Search results for "Protozoan Infections"
showing 10 items of 20 documents
The cost-effectiveness of neonatal versus prenatal screening for congenital toxoplasmosis
2019
BackgroundCongenital Toxoplasmosis (CT) can have severe consequences. France, Austria, and Slovenia have prenatal screening programs whereas some other countries are considering universal screening to reduce congenital transmission and severity of infection in children. The efficiency of such programs is debated increasingly as seroprevalence among pregnant women and incidence of congenital toxoplasmosis show a steady decrease. In addition, uncertainty remains regarding the effectiveness of pre- and postnatal treatments.MethodTo identify cost-effective strategies, prenatal and neonatal screenings were compared using a decision-analytic model based on French guidelines and current knowledge …
Kudoa trifolia sp. n. ? molecular phylogeny suggests a new spore morphology and unusual tissue location for a well-known genus
2006
A new species of myxozoan, Kudoa trifolia sp. n., was found in various organs of the golden grey mullet, Liza aurata (Risso), and the thinlip mullet, L. ramada (Risso), from the western Mediterranean. Spores developed in subspherical plasmodia of 0.28-1 mm diameter within connective tissue, predominantly in the spleen, the outer wall of the gall bladder and the gut, the mesenteries and occasionally also in the gills. The spores of K. trifolia differ from the commonly known shape of Kudoa by considerable enlargement of one of the four valve cells, thus forming a 'spore body', which contains the major part of the binucleate sporoplasm. Scanning electron microscopy of the spores revealed the p…
Comparison of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and PCR for the diagnosis of infection with Trypanosoma brucei ssp. in equids in The Gamb…
2020
Introduction:\ud Infection of equids with Trypanosoma brucei (T. brucei) ssp. is of socioeconomic importance across sub-Saharan Africa as the disease often progresses to cause fatal meningoencephalitis. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) has been developed as a cost-effective molecular diagnostic test and is potentially applicable for use in field-based laboratories.\ud \ud Part I:\ud Threshold levels for T. brucei ssp. detection by LAMP were determined using whole equine blood specimens spiked with known concentrations of parasites. Results were compared to OIE antemortem gold standard of T. brucei-PCR (TBR-PCR).\ud \ud Results I:\ud Threshold for detection of T. brucei ssp. on …
Knowledge, stigma, health seeking behaviour and its determinants among patients with post kalaazar dermal leishmaniasis, Bihar, India
2018
Background Lesishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease endemic in Bihar, India. Inappropriate health seeking behaviour of post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) patients may increase the disease duration, severity and transmissibility. Simultaneously, lack of knowledge and perceived stigma may also increase the length of delay in receiving treatment. This ultimately effects the kala-azar elimination program. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted in 120 confirmed PKDL patients, aged 18 years and older. Data related to knowledge and health seeking behaviour was collected by a pre-tested questionnaire. EMIC stigma scale was used for assessing the perceived stigma. Patients were …
Serological prevalence of toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Luanda (Angola): Geospatial distribution and its association with socio-demographic and …
2020
We report a study on toxoplasmosis in pregnant women in Luanda, Angola, determining the seroprevalence, geospatial distribution and its association with socio-economic features, dietary habits and hygiene and health conditions. Anti-Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM were quantified in serum samples of women attended at the Lucrecia Paim Maternity Hospital between May 2016 and August 2017. The IgG avidity test and qPCR assay were used for dating the primary infection. Data were collected by questionnaire after written consent, and spatial distribution was assessed through a Kernel Density Function. The potential risk factors associated with Toxoplasma infection were evaluated using bivariate and…
TLR4 abrogates the Th1 immune response through IRF1 and IFN-β to prevent immunopathology during L. infantum infection
2020
A striking feature of human visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is chronic inflammation in the spleen and liver, and VL patients present increased production levels of multiple inflammatory mediators, which contribute to tissue damage and disease severity. Here, we combined an experimental model with the transcriptional profile of human VL to demonstrate that the TLR4-IFN-β pathway regulates the chronic inflammatory process and is associated with the asymptomatic form of the disease. Tlr4-deficient mice harbored fewer parasites in their spleen and liver than wild-type mice. TLR4 deficiency enhanced the Th1 immune response against the parasite, which was correlated with an increased activation of de…
Epizootiology of protozoans in farmed salmonids at northern latitudes
1997
Abstract Protozoan ectoparasites were examined in a northern salmonid fish farm over a 10-year period, June 1984–May 1994, by the same researcher, with similar catching and sampling procedures throughout. Husbandry procedures remained constant during the study, e.g., fingerlings were kept in steel tanks and yearlings in both steel tanks and earth ponds. Ichthyobodo necator, Chilodonella hexasticha and Ichthyophthirius multifilurs infections were treated with formalin, salt and malachite green-formalin baths, respectively, whenever any parasites were found. Altogether 10 790 randomly sampled salmon (Salmo solar), sea trout (S. trutta m. trutta) and brown trout (S. trutta m. lacustris) were s…
Leishmania tarentolae and Leishmania infantum in humans, dogs and cats in the Pelagie archipelago, southern Italy.
2021
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) caused by Leishmania infantum is endemic in the Mediterranean basin with most of the infected human patients remaining asymptomatic. Recently, the saurian-associated Leishmania tarentolae was detected in human blood donors and in sheltered dogs. The circulation of L. infantum and L. tarentolae was investigated in humans, dogs and cats living in the Pelagie islands (Sicily, Italy) by multiple serological and molecular testing. Human serum samples (n = 346) were tested to assess the exposure to L. infantum by immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot (WB) and to L. tarentolae by IFAT. Meanwhile, sera from do…
An updated insight into the Sialotranscriptome of Triatoma infestans: developmental stage and geographic variations
2014
Background Triatoma infestans is the main vector of Chagas disease in South America. As in all hematophagous arthropods, its saliva contains a complex cocktail that assists blood feeding by preventing platelet aggregation and blood clotting and promoting vasodilation. These salivary components can be immunologically recognized by their vector's hosts and targeted with antibodies that might disrupt blood feeding. These antibodies can be used to detect vector exposure using immunoassays. Antibodies may also contribute to the fast evolution of the salivary cocktail. Methodology Salivary gland cDNA libraries from nymphal and adult T. infestans of breeding colonies originating from different loc…
THE ROLE OF EXTRACELLULAR VESICLES IN MODULATING THE HOST IMMUNE RESPONSE DURING PARASITIC INFECTIONS
2014
Parasites are the cause of major diseases affecting billions of people. As the inflictions caused by these parasites affect mainly developing countries, they are considered as neglected diseases. These parasitic infections are often chronic and lead to significant immunomodulation of the host immune response by the parasite, which could benefit both the parasite and the host and are the result of millions of years of co-evolution. The description of parasite extracellular vesicles (EVs) in protozoa and helminths suggests that they may play an important role in host–parasite communication. In this review, recent studies on parasitic (protozoa and helminths) EVs are presented and their potent…