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Zheng S, Sun L, Huang L, Xie Y, Ding X. Toxocara canis infection in multiple types of animals: ophthalmological and pathological observations. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:85. [PMID: 38395932 PMCID: PMC10885396 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-06070-y] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Human ocular toxocariasis (OT), caused by pet roundworm Toxocara canis (Nematoda Ascaridoidea), is a worldwide ocular parasitic infection that poses a severe threat to eyesight, especially in school-aged children. However, the infection process and pathological mechanism of Toxocara are difficult to study in the human body. This study was designed to explore long-term ocular manifestations in different rodents infected with Toxocara canis, uncovering the specific pathological mechanism and migration pathway of larvae after infection. The three types of experimental animals we selected were C57BL/6 mice, Mongolian gerbils and Brown Norway rats. Mice were randomly divided into five groups and infected orally with 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000 and 10,000 T. canis eggs; gerbils were randomly divided into four groups and infected orally with 1000, 2000, 4000 and 10,000 T. canis eggs; rats were randomly divided into three groups and infected orally with 2000, 6000 and 10,000 T. canis eggs. Their ocular changes were closely observed and recorded for at least 2 months. We also enucleated the eyeballs of some animals to perform pathological sectioning and hematoxylin-eosin staining. After 3 dpi (days post-infection), hemorrhagic lesions, mechanical injury of the retina and larval migration could be observed in some infected animals. The ocular infection and mortality rates tended to be stable at 7 dpi. Larval tissue, structure disorder and inflammation could be observed in the pathological sections. In conclusion, the mice infected with 2000 T. canis eggs and gerbils infected with 1000, 2000 and 4000 T. canis eggs showing obvious ocular lesions and lower mortality rates could provide a basis for long-term observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuxin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Limei Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Li Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Parasitology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Xiaoyan Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 7 Jinsui Road, Guangzhou, 510060, China.
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Mor B, Görmez A, Demirci B. Immunopathological investigation of a gerbil model of cutaneous leishmaniasis. Acta Trop 2023; 246:106991. [PMID: 37479161 DOI: 10.1016/j.actatropica.2023.106991] [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: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Leishmaniasis, caused by Leishmania species (intracellular protozoans), is a chronic, systemic disease that causes skin (cutaneous) and internal organ infections (visceral). Its prevalence has increased in recent years. Leishmania species are considered important pathogens that affect public health. After infecting an individual, the pathogen disrupts the immune system, but, there are not enough studies on which immune mechanisms are affected. The aim of this study was to establish a Leishmania major infection model (the causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis) in gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) and to investigate the immune response in this model by examining the expression of important inflammatory genes (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, IFN-ɣ and TNF-α). The presence of parasites was confirmed by microscopic examination of samples taken from the lesions and culture studies. The expression of inflammatory cytokine genes was significantly increased in infected gerbils. The changes indicated that both the Th1 and Th2 pathways are activated in cutaneous leishmaniasis infection. Hence, different immunopathological mechanisms should be evaluated in the pathogenesis of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baycan Mor
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kafkas University, 36100, Kars, Türkiye.
| | - Arzu Görmez
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Dokuz Eylul University, 35390, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Berna Demirci
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, Kafkas University, 36100, Kars, Türkiye
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Smith AT, Krasnov BR, Horak IG, Ueckermann EA, Matthee S. Ectoparasites associated with the Bushveld gerbil ( Gerbilliscus leucogaster) and the role of the host and habitat in shaping ectoparasite diversity and infestations. Parasitology 2023; 150:792-804. [PMID: 37272490 PMCID: PMC10478068 DOI: 10.1017/s0031182023000562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Rodents are known hosts for various ectoparasite taxa such as fleas, lice, ticks and mites. South Africa is recognized for its animal diversity, yet little is published about the parasite diversity associated with wild rodent species. By focusing on a wildlife-human/domestic animal interface, the study aims to record ectoparasite diversity and levels of infestations of the Bushveld gerbil, Gerbilliscus leucogaster, and to establish the relationship between ectoparasite infestation parameters and host- and habitat factors. Rodents (n = 127) were trapped in 2 habitat types (natural and agricultural) during 2014–2020. More than 6500 individuals of 32 epifaunistic species represented by 21 genera and belonging to 5 taxonomic groups (fleas, sucking lice, ticks, mesostigmatan mites and trombiculid mites) were collected. Mesostigmatan mites and lice were the most abundant and fleas and mesostigmatan mites the most prevalent groups. Flea and mesostigmatan mite numbers and mesostigmatan mite species richness was significantly higher on reproductively active male than female rodents. Only ticks were significantly associated with habitat type, with significantly higher tick numbers and more tick species on rodents in the natural compared to the agricultural habitat. We conclude that the level of infestation by ectoparasites closely associated with the host (fleas and mites) was affected by host-associated factors, while infestation by ectoparasite that spend most of their life in the external environment (ticks) was affected by habitat type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amber T. Smith
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, 7602 Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Boris R. Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede-Boqer Campus, 84990 Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Ivan G. Horak
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, PO Box 94, Makhanda 6140, South Africa
| | - Eddie A. Ueckermann
- Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, Potchefstroom Campus, North-West University, North-West, South Africa
| | - Sonja Matthee
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology, Stellenbosch University, 7602 Stellenbosch, South Africa
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Novozhilova TS, Chistyakov DS, Akhmadishina LV, Lukashev AN, Gerasimov ES, Yurchenko V. Genomic analysis of Leishmania turanica strains from different regions of Central Asia. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011145. [PMID: 36877735 PMCID: PMC10019736 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011145] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution in Leishmania is governed by the opposite forces of clonality and sexual reproduction, with vicariance being an important factor. As such, Leishmania spp. populations may be monospecific or mixed. Leishmania turanica in Central Asia is a good model to compare these two types. In most areas, populations of L. turanica are mixed with L. gerbilli and L. major. Notably, co-infection with L. turanica in great gerbils helps L. major to withstand a break in the transmission cycle. Conversely, the populations of L. turanica in Mongolia are monospecific and geographically isolated. In this work, we compare genomes of several well-characterized strains of L. turanica originated from monospecific and mixed populations in Central Asia in order to shed light on genetic factors, which may drive evolution of these parasites in different settings. Our results illustrate that evolutionary differences between mixed and monospecific populations of L. turanica are not dramatic. On the level of large-scale genomic rearrangements, we confirmed that different genomic loci and different types of rearrangements may differentiate strains originated from mixed and monospecific populations, with genome translocations being the most prominent example. Our data suggests that L. turanica has a significantly higher level of chromosomal copy number variation between the strains compared to its sister species L. major with only one supernumerary chromosome. This suggests that L. turanica (in contrast to L. major) is in the active phase of evolutionary adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Daniil S. Chistyakov
- Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology, Sechenov University, Moscow, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
| | | | | | - Evgeny S. Gerasimov
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
- * E-mail: (ESG); (VY)
| | - Vyacheslav Yurchenko
- Life Science Research Centre, Faculty of Science, University of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic
- * E-mail: (ESG); (VY)
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Nasiri Z, Kalantari M, Mohammadi J, Daliri S, Mehrabani D, Azizi K. Cutaneous leishmaniasis in Iran: A review of epidemiological aspects, with emphasis on molecular findings. Parasite 2022; 29:47. [PMID: 36269100 PMCID: PMC9585930 DOI: 10.1051/parasite/2022047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Leishmania parasites can cause zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) by circulating between humans, rodents, and sandflies in Iran. In this study, published data were collected from scientific sources such as Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, ResearchGate, Wiley Online, Ovid, Ebsco, Cochrane Library, Google scholar, and SID. Keywords searched in the articles, theses, and abstracts from 1983 to 2021 were cutaneous leishmaniasis, epidemiology, reservoir, vector, climatic factors, identification, and Iran. This review revealed that CL was prevalent in the west of Iran, while the center and south of Iran were also involved in recent years. The lack of facilities in suburban regions was an aggravating factor in the human community. Some parts of southern Iran were prominent foci of CL due the presence of potential rodent hosts in these regions. Rhombomys opimus, Meriones lybicus, and Tatera indica were well-documented species for hosting the Leishmania species in Iran. Moreover, R. opimus has been found with a coinfection of Leishmania major and L. turanica from the northeast and center of Iran. Mashhad, Kerman, Yazd, and sometimes Shiraz and Tehran foci were distinct areas for L. tropica. Molecular identifications using genomic diagnosis of kDNA and ITS1 fragments of the parasite indicated that there is heterogeneity in leishmaniasis in different parts of the country. Although cutaneous leishmaniasis has been a predicament for the health system, it is relatively under control in Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahra Nasiri
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 7153675541 Shiraz Iran
- Department of Health, Firoozabad Branch, Islamic Azad University 7471913113 Firoozabad Iran
| | - Mohsen Kalantari
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 7153675541 Shiraz Iran
| | - Jalal Mohammadi
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 7153675541 Shiraz Iran
| | - Salman Daliri
- Clinical Research Development Unit, Imam Hospital, Shahroud University of Medical Sciences Shahroud Iran
| | - Davood Mehrabani
- Li Ka Shing Center for Health Research and Innovation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada; Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 7134814336 Shiraz Iran
| | - Kourosh Azizi
- Research Center for Health Sciences, Institute of Health, Department of Vector Biology and Control of Diseases, School of Health, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 7153675541 Shiraz Iran
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Khokhlova IS, van der Mescht L, Warburton EM, Stavtseva NA, Krasnov BR. Adaptation to a novel host and performance trade-off in host-generalist and host-specific insect ectoparasites. Insect Sci 2022; 29:567-580. [PMID: 34048132 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.12929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
We investigated the performance trade-offs of fleas (Siphonaptera) while adapting to a novel host using two host generalists (Xenopsylla conformis and Xenopsylla ramesis) and one host specialist (Parapulex chephrenis) maintained on their principal hosts (Meriones crassus for Xenopsylla and Acomys cahirinus for P. chephrenis). We asked whether, over generations, (i) a host generalist may become a specialist by evolving the ability to exploit a novel host and losing the ability to exploit an original host and (ii) a host specialist can become a generalist by evolving the ability to exploit a novel host without losing the ability to exploit an original host. We established an experimental line of each species on a novel host (Acomys russatus for Xenopsylla and M. crassus for P. chephrenis) and maintained this line on this host during 23 generations. We compared reproductive performance of progenitors of each line and their descendants when they exploited either original or novel host in terms of egg number and size, hatching success, offspring production, and offspring size. We found changes in performance over generations in female offspring size only. Xenopsylla conformis demonstrated a tendency to become a host specialist (increased performance on the novel host with a concomitant decreased performance on the original host), whereas P. chephrenis demonstrated a tendency to become a host generalist (increased performance on the novel host without a concomitant decreased performance on the original host). We conclude that the probability of generalist to specialist transition, and vice versa, is context-dependent and varies between species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina S Khokhlova
- Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Luther van der Mescht
- Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Present affiliation and address of Luther van der Mescht: Clinvet International, Uitzich Road, Bainsvlei, 9338 Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa
| | - Elizabeth M Warburton
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Present affiliation and address of Elizabeth M. Warburton: Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, 203 D.W. Brooks Dr., Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Nadezhda A Stavtseva
- Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boqer Campus, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
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Derghal M, Tebai A, Balti G, Souguir-Omrani H, Chemkhi J, Rhim A, Bouattour A, Guizani I, M’Ghirbi Y, Guerbouj S. High-resolution melting analysis identifies reservoir hosts of zoonotic Leishmania parasites in Tunisia. Parasit Vectors 2022; 15:12. [PMID: 34996507 PMCID: PMC8742351 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-021-05138-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Leishmaniasis is endemic in Tunisia and presents with different clinical forms, caused by the species Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major, and Leishmania tropica. The life cycle of Leishmania is complex and involves several phlebotomine sand fly vectors and mammalian reservoir hosts. The aim of this work is the development and evaluation of a high-resolution melting PCR (PCR-HRM) tool to detect and identify Leishmania parasites in wild and domestic hosts, constituting confirmed (dogs and Meriones rodents) or potential (hedgehogs) reservoirs in Tunisia. METHODS Using in vitro-cultured Leishmania isolates, PCR-HRM reactions were developed targeting the 7SL RNA and HSP70 genes. Animals were captured or sampled in El Kef Governorate, North West Tunisia. DNA was extracted from the liver, spleen, kidney, and heart from hedgehogs (Atelerix algirus) (n = 3) and rodents (Meriones shawi) (n = 7) and from whole blood of dogs (n = 12) that did not present any symptoms of canine leishmaniasis. In total, 52 DNA samples were processed by PCR-HRM using both pairs of primers. RESULTS The results showed melting curves enabling discrimination of the three Leishmania species present in Tunisia, and were further confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Application of PCR-HRM assays on reservoir host samples showed that overall among the examined samples, 45 were positive, while seven were negative, with no Leishmania infection. Meriones shawi were found infected with L. major, while dogs were infected with L. infantum. However, co-infections with L. major/L. infantum species were detected in four Meriones specimens and in all tested hedgehogs. In addition, multiple infections with the three Leishmania species were found in one hedgehog specimen. Sequence analyses of PCR-HRM products corroborated the Leishmania species found in analyzed samples. CONCLUSIONS The results of PCR-HRM assays applied to field specimens further support the possibility of hedgehogs as reservoir hosts of Leishmania. In addition, we showed their usefulness in the diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis, specifically in asymptomatic dogs, which will ensure a better evaluation of infection extent, thus improving elaboration of control programs. This PCR-HRM method is a robust and reliable tool for molecular detection and identification of Leishmania and can be easily implemented in epidemiological surveys in endemic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moufida Derghal
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Faculté Des Sciences de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Abir Tebai
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ghofrane Balti
- Laboratoire d’épidémiologie Et Microbiologie Vétérinaire (LR16IPT03), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Laboratoire Des Virus, Vecteurs Et Hôtes (LR20IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Hajer Souguir-Omrani
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Jomaa Chemkhi
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Adel Rhim
- Laboratoire d’épidémiologie Et Microbiologie Vétérinaire (LR16IPT03), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Laboratoire Des Virus, Vecteurs Et Hôtes (LR20IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ali Bouattour
- Laboratoire d’épidémiologie Et Microbiologie Vétérinaire (LR16IPT03), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Laboratoire Des Virus, Vecteurs Et Hôtes (LR20IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Ikram Guizani
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Youmna M’Ghirbi
- Laboratoire d’épidémiologie Et Microbiologie Vétérinaire (LR16IPT03), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
- Laboratoire Des Virus, Vecteurs Et Hôtes (LR20IPT02), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Souheila Guerbouj
- Laboratoire d’Epidémiologie Moléculaire Et Pathologie Expérimentale Appliquée Aux Maladies Infectieuses (LR16IPT04), Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Université Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
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Selmi R, Belkahia H, Dhibi M, Abdelaali H, Lahmar S, Ben Said M, Messadi L. Zoonotic vector-borne bacteria in wild rodents and associated ectoparasites from Tunisia. Infect Genet Evol 2021; 95:105039. [PMID: 34438095 DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2021.105039] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Wild rodents are considered as potential carriers of several zoonotic vector-borne bacteria but their epidemiology is poorly understood in Tunisia. A total of 305 biological samples (100 spleens, 100 livers, 100 kidneys, and 5 pooled ectoparasites (Xenopsylla cheopis, Laelaps echidninus, Ornithonyssus sp., Hoplopleura sp. and eggs of the rat fleas)) were collected from 100 wild rodents from three Tunisian governorates. Molecular screening was performed to reveal infections with main vector-borne bacteria. Captured rodents belonged to three rodent genera and species including Rattus rattus (n = 51, 51%), Meriones shawi (n = 24, 24%) and Mus musculus (n = 25, 25%). Examined rodents were found to be heavily infested by the rat flea X. cheopis (n = 32, 47%) and the rat mite L. echidninus (n = 22, 32.3%). However, the rat mite Ornithonyssus sp. (n = 13, 19.1%) and the rat lice Hoplopleura sp. (n = 1, 1.5%) were rarely identified. Based on 16S rRNA and msp4 genes, infection with Anaplasmataceae bacteria was detected in six specimens of R. rattus and one M. shawi. Pathogenic A. phagocytophilum (n = 1), A. phagocytophilum-like 1 (Anaplasma sp. Japan) (n = 1), and A. ovis (n = 5) were identified. On the basis of ompB, ompA and gltA genes, infection with Rickettsia spp. was identified in three specimens of R. rattus and one of M. shawi. Five Rickettsia species of the spotted fever group, corresponding to R. monacensis, R. helvetica, R. massiliae, R. africae, and R. aeschlimannii, were detected in mixed infections. Bartonella henselae DNA was also found in two R. rattus, based on rpoB partial sequences. All revealed Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Bartonella bacteria were detected in spleen samples. Ehrlichia, Coxiella and Borrelia spp. were not identified in any of the tested samples. In Tunisia, this is the first report indicating infections with Anaplasma, Rickettsia and Bartonella spp. in wild rodents, particularly present alongside domestic livestock and human. This represents a serious risk of potential bacterial transmission. Thus, controlling rodent population in animal herds, residential areas and sensitizing local people to this risk seem absolutely necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachid Selmi
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie; Ministère de la Défense Nationale, Direction Générale de la Santé Militaire, Service Vétérinaire, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Hanène Belkahia
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Mokhtar Dhibi
- Service de Parasitologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Hedi Abdelaali
- Ministère de la Défense Nationale, Direction Générale de la Santé Militaire, Service Vétérinaire, Tunis, Tunisie
| | - Samia Lahmar
- Service de Parasitologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie
| | - Mourad Ben Said
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie; Institut Supérieur de Biotechnologie de Sidi Thabet, Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie.
| | - Lilia Messadi
- Service de Microbiologie et Immunologie, Ecole Nationale de Médecine Vétérinaire, Univ. Manouba, Sidi Thabet, Tunisie.
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Tsurim I, Wasserberg G, Ben Natan G, Abramsky Z. Systemic Control of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Sand-Fly Vectors: Fipronil-Treated Rodent Bait Is Effective in Reducing Phlebotomus papatasi (Diptera: Psychodidae) Female Emergence Rate From Rodent Burrows. J Med Entomol 2021; 58:974-978. [PMID: 33155657 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa201] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The strong dependency of some vectors on their host as a source of habitat can be viewed as a weak link in pathogen's transmission cycles using the vertebrate host as a 'Trojan horse' to deliver insecticides directly to the vector-host point of contact (hereafter 'systemic control'). This could, simultaneously, affect the survival of blood-feeding females and coprophagic larvae. Sand-flies, vectors of leishmaniasis worldwide, are often dependent on their bloodmeal host as a source of habitat and may therefore be good candidates for systemic control. In the present study, we field-tested this methodology by baiting Meriones crassus (Sundevall, 1842) (Rodentia:Muridea) with Fipronil-treated food pellets and evaluated its effect on reducing sand-fly emergence rate, in general, and of that of blood-fed females, in particular. We demonstrated 86% reduction in the abundance of female sand-flies that exit burrows of Fipronil-treated jirds, whereas male abundance was unaffected. Furthermore, whereas in control burrows 20% of the females were blood-fed, in treatment burrows no blood-fed females were detected. Sand-fly abundance outside the burrows was not affected by burrow treatment. This highlights the focal specificity of this method: affecting female sand-flies that feed on the reservoir host. This should result in the reduction of the pathogen transmission rate in the vicinity of the treated area by reducing the prevalence of leishmania-infected sand-fly females. These results hold promise for the potential of the systemic control approach in this system. Our next-step goal is to test this methodology at a large-scale cutaneous leishmaniasis control program.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Tsurim
- Department of Life Sciences, Achva Academic College, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Gideon Wasserberg
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
| | - Gil Ben Natan
- Department of Life Sciences, Achva Academic College, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Zvika Abramsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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Tsurim I, Wasserberg G, Ben Natan G, Abramsky Z. The Potential of Systemic Control of Sand Flies Using Fipronil in the Novel Leishmania major (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) Reservoirs Meriones tristrami (Rodentia: Muridea) and Meriones crassus (Rodentia: Muridea). J Med Entomol 2021; 58:969-973. [PMID: 33155653 DOI: 10.1093/jme/tjaa200] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Leishmania major (Yakimoff & Schokhor, 1914), an important causative agent of Old World Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL), is transmitted by sand flies among a limited number of gerbilline reservoir-species. We can take advantage of this strong dependency to break the pathogen transmission cycle by using systemic insecticides that render the host toxic to the blood-feeding vector. We evaluated the potential of this approach with two novel reservoir species, incriminated for CL expansion in several sites in the Middle East. Specifically, we evaluated: 1) the residuality of the systemic insecticide fipronil in Meriones tristrami (Thomas, 1892) fed on fipronil-treated baits and 2) the treatments' adulticide effect on sand flies that blood fed on treated and untreated M. tristrami and M. crassus (Sundevall, 1842). We fed M. tristrami with food pellets containing 0.1 g/kg fipronil and used gas chromatograph-mass spectrometery analysis and bioassays to examine its residual toxicity to blood-feeding female sand flies. In M. tristrami, fipronil was rapidly metabolized to fipronil sulfone, found in the blood, urine, and feces for ≥31 d after fipronil admission. The survival of sand flies that blood fed on fipronil-treated M. tristrami and M. crassus was significantly reduced for at least 15 and 9 d respectively, after fipronil admission. These results hold promise for the potential contribution of systemic control approaches to CL integrated management strategies against novel CL (due to L. major) outbreaks in Israel and elsewhere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Tsurim
- Department of Life Sciences, Achva Academic College, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Gideon Wasserberg
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC
| | - Gil Ben Natan
- Department of Life Sciences, Achva Academic College, Israel
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Zvika Abramsky
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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Tabasi M, Alesheikh AA, Sofizadeh A, Saeidian B, Pradhan B, AlAmri A. A spatio-temporal agent-based approach for modeling the spread of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in northeast Iran. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:572. [PMID: 33176858 PMCID: PMC7659076 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04447-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [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: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is a neglected tropical disease worldwide, especially the Middle East. Although previous works attempt to model the ZCL spread using various environmental factors, the interactions between vectors (Phlebotomus papatasi), reservoir hosts, humans, and the environment can affect its spread. Considering all of these aspects is not a trivial task. METHODS An agent-based model (ABM) is a relatively new approach that provides a framework for analyzing the heterogeneity of the interactions, along with biological and environmental factors in such complex systems. The objective of this research is to design and develop an ABM that uses Geospatial Information System (GIS) capabilities, biological behaviors of vectors and reservoir hosts, and an improved Susceptible-Exposed-Infected-Recovered (SEIR) epidemic model to explore the spread of ZCL. Various scenarios were implemented to analyze the future ZCL spreads in different parts of Maraveh Tappeh County, in the northeast region of Golestan Province in northeastern Iran, with alternative socio-ecological conditions. RESULTS The results confirmed that the spread of the disease arises principally in the desert, low altitude areas, and riverside population centers. The outcomes also showed that the restricting movement of humans reduces the severity of the transmission. Moreover, the spread of ZCL has a particular temporal pattern, since the most prevalent cases occurred in the fall. The evaluation test also showed the similarity between the results and the reported spatiotemporal trends. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrates the capability and efficiency of ABM to model and predict the spread of ZCL. The results of the presented approach can be considered as a guide for public health management and controlling the vector population .
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Tabasi
- Department of GIS, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967 15433 Iran
| | - Ali Asghar Alesheikh
- Department of GIS, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19967 15433 Iran
| | - Aioub Sofizadeh
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Gorgan, Iran
| | - Bahram Saeidian
- The Centre for Spatial Data Infrastructures and Land Administration (CSDILA), Department of Infrastructure Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC 3010 Australia
| | - Biswajeet Pradhan
- The Centre for Advanced Modelling and Geospatial Information Systems (CAMGIS), Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Energy and Mineral Resources Engineering, Sejong University, Choongmu-gwan, 209, Neungdong-ro, Gwangin-gu, Seoul, 05006 Korea
- Earth Observation Center, Institute of Climate Change, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, 43600 Bangi, Selangor Malaysia
| | - Abdullah AlAmri
- Department of Geology & Geophysics, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
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Fercoq F, Remion E, Vallarino-Lhermitte N, Alonso J, Raveendran L, Nixon C, Le Quesne J, Carlin LM, Martin C. Microfilaria-dependent thoracic pathology associated with eosinophilic and fibrotic polyps in filaria-infected rodents. Parasit Vectors 2020; 13:551. [PMID: 33160409 PMCID: PMC7648300 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-020-04428-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [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: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/24/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pulmonary manifestations are regularly reported in both human and animal filariasis. In human filariasis, the main known lung manifestations are the tropical pulmonary eosinophilia syndrome. Its duration and severity are correlated with the presence of microfilariae. Litomosoides sigmodontis is a filarial parasite residing in the pleural cavity of rodents. This model is widely used to understand the immune mechanisms that are established during infection and for the screening of therapeutic molecules. Some pulmonary manifestations during the patent phase of infection with L. sigmodontis have been described in different rodent hosts more or less permissive to infection. METHODS Here, the permissive Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) was infected with L. sigmodontis. Prevalence and density of microfilariae and adult parasites were evaluated. Lungs were analyzed for pathological signatures using immunohistochemistry and 3D imaging techniques (two-photon and light sheet microscopy). RESULTS Microfilaremia in gerbils was correlated with parasite load, as amicrofilaremic individuals had fewer parasites in their pleural cavities. Fibrotic polypoid structures were observed on both pleurae of infected gerbils. Polyps were of variable size and developed from the visceral mesothelium over the entire pleura. The larger polyps were vascularized and strongly infiltrated by immune cells such as eosinophils, macrophages or lymphocytes. The formation of these structures was induced by the presence of adult filariae since small and rare polyps were observed before patency, but they were exacerbated by the presence of gravid females and microfilariae. CONCLUSIONS Altogether, these data emphasize the role of host-specific factors in the pathogenesis of filarial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Fercoq
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - Estelle Remion
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Nathaly Vallarino-Lhermitte
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Joy Alonso
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Lisy Raveendran
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Colin Nixon
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
| | - John Le Quesne
- Leicester Cancer Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Leo M Carlin
- CRUK Beatson Institute, Garscube Estate, Switchback Road, Bearsden, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK
- Institute of Cancer Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1GH, UK
| | - Coralie Martin
- Unité Molécules de Communication et Adaptation des Microorganismes (MCAM UMR 7245), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, CNRS, P52, 61 rue Buffon, 75005, Paris, France.
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Cho-Ngwa F, Mbah GE, Ayiseh RB, Ndi EM, Monya E, Tumanjong IM, Mainsah EN, Sakanari J, Lustigman S. Development and validation of an Onchocerca ochengi adult male worm gerbil model for macrofilaricidal drug screening. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0007556. [PMID: 31260456 PMCID: PMC6625737 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [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: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 06/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Onchocerciasis currently afflicts an estimated 15 million people and is the second leading infectious cause of blindness world-wide. The development of a macrofilaricide to cure the disease has been hindered by the lack of appropriate small laboratory animal models. This study therefore, was aimed at developing and validating the Mongolian gerbil, as an Onchocerca ochengi (the closest in phylogeny to O. volvulus) adult male worm model. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were each implanted with 20 O. ochengi male worms (collected from infected cattle), in the peritoneum. Following drug or placebo treatments, the implanted worms were recovered from the animals and analyzed for burden, motility and viability. Worm recovery in control gerbils was on average 35%, with 89% of the worms being 100% motile. Treatment of the gerbils implanted with male worms with flubendazole (FBZ) resulted in a significant reduction (p = 0.0021) in worm burden (6.0% versus 27.8% in the control animals); all recovered worms from the treated group had 0% worm motility versus 91.1% motility in control animals. FBZ treatment had similar results even after four different experiments. Using this model, we tested a related drug, oxfendazole (OFZ), and found it to also significantly (p = 0.0097) affect worm motility (22.7% versus 95.0% in the control group). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We have developed and validated a novel gerbil O. ochengi adult male worm model for testing new macrofilaricidal drugs in vivo. It was also used to determine the efficacy of oxfendazole in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fidelis Cho-Ngwa
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Glory Enjong Mbah
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Rene Bilingwe Ayiseh
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Emmanuel Menang Ndi
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Elvis Monya
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Irene Memeh Tumanjong
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Evans Ngandung Mainsah
- ANDI Centre of Excellence for Onchocerciasis Drug Research, Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Sara Lustigman
- Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York City, New York, United States of America
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Abstract
Background Cutaneous and visceral forms of leishmaniasis are the most important protozoan infection in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Objectives Review the current knowledge on leishmaniasis in the MENA. Methods The data presented in this review are gathered primarily from WHO reports and from an extensive literature search on PubMed. Results There are four cycles of transmission of leishmaniasis: zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL), induce by Leishmania (L.) major, transmitted by Phlebotomus (P.) papatasi, with rodent species of Psammomys obesus, Meriones libycus, Nesokia indica, and Rhombomys opimus are considered as host reservoirs. Zoonotic visceral leishmaniasis (ZVL) is inducing by L. infantum, transmitted by several Phlebotomus spp. of the sub-genus Larroussius and mainly P. perniciosus in more than one-half of the MENA countries and the dog species of Canis familiaris are considered as the main reservoirs. Anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), induce by L. tropica and transmitted by P. sergenti, without any non-human reservoir in most cases. Anthroponotic visceral leishmaniasis (AVL) induces by L. donovani spreads through P. alexandri, circulates exclusively in humans. Conclusion There are many challenges facing the successful control of leishmaniasis. However, there is continuing research into the treatment of leishmaniasis and potentially vaccinations for the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Tabbabi
- Department of Hygiene and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Public Health, Tunis, Tunisia
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15
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Dai F, Zhuo X, Kong Q, Du J, Yu H, Zhou S, Song X, Tong Q, Lou D, Lou Q, Lu L, Lv Y, Sa X, Lu S. Early Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Infection In Mongolian Gerbil By Quantitative Real-Time PCR. J Parasitol 2019; 105:52-57. [PMID: 30807726] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii, is associated with several clinical syndromes, including encephalitis, chorioretinitis, and congenital infection. Toxoplasma gondii is a ubiquitous apicomplexan parasite found in both humans and animals. Mongolian gerbils, which are more susceptible to both high- and low-virulence Toxoplasma strains compared with mice, are considered useful models for assessing diagnosis and treatment methods for toxoplasmosis, as well as infection by and host defense to this organism. Here we established a quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) method targeting the B1 gene for early and specific detection of T. gondii infection in Mongolian gerbil. The detection limit of the developed qPCR was approximately 1 T. gondii tachyzoite. This method was also applied to detect T. gondii genomic DNA in experimentally infected Mongolian gerbils, with positive results in blood (66.7%), liver (73.3%), lung (80.0%), spleen (80.0%), and peritoneal fluid (66.7%) samples as early as 1 day postinfection. Specificity tests confirmed no cross-reactivity with DNA templates of Neospora caninum, Cryptosporidium parvum, Eimeria tenella, Trypanosoma evansi, Schistosoma japonicum, Angiostrongylus cantonensis, and Strongyloides stercoralis. This study first reports the use of Mongolian gerbils as an animal model for early diagnosis of toxoplasmosis by qPCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangwei Dai
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xunhui Zhuo
- 2 Department of Immunity and Biochemistry, Institute of Parasitic Disease, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Qingming Kong
- 2 Department of Immunity and Biochemistry, Institute of Parasitic Disease, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Jiangtao Du
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Haijie Yu
- 3 Jiaxing Vocational Technical College, Jiaxing, China
| | - Shasang Zhou
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xiaoming Song
- 4 Laboratory Animal Centre of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, 310036, China
| | - Qunbo Tong
- 2 Department of Immunity and Biochemistry, Institute of Parasitic Disease, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Di Lou
- 2 Department of Immunity and Biochemistry, Institute of Parasitic Disease, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Qi Lou
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Lingqun Lu
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Yu Lv
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Xiaoying Sa
- 1 Laboratory Animal Centre of Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
| | - Shaohong Lu
- 2 Department of Immunity and Biochemistry, Institute of Parasitic Disease, Zhejiang Academy of Medical Sciences, Hangzhou, 310013, China
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Hübner MP, Ehrens A, Koschel M, Dubben B, Lenz F, Frohberger SJ, Specht S, Quirynen L, Lachau-Durand S, Tekle F, Baeten B, Engelen M, Mackenzie CD, Hoerauf A. Macrofilaricidal efficacy of single and repeated oral and subcutaneous doses of flubendazole in Litomosoides sigmodontis infected jirds. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006320. [PMID: 30650105 PMCID: PMC6334906 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [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: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Flubendazole (FBZ) is highly efficacious against filarial nematodes after parenteral administration and presents a promising macrofilaricidal drug candidate for the elimination of onchocerciasis and other filariae. In the present study the efficacy of a newly developed bioavailable amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) oral formulation of FBZ was investigated in the Litomosoides sigmodontis jird model. FBZ was administered to chronically infected, microfilariae-positive jirds by single (40mg/kg), repeated (2, 6 or 15mg/kg for 5 or 10 days) oral (OR) doses or single subcutaneous (SC) injections (2 or 10mg/kg). Jirds treated with 5 SC injections at 10mg/kg served as positive controls, with untreated animals used as negative controls. After OR doses, FBZ is rapidly absorbed and cleared and the exposures increased dose proportionally. SC administered FBZ was slowly released from the injection site and plasma levels remained constant up to necropsy eight weeks after treatment end. Increasing single SC doses caused less than dose-proportional exposures. At necropsy, all animals receiving 1x or 5x 10mg/kg SC FBZ had cleared all adult worms and the 1x 2mg/kg SC treatment had reduced the adult worm burden by 98%. 10x 15mg/kg OR FBZ reduced the adult worm burden by 95%, whereas 1x 40mg/kg and 5x 15mg/kg OR reduced the worm burden by 85 and 84%, respectively. Microfilaremia was completely cleared at necropsy in all animals of the SC treatment regimens, while all oral FBZ treatment regimens reduced the microfilaremia by >90% in a dose and duration dependent manner. In accordance, embryograms from female worms revealed a FBZ dose and duration dependent inhibition of embryogenesis. Histological analysis of the remaining female adult worms showed that FBZ had damaged the body wall, intestine and most prominently the uterus and uterine content. Results of this study demonstrate that single and repeated SC injections and repeated oral administrations of FBZ have an excellent macrofilaricidal effect. Onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis are debilitating human diseases that are caused by filarial nematodes leading to blindness and severe dermatitis (onchocerciasis) or lymphedema (elephantiasis) and hydroceles. Current mass drug administration (MDA) programs are restricted to the use of drugs that target the filarial offspring, the microfilariae, and lead to a temporary sterilization of the female adult worms that requires annual to bi-annual MDA for the life span of the fertile adult worms. With lower endemicity, the cost-effectiveness of community-directed MDA is reduced, requiring alternative treatment strategies to ultimately eliminate these filarial infections. Therefore, new drugs targeting the adult worms are required for achieving elimination of those filarial diseases, to provide options in areas of drug resistance, and as an approach in areas of Loa loa co-endemicity, where life-threatening severe adverse events may occur through the use of microfilaricidal drugs. Such new drugs should have a macrofilaricidal effect, i.e. kill the adult worms or lead to a permanent sterilization. Furthermore, these drugs should be preferably administered as an oral formulation or by a single parenteral administration. In the current study we tested a new oral formulation of flubendazole using the rodent filarial nematode Litomosoides sigmodontis, and have demonstrated excellent macrofilaricidal efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc P. Hübner
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- * E-mail:
| | - Alexandra Ehrens
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Marianne Koschel
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Bettina Dubben
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Franziska Lenz
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Stefan J. Frohberger
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Sabine Specht
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | | | - Fetene Tekle
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Benny Baeten
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Marc Engelen
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Charles D. Mackenzie
- Neglected Tropical Disease Support Center, Task Force for Global Health, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Achim Hoerauf
- Institute for Medical Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), partner site Bonn-Cologne, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Fischer C, Ibiricu Urriza I, Bulman CA, Lim KC, Gut J, Lachau-Durand S, Engelen M, Quirynen L, Tekle F, Baeten B, Beerntsen B, Lustigman S, Sakanari J. Efficacy of subcutaneous doses and a new oral amorphous solid dispersion formulation of flubendazole on male jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) infected with the filarial nematode Brugia pahangi. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019; 13:e0006787. [PMID: 30650084 PMCID: PMC6334909 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [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: 02/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
River blindness and lymphatic filariasis are two filarial diseases that globally affect millions of people mostly in impoverished countries. Current mass drug administration programs rely on drugs that primarily target the microfilariae, which are released from adult female worms. The female worms can live for several years, releasing millions of microfilariae throughout the course of infection. Thus, to stop transmission of infection and shorten the time to elimination of these diseases, a safe and effective drug that kills the adult stage is needed. The benzimidazole anthelmintic flubendazole (FBZ) is 100% efficacious as a macrofilaricide in experimental filarial rodent models but it must be administered subcutaneously (SC) due to its low oral bioavailability. Studies were undertaken to assess the efficacy of a new oral amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) formulation of FBZ on Brugia pahangi infected jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) and compare it to a single or multiple doses of FBZ given subcutaneously. Results showed that worm burden was not significantly decreased in animals given oral doses of ASD FBZ (0.2-15 mg/kg). Regardless, doses as low as 1.5 mg/kg caused extensive ultrastructural damage to developing embryos and microfilariae (mf). SC injections of FBZ in suspension (10 mg/kg) given for 5 days however, eliminated all worms in all animals, and a single SC injection reduced worm burden by 63% compared to the control group. In summary, oral doses of ASD formulated FBZ did not significantly reduce total worm burden but longer treatments, extended takedown times or a second dosing regimen, may decrease female fecundity and the number of mf shed by female worms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Fischer
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Iosune Ibiricu Urriza
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Christina A. Bulman
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - KC Lim
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | - Jiri Gut
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
| | | | - Marc Engelen
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | | | - Fetene Tekle
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Benny Baeten
- Janssen R&D, Janssen Pharmaceutica, Beerse, Belgium
| | - Brenda Beerntsen
- Veterinary Pathobiology, University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America
| | - Sara Lustigman
- Laboratory of Molecular Parasitology, Lindsley F. Kimball Research Institute, New York Blood Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Judy Sakanari
- Dept. of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, United States of America
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Poché DM, Torres-Poché Z, Yeszhanov A, Poché RM, Belyaev A, Dvořák V, Sayakova Z, Polyakova L, Aimakhanov B. Field evaluation of a 0.005% fipronil bait, orally administered to Rhombomys opimus, for control of fleas (Siphonaptera: Pulicidae) and phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodidae) in the Central Asian Republic of Kazakhstan. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006630. [PMID: 30044788 PMCID: PMC6059381 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [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: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Plague (Yersinia pestis) and zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (Leishmania major) are two rodent-associated diseases which are vectored by fleas and phlebotomine sand flies, respectively. In Central Asia, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus) serves as the primary reservoir for both diseases in most natural foci. The systemic insecticide fipronil has been previously shown to be highly effective in controlling fleas and sand flies. However, the impact of a fipronil-based rodent bait, on flea and sand fly abundance, has never been reported in Central Asia. A field trial was conducted in southeastern Kazakhstan to evaluate the efficacy of a 0.005% fipronil bait, applied to gerbil burrows for oral uptake, in reducing Xenopsylla spp. flea and Phlebotomus spp. sand fly abundance. All active gerbil burrows within the treated area were presented with ~120 g of 0.005% fipronil grain bait twice during late spring/early summer (June 16, June 21). In total, 120 occupied and 14 visited gerbil colonies were surveyed and treated, and the resulting application rate was minimal (~0.006 mg fipronil/m2). The bait resulted in 100% reduction in Xenopsylla spp. flea abundance at 80-days post-treatment. Gravid sand flies were reduced ~72% and 100% during treatment and at week-3 post-treatment, respectively. However, noticeable sand fly reduction did not occur after week-3 and results suggest environmental factors also influenced abundance significantly. In conclusion, fipronil bait, applied in southeastern Kazakhstan, has the potential to reduce or potentially eliminate Xenopsylla spp. fleas if applied at least every 80-days, but may need to be applied at higher frequency to significantly reduce the oviposition rate of Phlebotomus spp. sand flies. Fipronil-based bait may provide a means of controlling blood-feeding vectors, subsequently reducing disease risk, in Central Asia and other affected regions globally.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M. Poché
- Genesis Laboratories, Inc. Wellington, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Zaria Torres-Poché
- Genesis Laboratories, Inc. Wellington, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Aidyn Yeszhanov
- M. Aikimbaev’s Kazakh Science Centre for Quarantine of Zoonotic Diseases. Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Richard M. Poché
- Genesis Laboratories, Inc. Wellington, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Alexander Belyaev
- M. Aikimbaev’s Kazakh Science Centre for Quarantine of Zoonotic Diseases. Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Vit Dvořák
- Department of Parasitology, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zaure Sayakova
- M. Aikimbaev’s Kazakh Science Centre for Quarantine of Zoonotic Diseases. Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Larisa Polyakova
- Genesis Laboratories, Inc. Wellington, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Batirbek Aimakhanov
- M. Aikimbaev’s Kazakh Science Centre for Quarantine of Zoonotic Diseases. Almaty, Kazakhstan
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Pecková R, Sak B, Květoňová D, Kváč M, Koriťáková E, Foitová I. The course of experimental giardiasis in Mongolian gerbil. Parasitol Res 2018; 117:2437-2443. [PMID: 29797082 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-018-5932-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [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: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Fifteen Mongolian gerbils were inoculated with 10 × 106 viable trophozoites of Giardia intestinalis. Their faeces were examined daily by flotation method and the number of shed cysts was counted. Two animals (male and female) were euthanised at 4- to 5-day intervals (9, 14, 18 days post-infection (DPI)). The remaining nine gerbils were sacrificed and dissected at the end of the experiment (23 DPI). Their small intestinal tissues were processed for examination using histological sectioning and scanning electron microscopy and their complete blood count (CBC) was examined. The highest number of trophozoites at the total was observed in the duodenum in gerbils sacrificed on 14 DPI. Number of shed cysts was positively correlated with number of trophozoites rinsed from the intestine. Infected gerbils had lower body weight gain in comparison with control group and in three male gerbils; diarrhoea occurred during infection. Cyst shedding was negatively correlated with values of mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration. Females showed another pattern in cyst shedding than males. This information needs to be taken into account while planning the experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radka Pecková
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Bohumil Sak
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Dana Květoňová
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kváč
- Institute of Parasitology, Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, v.v.i., Branišovská 31, 37005, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Koriťáková
- Institute of Biostatistics and Analyses, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ivona Foitová
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Kotlářská 2, 611 37, Brno, Czech Republic
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Ponirovsky EN, Strelkova MV, Sergiev VP, Baranets MS. [The mapping of focal areas as the basis for preventing zoonotic cutaneous leischmaniasis]. Med Parazitol (Mosk) 2016:57-59. [PMID: 27029148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
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21
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Alworth LC, Berghaus RD, Kelly LM, Supakorndej P, Burkman EJ, Savadelis MD, Cooper TL, Salyards GW, Harvey SB, Moorhead AR. Assessment of Blood Collection from the Lateral Saphenous Vein for Microfilaria Counts in Mongolian Gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) Infected with Brugia pahangi. Comp Med 2015; 65:492-498. [PMID: 26678366 PMCID: PMC4681243] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2015] [Revised: 05/07/2015] [Accepted: 06/16/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The NIH guidelines for survival bleeding of mice and rats note that using the retroorbital plexus has a greater potential for complications than do other methods of blood collection and that this procedure should be performed on anesthetized animals. Lateral saphenous vein puncture has a low potential for complications and can be performed without anesthesia. Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) are the preferred rodent model for filarial parasite research. To monitor microfilaria counts in the blood, blood sampling from the orbital plexus has been the standard. Our goal was to refine the blood collection technique. To determine whether blood collection from the lateral saphenous vein was a feasible alternative to retroorbital sampling, we compared microfilaria counts in blood samples collected by both methods from 21 gerbils infected with the filarial parasitic worm Brugia pahangi. Lateral saphenous vein counts were equivalent to retroorbital counts at relatively high counts (greater than 50 microfilariae per 20 μL) but were significantly lower than retroorbital counts when microfilarial concentrations were lower. Our results indicate that although retroorbital collection may be preferable when low concentrations of microfilariae need to be enumerated, the lateral saphenous vein is a suitable alternative site for blood sampling to determine microfilaremia and is a feasible refinement that can benefit the wellbeing of gerbils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leanne C Alworth
- University Research Animal Resources, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
| | - Roy D Berghaus
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Lisa M Kelly
- Office of the Vice President for Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Prasit Supakorndej
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Erica J Burkman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Molly D Savadelis
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Tanya L Cooper
- University Research Animal Resources, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Gregory W Salyards
- University Research Animal Resources, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA; Department of Primate Medicine, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Stephen B Harvey
- University Research Animal Resources, Department of Population Health, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Andrew R Moorhead
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Reynoso-Robles R, Ponce-Macotela M, Rosas-López LE, Ramos-Morales A, Martínez–Gordillo MN, González-Maciel A. The invasive potential of Giardia intestinalis in an in vivo model. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15168. [PMID: 26470844 PMCID: PMC4607969 DOI: 10.1038/srep15168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Giardiasis is a neglected parasitic disease that affects primarily children, in whom it delays physical and mental development. The pathophysiology of giardiasis in not well understood, and most reports have identified Giardia intestinalis trophozoites only in the lumen and on the brush border of the small intestine. We identified Giardia trophozoites within the epithelium of the small intestine of a lactose intolerance patient. The Giardia trophozoites were obtained and cultured in vitro. In addition, we demonstrated Giardia trophozoite invasion in an animal model. Giardia trophozoites invaded the intestinal mucosa and submucosa of infected gerbils. The invasive trophozoites were observed at 21, 30 and 60 days age, and the average numbers of invaded sites were 17 ± 5, 15 ± 4, and 9 ± 3, respectively. We found trophozoites between epithelial cells, at the base of empty goblet cells, in lacteal vessels and within the submucosa. The morphological integrity of the invasive trophozoites was demonstrated via electron microscopy. The analysis of the gerbils infected with the trophozoites of the WB reference strain did not show intraepithelial trophozoites. These results demonstrate another Giardia pathogenic mechanism, opening the door to numerous future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Reynoso-Robles
- Laboratorio de Morfologia Celular y Tisular (Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Morphology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics), Insurgentes Sur No. 3700-C, Mexico, D. F. C. P. 04530, Mexico
| | - M. Ponce-Macotela
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Experimental (Laboratory of Experimental Parasitology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics).
| | - L. E. Rosas-López
- Laboratorio de Morfologia Celular y Tisular (Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Morphology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics), Insurgentes Sur No. 3700-C, Mexico, D. F. C. P. 04530, Mexico
| | - A. Ramos-Morales
- Laboratorio de Morfologia Celular y Tisular (Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Morphology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics), Insurgentes Sur No. 3700-C, Mexico, D. F. C. P. 04530, Mexico
| | - M. N. Martínez–Gordillo
- Laboratorio de Parasitología Experimental (Laboratory of Experimental Parasitology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics).
| | - A. González-Maciel
- Laboratorio de Morfologia Celular y Tisular (Laboratory of Cell and Tissue Morphology), Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (Mexican National Institute of Paediatrics), Insurgentes Sur No. 3700-C, Mexico, D. F. C. P. 04530, Mexico
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Cohen C, Einav M, Hawlena H. Path analyses of cross-sectional and longitudinal data suggest that variability in natural communities of blood-associated parasites is derived from host characteristics and not interspecific interactions. Parasit Vectors 2015; 8:429. [PMID: 26286391 PMCID: PMC4545369 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-015-1029-5] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The parasite composition of wild host individuals often impacts their behavior and physiology, and the transmission dynamics of pathogenic species thereby determines disease risk in natural communities. Yet, the determinants of parasite composition in natural communities are still obscure. In particular, three fundamental questions remain open: (1) what are the relative roles of host and environmental characteristics compared with direct interactions between parasites in determining the community composition of parasites? (2) do these determinants affect parasites belonging to the same guild and those belonging to different guilds in similar manners? and (3) can cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses work interchangeably in detecting community determinants? Our study was designed to answer these three questions in a natural community of rodents and their fleas, ticks, and two vector-borne bacteria. METHODS We sampled a natural population of Gerbillus andersoni rodents and their blood-associated parasites on two occasions. By combining path analysis and model selection approaches, we then explored multiple direct and indirect paths that connect (i) the environmental and host-related characteristics to the infection probability of a host by each of the four parasite species, and (ii) the infection probabilities of the four species by each other. RESULTS Our results suggest that the majority of paths shaping the blood-associated communities are indirect, mostly determined by host characteristics and not by interspecific interactions or environmental conditions. The exact effects of host characteristics on infection probability by a given parasite depend on its life history and on the method of sampling, in which the cross-sectional and longitudinal methods are complementary. CONCLUSIONS Despite the awareness of the need of ecological investigations into natural host-vector-parasite communities in light of the emergence and re-emergence of vector-borne diseases, we lack sampling methods that are both practical and reliable. Here we illustrated how comprehensive patterns can be revealed from observational data by applying path analysis and model selection approaches and combining cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. By employing this combined approach on blood-associated parasites, we were able to distinguish between direct and indirect effects and to predict the causal relationships between host-related characteristics and the parasite composition over time and space. We concluded that direct interactions within the community play only a minor role in determining community composition relative to host characteristics and the life history of the community members.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmit Cohen
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.
| | - Monica Einav
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.
| | - Hadas Hawlena
- Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
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Jrijer J, Neifar L. Meggittina numida n. sp. (Cyclophyllidea: Catenotaeniidae), a parasite of the Shaw's jird Meriones shawi (Duvernoy) (Rodentia: Gerbillinae) in Tunisia. Syst Parasitol 2014; 88:167-74. [PMID: 24832187 DOI: 10.1007/s11230-014-9488-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2014] [Accepted: 03/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Meggittina numida n. sp. (Cyclophyllidea: Catenotaeniidae: Skrjabinotaeniinae) is described from the small intestine of the Shaw's jird Meriones shawi (Duvernoy) (Rodentia, Muridae, Gerbillinae) trapped in central Tunisia. The new species can be distinguished from the four other members of Meggittina Lynsdale, 1953 by the high number of proglottids (8-25 vs max. 6) and by the elongated strobila (8.2-60 mm in length vs max. 5.6 mm). M numida n. sp. further differs from M. cricetomydis (Hockley, 1961) in the direction of gravid proglottids; from M. baeri Lynsdale, 1953 in having narrower and much longer strobila; from M. aegyptiaca (Wolfgang, 1956) in the greater number of testes and the larger cirrus-sac; and from M. gerbilli in the position of the genital pore. The diagnosis of Meggittina is amended in order to include the most specific features of M. numida n. sp. as follows: strobila consisting of a small scolex, wide neck and one to twenty-five proglottids. This is the first species of Meggittina described from Tunisia. The taxonomic relationships of Meggittina spp. are discussed in the light of the description of the new species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamel Jrijer
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes Aquatiques, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, 3038, Sfax, Tunisia
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L'vov DK, Al'khovskiĭ SV, Shchelkanov MI, Shchetinin AM, Aristova VA, Morozova TN, Gitel'man AK, Deriabin PG, Botikov AG. [Taxonomic status of the Chim virus (CHIMV) (Bunyaviridae, Nairovirus, Qalyub group) isolated from the Ixodidae and Argasidae ticks collected in the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus Lichtenstein, 1823) (Muridae, Gerbillinae) burrows in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan]. Vopr Virusol 2014; 59:18-23. [PMID: 25335414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Full-length genome of the Chim virus (CHIMV) (strain LEIV-858Uz) was sequenced using the next-generation sequencing approach (ID GenBank: KF801656). The CHIMV/LEIV-858Uz was isolated from the Ornithodoros tartakovskyi Olenev, 1931 ticks collected in the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus Lichtenstein, 1823) burrow in Uzbekistan near Chim town (Kashkadarinsky region) in July of 1971. Later, four more CHIMV strains were isolated from the O. tartakovskyi, O. papillipes Birula, 1895, Rhipicephalus turanicus Pomerantsev, 1936 collected in the great gerbil burrows in Kashkadarinsky, Bukhara, and Syrdarya regions of Uzbekistan, and three strains--from the Hyalomma asiaticum Schulze et Schlottke, 1930 from the great gerbil burrows in Dzheskazgan region of Kazakhstan. The virus is a potential pathogen of humans and camels. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the CHIMV is a novel member of the Nairovirus genus (Bunyaviridae) and closely related to the Qalyub virus (QYBV), which is prototype for the group of the same name. The amino acid homology between the CHIMV and QYBV is 87% for the RdRp catalytic center (L-segment) that is coincident with both QYBV and CHIMV associated with the Ornithodoros ticks and burrow of rodents as well. The CHIMV homologies with other nairoviruses are 30-40% for the amino acid sequences of precursor polyprotein GnGc (M-segment), whereas 50%--for the nucleocapsid N (S-segment). The data obtained permit to classify the CHIMV as a member of the QYBV group in the genus of Nairovirus (Bunyaviridae).
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Al'khovskiĭ SV, L'vov DK, Shchelkanov MI, Shchetinin AM, Deriabin PG, Gitel'man AK, Botikov AG, Samokhvalov EI, Zakarian VA. [Taxonomic status of the Artashat virus (ARTSV) (Bunyaviridae, Nairovirus) isolated from the ticks Ornithodoros alactagalis Issaakjan, 1936 and O. verrucosus Olenev, Sassuchin et Fenuk, 1934 (Argasidae Koch, 1844) collected in Transcaucasia]. Vopr Virusol 2014; 59:24-28. [PMID: 25335415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The Artashat virus (ARTSV) was originally isolated fom the Ornithodoros alactagalis Issaakjan, 1936 (Argasidae Koch, 1844), which were collected in the burrow of small five-toed jerboa (Allactaga elater Lichtenstein, 1825) in Armenia in 1972. Later, the ARTSV was isolated from the O. verrucosus Olenev, Sassuchin et Fenuk, 1934 collected in the burrows of Persian gerbil (Meriones persicus Blanford, 1875) in Azerbaijan. Based on the virion morphology, the ARTSV was assigned to the Bunyaviridae viruses. In this work, the ARTSV genome was partially sequenced (GenBank ID: KF801650) and it was shown that the ARTSV is a new member of the Nairovirus genus. ARTSV has from 42% (Issyk-Kul virus) to 58% (Raza virus, Hughes group) similarity with the nairoviruses for nucleotide sequence of part of RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase (RdRp). The similarity on the amino acid level is 65-70%. Low level of homology and the equidistant position of the ARTSV on phylogenetic tree indicate that the ARTSV is a new prototype species of the Nairovirus genus (Bunyaviridae) forming a separate phylogenetic branch.
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Li T, Wu XW, Zhang YG, Gao LL, Sun H, Zhang SJ. [Effects of anti-osteopontin antibody on expression of MMP-2 and TGF-beta1 in hepatic alveolar hydatid tissue of gerbil]. Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi 2013; 31:450-453. [PMID: 24818411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To observe the effect of anti-osteopontin antibody on the level of matrix metalloproteinase (MMP-2) and TGF-beta1 in gerbils infected with Echinococcus multilocularis. METHODS One hundred and eighty gerbils were infected with Echinococcus protoscoleces (approximately 400 for each gerbil) by abdominal opening inoculation in liver. The gerbils were randomly divided into three groups: anti-osteopontin antibody experiment group (group A), rabbit serum injection group (group B), and model group (group C). Gerbils in groups A and B were injected with antiosteopontin antibodies and rabbit serum (0.15 mi/gerbil) via tail vein, respectively. Ten gerbils from each group were sacrificed at 20, 60, 100, 140, 180, and 220 days post-infection, respectively. The liver tissue with hydatid cysts were collected and the expression of MMP-2 and TGF-beta1 was observed by immunohistochemistry staining (SP method). RESULTS E. multilocularis hydatid tissue spreader over the liver and abdominal cavity. There was no significant difference in the number of MMP-2-positive gerbils among the three groups (P > 0.05). At 100, 140, and 180 days post-infection, the number of TGF-beta1-positive gerbils in group A (3, 2, and 2) was considerably less than that of group B (8, 8, and 9) and group C (8, 9, and 9) (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Anti-osteopontin antibody can reduce the expression of TGF-beta1 in hepatic alveolar hydatid tissue of gerbils at certain time, but have no effect on MMP2.
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Zhang YJ, A Z, Luo T, Abu L, Wang QG, Abu L, Li B, Meng WW, Guo R, Dai X, Cao HL. [Community structure of Great Gerbils (Rhombomys opimus) parasitic fleas in Junggar Basin focus and related epizootiological characteristics on plague]. Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi 2013; 34:1096-1100. [PMID: 24517942] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To understand the community structure of Rhombomys opimus parasitic fleas in the natural plague focus in Junggar Basin, so as to explain the relationship between the community structure and the prevalence of animal plague in this area. METHODS The body fleas of R.opimus which were collected in 2005-2010 from the Junggar Basin was analysed by community ecology method, an each clustered flea community was compared with information of pathogenic and serological indicators of animal plague epidemic by statistic method. RESULTS The community structure of R. opimus parasitic fleas included 19 species and was very complicated, with only 3 were identified as 'common' species but the others belonged to 'rare' species. Both the average richness and diversity of flea community were higher, as 1.66 and 1.5556, with dominance not obvious (0.332) and the homogeneity as moderate (0.5283). The community structure of R. opimus parasitic fleas could be changed by the following factors as: the rates of flea parasitic/flea index and the proportions of main fleas etc. The flea community could be divided into 5 clusters according to the above said elements. All these data showed that the fleas of R. opimus parasitic fleas possess the nature of multi-parasitism. CONCLUSIONS The community of R. opimus parasitic fleas existed heterogeneous of geographic region, and this phenomenon associated with the animal plague epidemic strength.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-jiang Zhang
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Zati A
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Tao Luo
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Likemu Abu
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Qi-guo Wang
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Limiti Abu
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Bing Li
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Wei-wei Meng
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Rong Guo
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Xiang Dai
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China
| | - Han-li Cao
- Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Urumqi 830002, China.
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Mehrabani D, Motazedian MH, Oryan A, Asgari Q, Hatam GR, Karamian M. A search for the rodent hosts ofLeishmania majorin the Larestan region of southern Iran: demonstration of the parasite inTatera indicaandGerbillussp., by microscopy, culture and PCR. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2013; 101:315-22. [PMID: 17524246 DOI: 10.1179/136485907x176445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) caused by Leishmania major occurs widely in Iran, where several species of rodent serve as the parasite's 'reservoir' hosts. In an attempt to identify the rodent hosts in the Larestan region, which lies in the Fars province of southern Iran (where the incidence of human CL has been rising), 32 rodents (20 Tatera indica, eight Meriones crassus, four Gerbillus sp.) were caught and checked for leishmanial infection. Using two detection methods (the microscopical examination of stained tissue smears and the culture of tissue samples) and a PCR to identify any leishmanial parasites detected, L. major was identified in six of the rodents caught: two male T. indica from Alamarvdasht, two female T. indica from Lamerd, and two females of the genus Gerbillus (one caught in Lamerd and one in Lar). Although the samples were too small to prove that M. crassus is not a significant host of L. major in Larestan, they were large enough to indicate that T. indica and members of the genus Gerbillus serve as reservoir hosts of L. major in the region. Tatera indica appears to be an important host of L. major across much of Iran but this appears to be the first time that the genus Gerbillus has been found to be involved in the epidemiology of CL in the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Mehrabani
- Gastro-entero-hepatology Research Center/Razi Vaccine and Serum Research Institute, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, PO Box 71345-1744, Shiraz, Iran.
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Fichet-Calvet E, Jomâa I, Ben Ismail R, Ashford RW. Leishmania majorinfection in the fat sand ratPsammomys obesusin Tunisia: interaction of host and parasite populations. Annals of Tropical Medicine & Parasitology 2013; 97:593-603. [PMID: 14511558 DOI: 10.1179/000349803225001517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The causative agent of cutaneous leishmaniasis, Leishmania major, was studied in a Tunisian population of the fat sand rat, Psammomys obesus. Seasonal changes in the abundances of parasite and host were monitored in a longitudinal field survey lasting 21 months. Overall, 566 P. obesus, collected during 10 trapping sessions between May 1995 and January 1997, were examined. Analysis of prevalence, using logistic regression, revealed that extrinsic factors, such as season and climatic conditions, and intrinsic factors, such as host age, have a combined effect. Leishmania major showed a seasonal pattern, with most transmission occurring in late summer and in autumn, when prevalences were 7.5- and 6.6-fold higher, respectively, than in spring. Prevalence peaked, at 70%, in September 1995 and then decreased to 0% in June 1996. The same temporal fluctuation was observed during the second study year, albeit among prevalences that were relatively low because of unusually dry conditions. Prevalence was highly dependent on the age of the P. obesus, and season and age acted in synergy so that the rodents were highly infected in late summer and in autumn. Prevalence was not correlated with the relative density of the P. obesus and also appeared independent of gender. Although the ear lesions observed on 378 sand rats during a 1-year survey were closely associated with Leishmania infection, such lesions were not good predictors of infection, as 35% of the rodents found to be infected had no visible lesions on their ears. The prevalences of Leishmania infection observed in this study, among P. obesus living in monospecific colonies, were generally lower than those observed in other studies of P. obesus. It seems possible that P. obesus living in monospecific colonies could have a lesser role in propagating the parasite than those living in plurispecific colonies of rodents, and act as an 'epidemiological sink'.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fichet-Calvet
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool L3 5QA, U.K.
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Banaja AEA, Soliman MI, Taha HA, Ashour AA. SEM studies on Trichurus muris from Psammomys obessus from Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 2012; 42:453-460. [PMID: 23214222] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
The whipworm Trichuris muris was recovered from the caecum of the wild rodent Psammomys obessus trapped from Sinai Peninsula, Egypt. The cuticular surface ultrastructure is described using SEM. T. muris is closely related to other Trichuris species but can be distinguished from them mainly by differences in the posterior end of males. Details of the surface such as the bacillary gland, cuticular inflations and several morphological details obtained by scanning electron microscopy confirmed the characteristics that differentiate the species. P. obessus (Cretzschmar, 1828) is considered a new host record and Sinai is considered a new locality for the genus. This may through light on the spread of T. muris between Asia and Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul-Elah A Banaja
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo 11566
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Azizi K, Moemenbellah-Fard MD, Kalantari M, Fakoorziba MR. Molecular detection of Leishmania major kDNA from wild rodents in a new focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in an Oriental region of Iran. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis 2012; 12:844-50. [PMID: 22651390 DOI: 10.1089/vbz.2011.0872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cutaneous leishmaniasis is one of the most challenging public health issues in many tropical and subtropical countries of the world, including Iran. More than half (54%) of the new zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) cases among the Eastern Mediterranean countries were reported from Iran in 2008. The detection of Leishmania parasites in rodents is essential to incriminate them as probable reservoir hosts of ZCL infection. As a result of the annual detection of about 200-250 clinical ZCL cases in the Jask district of southern Iran, feral rodents were trapped, identified to species level, and examined for Leishmania presence by preparing routine blood smears on microscopic slides from 2007 to 2008. Overall, 27 Tatera indica, 17 Gerbillus nanus, 29 Meriones persicus, 26 M. hurrianae, and 7 M. libycus were identified. Females of T. indica, M. hurrianae, and G. nanus appeared to be naturally infected with the protozoan parasite, L. major. This is the first report of microscopic and molecular detection of this trypanosomatid parasite infecting these three rodents reported from Hormozgan province in southeast Iran. More than three-quarters (82%) of the parasite-infected rodents came from the eastern plain of this province, but none of the other rodents were found to be smear-positive or kinetoplast DNA-positive by PCR. M. hurrianae, G. nanus, and T. indica are therefore incriminated as three potential reservoir hosts of L. major in Oriental parts of Iran.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kourosh Azizi
- Department of Medical Entomology, School of Health and Nutrition, Research Centre for Health Sciences, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Parvizi P, Akhoundi M, Mirzaei H. Distribution, fauna and seasonal variation of sandflies, simultaneous detection of nuclear internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA gene of Leishmania major in Rhombomys opimus and Phlebotomus papatasi, in Natanz district in central part of Iran. Iran Biomed J 2012; 16:113-20. [PMID: 22801285 PMCID: PMC3600957 DOI: 10.6091/ibj.1038.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2011] [Revised: 01/18/2012] [Accepted: 01/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) due to Leishmania major is increasing in many parts of Iran. This disease originally is a disease found in gerbils. Leishmania parasites are transmitted by sandflies that live and breed in gerbil burrows. Nested PCR amplified Leishmania ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene in both main reservoir host "Rhombomys opimus" and in the "Phlebotomus papatasi" main vector of ZCL, in Iran. Population differentiation and seasonal variation of sandflies were analyzed at a microgeographical level in order to identify any isolation by distance, habitat or seasons. METHODS Populations of sandflies were sampled from the edges of villages in Natanz, Isfahan province, Iran, using the Centers for Disease Control traps and sticky papers. Individual sandflies were identified based on external and internal morphological characters. Nested PCR protocols were used to amplify Leishmania ITS1-5.8S rRNA gene, which were shown to be species-specific via DNA sequence. RESULTS A total of 4500 sandflies were collected and identified. P. papatasi, Phlebotomus sergenti and Phlebotomus jacusieli from genus Phlebotomus and Sergentomyia sintoni and Sergentomyia clydei from genus Sergentomyia were identified in this region. P. papatasi was the most abundant sandfly in the collections. Ten out of 549 female P. papatasi and four out of 19 R. opimus were found to be infected with L. major. CONCLUSION Seasonal activity of sandflies starts in June and ends in November. Abundance of P. papatasi was in September. Finding and molecular typing of L. major in P. papatasi and R. opimus confirmed the main vector and reservoir in this region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Parviz Parvizi
- Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Dept. of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mohammad Akhoundi
- Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Dept. of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Faculté de Pharmacie, Reims, France
| | - Hanieh Mirzaei
- Molecular Systematics Laboratory, Dept. of Parasitology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.
- Dept. of Microbiology,
Islamic Azad University of Lahidjan, Guilan, Iran
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Mamedov IM. [A new nematode species, Physaloptera musayevi sp. n., from the Lybian jird Meriones libycus and the social vole Microtus socialis in the Gobustan area of Azerbaijan Republic]. Parazitologiia 2012; 46:27-33. [PMID: 22586924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Nematodes belonging to the genus Physaloptera Rudolphi, 1819 were obtained from the Lybian jird Meriones libycus and the social vole Microtus socialis in the Gobustan area as a result of helminthological research. These nematodes significantly differed from other species of the genus in morphological and morphometric characters. In the present paper, they are described as the new species Physaloptera musayevi sp. n.
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Landmann F, Voronin D, Sullivan W, Taylor MJ. Anti-filarial activity of antibiotic therapy is due to extensive apoptosis after Wolbachia depletion from filarial nematodes. PLoS Pathog 2011; 7:e1002351. [PMID: 22072969 PMCID: PMC3207916 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1002351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2011] [Accepted: 09/19/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Filarial nematodes maintain a mutualistic relationship with the endosymbiont Wolbachia. Depletion of Wolbachia produces profound defects in nematode development, fertility and viability and thus has great promise as a novel approach for treating filarial diseases. However, little is known concerning the basis for this mutualistic relationship. Here we demonstrate using whole mount confocal microscopy that an immediate response to Wolbachia depletion is extensive apoptosis in the adult germline, and in the somatic cells of the embryos, microfilariae and fourth-stage larvae (L4). Surprisingly, apoptosis occurs in the majority of embryonic cells that had not been infected prior to antibiotic treatment. In addition, no apoptosis occurs in the hypodermal chords, which are populated with large numbers of Wolbachia, although disruption of the hypodermal cytoskeleton occurs following their depletion. Thus, the induction of apoptosis upon Wolbachia depletion is non-cell autonomous and suggests the involvement of factors originating from Wolbachia in the hypodermal chords. The pattern of apoptosis correlates closely with the nematode tissues and processes initially perturbed following depletion of Wolbachia, embryogenesis and long-term sterilization, which are sustained for several months until the premature death of the adult worms. Our observations provide a cellular mechanism to account for the sustained reductions in microfilarial loads and interruption of transmission that occurs prior to macrofilaricidal activity following antibiotic therapy of filarial nematodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frederic Landmann
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Sinsheimer Labs, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Denis Voronin
- Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - William Sullivan
- Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology, Sinsheimer Labs, University of California, Santa Cruz, California, United States of America
| | - Mark J. Taylor
- Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Pembroke Place, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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Frazão-Teixeira E, de Oliveira FCR, Fiuza VRDS, Jiménez-Sanz AL, Detmann E. Compromised nutrition in gerbils infected by Cystoisospora felis detected through an animal performance analysis tool. Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2011; 20:242-245. [PMID: 21961756 DOI: 10.1590/s1984-29612011000300012] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2011] [Accepted: 07/28/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The impact of Cystoisospora felis infection on the nutritional efficiency of gerbils was studied. The variables weight gain and feed intake were measured during four weeks in 28 laboratory gerbils, of which 14 were inoculated with 3.5 × 10(5) sporulated oocysts of C. felis and the remaining 14 were controls. The animals from both groups were weighted, killed, eviscerated and had their carcasses and tissues weighted and compared. A modern tool designed for measuring nutritional performance of farm animals was applied. The results showed compromised nutritional efficiency of the infected animals within the first week after infection. The consequences of these results are discussed here, including the potential impact of infection on farm animals performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwards Frazão-Teixeira
- Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro--UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, CEP 28013-602, Rio de Janeiro--RJ, Brazil.
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Bao YX, Mao R, Qi HZ, Zhang YF, Ni YQ, Xie ZR, Aziguli T, Wen H. [X-ray irradiation against Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces in vitro]. Zhongguo Ji Sheng Chong Xue Yu Ji Sheng Chong Bing Za Zhi 2011; 29:208-211. [PMID: 21970112] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effect of X-ray irradiation on Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces in vitro. METHODS Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces were collected from cysts of infected Meriones meridianus and then cultured in RPMI 1640 medium. Protoscoleces were subpackaged into culture flasks at a density of about 10(4) per flask after culture for 3 days. Each group has 10 culture flasks. There were seven groups named as blank control group, low dose group (15 Gy and 30 Gy), medium dose group (45 Gy and 60 Gy), high dose group (75 Gy and 90 Gy), albendazole group (2 500 ng/ml), 45 Gy X-ray + 2 500 ng/ml albendazole group, and 75 Gy X-ray + 2 500 ng/ml albendazole group. Protoscoleces received three radiations on every other day with a source-skin distance of 100 cm and at a dose rate of 200 cGy/min after 3 days in culture. At each day after irradiation, protoscoleces were counted by light microscope with 0.1% eosin staining, and calculated mortality rate (per 100 protoscoleces) until all the parasites in experimental groups died. At the same time, the morphological changes of protoscoleces were observed. RESULTS There were significant differences in protoscolex mortality between X-ray groups and blank control group (P < 0.05), between X-ray + albendazole groups and albendazole group (P < 0.05). Protoscolex mortality in albendazole group were higher than that of blank control group (P < 0.05). Significant difference were also found in protoscolex mortality between albendazole combined with radiation and radiation only (P < 0.05). Before radiation, protoscoleces was normal with complete structure. After radiation, the parasites were mostly valgus type protoscoleces with disordered rostellar hooks and deformed acetabulum, and finally died. CONCLUSION X-ray can kill Echinococcus multilocularis protoscoleces in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong-Xing Bao
- Cancer Center of the First Teaching Hospital, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi 830054, China
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Akhavan AA, Mirhendi H, Khamesipour A, Alimohammadian MH, Rassi Y, Bates P, Kamhawi S, Valenzuela JG, Arandian MH, Abdoli H, Jalali-zand N, Jafari R, Shareghi N, Ghanei M, Yaghoobi-Ershadi MR. Leishmania species: detection and identification by nested PCR assay from skin samples of rodent reservoirs. Exp Parasitol 2010; 126:552-6. [PMID: 20566364 PMCID: PMC2939322 DOI: 10.1016/j.exppara.2010.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [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: 10/15/2009] [Revised: 05/26/2010] [Accepted: 06/01/2010] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Many rodent species act as reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in endemic areas. In the present study a simple and reliable assay based on nested PCR was developed for the detection and identification of Leishmania parasites from rodent skin samples. We designed Leishmania-specific primers that successfully amplified ITS regions of Leishmania major, Leishmania gerbilli and Leishmania turanica using nested PCR. Out of 95 field collected Rhombomys opimus, 21 were positive by microscopic examination and 48 by nested PCR. The percentage of gerbils infected with L. major, L. gerbilli and L. turanica was 3.2%, 1.1% and 27.4%, respectively. In 15.8% of the rodents, we found mixed natural infections by L. major and L. turanica, 1.1% by L. major and L. gerbilli, and 2.1% by the three species. We concluded that this method is simple and reliable for detecting and identifying Leishmania species circulating in rodent populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Ahmad Akhavan
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hossein Mirhendi
- Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ali Khamesipour
- Center for Research and Training in Skin Diseases and Leprosy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Yavar Rassi
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Paul Bates
- Division of Biomedical and Life Sciences, School of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Shaden Kamhawi
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Jesus G. Valenzuela
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Mohammad Hossein Arandian
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamid Abdoli
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloufar Jalali-zand
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Reza Jafari
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Niloufar Shareghi
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Maryam Ghanei
- Esfahan Health Training and Research Center, Institute Public of Health Researches, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Reza Yaghoobi-Ershadi
- Department of Medical Entomology and Vector Control, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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Abstract
Background Parasites can cause energetically costly behavioural and immunological responses which potentially can reduce host fitness. However, although most laboratory studies indicate that the metabolic rate of the host increases with parasite infestation, this has never been shown in free-living host populations. In fact, studies thus far have shown no effect of parasitism on field metabolic rate (FMR). Methodology and Results We tested the effect of parasites on the energy expenditure of a host by measuring FMR using doubly-labelled water in free-living Baluchistan gerbils (Gerbillus nanus) infested by naturally occurring fleas during winter, spring and summer. We showed for the first time that FMR of free-living G. nanus was significantly and positively correlated with parasite load in spring when parasite load was highest; this relationship approached significance in summer when parasite load was lowest but was insignificant in winter. Among seasons, winter FMRs were highest and summer FMRs were lowest in G. nanus. Discussion The lack of parasite effect on FMR in winter could be related to the fact that FMR rates were highest among seasons. In this season, thermoregulatory costs are high which may indicate that less energy could be allocated to defend against parasites or to compensate for other costly activities. The question about the cost of parasitism in nature is now one of the major themes in ecological physiology. Our study supports the hypothesis that parasites can elevate FMR of their hosts, at least under certain conditions. However, the effect is complex and factors such as season and parasite load are involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Kam
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel.
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Tashbaev NS, Mustafaev KM. [Current epidemiology of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in the Republic of Uzbekistan]. Med Parazitol (Mosk) 2010:34-36. [PMID: 21395042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
It has been established that the Republic of Uzbekistan is divided into two strata by the epidemic risk for zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL). The distribution of ZCL endemicity in Urbekistan coincides with that of great gerbils (Rhombomys opimus), the main natural reservoir of leishmaniasis pathogens. In the past 34 years, there have been 8 epidemiological rises in the incidence of ZCL, which are associated with a large number of great gerbils and Ph. papatasis mosquitoes providing the epidemiological process.
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Kellina OI, Strelkova MV. [Investigations on leishmaniases at the E.I. Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine]. Med Parazitol (Mosk) 2010:19-22. [PMID: 21400708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The paper assesses the investigations on leishmaniases at the E.I. Martsinovsky Institute of Medical Parasitology and Tropical Medicine in 1920 to 2009. The analysis includes papers on biology, ecology, taxonomy, and experimental transmission of the agents of leishmaniases via the bites of sand flies, the principle in the control of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) during the agricultural development of extensive territories in the Karshin steppe, on quantitative approaches in the epidemiology of ZCL, a search for Russian effective medicaments to treat patients with this disease and the development of criteria for selecting L. major strains for individual and mass vaccinations against ZCL, the revision of Leishmania circulating in great gerbil populations, and the description of the new species L. turanica, an important parasite for L. major persistence from one transmission season to the next. The first investigations on leishmaniasis were made by Prof. E.I. Martsinovsky, the founder and the first director of the Institute in the early 20th century.
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Shehata MG, Samy AM, Doha SA, Fahmy AR, Kaldas RM, Furman BD, Villinski JT. First report of Leishmania tropica from a classical focus of L. major in North-Sinai, Egypt. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2009; 81:213-218. [PMID: 19635872] [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: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is prevalent in the Egyptian Sinai Peninsula and previous research has consistently documented the etiologic agent to be Leishmania major. We report the first isolation of Leishmania tropica from human cases of CL in a Northern Sinai community bordering Palestine. Parasite culturing, real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gene sequencing, and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analyses indicate CL cases in this community were caused by either L. major or L. tropica (three cases each). Two wild-caught rodents (Gerbillus pyramidum floweri) were infected with L. tropica. Phlebotomus papatasi sand flies were found harboring L. major, however only non-infected individuals of Phlebotomus sergenti, a vector for L. tropica, were caught. Patients with L. tropica had not traveled from the region in over a year, suggesting these cases are autochthonous. This scenario is consistent with an incursion of L. tropica from bordering countries and raises concerns about expansion of this parasite further into Egypt.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdi G Shehata
- Entomology Department, Faculty of Science, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
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Mehlhorn H, Schmahl G, Frese M, Mevissen I, Harder A, Krieger K. Effects of a combinations of emodepside and praziquantel on parasites of reptiles and rodents. Parasitol Res 2009; 97 Suppl 1:S65-S69. [PMID: 16228277 DOI: 10.1007/s00436-005-1446-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A new combination of two anthelmintic compounds containing emodepside and praziquantel (Profender, Bayer AG, Levekusen, Germany) was tested in pet rodents and reptiles. Topical application of the two compounds led to the quick disappearance of nematodes and cestodes from a broad spectrum of hosts including mice, jirds, snakes, anole lizards, turtles, monitor lizards, etc. In reptiles the dosage had to be increased, since the thick outer layer of the epidermis hinders the penetration of the compounds. In animals with an extremely thick epidermis (e.g. monitor lizards, leguans) the new product was applied under the armpits.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Mehlhorn
- Department of Zoomorphology, Cytology and Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - G Schmahl
- Department of Zoomorphology, Cytology and Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - M Frese
- Department of Zoomorphology, Cytology and Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - I Mevissen
- Department of Zoomorphology, Cytology and Parasitology, Heinrich Heine University, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - A Harder
- Bayer HealthCare AG, Animal Health Division, R&D Parasiticides, Leverkusen, Germany
| | - K Krieger
- Bayer HealthCare AG, Animal Health Division, R&D Parasiticides, Leverkusen, Germany
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Shirani Bidabadi L, Nilforoushzadeh MA, Akhavan AA, Abdoli H, Siadat AH, Jaffary F, Hejazi SH, Shareghi N, Ghanei M, Arandian M, Moradi SH. Karyosystematic and morphometric characterization of the rodents as reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic focus of Isfahan Province, Iran. J Vector Borne Dis 2009; 46:52-56. [PMID: 19326708] [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: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES Rodents belonging to Gerbillinae subfamily are the main reservoir hosts of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) in Iran. Regarding the important role of these rodents in the maintenance of Leishmania major in the nature, their identification with morphometric, cytogenetic and molecular methods seems to be essential. The karyotype study of these species, captured from a new focus of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis located in the south of Isfahan Province was carried out in 2007. METHODS Twenty specimens containing seventeen Meriones persicus and three Nesokia indica were captured from Mobarakeh rural district south of Isfahan. Giemsa-stained karyotypes of these two species were prepared from bone marrow chromosome preparations. Systematic important characters of the body and cranium (incisors, molars, occipitonasal, condylobasal, zygomatic, tympanic bullae, etc.) of these rodents were studied. Cranium size was measured using a Vernier calipers. RESULTS Specimens of M. persicus and N. indica had 2n = 42. The karyotype study of these species included metacentric, sub-metacentric and acrocentric chromosomes. Morphological studies were completely matched with the reported characters of these species and further confirmed the diagnoses. INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSION Based on the results of this study, M. persicus and N. indica are two completely differentiated rodents species that were collected from a new focus and they can also be differentiated morphologically.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Shirani Bidabadi
- Skin Diseases and Leishmaniasis Research Center (Sedigheh Tahereh), Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran.
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Al-Qureishy S. Lead concentrations in some organs of the rat Meriones libycus and its parasite Hymenolepis diminuta from Riyadh City, KSA. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 2008; 38:351-358. [PMID: 18853610] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
In the present study, the tape worm Hymenolepis diminuta was chosen to estimate lead bioaccumulation in an urban area highly polluted with lead (the industrial area) and another less polluted one (Al-Karj road) at Riyadh City, K.S.A. Lead concentrations were found 38 to be 32 and 15 times in the parasite (H. diminuta) than in the intestine, liver and kidney of the host (Meriones libycus). Thus, the proposed model of cestode parasite-rat as bio-indicator of lead pollution seems to be promising in the terrestrial habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saleh Al-Qureishy
- College of Science, King Saudi University, Riyadh, P.O.Box 12455, Riyadh 11451, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
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Krasnov BR, Hovhanyan A, Khokhlova IS, Degen AA. Evidence for a negative fitness-density relationship between parent density and offspring quality for two Xenopsylla spp. parasitic on desert mammals. Med Vet Entomol 2008; 22:156-166. [PMID: 18498616 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2915.2008.00730.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis of negative fitness-density relationships and predicted that an increase in the density of parent fleas would result in lower survival rates and longer development time of pre-imagoes as well as shorter time to death from starvation of newly emerged imagoes. These predictions were experimentally tested on Xenopsylla conformis Wagner and Xenopsylla ramesis Rothschild feeding on two rodent species, Meriones crassus Sundevall or Dipodillus dasyurus Wagner. Survival of larvae and pupae, but not eggs, was negatively affected by parent density. An increase in parent density led to a decrease in the number of imagoes of the next generation. Eggs of both species developed faster when the parents were at low densities on either host. The same was true for larval X. ramesis, but not larval X. conformis. The negative effects of parent density on the duration of pupal development were evident in X. conformis, parents of which fed on both hosts, and X. ramesis from parents fed on M. crassus, whereas X. ramesis from parents fed on D. dasyurus developed faster at low densities. A negative effect of density on the development of offspring from egg to imago in X. conformis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on D. dasyurus, whereas the negative effect of density on offspring development in X. ramesis was manifested mainly when parent fleas fed on M. crassus. Although there was no general effect of parent density on the resistance of imago offspring to starvation, male X. ramesis from parents fed at the highest density survived starvation for significantly shorter times compared with those from parents fed at lower densities. Manifestation of the negative effect of parent density on offspring quality appears to vary with flea species and may be affected by host species.
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Affiliation(s)
- B R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel.
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Hamadto HA, Al FAF, Farrag AB, Abdel Maksoud MKM, Morsy TA. Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis: reservoir host and insect vector in north Sinai, Egypt. J Egypt Soc Parasitol 2007; 37:843-850. [PMID: 18383786] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) is a protozoan disease well documented not only in Egypt, but in nearly all the East Mediterranean Countries. Sinai Peninsula was a sparsely populated area where sporadic cases of ZCL were reported with the reconstruction of Sinai and people coming in and out, it was indicated to study the status of ZCL in North Sinai Governorate, the reservoir host(s) and insect vector(s) in Sinai. In the present study, the six species of rodents were trapped from areas or nearby areas where human ZCL cases were detected. Rodents (50) were Mus musculus (10), Rattus r. alexandrinus (18), R. norvegicus (2), Gerbillus gerbillus (4), G. pyramidum (12) and Jaculus jaculus (4). The rodents were examined clinically for any skin lesion or even nodule, particularly in head and tail. One G. pyramidumn had natural infection with L. major as indicated by smears and culture, but typing was not done. The spot light surveys for Phlebotomus were carried out by the sticky paper traps and the CDC light traps in four main centers; Al Hassanah, Nakhil, Al Arish, and Bir Al-Abd. A total of 1320 sandflies were identified. They were P. papatasi (1150) and P. sergenti (170) in a ratio of 7:1. A total of three isolates of zymodeme London 70 undistinguished from the formerly obtained human and rodent isolates were enzymatically identified in P. papatasi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hassan A Hamadto
- Department of Parasitoloy, Faculties of Medicine, Benha University, Cairo
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Abstract
AbstractA mouse-derived strain ofRodentolepis( = Hymenolepis)nanawas transferred to the Mongolian jirdMeriones unguiculatus. It was found thatM. unguiculatushas low susceptibility toR. nanamouse isolates. Likewise, adaptation of the parasite to jird hosts, in the absence of dexamethasone treatment, was not demonstrable, at least during ten-passage trials. Nevertheless, the parasite was able to establish, grow and develop to gravid adults inM. unguiculatustreated daily with dexamethasone. Prepatent periods in dexamethasone-treated jirds in ten-passage series ranged from 10 to 17 days post-infection (DPI), the average being 12 days, and the patent periods lasted from 18 to 30 DPI, with an average of 25 days. The population pattern of faecal egg output in immunosuppressed jirds suggests that under a daily dexamethasone treatment protocol, the parasite is able to maintain egg production as long as treatment is sustained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo José Caldas Vianna
- Laboratório de Taxonomia e Biologia de Invertebrados, Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Abstract
Juvenile female Litomosoides sigmodontis secrete a protein (Juv-p120) highly modified with dimethylethanolamine (DMAE). In an attempt to establish the source of this decoration worms were pulsed with [3H]-choline and [3H]-ethanolamine and the radio-isotope labelled products analysed. Both isotope labels were successfully taken up by the worms, as demonstrated by labelling of phospholipids with [3H]-choline, being predominantly incorporated into phosphatidylcholine and [3H]-ethanolamine into phosphatidylethanolamine. Isotope labelling of phosphatidylethanolamine was particularly striking with the worms taking up approximately 30 times as much labelled ethanolamine as choline. It was possible to detect faint labelling of Juv-p120 with [3H]-ethanolamine after prolonged exposure periods but, unlike the situation with the phospholipids, it was much more readily labelled with [3H]-choline. When pulsing with [3H]-ethanolamine it was also possible to detect isotope-labelled phosphatidylcholine, which may ultimately account for the low levels of labelling of Juv-p120. Overall our results raise the previously unconsidered but intriguing possibility that in L. sigmodontis, choline may be the precursor of DMAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- K M Houston
- Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, 27 Taylor Street, Glasgow G4 0NR, UK
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Faulde M, Schrader J, Heyl G, Amirih M, Hoerauf A. Zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis outbreak in Mazar-e Sharif, northern Afghanistan: an epidemiological evaluation. Int J Med Microbiol 2007; 298:543-50. [PMID: 17888728 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmm.2007.07.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2007] [Revised: 06/11/2007] [Accepted: 07/31/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In 2005, 200 cases of zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ZCL) were recorded among International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) troops stationed in the Mazar-e Sharif airport area. Within the local population, investigations revealed 3782 cases of ZCL, 174 cases of anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL), and 2 cases of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the period from March 21, 2004 to March 20, 2005, and 4045 cases of ZCL, 198 cases of ACL, and no cases of VL from March 21, 2005 to March 20, 2006. The previously unknown transmission dynamics of ZCL, and differing seasonal distribution of ZCL and ACL, are here defined, thus permitting quantification and prediction of infection rates in deployed troops for the first time. At Mazar-e Sharif, Phlebotomus papatasi and Rhombomys opimus occurred in the highest densities yet observed, together with record-high Leishmania major infection rates. Data indicate the existence of high-density, anthropogenically induced ZCL in Afghanistan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Faulde
- Central Institute of the Bundeswehr Medical Service, Department of Medical Entomology/Zoology, PO Box 7340, D-56065 Koblenz, Germany.
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