Medical Parasitology Research Articles

Parasitology ‒ As an Important Scientific Field of Medicine

Abstract Medical parasitology is the science that studies human parasites, diseases caused by them, and measures to combat these diseases. Medical parasitology is an important part of the science of parasitology (which includes zooparasitology and phytoparasitology) and studies the causes, transmission, pathogenesis, clinic, epidemiology, immunology and treatment of parasitic diseases in humans, as well as ways of prevention and control of these diseases. Traditionally, parasitic diseases include diseases caused by protozoa (protozoa), diseases caused by helminths (helminthoses) and diseases caused by arthropods. One of the most important tasks facing parasitology is the development and implementation of scientific-based measures against diseases caused by parasites in order to protect people's health, protect agricultural animals and plants from various diseases.

Retrospective Evaluation of Intestinal Protozoa Parasites in Patients Presenting to Kafkas University Health Research and Application Hospital Between 2019-2022.

This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the prevalence of protozoan parasites in stool samples collected from patients presenting with various gastrointestinal complaints to the Medical Parasitology Laboratory of Kafkas University Research and Application Hospital between 2019 and 2022. Stool samples were initially examined using the native-Lugol method for the detection of protozoan parasites, followed by the formol-ethyl acetate sedimentation method, Giemsa, and carbol fuchsin staining methods. Specific immunochromatographic card tests were used for the diagnosis of Entamoeba histolytica, Cryptosporidium spp., and Giardia intestinalis. Of the 2.267 stool samples examined over the four-year period from January 2019 to December 2022, 7.63% were found to contain one or more protozoan parasites. Among these parasites, Entamoeba histolytica was detected at the highest rate of 4.06%. The other parasite species were identified as follows: Blastocystis spp. 1.15%, Entamoeba spp. and Entamoeba coli each 0.52%, Giardia intestinalis 0.48%, Endolimax nana 0.17%, and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar 0.08%. This study indicates that despite a decrease in the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections in the Kars region, these infections remain a significant public health issue. Therefore, improvements in hygiene and sanitation conditions, increased public health education, and the widespread implementation of early diagnosis and treatment methods are necessary. Special measures should be taken to protect vulnerable groups, particularly children and the elderly.

Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medical Parasitology: The State of the Art

Artificial Intelligence in Diagnostic Medical Parasitology: The State of the Art

Helicobacter pylori Infection among Symptomatic Adults in a Tertiary Hospital in Southwestern Nigeria: A Retrospective Study

Aim: To determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection among symptomatic adults in a tertiary hospital in a peri-urban setting in Southwestern Nigeria. Methodology: It was a retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted in the Medical Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan-Remo, Ogun State, Nigeria, between January 2022 and June 2024. The study involved a review of the medical microbiology laboratory records to evaluate the H. pylori stool antigen results of samples obtained from adults with gastrointestinal symptoms suggestive of H. pylori infection. Results: A total of 1061 adults were included in the study with females accounting for 56.2% of the participants. The age range of the participants was 18 – 95 years with a mean age of 34.59 + 15.51. The prevalence rate of H. pylori infection was 32.4% (344/1061). The infection was higher in females (50.6%) than in males (49.4%) and it was statistically significant (P = 0.011). However, a higher proportion (36.6%) of males had the infection than females (29.2%). The age group 21 – 30 years accounted for 23.3% of the H. pylori-positive participants while 37.6% of participants in the age group 41 -50 years were H. pylori-positive, however it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: H. pylori infection is prevalent among symptomatic adults in this locality. Hence, screening for H. pylori is recommended for detection, prompt treatment and eradication of H. pylori infection to prevent long-term complications.

The Bibliometric Analysis of the Postgraduate Theses Written on Medical Parasitology in Türkiye.

The aim of this study was to analyze the theses prepared in the field of medical parasitology in Türkiye and to reveal the importance given to the science of parasitology in the groves of academe and to raise awareness in this field. Council of Higher Education's National Thesis Center database has been analyzed postgraduate these documents conducted in the field of medical parasitology from January 1985 to September 2022. As a result of the examining, 393 theses made in the field of medical parasitology were detected. It was determined that 52.9% of the theses prepared were master, 28% of PhD and 19.1% were the thesis of medical specialty thesis and 61.3% of the theses prepared were related to protozoa, 16.5% of helminths, 8.6% arthropods and 12.2% of intestinal parasites (helminth and protozoa). The top five types of parasites in the theses were Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Echinococcus spp., Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. respectively. In conclusion, it was of the opinion that more importance should be given to the field of medical parasitology in Türkiye.

Teaching reform and practice of medical parasitology under the perspective of “one health”

Teaching reform and practice of medical parasitology under the perspective of “one health”

Mass Spectrometry Imaging: An Emerging Technology in Medical Parasitology.

Mass Spectrometry Imaging: An Emerging Technology in Medical Parasitology.

Using the Peer Learning Method in the E-learning Process: Creating a Support-Motivational Mechanism for the Parasitology MS Students in Shahid Sadougi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd

Introduction: Specialized training is the most crucial turning point of education in obtaining the professions related to medical sciences. Peer learning has advantages, including saving time and eliminating the limitations of traditional education. The purpose of current educational program during the COVID19 pandemic was to reduce students’ stress and more accepted in the parasitology PhD exam.
 Method: Faculty members and MsC Students in the Department of Medical Parasitology, Yazd medical university, performed the present developmental study based on the reference books and curriculum. First, a training virtual platform was designe using a topic, picture, video of a parasite or parasitic diseases between the learners under the supervision of all the scientific members. Learners designed questions and their answers for each title in the virtual platform. In the end, to help the students to participate in the PhD exam, two virtual pre-exams were also designed. Finally, the satisfaction level of faculty members and students, as wll as their stress level's was evaluate using Excel software.
 Results: Of 25 student participants, six succeeded in the first stage and finally, three of them were accepted in the second stage of the parasitology Ph.D. exam in the 2021-2022 academic years. Implementation of this peer learning method was also effective in reducing the stress level of students in the Ph.D. exam.
 Conclusion: Considering the success of the peer learning program using virtual learning in current study and more passing in the Ph.D. exam, it suggests that this plan will be implemented in other educational groups with postgraduate education.

Review: Parasite Strategies to Escape Attack by The Immune System of Their Hosts

This review aims to investigate the parasitic strategies that enable them to escape attack by the immune systems of their hosts and cause infection. A parasite is a creature that obtains its sustenance and other requirements from a host, which is another organism that provides support to the parasite. Medical parasitology encompasses protozoa, helminths, and some arthropods. Parasitic diseases lead to host immune responses that expel the infesting parasites. Parasites also have improved a number of strategies to prevent host immune attacks and survive in the environment of the host. In this study, all information about the parasites abilities to avoid host complement immune attack in a hostile environment and the mechanisms of complement immune evasion is provided.

ANNUAL ANALYSIS OF PARASITIC INFECTIONS IN BULGARIA IN 2022

INTRODUCTION: Infections caused by parasites still represent an important global health problem. Although parasitic infections are responsible for significant morbidity and mortality in developing countries, they are also prevalent in developed countries. This study aims to establish the dynamics of the parasitic infections registered in the country (local and imported) and to analyze the situation, based on data from the previous years. METHODS: We used the annual reports of regional health inspectorates, diagnostic laboratories, medical universities, and data from the National center of infectious and parasitic diseases about all individuals infected with parasitic diseases in the country. RESULTS: A total of 635,522 persons were examined in 2022, of whom 1.82% were diagnosed with various parasitic infections. In the local helminthic zoonoses such as echinococcosis and trichinellosis, a significant decrease in morbidity was observed,1.3%₀₀₀ (n = 89) for cystic echinococcosis and 0.16%₀₀₀ (n = 9) for trichinellosis. For soil-transmitted helminthiases (ascariasis and trichuriasis), the incidence was 6.7%₀₀₀ and 0.5%₀₀₀, respectively. Data on enterobiasis does not show any particular dynamics in 2022 either. The registered prevalence for the country was 1.48%, and for children from various childcare facilities - 2.45%. During the year, seven cases of vector-borne parasitic diseases were registered in the country: imported malaria was diagnosed in 5 patients (4 Bulgarian citizens and one foreigner), and autochthonous visceral leishmaniasis - in two persons. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis shows that, in spite of a trend of declining morbidityfor some socially significant protozoan and helminth infections, human parasitic diseases still represent a significant problem with social and medical consequences for the population of our country. Therefore, it is necessary to preserve and strengthen the surveillance and control network by including new personnel in the medical parasitology structures.

Thinking on ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching

With the deepening reform of ideological and political education, Medical Parasitology teaching needs to update the teaching concept, change the teaching ideas, as well as keep trying to combine ideological and political education with the curriculum content closely. In addition to teaching students' basic knowledge and practical skills, teachers are needed to cultivate their moral literacy and political awareness through course teaching, so as to provide the basis for students' subsequent adaptations to social environments and jobs. Currently, the study of ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching is still in the exploratory stage. Therefore, colleges and universities need to carry out effective construction of ideological and political education in Medical Parasitology teaching, in order to achieve good teaching outcomes and provide insights into ideological and political education in teaching.

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Medical Parasitology: A Comprehensive Review

Artificial Intelligence Applications in Medical Parasitology: A Comprehensive Review

Molecular Characterization of Cryptosporidium Oocysts in under-Five Children with Diarrhoea in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

Aim: Cryptosporidiosis is the fifth leading cause of diarrhoea-related death globally among under-five children. This study was conducted to identify and characterize oocysts of Cryptosporidium in under-five children with diarrhoea in Ile-Ife.
 Study Design: It was a case-control study.
 Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University between April, and October 2019.
 Methodology: Ethical approval was obtained for this study. Consent was also obtained from the parents of the children. Stool samples from 53 children with diarrhoea (cases) and 94 children without diarrhoea (controls) under five years of age were collected. A structured proforma was used to obtain relevant information from the parents of the children. Stool samples were collected and examined macroscopically for consistency, appearance, and colour. Modified Ziehl-Neelsen staining was carried out on all the stool samples. The samples positive for Cryptosporidium oocysts by staining were genotyped by nested polymerase chain reaction and confirmed by sequencing of their 18S rRNA genes. Data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics with SPSS software version 20 and STATA 15. 
 Results: The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis among the study participants was 23.1% with rates of 43.4% (23) and 11.7% (11) for diarrhoeic and non-diarrhoeic children respectively. Of the 34 stool samples analysed, 6 (17.6%) were amplified by nested PCR and 4 (11.8%) were identified by sequencing. The species of Cryptosporidium identified were Cryptosporidium parvum (75%) and Cryptosporidium bovis (25%).
 Conclusion: In conclusion, Cryptosporidiosis is prevalent among under-five children with Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium bovis as the infecting species.

The influence of agricultural land on the level of airborne Alternaria spores

Aim of the research was to investigate the impact of agricultural activity on the concentration of Alternaria spores.
 Materials and methods. The study was carried out at the Department of Medical Biology, Parasitology and Genetics of the ZSMPhU. Samples were collected using a 7-day volumetric sampler of the Hirst type, using the volumetric method. Samples were identified under a light microscope, and spore identification and counting were limited to genus levels. The relationship between seasonal Alternaria spore levels and harvest rates was analysed using Pearson's correlation method. The effect of meteorological conditions and agricultural activity on the daily concentration of Alternaria was analysed using stepwise correlation based on logarithmically transformed daily average spore counts. Classical leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) was used to estimate the mean square error (MSE), associated with this model and Bayesian information criterion (BIC) was used to assess its accuracy.
 Results. Seasonal characteristics of Alternaria spores and agricultural activity in Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions were analysed. The connection of some seasonal and daily indicators with harvesting rates and meteorological conditions was determined. Two models with 5 and 9 parameters were found that best explain the dynamics of Alternaria spores.
 Conclusions. The most significant parameters positively correlated with Alternaria spore levels were temperature, pressure, westerly wind and wheat yield; relative humidity was negatively correlated

Entomological Reference Collection: 85 years of contributions to public health.

The Department of Hygiene of the Faculty of Medicine of São Paulo (FMUSP), organized with the support of the Rockefeller Foundation, became the Institute of Hygiene, with the inaugural class taught by Samuel Darling in 1918. The history of Public Health Entomology is mixed with that of the Institute itself, which became the Faculty of Hygiene and Public Health in 1945. Still in the 1930s, Paulo César de Azevedo Antunes and John Lane organized Public Health Entomology within the Medical Parasitology area of the then Institute of Hygiene. During this period, the entomology laboratory came to be recognized for its research in the systematics of hematophagous insects, as well as in the ecology, biology and behavior of vectors. The Entomological Reference Collection (CER) originated naturally from the research of Paulo César Antunes and John Lane and is a national and international heritage covering primary and secondary types of insect species that are of interest to public health. Over the years, it has been consolidated with the efforts of Augusto Ayroza Galvão, Renato Corrêa, José Coutinho, Nelson Cerqueira, Ernesto Rabello, Oswaldo Forattini and others. In its over eighty years of activities, CER has enabled the training of several scientists able to act in programs of surveillance and control of endemic diseases associated with insect vectors throughout Latin America, in addition to training taxonomists focused on insects of interest in Public Health. Researchers from other Brazilian institutes and abroad joined the entomology laboratory because of its importance and the research developed in it. The growing scientific production made it possible for entomological studies developed at the Faculty of Public Health (FSP) to gain international visibility, contributing to the development of disease prevention and epidemic control actions in the country.

A study implementing real-time PCR to identify Strongyloides species of third-stage larvae in human stool samples from Southern Vietnam

BackgroundStrongyloidiasis, a neglected disease caused by intestinal nematodes of the genus, is endemic to tropical and subtropical areas such as Vietnam. Morphological methods only identify the genus, while DNA-molecular techniques are susceptible in Strongyloides spp. detection. The study aims to determine the prevalence of dominant Strongyloides species among the population in Duc Hoa district, Long An, Vietnam. MethodsA cross-sectional study used 1190 stool specimens collected from July 2017 to November 2018. All samples were transported within 2 h, stored at 2–8°C, and processed within 48 h for microscopy smear and culture at the Laboratory of Medical Parasitology, Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine (PNT). Then all positive samples with the above 2 methods were verified by real-time PCR technique. Real-time PCR amplification was conducted at the Laboratory of Molecular Biology, PNT. ResultsDirect microscopy and modified Harada-Mori culture detected Strongyloides spp. larvae in 79/1190 samples (6.6%). About 94.2% of the DNA samples were Strongyloides stercoralis, 2.9% were co-infections with Strongyloides ratti and S. stercoralis, and 2.9% were patients with S. ratti. The identity of 12/14 sequences was confirmed as S. stercoralis with a high level of similarity (91.3%–100%) and over 98% for S. ratti. ConclusionDNA-molecular techniques and sequence analysis are highly suitable for identifying Strongyloides species isolated from stool samples. It is remarkable evidence of the presence of zoonosis S. ratti disease in human, not just the known S. stercoralis. It is likely to result in a certain proportion of people being infected by this animal-borne infectious pathogen.

Artificial intelligence in Medical Parasitology between hopes and fears

Artificial intelligence in Medical Parasitology between hopes and fears

Artificial intelligence and Medical Parasitology: Applications and perspectives

Artificial intelligence and Medical Parasitology: Applications and perspectives

Organizational and methodological principles of teaching the elective discipline “Modern Aspects of Medical Parasitology” for students of the Educational and Research Institute of Nursing

Based on the training of nurses according to the generally accepted international educational standards, the most effective way to attain a higher standard of education for future specialists is to incorporate optional courses that provide a novel approach to learning. The purpose of this study was to present the experience of the Department of Medical Biology of the I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University in the development and implementation of the elective discipline “Modern Aspects of Medical Parasitology” in the educational programme “Nursing” of the first (bachelor’s) level of higher education in the branch of knowledge 22 Healthcare, specialty 223 Nursing. The study analysed the theoretical and methodological foundations of conducting classes in the elective discipline “Modern Aspects of Medical Parasitology”. It was found that the educational and methodological complex, which corresponds to the curriculum and is developed based on the regulatory documents of the educational programme “Nursing”, enables students to master, expand, and improve the level of mastery of the initial material, develop an individual approach to solving the tasks according to the goals and programme results. The paper points out the importance of forming a holistic understanding of parasitism as a form of relationship between organisms in nature. The study covered the teaching methods employed for the elective course “Modern Aspects of Medical Parasitology” in a higher education institution. It analysed how using teaching aids, including museum exhibits in the educational process and the role of the Department of Medical Biology, enhances the effectiveness of students’ learning activities in studying the fundamentals of medical parasitology. The incorporation of highly visible means, information and communication technologies, well-designed educational and methodological support, and impeccably organised classroom activities will enhance the quality, content, and principles of educational services offered in the educational programme “Nursing”, speciality 223 Nursing

The Social Representations (SR) of Graduate Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) Students about Parasitology: a comparative analysis between pre and post-instruction.

Parasitology is part of the Medical Laboratory Science (MLS) program curriculum. A long list of parasites of medical importance need to be covered in a short amount of time to prepare these students for their professional practice. Social representations (SR) constitute commonsense knowledge, created daily under the influence of communicative processes, and constructed while we play our roles in our social contexts. In a student-centered course, it’s paramount to understand students’ prior knowledge to effectively teach them new skills. In this study, we aimed at describing the SR of MLS students related to “Parasitology” before and after instruction. Fourteen MLS students were surveyed, and their SR related to parasitology was assessed using a free evocation test and the IRAMUTEQ software. Results showed that in pre instruction, students used words more related to general biological aspects of parasites to describe parasitology. After instruction, well in line with the content and objectives of the course, students used words more closely related to medical parasitology as those related to the morphology and diagnosis of parasites. This indicates that the course was able to change the students’ SR related to parasitology.