Parasite Counts Research Articles

Seasonal study of the relationship between the condition factor and the monogeneans parasite density of Heterobranchus isopterus Bleeker, 1863 and Clarias gariepinus (Burchell, 1822) fished in the Bagoué River (North-Western, Ivory Coast).

A comparative study on the relationship between condition factors and parasite density of Heterobranchus isopterus and Clarias gariepinus was conducted during the wet and dry seasons. Specimens were collected from the Bagoué River from August 2020 to July 2021. Two hundred eighty-four specimens of H. isopterus and 272 specimens of C. gariepinus were collected from all stations during both seasons. The standard length and weight of the fish were recorded and the condition factor was calculated for each individual. The gills were examined under a binocular loupe and the monogeneans were collected. Parasite counts showed that for both host species, the total number of parasites was higher in the dry season than in the wet season (p < 0.05). The correlation coefficient was determined to investigate the relationship between the condition factor and the total number of parasites. A significant positive correlation was observed between the condition factor and the number of parasites in both host species during the wet season. A negative correlation was observed in both hosts during the dry season. The information from this study could be taken into consideration in the sanitary management of the fish farming industry. The dry season could be considered as the season with favorable conditions for the development of most parasite species.

Age-specific impacts of vegetation functional traits on gastrointestinal nematode parasite burdens in a large herbivore.

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites play an important role in the ecological dynamics of many animal populations. Recent studies suggest that fine-scale spatial variation in GIN infection dynamics is important in wildlife systems, but the environmental drivers underlying this variation remain poorly understood. We used data from over two decades of GIN parasite egg counts, host space use, and spatial vegetation data from a long-term study of Soay sheep on St Kilda to test how spatial autocorrelation and vegetation in an individual's home range predict parasite burden across three age groups. We developed a novel approach to quantify the plant functional traits present in a home range to describe the quality of vegetation present. Effects of vegetation and space varied between age classes. In immature lambs, strongyle parasite faecal egg counts (FEC) were spatially structured, being highest in the north and south of our study area. Independent of host body weight and spatial autocorrelation, plant functional traits predicted parasite egg counts. Higher egg counts were associated with more digestible and preferred plant functional traits, suggesting the association could be driven by host density and habitat preference. In contrast, we found no evidence that parasite FEC were related to plant functional traits in the host home range in yearlings or adult sheep. Adult FEC were spatially structured, with highest burdens in the north-east of our study area, while yearling FEC showed no evidence of spatial structuring. Parasite burdens in immature individuals appear more readily influenced by fine-scale spatial variation in the environment, highlighting the importance of such heterogeneity for our understanding of wildlife epidemiology and health. Our findings support the importance of fine-scale environmental variation for wildlife disease ecology and provides new evidence that such effects may vary across demographic groups within a population.

Wash Deployment and Geo-helminth Ova Dispersion in Primary Schools in Akure North and Owo Local Government Areas, Ondo State, Nigeria

Soil-Transmitted Helminths (geo-helminths) are intestinal parasites causing human infections that are soil-borne. The study assessed the level of soil contamination with geo-helminths ova and also evaluated the level of compliance to WASH policies in some selected public and private schools in Akure North and Owo Local Government Areas of Ondo state, respectively. The study was conducted in the major districts of the two towns.&#x0D; Methods&#x0D; Soil samples were collected from three (3) different locations within each school premise: Toilet areas, classroom and playground. Assessment sheets were used to evaluate data on indicators of compliance to WASH interventions. Modified Baemann’s culture technique was used in the extraction of geo-helminths larvae and sedimentation techniques were used in the concentration and isolation of geo-helminths eggs. The significant difference in soil contamination between public and private schools was obtained using statistical analysis.&#x0D; Result&#x0D; Of the 162 soil samples examined from each local government area, Akure North had the highest number of contaminated samples, n=116 (71.61%), while Owo local government had the least, n =88 (54.32%). Four (4) different geo-helminth species were identified; Hookworm, Ascaris lumbricoides, Strongyloides stercoralis, and Trichuris trichiura. The most occurring parasites seen in Akure North were hookworm larvae (67.83%), Strongyloides stercoralis (67.83%), hookworm ova (11.25%) and ova of Ascaris lumbricoides (7.56%). Likewise, Hookworm larvae had the highest level of occurrence (51.67%), while Trichuris trichiura was the least occurring (0.77%) in Owo local government area. Public schools had the higher parasite count 668/780 (85.64%), while private schools had the lesser parasite count, 112 /780 (14.36%).&#x0D; Conclusion&#x0D; The study revealed poor deployment of WASH in the schools, and children were predisposed to geo-helminths infections due to the high level of contamination, particularly in the public schools.

Analysis of correlation between the parasite density and clinical profile of malaria

Malaria, an infectious disease caused by protozoans of the genus Plasmodium, continues to be a serious global health problem. Typically, a higher parasite count is associated with a more severe infection and increased mortality. Delay in diagnosis and treatment also contributes to the mortality. In India, transmission of malaria is low and seasonal.Due to this unstable endemicity of the disease, we hypothesized that in our patients with malaria, morbidity and mortality will occur at lower parasitaemia levels compared to highly endemic areas. Therefore, we conducted this study at our tertiary care centre to find out correlation between parasite density and clinical profile of malaria. This observational, hospital based, cross- sectional study was carried out to find the correlation between parasite density and clinical profile of malaria in department of Pediatrics, Maharana Bhupal Government hospital, Udaipur for one year (April 21 to March 2022) duration. A total of 96 children aged 1 month to 18 years of age were enrolled. The most common presenting feature was fever (100%) followed by nausea and vomiting (68.8%) followed by headache (43.7%), jaundice (31.3%) and pain abdomen (29.2%). 60.4% patients had parasite density of less than 50,000 followed by 20.8% with below 1 lakh parasite density, 14.6% with density between 1 to 2 lakhs and remaining with higher parasite density. Maximum parasite density (more than 1 lakh/µl) was observed among P. falciparum patients, followed by mixed infection (1-2 lakhs/µl) patients. Correlation of clinical profile and parasite density revealed that as the parasite density increased there was increased in number of patients with headache, impaired consciousness, convulsions, and oliguria. High parasite density was associated with severe clinical illness and deranged laboratory parameters. As parasite density is very sensitive index, preparation of good quality peripheral blood film and proper assessment (parasite density) can help to assess the disease severity and outcome. High parasitaemia can be prevented by general measures in the form of proper education, good sanitation, and good awareness about the use of anti-larval activity.

130 Investigation of age, status, season, and sex on equine parasitic load in a university program

Strongyles are nematode parasites that can damage the horse's large intestine and cecum and cause symptoms of colic, anemia, and weight loss. Sixty-four horses from the University of Connecticut campus were used to study parasitic shedding patterns, to determine if there was a seasonal, age, sex or work status effect. Horses were assigned to different statuses based on living and exercise situations. The goal of analyses was to assess whether there was a change in parasite count over time, and whether horse age, status and sex had any effect on parasite count. Fecal samples of all horses were collected in March and October for 5 years. Fecal flotation testing was done to evaluate strongyle eggs per gram (EPG). Zero-inflated (ZI), negative binomial mixed effects models were used to evaluate changes in parasite counts over time. Both conditional (nonzero parasite counts) and ZI components were adjusted for status, age, sex, and the interaction of status and year. Horse ID was treated as a random effect, to account for repeated measurements. No sex effect on parasitic load was found with either the conditional or ZI models. Similarly, neither status norseason were significantly associated statistically with parasite counts. Initial age did have an effect on conditional parasite counts, with regression results suggesting that as age increased, parasite counts decreased. Although we have some evidence of declining parasite loads at UConn, this effect was only significant for spring sampling. Fall sampling occurred after the horses had been turned out over the summer, so perhaps they are then at greater risk for getting a heavier parasite load. The decline over the years in the March data could be due to the implementation of a parasitic control protocol by barn management 4 years into the study. This study appears to agree with other studies in that older horses are less affected by internal parasites than their younger counterparts. The parasitic control protocol implemented by barn management appears to have had a positive effect on horses in the spring. More research is needed to determine if this protocol will eventually have an effect on the fall as well.

A Cross-sectional study on the Prevalence, Behavioural and Environmental Risk Factors of Malaria Transmission in Two Senatorial Districts of Cross River State, Nigeria

There is a dearth of information on the behavioural and environmental risk factors enhancing malaria transmission in the Cross River State. This study, therefore, investigated the prevalence of malaria and the behavioural and environmental risk factors enhancing malaria parasite transmission in four Local Government Areas in Cross River State, Nigeria. The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 400 participants aged 5-60 years and was conducted between August and November 2021. Thick and thin blood films prepared were examined using microscopy at ×10 magnification. A standard questionnaire was also used to collect data on socio-demographic and environmental factors. The overall prevalence of malaria infection recorded in the study is 18.2% (73/400). All malaria infections were observed to be caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The prevalence of malaria infection was higher in the age group 11-20 years (22.2%) (P&lt;0.001). According to gender, males (23.3%) were more infected with malaria than females (12.9%) (P=0.007). An overall mean (±S.D) parasite density and parasites count of 250.00±18.80 and 15.60±1.20 parasite/μLof blood, respectively, was recorded in the study. In Calabar South Local Government Area (LGA), there was a negative correlation between the use of bed nets and malaria infection (r= -0.226) (P=0.024). Mud houses, use of bed nets, and the availability of refuse dump around households were significantly (P&lt;0.001) associated with the presence of mosquitoes. A negative correlation was observed in the relationship between the presence of mosquitoes and the use of insecticide in Calabar South LGA (r= -0.390) (P&lt;0.001). There was a negative correlation between the use of bed nets and the presence of mosquitos in Calabar Municipal (r= -0.286) and Obudu (r= -0.286) LGAs (P=0.004). In conclusion, this study suggests that malaria management efforts should take an integrated strategy that includes good environmental sanitation.

Identification of high-risk groups of falciparum malaria in western region of Ghana: The predictive value of ABO Blood group typology

Background: Several studies have linked malaria to ABO blood groups with still others reporting insignificant association between ABO blood group system and malaria. Blood group ‘O’ has been shown to confer protection against severe malaria by studies in various populations but indecisive reports have been given about non-O blood groups in relation to their protection or vulnerability to severe malaria.&#x0D; Objective: The present study sought to investigate the ABO blood group typology and the risk of developing severe malaria.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: A total of 280 participants (140) with P. Falciparum malaria patients and 140 healthy controls) screened for ABO blood groups by Tile method were enrolled into the study. Thick and thin blood films stained with 10 % Giemsa were prepared for falciparum – infected individuals and their full blood counts obtained from the haematology analyzer (Cell Dyn 1800, Abbot Diagnostic Division, USA). Parasite counts were categorized into severe and uncomplicated malaria and further grouped into varying degrees of parasitaemia. The effects of parasite densities on some haematological parameters were then studied. Severe malaria was defined as hyperparasitaemia, malarial anaemia and thrombocytopenia.&#x0D; Results: The frequency of blood group ‘A’ was significantly higher in patients with severe malaria compared to other blood groups (p = 0.042). Blood groups ‘A’ and ‘B’ showed higher parasite densities while ‘A’ and ‘AB’ blood groups revealed low platelet counts. Anaemia was severe in blood groups ‘A’ and ‘O’ (p ≤ 0.05). Previous studies including this current one highlighted the protected nature of blood group ‘O’ to severe malaria (p ≤ 0.05).&#x0D; Conclusion: The present study provides the evidences that, individuals of blood group ‘A’ are highly susceptible to malaria infection and inferably with an increased risk of developing severe malaria than the other blood groups.

Biogenic selenium nanoparticles: trace element with promising anti-toxoplasma effect

ABSTRACT Toxoplasmosis is an opportunistic infection caused by the coccidian Toxoplasma gondii which represents a food and water contaminant. The available chemotherapeutic agents for toxoplasmosis are limited and the choice is difficult when considering the side effects. Selenium is an essential trace element. It is naturally found in dietary sources, especially seafood, and cereals. Selenium and selenocompounds showed anti-parasitic effects through antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. The present study evaluated the potential efficacy of environmentally benign selenium nanoparticles (SeNPs) against acute toxoplasmosis in a mouse model. SeNPs were fabricated by nanobiofactory Streptomyces fulvissimus and characterized by different analytical techniques including, UV-spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy, EDX, and XRD. Swiss albino mice were infected with Toxoplasma RH strain in a dose of 3500 tachyzoites in 100 μl saline to induce acute toxoplasmosis. Mice were divided into five groups. Group I: non-infected, non-treated, group II: infected, non-treated, group III: non-infected, treated with SeNPs, group IV: infected, treated with co-trimoxazole (sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim) and group V: infected, treated with SeNPs. There was a significant increase in survival time in the SeNPs-treated group and minimum parasite count was observed compared to untreated mice in hepatic and splenic impression smears. Scanning electron microscopy showed tachyzoites deformity with multiple depressions and protrusions, while transmission electron microscopy showed excessive vacuolization and lysis of the cytoplasm, especially in the area around the nucleus and the apical complex, together with irregular cell boundary and poorly demarcated cell organelles. The present study demonstrated that the biologically synthesized SeNPs can be a potential natural anti-Toxoplasma agent in vivo.

A Flexible Semi-Poisson Distribution with Applications to Insurance Claims and Biological Data

In this paper, a discrete one-parameter distribution called the semi-Poisson distribution is introduced, which is based on a set of non-negative integers. It is seen that this distribution captures over-dispersion and zero-inflation scenarios well. A few properties of the proposed distribution, such as moments, the probability-generating function, index of dispersion, recurrence relation for the moments, and negative moments are presented. The distribution is applied to two real-life datasets related to insurance claims and parasite counts, where it is noted to perform better than many of the existing discrete distributions based on Z+, including some of the recently introduced ones.

Effect of commercial tannins on parasitic infection and immunity of lambs naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different doses of quebracho extract tannins (Schinopsis lorenzii) (EQ) included in the basal diet (DB) on the count of eggs per gram of feces (EPG), count of parasites in the abomasum, hematological, and immunological parameters in lambs naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus. Forty-eight lambs were evaluated for 42days and divided into four groups (n=12): CONT- lambs that received DB without EQ supplementation; G1%- DB with EQ at 1% of dry matter intake (DMI) level; G3%- DB with EQ at the 3% of DMI level; G6%- DB with EQ at the 6% DMI level. For EPG counts, feces were collected weekly. For counting abomasal parasites, at the end of the experiment (D42) half of the lambs in each group were slaughtered. For hematological and immunological analysis, venous blood samples were collected at D0, D21, and D42 to perform the erythrocyte count, mean cell volume (MCV), hematocrit, differential leukocyte count, total plasma protein dosage, and serum IgA class anti-H. contortus using an indirect enzyme immunoassay (ELISA). In the EPG count, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) between the groups compared with the control. Analysis of the abomasal parasite count showed Haemonchus contortus in its entirety; however, there was no significant difference (p>0.05) in the number of males, females, and total parasites. No differences (p>0.05) were observed in erythrocyte count, MCV, hematocrit, and total plasma protein. The average total leukocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, and basophil counts showed no difference (p>0.05). However, the averages of segmented neutrophils in the G1% and G3% groups presented a reduction in the percentage of cells (p<0.05) between D21 and D42. Regarding the lymphocyte count, a difference was observed in the CONT and G3% groups at D21 and D42 (p<0.05), when compared to D0. The analyses of the average absorbance of anti-Haemonchus contortus serum IgA showed no difference (p>0.05), when the groups were analyzed over time or when compared between them. It can be concluded that the inclusion of different doses of tannins from EQ did not alter the parasitological, hematological, and immunological parameters of lambs infected with H. contortus.

Patient-level performance evaluation of a smartphone-based malaria diagnostic application

BackgroundMicroscopic examination is commonly used for malaria diagnosis in the field. However, the lack of well-trained microscopists in malaria-endemic areas impacted the most by the disease is a severe problem. Besides, the examination process is time-consuming and prone to human error. Automated diagnostic systems based on machine learning offer great potential to overcome these problems. This study aims to evaluate Malaria Screener, a smartphone-based application for malaria diagnosis.MethodsA total of 190 patients were recruited at two sites in rural areas near Khartoum, Sudan. The Malaria Screener mobile application was deployed to screen Giemsa-stained blood smears. Both expert microscopy and nested PCR were performed to use as reference standards. First, Malaria Screener was evaluated using the two reference standards. Then, during post-study experiments, the evaluation was repeated for a newly developed algorithm, PlasmodiumVF-Net.ResultsMalaria Screener reached 74.1% (95% CI 63.5–83.0) accuracy in detecting Plasmodium falciparum malaria using expert microscopy as the reference after a threshold calibration. It reached 71.8% (95% CI 61.0–81.0) accuracy when compared with PCR. The achieved accuracies meet the WHO Level 3 requirement for parasite detection. The processing time for each smear varies from 5 to 15 min, depending on the concentration of white blood cells (WBCs). In the post-study experiment, Malaria Screener reached 91.8% (95% CI 83.8–96.6) accuracy when patient-level results were calculated with a different method. This accuracy meets the WHO Level 1 requirement for parasite detection. In addition, PlasmodiumVF-Net, a newly developed algorithm, reached 83.1% (95% CI 77.0–88.1) accuracy when compared with expert microscopy and 81.0% (95% CI 74.6–86.3) accuracy when compared with PCR, reaching the WHO Level 2 requirement for detecting both Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax malaria, without using the testing sites data for training or calibration. Results reported for both Malaria Screener and PlasmodiumVF-Net used thick smears for diagnosis. In this paper, both systems were not assessed in species identification and parasite counting, which are still under development.ConclusionMalaria Screener showed the potential to be deployed in resource-limited areas to facilitate routine malaria screening. It is the first smartphone-based system for malaria diagnosis evaluated on the patient-level in a natural field environment. Thus, the results in the field reported here can serve as a reference for future studies.

Volunteer Angling and Technology‐Based Solutions Provide the First Estimate of Sea Lice Infections for Wild Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii

Anadromous Coastal Cutthroat Trout Oncorhynchus clarkii clarkii are one of the least studied salmonids but are a highly prized target in sport fisheries in coastal waters of the Pacific Northwest. Despite an observed high prevalence of ectoparasite infections, described by sport anglers as “sea lice,” there is a paucity of data available on the spatial and temporal occurrence of infections on Coastal Cutthroat Trout. We collaborated with the angling community through social media engagement and an online application to report ectoparasites observed on sport catch. In 2018, we received voluntary reports for 1,493 Cutthroat Trout and 416 salmon catch events in marine waters from the province of British Columbia and the states of Washington, Oregon, and California. These data demonstrated that the number of argulids and copepods per trout varied according to body size, capture month, and area. To evaluate accuracy of voluntary parasite counts, we compared results to parasite counts on cutthroat from sampling events conducted by trained biologists. For both voluntary angler reports and those of biologists, spring months had a lower prevalence of argulids and copepods, argulids were common on trout, but absent on salmon, and larger trout were associated with an increased number of argulid and copepod infections.

Gastrointestinal parasite assemblages from the wild rodent capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) inhabiting a natural protected area from Argentina

Abstract Knowledge about parasitic diseases of wildlife will help us to understand the dynamics of parasites and their effects on host populations. The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent in the world, and its distribution is associated with the presence of tropical and subtropical wetlands in South America. The Los Padres Lake Integral Reserve (LPLIR) is an important conservation zone in the pampean region of Argentina. One of the emblematic species found within the reserve is the capybara. The objective of this study was to determine the gastrointestinal parasites present in wild capybaras of the LPLIR and to compare different coprological methodologies. Free-ranging capybara fresh feces from 57 individuals were randomly collected from the area of LPLIR in the summer of 2022. Three different techniques were applied: spontaneous sedimentation technique (SS), INTA modified McMaster technique (MM), and Mini-FLOTAC (MF) technique. Fifty-six samples from all samples analysed (56/57, 98%) were found to be positive for gastrointestinal parasites. Two species of Strongylida, Protozoophaga obesa, Echinocoleus hydrochaeris, one unidentified nematode, one unidentified spirurid, and at least two morphotypes of Eimeria spp. oocysts were recorded. There were found significant differences in the proportion of positive samples and in richness by technique, but no significant differences were found in parasite counting. In conclusion, the choice of methodology depends on the specific objectives of the study. This is the first parasitological study of capybaras from the LPLIR and represents an exploration of parasite communities present in these wild rodents at their southernmost distribution.

Rutin‐Rich Flavonoid Subfraction of Annona senegalensis Mitigates Trypanosoma brucei brucei Infection and Hematobiochemical Changes in Infected Mice

Trypanosomiasis is an important but neglected tropical diseases which continues to cause morbidity and mortality on a large scale in sub‐Saharan Africa. In the present study, the aqueous leaf extract, flavonoid fraction, and subfractions of the flavonoid from A. senegalensis leaves were evaluated for their antitrypanosomal activities, effects on some hematological parameters, and some liver‐based enzymes in mice infected with Trypanosoma brucei brucei. Mice treated with aqueous extract at a concentration range of 100–400 mg kg bw exhibited parasite inhibition range between 66.08 and 73.09% while mice treated with the flavonoid fraction (50‐200 mg/kg bw) exhibited higher parasite inhibition (83.37‐86.38%). Mice treated with subfractions of the flavonoids showed a significant decrease in parasite count (p &lt; 0.05), with subfraction 3 completely clearing parasites in the circulation after twenty‐one days of treatment. Biochemical analysis revealed that the subfraction 3 restored the alterations in the serum aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), and total protein concentrations that were observed in the infected nontreated mice. The subfraction 3 was subsequently characterized by HPLC analysis which revealed the presence of rutin (RT: 22.26, 65.34 ppm) as the most abundant bioactive compound that could be attributed to the bioactivity of the subfraction 3. Other polyphenolic compounds identified included gallic acid (RT: 4.39, 0.578 ppm), quercetin (RT: 37.27, 0.729 ppm), kaempferol (RT: 38.33, 1.52 ppm), and luteolin (RT; 39.173, 32.77 ppm). Taken together, subfraction 3 of the flavonoid fraction from of A. senegalensis demonstrated potent antitrypanosomal activities and therefore represents a reserve of bioactive metabolite worthy of further exploration for the treatment of trypanosomiasis.

Welfare of extensively managed Swedish Gotland ponies.

It has been suggested that grazing horses could be used as a credible tool for landscape conservation which would, at the same time, improve horse welfare as opposed to conventional housing. A study was conducted between May 2014 and April 2015 on 12 one year old Gotland ponies managed extensively without supplementary feed. Monthly animal welfare assessments (n = 13) revealed welfare issues in most of the horses, i.e. low body condition score (BCS<3/5), recurring poor skin condition in 11/12 horses and ocular discharge in 7/12 horses. At the end of the study, compared to the beginning, chafing and poor skin condition increased while coat condition improved. A correlation was found between a negative reaction (score > 0) in the human approach test and BCS < 3 and ocular discharge. Avoidance Distance test values were correlated with faecal parasite counts (> 350 eggs per gram [EPG]). These results indicate that the horses had acceptable welfare during late spring/summer (May-September) and that some horses required additional feed during winter. The animal welfare protocol proved to be an efficient tool for monitoring welfare. The results showed that factors important for extensive management are: daily monitoring; enclosures that provide sufficient feed; access to recovery enclosure; and habituation of horses to human approach.

In Vitro Anti-Trypanosomal Activity of Aqueous Extracts of Viscum album (Mistletoe) Leaf and Stem from Three Host Plants

In sub-Saharan Africa, trypanosomosis is a constraint on livestock production. Thus, it is imperative to develop alternative strategies since current chemotherapy is bedevilled by high cost and limited access. This study investigated the in vitro antitrypanosomal activity of aqueous extracts of Viscum album leaf and stem from three host plants namely Acacia albida, Azadirachta indica and Psidium guajava. Tail blood was collected from one of the donor rats and diluted with phosphatebuffered saline. An aliquot (2µL) containing the parasites (Trypanosoma brucei) was pipetted into the test tubes containing graded concentrations (40 mg/ml, 20 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, 5 mg/ml, 2.5 mg/ml, 1.25 mg/ml, and 0.65 mg/ml) of the aqueous extracts and incubated at 37 0C for 15 minutes. The parasite count declined substantially with 100% clearance for A. albida leaf and stem, P. guajava stem at 10 mg/ml, P. guajava leaf at 40 mg/ml and lastly, A. indica leaf and stem. The results from the aqueous extract of V. album leaf and stem from three different host plants were comparable with Veriben®, a chemotherapeutic trypanocide.

Antimalarial Assessment of Indigofera tinctoria Methanol Leaf Extract in Parasitized Albino Rats

This study was undertaken to investigate the antimalarial activity of Indigofera tinctoria in Plasmodium berghei-infected rats. Phytochemical investigation was conducted using standard method to determine the presence of the bioactive compounds. The in vitro anti-malarial assay of Indigofera tinctoria was carried out in triplicates in 96 wells microliter plate. The in-vivo anti-malarial effect was assessed with group serving as the normal control, group two was left untreated, group three was treated with the standard drug wile group four, five and six were treated with 100mg/kg, 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg respectively. Indigofera tinctoria revealed the presence of saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, cardiac glycosides, steroids and quinines. For in vitro studies, the drug treated group had the lowest parasite count with a percentage protection of 93.65% while the percentage protection of the group that received the highest dose of the extract had a percentage protection of 79.50%. At Day 3, the untreated group still had its parasite count significantly higher than that of the other groups, while the lowest percentage count was recorded in the drug treated group. For the in vivo studies, the parasite count of the group that received the highest dose of the extract was not significantly different from that of the group treated with the standard drug. The percentage inhibition of the drug control at Day 3 was 93.82 while that of the group that received the highest dose of the extract was 80.06%. The parasite count before treatment (Day 0) for the normal control was significantly different (P&lt;0.05) from that of the other groups. At Day 1, the parasite count for the induced control was significantly (P&lt;0.05) higher than that of the other groups. There was no significant difference (P&gt;0.05) between the groups treated with the extract. At Day 6, the percentage inhibition for the drug control was 87.58%, while that of the extract treated groups were 39.98%, 57.86% and 76.48% respectively. At Day 9, there was not significantly difference between the normal control, the drug control and the group treated with the highest group of the extract. The potent antimalarial activity observed could be attributed to the presence of the secondary metabolites in Indigofera tinctoria leaves extracts.

HMOX1 STR polymorphism and malaria: an analysis of a large clinical dataset

BackgroundInducible expression of heme oxygenase-1 (encoded by the gene HMOX1) may determine protection from heme released during malaria infections. A variable length, short tandem GT(n) repeat (STR) in HMOX1 that may influence gene expression has been associated with outcomes of human malaria in some studies. In this study, an analysis of the association between variation at the STR in HMOX1 on severe malaria and severe malaria subtypes is presented in a large, prospectively collected dataset (MalariaGEN).MethodsThe HMOX1 STR was imputed using a recently developed reference haplotype panel designed for STRs. The STR was classified by total length and split into three alleles based on an observed trimodal distribution of repeat lengths. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between this repeat on cases of severe malaria and severe malaria subtypes (cerebral malaria and severe malarial anaemia). Individual analyses were performed for each MalariaGEN collection site and combined for meta-analysis. One site (Kenya), had detailed clinical metadata, allowing the assessment of the effect of the STR on clinical variables (e.g. parasite count, platelet count) and regression analyses were performed to investigate whether the STR interacted with any clinical variables.ResultsData from 17,960 participants across 11 collection sites were analysed. In logistic regression, there was no strong evidence of association between STR length and severe malaria (Odds Ratio, OR: 0.96, 95% confidence intervals 0.91–1.02 per ten GT(n) repeats), although there did appear to be an association at some sites (e.g., Kenya, OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.82–0.99). There was no evidence of an interaction with any clinical variables.ConclusionsMeta-analysis suggested that increasing HMOX1 STR length is unlikely to be reliably associated with severe malaria. It cannot be ruled out that repeat length may alter risk in specific populations, although whether this is due to chance variation, or true variation due to underlying biology (e.g., gene vs environment interaction) remains unanswered.

Alterations in some haematological parameters, ascorbic acid and pantothenic acid levels among pregnant women with plasmodium parasitaemia in Sokoto, Nigeria

Malaria in pregnancy is a major contributor to adverse maternal and prenatal outcome. In hyper endemic areas like ours, it is a common cause of anaemia and the haematological abnormalities. This case-control study evaluated the full blood count, ascorbic acid and pantothenic acid level of sixty (60) malaria parasitized pregnant women. Participants were recruited from Antenatal Clinic of Specialist Hospital Sokoto. A structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to obtain some socio-demographic characteristic and blood samples were collected and examine for malaria parasite, some haematological parameters (HCT, HGB, WBC, RBC and platelet count) were measured using the HA6000 auto-haematology analyzer (Perlong Medical Equipment Company). Ascorbic acid levels were assayed by a standard chemical method and pantothenic acid levels was analyzed using the ID-VIT pantothenic acid ELISA kit. Malaria parasitaemia and parasite load was confirmed by the examination of a Giemsa- stained thin blood film. Data generated was analyzed using SPSS 22.0 statistical package. A p- value ≤ 0.05 was considered significant in all statistical comparisons. The HCT, HGB RBC and Platelet counts of the parasitized subjects were significantly lower compared with the controls (p&lt;0.05). Also, the ascorbic acid level of parasitized subjects was significantly lower compared to that of controls. There was a strong correlation between ascorbic acid and platelet count (r= 0.413 and p= 0.00). The mean parasite count among the parasitized subjects was 5.93 ± 2.72 × 103/ìL. Findings of this study has shown that malaria in pregnancy causes decrease in vitamin C and some of the haematological parameters. There is need to routinely monitor the vitamin C and full blood count should among parasitized pregnant women. We advocate that vitamin C and pantothenic acid be included in the guidelines of multivitamin supplementation particularly among plasmodium parasitized pregnant women.

The prognostic and diagnostic value of intraleukocytic malaria pigment in patients with severe falciparum malaria

Severe falciparum malaria is a major cause of death in tropical countries, particularly in African children. Rapid and accurate diagnosis and prognostic assessment are critical to clinical management. In 6027 prospectively studied patients diagnosed with severe malaria we assess the prognostic value of peripheral blood film counts of malaria pigment containing polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes. We combine these results with previously published data and show, in an individual patient data meta-analysis (n = 32,035), that the proportion of pigment containing PMNs is predictive of in-hospital mortality. In African children the proportion of pigment containing PMNs helps distinguish severe malaria from other life-threatening febrile illnesses, and it adds to the prognostic assessment from simple bedside examination, and to the conventional malaria parasite count. Microscopy assessment of pigment containing PMNs is simple and rapid, and should be performed in all patients hospitalised with suspected severe malaria.