Animal Parasites Research Articles

Diagnostic epidemiological differential study of the intestinal parasites infecting horses in Karbala province, Iraq

This study aimed to investigate the infection of horses with some types of internal parasites in Kerbala province, Iraq. This purpose was examined by a flotation test of 110 horse fecal samples, divided according to age and sex. The results of this study showed two types of internal parasites, Nematodes and Protozoon; some horses were infected with more than one type of these parasites simultaneously. Examined horses were infected with Strongylus spp. by 71.8%, Parascaris equorum by 33.6%, and Eimeria spp. by 20%. Some of examined horses were suffering from infection with more than one types of internal parasites in same time, so that 12.7% of examined horses were infected with three types of parasites P. equorum , S. spp , E. spp, while 16.3% of these animals were infected with P. equorum , S.spp. However, 3.6% , 1.8% were infected with P. equorum , E. spp., and S. spp , E. spp. Female horses were more infected with these parasites than male horses, and percentage rates of female infection reached 73.1%, 30.9%, and 21.6% with the parasites S. spp, P. equorum, E. spp., while the rates of infection with these parasites in males animal were 61.5%, 53.8%, 7.6%. Animals that were smaller than one year old were more infected with these parasites than animals that were older than one year, so infection rates in smaller animals were 74% , 34 % and 21% with the parasites S. spp , P. equorum, E. spp, while in older animals were 50% , 30% , 10% receptively.

Current Applications of Digital PCR in Veterinary Parasitology: An Overview

Digital PCR (dPCR) is an emerging technology that enables the absolute quantification of the targeted nucleic acids. The body of research on the potential applications of this novel tool is growing in human and veterinary medicine. Most of the research on dPCR applications in veterinary parasitology is concentrated on developing and validating new assays to detect and quantify parasites of great financial impact in the food-producing animal industry. Several studies describe the utility of dPCR for individualized medicine in companion animals. Most frequently, dPCR performance is assessed compared to quantitative PCR or Next Generation Sequencing platforms, while others also compare the accuracy of dPCR with traditional parasitological techniques considered gold standard methods. Other researchers describe dPCR assays for surveillance purposes, species identification, and quantification in mixed parasitic infections, the detection of mutations indicative of anthelmintic resistance, and the identification of new targets for drug development. This review provides an overview of the studies that employed dPCR in investigating animal parasites and parasitic diseases from a veterinary perspective and discusses how this novel technology could advance and facilitate diagnosis, surveillance, and the monitoring of response to treatment, or shed light on current gaps in our knowledge of the epidemiology of significant veterinary parasitic diseases.

Helminthiasis of wild ungulates: helminth fauna. Spread and features of prevention

Ensuring the veterinary and sanitary welfare of animals is essential. Parasitic diseases are especially dangerous for deer. Helminths cause considerable material damage to deer farms, mainly decreasing the productive, trophy, and marketable qualities of animals. This article studies the distribution and features of preventing helminthiasis of wild ungulates. In ungulate populations settled in new ecological conditions, helminth fauna formation depends on many factors. In particular, this process is influenced by the correct selection of the settlement area, the physiological state of animals, the organization of animal feeding, medical and preventive measures, etc. Among the main measures for preventing helminthiasis in deer in the conditions of their semi-free keeping (farms, aviaries), those that reduce the possibility of infection of animals with parasites common to domestic animals are also vital. Wild animals are much more often infected with helminths of domestic animals, and the most dangerous parasitosis for them are fasciolosis, parafasciolopsosis, cysticercosis, trichostrongylidosis of ruminants. Infection with nematodes Capillaria spp. is characteristic exclusively for red deer, and the intensity of infestation is higher for this species of ruminant ungulates in free-range conditions. According to some researchers, mecystocirosis and strongyloidosis are among the most common helminthiasis in deer, the infection with pathogens of which is 74.5 and 73.3 %, respectively. Parafasciolopsoses (IE – 5.9 %), nematodirus (IE – 5.9 %), and paramphistomatids (IE – 2.8 %) are found somewhat less often. Thus, the study of helminth fauna, the development and implementation of adequate means, and methods of prevention of parasites in wild animals acquire considerable relevance. There are several ways to prevent helminthiasis in hunting and aviary deer farms; when examining the land and choosing an area for aviaries for deer, a helminthological assessment should be taken into account; it is mandatory to examine animals for helminthiasis (parasitocenoses) and carry out deworming of all imported animals; carry out annual disinfestation of feeders, watering holes, places for feeding, protective structures for animals; it is crucial to rationally place biotechnical facilities in areas safe from parasitosis; infected animals with characteristic clinical signs of the disease must be culled. There is quite a lot of information in the available literature regarding the group method of using anthelmintics for deer.

Metaverse and microorganism digital twins: A deep transfer learning approach

Preparing the infrastructure for analyzing, recognizing, and characterizing microorganisms in the Metaverse can transform the fields of biology, medicine, and drug discovery. Accordingly, the realization of digital twins of microorganisms, such as viruses, fungi, algae, bacteria, protozoa, archaea, and multicellular animal parasites, can streamline the applicability of the Metaverse and similar emerging technologies like Cyber-Physical Healthcare Systems (CPHS). This is why a new approach to the digital twinning of bacteria has been presented in this research. This method of digital twinning can revolutionize the research and study of bacteria because it allows us to separate useful and harmful bacterial species, increasing the efficiency of treatment noticeably. This innovative method can easily be used by clinics, medical centers, or even by private users physically and virtually and can be adapted to every centralized or decentralized Metaverse Platform. To determine the proper treatment, biologists have always tried to identify the correct bacterial species that prompted a bacterial infection. They use various indicators, such as the bacterial cell’s shape and the size of the colony formed by the bacteria, to classify different types of bacteria with different biochemistries and shapes. However, it is challenging because of the extensive similarities between some species. For instance, such similarities exist between Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus saprophyticus, which has caused numerous false diagnostic reports by operators. Wrong species reports bring about treatment failure and increase antibiotic resistance issues. Therefore, the digital twins of bacteria cover all of their identifiable characteristics and overcome many limitations to study them. In this approach, DTL techniques, including MobileNetV2, EfficientNetV2-S, and ResNet-50, have been employed to build digital twins of bacteria species. A hybrid dataset was used for training and evaluation. Among the models, EfficientNetV2-S exhibited the best performance, with a validation accuracy of 99.58% and a test accuracy of 99.33%. The results showed the ability of deep learning models to make bacteria digital twins based on image processing from different labs, thus assisting experts in speeding up the process and reducing diagnostic errors. In addition, in the mispredicted cases, the correct species was among the first three choices of the model. Therefore, not only can experts use DTL approaches to speed up the digital twin realization of microorganisms in the Metaverse, but they can also use these methods to reduce diagnostic errors.

Prevalence and molecular characterization of Giardia intestinalis isolated from children and calves in Babylon province, Iraq.

Giardia intestinalis is one of the most prevalent intestinal parasites in humans and animals, and children in close contact with livestock are particularly at risk of infection. This study aimed to detect assemblages of G. intestinalis and determine the origin of zoonotic transmission of Giardia in children and calves in different parts of Babylon province, Iraq. One hundred stool samples from children (68 boys and 32 girls) and 100 fecal samples from calves (46 males and 54 females) of different ages were randomly collected. Molecular techniques were used to estimate the prevalence of G. intestinalis in children and calves. A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed by targeting the triose phosphate isomerase gene in the samples to detect G. intestinalis assemblages. The overall rates of infection with G. intestinalis in children and calves were 21% and 34%, respectively, using the conventional microscopic method. The results illustrated that 61.90% (13/21) and 38.09% (8/21) of positive samples from children were allocated to assemblages A and B, respectively (p > 0.05). In calves, assemblages A and B were detecte in 82.35% (28/34) and 17.64% (6/34) of positive samples from calves, respectively (p ≤ 0.001). Ten PCR products were sequenced and submitted to the GenBank database. Phylogenetic analysis detected five human sequences each belonging to G. intestinalis assemblages A (OM850335-OM850339) and B (OM850340-OM850344). Similarly, five calf sequences each belonged to G. intestinalis assemblages A (ON75756-ON757660) and B (ON757661-ON757665). The detection of large numbers of G. intestinalis assemblage A in both humans and cattle indicated that cattle could be a main source of zoonotic G. intestinalis infection in children in Babylon province, Iraq.

Defining a core microbial necrobiome associated with decomposing fungal necromass.

Despite growing interest in fungal necromass decomposition due to its importance in soil carbon retention, whether a consistent group of microorganisms is associated with decomposing necromass remains unresolved. Here we synthesize knowledge on the composition of the bacterial and fungal communities present on decomposing fungal necromass from a variety of fungal species, geographic locations, habitats, and incubation times. We found that there is a core group of both bacterial and fungal genera (i.e. a core fungal necrobiome), although the specific size of the core depended on definition. Based on a metric that included both microbial frequency and abundance, we demonstrate that the core is taxonomically and functionally diverse, including bacterial copiotrophs and oligotrophs as well as fungal saprotrophs, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and both fungal and animal parasites. We also show that the composition of the core necrobiome is notably dynamic over time, with many core bacterial and fungal genera having specific associations with the early, middle, or late stages of necromass decomposition. While this study establishes the existence of a core fungal necrobiome, we advocate that profiling the composition of fungal necromass decomposer communities in tropical environments and other terrestrial biomes beyond forests is needed to fill key knowledge gaps regarding the global nature of the fungal necrobiome.

Degree of urbanization and vegetation type shape soil biodiversity in city parks

Urbanization negatively impacts aboveground biodiversity, such as bird and insect communities. City parks can reduce these negative impacts by providing important habitat. However, it remains poorly understood how the degree of urbanization and vegetation types within city parks (e.g., lawns, woodland) impact soil biodiversity. Here we investigated the impact of the degree of urbanization (urban vs. suburban) and vegetation type (lawn, shrub-lawn, tree-lawn and tree-shrub mixtures) on soil biodiversity in parkland systems. We used eDNA metabarcoding to characterize soil biodiversity of bacteria, fungi, protists, nematodes, meso- and macrofauna across park vegetation types in urban and suburban regions in Xiamen, China. We observed a strong effect of the degree of urbanization on the richness of different soil biota groups, with higher species richness of protists and meso/macrofauna in urban compared to suburban areas, while the richness of bacteria and fungi did not differ, and the difference of nematode richness depended on vegetation type. At the functional level, increased degree of urbanization associated with greater species richness of bacterivores, plant pathogens and animal parasites. These urbanization effects were at least partly modulated by higher soil phosphorous levels in urban compared to suburban sites. Also, the vegetation type impacted soil biodiversity, particularly fungal richness, with the richness of pathogenic and saprotrophic fungi increasing from lawn to tree-shrub mixtures. Tree-shrub mixtures also had the highest connectedness between biotas and lowest variation in the soil community structure. Overall, we show that soil biodiversity is strongly linked to the degree of urbanization, with overall richness increasing with urbanization, especially in bacterivores, plant pathogens and animal parasites. Targeted management of vegetation types in urban areas should provide a useful way to help mitigate the negative effect of urbanization on soil biodiversity.

Response of protists to nitrogen addition, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi manipulation, and mesofauna reduction in a tropical montane rainforest in southern Ecuador.

The tropical Andes are a species-rich and nitrogen-limited system, susceptible to increased nitrogen (N) inputs from the atmosphere. However, our understanding of the impacts of increased N input on belowground systems, in particular on protists and their role in nutrient cycling, remains limited. We explored how increased N affects protists in tropical montane rainforests in Ecuador using high-throughput sequencing (HTS) of environmental DNA from two litter layers. In addition, we manipulated the amount of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and mesofauna, both playing a significant role in N cycling and interacting in complex ways with protist communities. We found that N strongly affected protist community composition in both layers, while mesofauna reduction had a stronger effect on the lower layer. Changes in concentration of the AMF marker lipid had little effect on protists. In both layers, the addition of N increased phagotrophs and animal parasites and decreased plant parasites, while mixotrophs decreased in the upper layer but increased in the lower layer. In the upper layer with higher AMF concentration, mixotrophs decreased, while in the lower layer, photoautotrophs increased and plant parasites decreased. With reduced mesofauna, phagotrophs increased and animal parasites decreased in both layers, while plant parasites increased only in the upper layer. The findings indicate that to understand the intricate response of protist communities to environmental changes, it is critical to thoroughly analyze these communities across litter and soil layers, and to include HTS.

Ethanol mediates the interaction between Caenorhabditis elegans and the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum.

Accurately recognizing pathogens by the host is vital for initiating appropriate immune response against infecting microorganisms. Caenorhabditis elegans has no known receptor to recognize pathogen-associated molecular pattern. However, recent studies showed that nematodes have a strong specificity for transcriptomes infected by different pathogens, indicating that they can identify different pathogenic microorganisms. However, the mechanism(s) for such specificity remains largely unknown. In this study, we showed that the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum can infect the intestinal tract of the nematode C. elegans and the infection led to the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the infected intestinal tract, which suppressed fungal growth. Co-transcriptional analysis revealed that fungal genes related to anaerobic respiration and ethanol production were up-regulated during infection. Meanwhile, the ethanol dehydrogenase Sodh-1 in C. elegans was also up-regulated. Together, these results suggested that the infecting fungi encounter hypoxia stress in the nematode gut and that ethanol may play a role in the host-pathogen interaction. Ethanol production in vitro during fungal cultivation in hypoxia conditions was confirmed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Direct treatment of C. elegans with ethanol elevated the sodh-1 expression and ROS accumulation while repressing a series of immunity genes that were also repressed during fungal infection. Mutation of sodh-1 in C. elegans blocked ROS accumulation and increased the nematode's susceptibility to fungal infection. Our study revealed a new recognition and antifungal mechanism in C. elegans. The novel mechanism of ethanol-mediated interaction between the fungus and nematode provides new insights into fungal pathogenesis and for developing alternative biocontrol of pathogenic nematodes by nematophagous fungi. IMPORTANCE Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on our planet. Many of them are parasites in animals and plants and cause human and animal health problems as well as agricultural losses. Studying the interaction of nematodes and their microbial pathogens is of great importance for the biocontrol of animal and plant parasitic nematodes. In this study, we found that the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans can recognize its fungal pathogen, the nematophagous fungus Purpureocillium lavendulum, through fungal-produced ethanol. Then the nematode elevated the reactive oxygen species production in the gut to inhibit fungal growth in an ethanol dehydrogenase-dependent manner. With this mechanism, novel biocontrol strategies may be developed targeting the ethanol receptor or metabolic pathway of nematodes. Meanwhile, as a volatile organic compound, ethanol should be taken seriously as a vector molecule in the microbial-host interaction in nature.

Evaluation of trace elements in forages and their effect on gastrointestinal parasite burden in grazing sheep

This study was designed to evaluate the trace elements (minerals) in forages fed to sheep and their effect on gastrointestinal parasite burdens. The ultimate objective was to determine the correlation between the burden of gastrointestinal (GI) parasites and the level of trace minerals in sheep serum as a result of the forages they grazed on.A total of 384 faecal samples were collected from sheep in each of the districts (Sialkot and Multan) and examined quantitatively using the McMaster technique. Serum collected from them and plants were pre-treated, and spectrophotometry was used to determine the concentration of trace minerals (Mn, Co, Cu, and Zn). The level of these trace elements differed significantly (P < 0.05) in forages from both districts. In the district of Sialkot, the highest concentrations (mg/Kg) of Zn (38.53 ± 0.16) were found in Cichorium intybus, Cu (41.57 ± 0.07) in Cynodon dactylon, Mn (39.61 ± 0.05) in Parthenium hysterophorus, and Co (1.42 ± 0.03) in Coronopus didymus. In the district of Multan, the highest concentrations (mg/Kg) of Zn (39.43 ± 0.46) were found in Cichorium intybus, Cu (25.76 ± 0.36) in Cynodon dactylon, Mn (34.29 ± 0.53) in Launaea nudicaulis, and Co (1.74 ± 0.08) in Brachiaria raptens. The prevalence of GI parasites in sheep populations in district Sialkot was 34%, while in district Multan, it was 32%. In tehsil Sialkot of district Sialkot, Zn and Cu were significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces, while in tehsil Multan City of district Multan, only Cu was significantly (P < 0.05) correlated with EPG. The potential mechanism behind the role of trace mineralsin lowering the burdens of GI parasites requires more investigation. It is recommended that plants with high content of trace minerals should be utilized as part of comprehensive preventive and control strategies against GI parasitism in ruminant animals like sheep.

Working towards a conservation plan for fish parasites: Cyprinid parasites from the south African cape fold freshwater ecoregion as a case study.

The preservation of the world's biodiversity for future generations has been a global objective for many years, with the establishment of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 1964. However, the conservation of parasites is a more recent development and, due to the difficulty in obtaining data and studying some of the parasitic species, comes its own series of challenges. Using parasites of cyprinid hosts (one critically endangered, one endangered and three near threatened) collected from South Africa's Cape Fold freshwater ecoregion (CF) as a case study, this paper discusses the challenges and possible solutions for implementing a fish parasite conservation project. Novel data on the fish parasites (1819 metazoan parasite individuals, representing the Acanthocephala, Cestoda, Copepoda, Digenea, Monogenea and Nematoda) of the CF are provided from the five endemic hosts, Cheilobarbus serra (Peters, 1864), Labeobarbus seeberi (Gilchrist et Thompson, 1913), Pseudobarbus phlegethon (Barnard, 1938), Sedercypris calidus (Barnard, 1938), and Sedercypris erubescens (Skelton, 1974). Conservation statuses for selected parasite taxa are also proposed based on the conservation statuses of the fish hosts, according to the Conservation Assessment Methodology for Animal Parasites (CAMAP).

Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites, Risk Factors and Zoonotic Aspects in Dog and Cat Populations from Goiás, Brazil.

Gastrointestinal diseases caused by parasites are frequently diagnosed in the clinical routine of domestic animals, especially dogs and cats. In general, they trigger factors that can affect human health due to zoonoses. Therefore, this study aims to identify the main intestinal parasites obtained from the fecal samples of dogs and cats in the municipality of Jata, Brazil, and their associated risk factors. Between October 2020 and March 2022, fecal samples were collected from 359 dogs and 55 cats through spontaneous defecation and subsequently subjected to coproparasitological analyses using the Willis fluctuation and Hoffman spontaneous sedimentation techniques. The following parasitic species were identified: Ancylostoma spp., Toxocara spp., Trichuris vulpis, Dipylidium caninum; Giardia spp., Entamoeba spp., Cystoisospora spp., and Platynosomum fastosum. The risk factors associated with parasitism include age, average income of owners, access to garbage, sewage, waste, outdated deworming, and contact with animals. The results demonstrate the need to establish public policies and implement preventive and control measures to reduce the occurrence of parasites in animals and the exposure of humans to pathogenic agents.

Seasonal and Circadian Evaluation of the Essential Oil of Dizygostemon riparius (Plantaginaceae), a Wild Flavoring Herb from East Maranhão, Brazil.

Dizygostemon riparius (Plantaginaceae) is an aromatic herbal species known as "Melosa", endemic to the Municipality of São Benedito do Rio Preto, East Maranhão state, Brazil. It has a refreshing and pleasant aroma and is used for food flavoring and controlling domestic animal parasites. This work aimed to evaluate the seasonal and circadian influence on the composition and production of essential oils (EOs) from D. riparius. The plant aerial parts were hydrodistilled, and the oils were analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The seasonal study was conducted from August 2019 to July 2020, and the circadian study in dry (November) and rainy (May) periods, at 6 am, 12 am, and 6 pm. The results showed that the medium EOs yield was 2.8 %, and the primary constituents (>2 %) were endo-fenchyl acetate (30.5-42.1 %) and endo-fenchol (31.6-37.4 %), (E)-caryophyllene (2.8-7.6 %), α-fenchene (3.3-6.5 %), p-cymene (0.7-4.5 %), and caryophyllene oxide (1.4-2.7 %). Yield and composition of EOs did not significantly correlate with the climatic parameters, but their seasonal percentages influenced their two main components due to precipitation and solar radiation environmental factors. Quantitative variability in the EOs composition during the dry and rainy seasons was observed in the circadian period. These data may be significant for the plant's economic use.

Phylogeography and host‐shift speciation in the vampirecups, an enigmatic clade of endophytic holoparasitic plants

AbstractAimDiversification of obligate parasites is often closely associated with historical shifts among host species. This phenomenon is well‐documented in animal parasites but still poorly understood for parasitic plants. We studied the associations between host shifts, biogeography and diversification in Cytinus, a genus of endophytic holoparasitic plants which show a remarkable disjunct distribution.LocationMediterranean Basin, southern Africa, Madagascar.TaxonCytinus.MethodsWe sampled numerous populations in South Africa and the western Mediterranean Basin, as well as a few populations in Madagascar where the genus is rare. We amplified two nuclear (ITS and SSU) and two mitochondrial (matR and nad1) loci, to infer its evolutionary history using maximum likelihood and time‐calibrated Bayesian analyses, to elucidate the factors responsible for its current distribution and to assess whether host switching is a main driver of speciation.ResultsAll genes recover lineages corresponding to the three geographic areas of Cytinus and sublineages associated with specific host plants, although they disagree on their deep‐level relationships. Ribosomal nuclear genes support an initial split of the Malagasy lineage and an Afrotropical origin of Cytinus before colonization of warm temperate latitudes. Mitochondrial genes support an initial split of the Mediterranean and Afro‐Malagasy lineages and a later split between the South African and Malagasy clades. Introgressive hybridization is the most likely explanation for this discrepancy, while horizontal gene transfers from hosts is less likely. We found strong support for cryptic host‐specific diversity, with five and eight host races in the Mediterranean and South Africa respectively, and a strong phylogenetic signal in the host–parasite associations suggestive of parasite diversification via phylogenetic host tracking.Main ConclusionsThese dated phylogenies indicate that radiation through long‐distance dispersal events and adaptation to new hosts best explain the disjunct distribution of Cytinus. We emphasize the importance of host specificity and host‐switching in the diversification and biogeography of plant endoparasites.

Avermectin reduces bone mineralization via the TGF-β signaling pathway in zebrafish

Avermectin, a widely used insecticide, is primarily effective against animal parasites and insects. Given its extensive application in agriculture, a large amount of avermectin accumulates in natural water bodies. Studies have shown that avermectin has significant toxic effects on various organisms and on the nervous system, spine, and several other organs in humans. However, the effects of avermectin on bone development have not been reported yet. In this study, zebrafish embryos were treated with different concentrations of avermectin to explore the effects of avermectin on early bone development. The results showed that avermectin disturbed early bone development in zebrafish, caused abnormal craniofacial chondrogenesis, and reduced bone mineralization. Avermectin treatment significantly reduced mineralization in zebrafish scales and increased osteoclast activity. Real-time quantitative PCR results showed that avermectin decreased the expression of genes related to osteogenesis and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling pathways. The TGF-β inhibitor SB431542 rescued avermectin-induced bone mineralization and osteogenesis related gene expression in zebrafish during early development. Thus, this study provides insight into the mechanism of damage caused by avermectin on bone development, thus helping demonstrate its toxicity.

Molecular detection and characterization of Giardia spp., Cryptosporidium spp., and Blastocystis in captive wild animals rescued from central Colombia

Cryptosporidium, Giardia, and Blastocystis are significant causes of diarrhea worldwide. However, studies on their prevalence in wild animals are limited, compared to humans and domestic animals. In this study, we collected 23 stool samples from captive wild rescued animals in Boyacá, Colombia. Using conventional PCR, we detected Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and Blastocystis in over half of the samples (69.6%). Cryptosporidium spp. (43.5%) were the most commonly found, followed by Giardia spp. (39.1%) and Blastocystis (13.0%). Co-infections involving these parasites were also observed. Subsequent genotyping revealed Cryptosporidium canis and Cryptosporidium ryanae as the predominant species. These findings contribute valuable information about the ecoepidemiology of intestinal parasites in Colombian wild animals.

A screen of drug-like molecules identifies chemically diverse electron transport chain inhibitors in apicomplexan parasites.

Apicomplexans are widespread parasites of humans and other animals, and include the causative agents of malaria (Plasmodium species) and toxoplasmosis (Toxoplasma gondii). Existing anti-apicomplexan therapies are beset with issues around drug resistance and toxicity, and new treatment options are needed. The mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) is one of the few processes that has been validated as a drug target in apicomplexans. To identify new inhibitors of the apicomplexan ETC, we developed a Seahorse XFe96 flux analyzer approach to screen the 400 compounds contained within the Medicines for Malaria Venture 'Pathogen Box' for ETC inhibition. We identified six chemically diverse, on-target inhibitors of the ETC in T. gondii, at least four of which also target the ETC of Plasmodium falciparum. Two of the identified compounds (MMV024937 and MMV688853) represent novel ETC inhibitor chemotypes. MMV688853 belongs to a compound class, the aminopyrazole carboxamides, that were shown previously to target a kinase with a key role in parasite invasion of host cells. Our data therefore reveal that MMV688853 has dual targets in apicomplexans. We further developed our approach to pinpoint the molecular targets of these inhibitors, demonstrating that all target Complex III of the ETC, with MMV688853 targeting the ubiquinone reduction (Qi) site of the complex. Most of the compounds we identified remain effective inhibitors of parasites that are resistant to Complex III inhibitors that are in clinical use or development, indicating that they could be used in treating drug resistant parasites. In sum, we have developed a versatile, scalable approach to screen for compounds that target the ETC in apicomplexan parasites, and used this to identify and characterize novel inhibitors.

Anthelmintic Activities of Extract and Ellagitannins from Phyllanthus urinaria against Caenorhabditis elegans and Zoonotic or Animal Parasitic Nematodes.

The aerial parts of Phyllanthus urinaria are used in traditional medicine in West Africa against helminthiasis, but their anthelmintic potential has not been evaluated until now. Within the current study, a hydroacetonic extract (AWE) and fractions and isolated ellagitannins from P. urinaria were, therefore, tested in vitro against Caenorhabditis elegans and the larvae of the animal parasites Toxocara canis, Ascaris suum, Ancylostoma caninum, and Trichuris suis. Compounds 1: - 13: , mainly representing ellagitannins, were isolated using different chromatographic methods, and their structures were elucidated by HR-MS and 1H/13C-NMR. AWE exerted concentration-dependent lethal effects (LC50 of 2.6 mg/mL) against C. elegans and inhibited larval migration of all animal parasites tested (T. suis L1 IC50 24.3 µg/mL, A.suum L3 IC50 35.7 µg/mL, A.caninum L3 IC50 112.8 µg/mL, T. canis L3 IC50 1513.2 µg/mL). The anthelmintic activity of AWE was mainly related to the polar, tannin-containing fractions. Geraniin 1: , the major ellagitannin in the extract, showed the strongest anthelmintic activity in general (IC50 between 0.6 and 804 µM, depending on parasite species) and was the only compound active against A.caninum (IC50 of 35.0 µM). Furosin 9: was least active despite structural similarities to 1: . Among the parasites tested, Trichuris suis L1 larvae turned out to be most sensitive with IC50 of 0.6, 6.4, 4.0, 4.8, and 2.6 µM for geraniin 1: , repandusinic acid A 3: , punicafolin 8: , furosin 9: , and phyllanthusiin A 10: , respectively.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Dicrocoelium dendriticum.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum, a worldwide zoonotic trematode, is a common parasite of ruminant animals, but humans can be the definitive host by chance. We analyzed the world situation of the parasite from the perspective of the One Health concept by analyzing the research literature published from 1931 to 2022. Published documents related to D. dendriticum were searched from the Scopus database. Focusing on a visual analysis of the main research documents on D. dendriticum, Dimensions free web app was used to conduct co-occurrence analysis with keywords, countries, institutions, and authors. Moreover, key clustering research, affiliaitons, journals, countries, and authors were determined. The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) was the most publishing affiliation on D. dendriticum with 19 articles. While the Veterinary Parasitology Journal was the mostly publishing journal on D. dendriticum with 38 articles, the most productive country was Iran. The authors Giuseppe Cringoli and Laura Rinaldi from Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy were the mostly publishing authors. This bibliometric analysis provides an overall description of the current state of D. dendriticum research and the initial exploration of future research directions. Our analysis provides guidance for the development of research on D. dendriticum.

UPDATE ON THE IVERMECTIN’ MODE OF ACTION AND RESISTANCE MECHANISMS: A GENERAL MEDICAL LITERATURE OVERVIEW

Ivermectin (IVM) is an antiparasitic drug, and it belongs to the avermectin family ofmedications. After its discovery in 1975, its first uses were in veterinary medicine toprevent and treat heartworm and acariasis. Approved for human use in 1987, today it isused to treat infestations including head lice, scabies, river blindness (onchocerciasis),strongyloidiasis, trichuriasis, ascariasis and lymphatic filariasis. It works through manymechanisms to kill the targeted parasites, and can be taken orally, or applied to the skinfor external infestations. It is on the World Health Organization's List of EssentialMedicines, it is available as a generic medicine, and is approved by the U.S. Food andDrug Administration as an antiparasitic agent. By the year 2022, it was the 420th mostcommonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 100,000prescriptions.The pioneering drug IVM, a dihydro derivative of avermectin originating solely froma single microorganism isolated at the Kitasato Intitute, Tokyo, Japan from Japanese soilhas had an immeasurably beneficial impact in improving the lives and welfare of billionsof people throughout the world. Originally introduced as a veterinary drug, it kills a widerange of internal and external parasites in commercial livestock and companion animals. Itwas quickly discovered to be ideal in combating two of the world’s most devastating anddisfiguring diseases which have plagued the world’s poor throughout the tropics forcenturies. It is now being used free-of-charge as the sole tool in campaigns to eliminateboth diseases globally. It has also been used to successfully overcome several other humandiseases and new uses for it are continually being found.IVM with many global trade names of Stromectol®, Soolantra®, Sklice® or Vietnamtrade names of Stromectin®, Pizar®, A.T Ivermectine®. IVM can be use in oral or topicalroute administration by ATC code D11AX22 (WHO) , P02CF01 (WHO), QP54AA01(WHO), QS02QA03 (WHO).