 Warsaw, Poland
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Luoga W, Mansur F, Lowe A, Duce IR, Buttle DJ, Behnke JM. Factors affecting the anthelmintic efficacy of papaya latex in vivo: host sex and intensity of infection. Parasitol Res 2015; 114:2535-41. [PMID: 25855350 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-015-4456-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The development of plant-derived cysteine proteinases, such as those in papaya latex, as novel anthelmintics requires that the variables affecting efficacy be fully evaluated. Here, we conducted two experiments, the first to test for any effect of host sex and the second to determine whether the intensity of the worm burden carried by mice would influence efficacy. In both experiments, we used the standard C3H mouse reference strain in which papaya latex supernatant (PLS) consistently shows >80 % reduction in Heligmosomoides bakeri worm burdens, but to broaden the perspective, we also included for comparison mice of other strains that are known to respond more poorly to treatment with papaya latex. Our results confirmed that there is a strong genetic influence affecting efficacy of PLS in removing adult worm burdens. However, there was no effect of host sex on efficacy (C3H and NIH) and no effect of infection intensity (C3H and BALB/c). These results offer optimism that plant-derived cysteine proteinases (CPs), such as these from papaya latex, can function as effective anthelmintics, with neither host sex nor infection intensity presenting further hurdles to impede their development for future medicinal and veterinary usage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenceslaus Luoga
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK
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