In Brazil, visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is expanding and becoming urbanized, especially in non-endemic areas such as the State of Rio Grande do Sul. Considering that infected dogs are the main reservoir for zoonotic VL, this study evaluated the prevalence of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) in the metropolitan area of Porto Alegre, a new area of expansion of VL in Brazil. Serum and plasma from 405 asymptomatic dogs from the municipalities of Canoas (n=107), São Leopoldo (n=216), and Novo Hamburgo (n=82) were tested for CVL using immunochromatographic (DPP®) and ELISA EIE® assays (2 assays officially adopted by the Brazilian government for the diagnosis of CVL) and real-time PCR to confirm the results. There was no agreement among serological and real-time PCR results, indicating that the Leishmania infection in asymptomatic animals with low parasite load, confirmed by negative parasitological tests (smears and parasite culture), need to be evaluated by molecular methods. The prevalence of LVC in the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre, confirmed by real-time PCR was 4% (5.6% in Canoas and 4.6% in São Leopoldo). The use of molecular method is essential for accurate diagnosis of CVL, especially in asymptomatic dogs in non-endemic areas.
Animals ; Brazil ; Diagnosis ; Dogs ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Immunoassay ; Leishmania ; Leishmaniasis, Visceral ; Methods ; Parasite Load ; Parasites ; Plasma ; Prevalence ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction

Malaria is suspected in pregnant women with fever of unknown origin who come from areas with high transmission of the disease. Pregnant women are at greater risk of infection due to a weakened immune response and higher parasite burden because of placental sequestration. A 26-year-old Sudanese primigravid 23 6/7 weeks of gestation presented at our institution with mixed infection of malaria, with severe features (hypotension and anemia). Malaria was highly suspected due to her country of origin, which was highly endemic and has high transmission of the disease. Fetal surveillance to monitor fetal well-being was done since malaria is known to cause perinatal adverse outcomes. Intrauterine growth restriction, preterm labor and stillbirth are the most common perinatal morbidity from malaria. These are not present in the patient due to the prompt initiation of artemisinin-based combination therapy, which significantly decreased the parasite load, leading to successful outcome.

Human ; Female ; Adult (a Person 19-44 Years Of Age) ; Pregnancy ; Artemisinine ; Artemisinins ; Parasites ; Coinfection ; Malaria ; Prenatal Care ; Parasite Load ; Gravidity ; Obstetric Labor, Premature ; Anemia ; Hypotension

PURPOSE: This study attempted to investigate the prevalence and related factors of Clonorchiasis among five major riverside residents in South Korea. METHODS: This study is descriptive research, nationwide survey, and the subjects are 23,492 residents selected by convenience sampling. Data collection was conducted between March 1 and June 30, 2011, and stool collection and questionnaire survey were conducted by affiliated public health centers in 38 cities and Gun's. RESULTS: The prevalence rates of Clonorchiasis in the five major riversides were as follows: the Guem River 15.2%; the Nakdong River 11.9%; the Seomjin River 10.9%; the Han River 5.7%; and the Yeongsan River 3.9%. The prevalence rates were shown to be significantly high among people who had highly frequent experiences of eating and cooking freshwater raw fish, were diagnosed with liver and/or biliary tract diseases, and drank less than once a month. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that it is necessary to improve awareness of Clonorchiasis and provide intensive public health education for the riverside residents. And the target groups should be set up by reflecting the characteristics of at-risk groups, and it is necessary to prepare customized strategies for prevention and management of Clonorchiasis.
Biliary Tract Diseases ; Clonorchiasis* ; Clonorchis sinensis ; Cooking ; Data Collection ; Eating ; Education ; Fresh Water ; Health Behavior ; Korea* ; Liver ; Parasite Egg Count ; Parasites ; Prevalence* ; Public Health ; Rivers

Echinostomes are intestinal trematodes that infect a wide range of vertebrate hosts, including humans, in their adult stage and also parasitize numerous invertebrate and cold-blooded vertebrate hosts in their larval stages. The purpose of this study was to compare Echinostoma malayanum parasite growth, including worm recovery, body size of adult worms, eggs per worm, eggs per gram of feces, and pathological changes in the small intestine of experimental animals. In this study, 6-8-week-old male hamsters, rats, mice, and gerbils were infected with echinostome metacercariae and then sacrificed at day 60 post-infection. The small intestine and feces of each infected animal were collected and then processed for analysis. The results showed that worm recovery, eggs per worm, and eggs per gram of feces from all infected hamsters were higher compared with infected rats and mice. However, in infected gerbils, no parasites were observed in the small intestine, and there were no parasite eggs in the feces. The volume of eggs per gram of feces and eggs per worm were related to parasite size. The results of histopathological changes in the small intestine of infected groups showed abnormal villi and goblet cells, as evidenced by short villi and an increase in the number and size of goblet cells compared with the normal control group.
Animals ; Body Size ; *Disease Models, Animal ; Echinostoma/growth & development/isolation & purification/*physiology ; Echinostomiasis/*parasitology/*pathology ; Feces/parasitology ; Intestine, Small/parasitology/pathology ; Parasite Egg Count

Toxocariasis is a soil-transmitted helminthozoonosis due to infection of humans by larvae of Toxocara canis. The disease could produce cognitive and behavioral disturbances especially in children. Meanwhile, in our modern era, the incidence of immunosuppression has been progressively increasing due to increased incidence of malignancy as well as increased use of immunosuppressive agents. The present study aimed at comparing some of the pathological and immunological alterations in the brain of normal and immunosuppressed mice experimentally infected with T. canis. Therefore, 180 Swiss albino mice were divided into 4 groups including normal (control) group, immunocompetent T. canis-infected group, immunosuppressed group (control), and immunosuppressed infected group. Infected mice were subjected to larval counts in the brain, and the brains from all mice were assessed for histopathological changes, astrogliosis, and IL-5 mRNA expression levels in brain tissues. The results showed that under immunosuppression, there were significant increase in brain larval counts, significant enhancement of reactive gliosis, and significant reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression. All these changes were maximal in the chronic stage of infection. In conclusion, the immunopathological alterations in the brains of infected animals were progressive over time, and were exaggerated under the effect of immunosuppression as did the intensity of cerebral infection.
Animals ; Brain/*pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Histocytochemistry ; *Immunocompromised Host ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-5/genetics ; Male ; Mice ; Parasite Load ; Toxocara canis/*immunology ; Toxocariasis/*immunology/*pathology

Toxocariasis is a soil-transmitted helminthozoonosis due to infection of humans by larvae of Toxocara canis. The disease could produce cognitive and behavioral disturbances especially in children. Meanwhile, in our modern era, the incidence of immunosuppression has been progressively increasing due to increased incidence of malignancy as well as increased use of immunosuppressive agents. The present study aimed at comparing some of the pathological and immunological alterations in the brain of normal and immunosuppressed mice experimentally infected with T. canis. Therefore, 180 Swiss albino mice were divided into 4 groups including normal (control) group, immunocompetent T. canis-infected group, immunosuppressed group (control), and immunosuppressed infected group. Infected mice were subjected to larval counts in the brain, and the brains from all mice were assessed for histopathological changes, astrogliosis, and IL-5 mRNA expression levels in brain tissues. The results showed that under immunosuppression, there were significant increase in brain larval counts, significant enhancement of reactive gliosis, and significant reduction in IL-5 mRNA expression. All these changes were maximal in the chronic stage of infection. In conclusion, the immunopathological alterations in the brains of infected animals were progressive over time, and were exaggerated under the effect of immunosuppression as did the intensity of cerebral infection.
Animals ; Brain/*pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Histocytochemistry ; *Immunocompromised Host ; Immunohistochemistry ; Interleukin-5/genetics ; Male ; Mice ; Parasite Load ; Toxocara canis/*immunology ; Toxocariasis/*immunology/*pathology

In order to determine the status of Enterobius vermicularis infection among schoolchildren in suburban areas of Myanmar, 761 primary schoolchildren in 3 different townships around Yangon City were subjected to a survey using cello-tape anal swabs. The subjected schoolchildren were 383 boys and 378 girls who were 5-7 years of age. Only 1 anal swab was obtained from each child. The overall egg positive rate of E. vermicularis was 47.2% (359 positives), and sex difference was not remarkable (48.6% in boys and 45.8% in girls). However, the positive rate was the highest in South Dagon (54.6%) followed by Hlaing Thayar (43.8%) and North Dagon (34.8%). This difference was highly correlated with the living standards of the people in each township. Nucleotide sequence of the 5S rDNA from the eggs on the cello-tape (2 children) revealed 99.7% identity with that of E. vermicularis reported in GenBank. The results indicated that E. vermicularis infection is highly prevalent among primary schoolchildren around Yangon, Myanmar.
Animals ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Enterobiasis/diagnosis/*epidemiology/*parasitology ; Enterobius/genetics/*isolation & purification ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Myanmar/epidemiology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Prevalence ; Students/statistics & numerical data

The genetic diversity of Schistosoma haematobium remains largely unstudied in comparison to that of Schistosoma mansoni. To characterize the extent of genetic diversity in S. haematobium among its definitive host (humans), we collected S. haematobium eggs from the urine of 73 infected schoolchildren at 5 primary schools in White Nile State, Sudan, and then performed a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA marker ITS2 by PCR-RFLP analysis. Among 73 S. haematobium egg-positive cases, 13 were selected based on the presence of the S. haematobium satellite markers A4 and B2 in their genomic DNA, and used for RFLP analysis. The 13 samples were subjected to an RFLP analysis of the S. haematobium ITS2 region; however, there was no variation in size among the fragments. Compared to the ITS2 sequences obtained for S. haematobium from Kenya, the nucleotide sequences of the ITS2 regions of S. haematobium from 4 areas in Sudan were consistent with those from Kenya (> 99%). In this study, we demonstrate for the first time that most of the S. haematobium population in Sudan consists of a pan-African S. haematobium genotype; however, we also report the discovery of Kenyan strain inflow into White Nile, Sudan.
Adolescent ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Child ; DNA, Helminth/genetics ; Female ; *Genetic Variation ; Genotype ; Humans ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Ovum/classification/cytology ; Parasite Egg Count ; Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length ; Schistosoma haematobium/*genetics/*isolation & purification/physiology ; Schistosomiasis haematobia/diagnosis/epidemiology/*parasitology/urine ; Students ; Sudan/epidemiology ; Urine/*parasitology

The infection status of zoonotic trematode metacercariae was investigated in a total of 2,293 freshwater fish collected from 11 rivers or streams in 9 administrative regions of Gangwon-do, Korea for 5 years (2009-2013). All fish were collected by netting methods and examined using the artificial digestion methods. Clonorchis sinensis metacercariae were detected in 4 fish species, i.e., Pungtungia herzi, Squalidus japonicus coreanus, Acheilognathus rhombeus, and Ladislabia taczanowskii, from only Hantangang in Cheorwon-gun. Metagonimus spp. metacercariae were found in 1,154 (50.3%) fish and their average number per infected fish was 55.8. Among the positive fish species, especially Tribolodon hakonensis from Namdaecheon in Yangyang-gun and Plecoglossus altivelis from Osipcheon in Samcheok-si were most heavily infected. Centrocestus armatus metacercariae were detected in 611 (26.7%) fish and the average metacercarial burden per infected fish was 1,032. Two chub species, Zacco platypus and Zacco temminckii were highly and heavily infected with C. armatus metacercariae in almost all regions surveyed. Echinostoma spp. metacercariae were also found in 24 fish from a few localities, but their numbers per fish infected were very low. From the above results, it is confirmed that the metacercariae of intestinal flukes, especially Metagonimus spp. and C. armatus, were heavily infected, while C. sinensis metacercariae were rarely found in fish from Gangwon-do, Korea.
Animals ; Biodiversity ; Fish Diseases/*epidemiology/*parasitology ; Fishes ; Fresh Water ; Korea ; Parasite Load ; Prevalence ; Trematoda/*classification/*isolation & purification ; Trematode Infections/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary

OBJECTIVETo identify the biological forms, sporozoite rate and molecular characterization of the Anopheles stephensi (An. stephensi) in Hormozgan and Sistan-Baluchistan provinces, the most important malarious areas in Iran.

METHODSWild live An. stephensi samples were collected from different malarious areas in southern Iran. The biological forms were identified based on number of egg-ridges. Molecular characterization of biological forms was verified by analysis of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I and II (mtDNA-COI/COII). The Plasmodium infection was examined in the wild female specimens by species-specific nested-PCR method.

RESULTSResults showed that all three biological forms including mysorensis, intermediate and type are present in the study areas. Molecular investigations revealed no genetic variation between mtDNA COI/COII sequences of the biological forms and no Plasmodium parasites was detected in the collected mosquito samples.

CONCLUSIONSPresence of three biological forms with identical sequences showed that the known biological forms belong to a single taxon and the various vectorial capacities reported for these forms are more likely corresponded to other epidemiological factors than to the morphotype of the populations. Lack of malaria parasite infection in An. stephensi, the most important vector of malaria, may be partly due to the success and achievement of ongoing active malaria control program in the region.

Animals ; Anopheles ; genetics ; parasitology ; DNA, Mitochondrial ; genetics ; DNA, Protozoan ; genetics ; Eggs ; classification ; parasitology ; Female ; Iran ; Male ; Parasite Load ; Plasmodium ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Sporozoites