Parasitic Origin Research Articles

Retrospective study of hematological changes in dogs with blood diseases of parasitic origin: 18 cases

In the clinical routine, blood tests are of paramount importance for the assessment of the health of animals, as they allow the quantification of red and white blood cells, and thus enable the detection and monitoring of hematological changes caused by diseases of parasitic origin. Because of the above, the objective of this work is to describe the main hematological alterations in canines with blood diseases of parasitic origin. A retrospective study was carried out of the medical records of dogs referred and treated by the outpatient team of the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases of Animals of the Veterinary Clinic School of the Federal University of Sergipe, Campus do Sertão, from March 2022 to December 2022, all statistical data were analyzed using the InStat GraphPad software, with a significance level of p<0.05. As a result, it was observed that 30% (18/60; p<0.0001) of the dogs had blood diseases of parasitic origin. 5,55% (1/18; p<0.0001) of patients were diagnosed with anaplasmosis, 5,55% (1/18; p<0.0001) with ehrlichiosis, 11,11% (2/18; p<0.0010) with babesiosis, 5,55% (1/18; p<0.0001) with hepatozoonosis and 77,77% (14/18; p<0.0003) with leishmaniasis. Monoparasitism and co-infection were observed in 94.44% and 5.56% of the animals, respectively (p<0.0001). Anemia, anisocytosis, leukocytosis, lymphocytosis and, thrombocytopenia were the main hematological changes observed in parasitized dogs.

Amoebic Liver Abscess Associated with Viral Hepatitis C in an Elderly Patient

Introduction: Amebic liver abscess is a suppurative collection of parasitic origin. The causative organism is usually the ubiquitous Entamoeba histolytica. In Mali, a study reported a hospital incidence rate of 2.4%. Radiological exploration of the liver has made a major contribution to improving early diagnosis and management. Treatment involves metronidazole and evacuation of the suppurative collection. We report the case of a 71-year-old patient who developed an amebic liver abscess associated to viral hepatitis C with a very high viral load. The diagnosis was made on the basis of clinical, biological and radiological signs, amoebic serology and the characteristic of the pus. Antiparasitic treatment, drainage of the abscess and antiviral treatment resulted in a good clinical outcome. The epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics of amebic abscesses are discussed. Conclusion: Hepatic amebiasis is common. Diagnosis is guided by the FONTAN triad, biology and imaging. The chocolate-coloured characteristic of the pus and the serology confirm the diagnosis. Treatment is medical and instrumental (ultrasound-guided). Association with hepatitis C infection appears to be rare.

Distribution of dermatitis of parasitic origin in dogs and cats in the Moscow region

Distribution of dermatitis of parasitic origin in dogs and cats in the Moscow region

Biogeography and evolution of social parasitism in Australian Myrmecia bulldog ants revealed by phylogenomics

Studying the historical biogeography and life history transitions from eusocial colony life to social parasitism contributes to our understanding of the evolutionary mechanisms generating biodiversity in eusocial insects. The ants in the genus Myrmecia are a well-suited system for testing evolutionary hypotheses about how their species diversity was assembled through time because the genus is endemic to Australia with the single exception of the species M. apicalis inhabiting the Pacific Island of New Caledonia, and because at least one social parasite species exists in the genus. However, the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis and the life history transition(s) to social parasitism remain unexplored. To study the biogeographic origin of the isolated, oceanic species M. apicalis and to reveal the origin and evolution of social parasitism in the genus, we reconstructed a comprehensive phylogeny of the ant subfamily Myrmeciinae. We utilized Ultra Conserved Elements (UCEs) as molecular markers to generate a molecular genetic dataset consisting of 2,287 loci per taxon on average for 66 out of the 93 known Myrmecia species as well as for the sister lineage Nothomyrmecia macrops and selected outgroups. Our time-calibrated phylogeny inferred that: (i) stem Myrmeciinae originated during the Paleocene ∼ 58 Ma ago; (ii) the current disjunct biogeographic distribution of M. apicalis was driven by long-distance dispersal from Australia to New Caledonia during the Miocene ∼ 14 Ma ago; (iii) the single social parasite species, M. inquilina, evolved directly from one of the two known host species, M. nigriceps, in sympatry via the intraspecific route of social parasite evolution; and (iv) 5 of the 9 previously established taxonomic species groups are non-monophyletic. We suggest minor changes to reconcile the molecular phylogenetic results with the taxonomic classification. Our study enhances our understanding of the evolution and biogeography of Australian bulldog ants, contributes to our knowledge about the evolution of social parasitism in ants, and provides a solid phylogenetic foundation for future inquiries into the biology, taxonomy, and classification of Myrmeciinae.

A quantum leap in the evolution of platyhelminths: Host-switching from turtles to hippopotamuses illustrated from a phylogenetic meta-analysis of polystomes (Monogenea, Polystomatidae)

While monogenean worms are mainly parasites of the gills and skin of fish, and to a lesser extent parasites of the oral cavity, urinary bladder, and/or conjunctival sacs of amphibians and freshwater turtles, Oculotrema hippopotamiStunkard, 1924 is the single monogenean polystome reported from a mammal, the common hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius Linnaeus). Several hypotheses have been suggested in the last decade to explain the origin of this enigmatic parasite which infects the conjunctival sacs of H. amphibius. Based on a molecular phylogeny inferred from nuclear (28S and 18S) and mitochondrial (12S and COI) sequences of O. hippopotami and chelonian polystomes, we found a sister group relationship between O. hippopotami and Apaloneotrema moleri (Du Preez & Morrison, 2012). This result suggests lateral parasite transfer between freshwater turtles and hippopotamuses, thus likely reflecting one of the most exceptional known examples of host-switching in the course of vertebrate evolution. It also demonstrates that the proximity in the ecological habitat of parasites within host species is an important feature for their speciation and diversification. Because A. moleri and its host, the Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox (Schneider)), are restricted to the USA, we suggest that an ancestral stock of parasites may have been isolated on primitive African trionychids after they diverged from their American relatives, and then switched to hippopotamuses or anthracotheres in Africa.

The Incidence of Liver Damage Found during Postmortem Examination at the Slaughterhouse.

We monitored liver damage in cattle (cows, heifers, fattening bulls, and calves culled from the herd), pigs (sows, finishing pigs, and piglets culled from the farm), sheep (ewes and lambs), goats (does and kids), rabbits, and poultry (end-of-lay hens, broiler chickens, turkeys, domestic ducks, and domestic geese) in the period from 2010 to 2021. All animals (n = 1,425,710,143) reared on Czech farms and slaughtered at slaughterhouses in the Czech Republic were included in the analysis. We determined the total number of damaged livers for individual categories of animals and also analyzed separately the incidence of damage of acute, chronic, parasitic, and other origin. The overall incidence of liver damage was higher in adult animals compared to fattening animals in all species. In cattle and pigs, the incidence was also higher in young animals culled from the herd compared to fattening animals. When comparing adult animals by species, the incidence of liver damage was highest in cows (46.38%), followed by sows (17.51%), ewes (12.97%), and does (4.26%). When comparing fattening animals by species, the incidence was highest in heifers (14.17%) and fattening bulls (7.97 %), followed by finishing pigs (11.26%), lambs (4.73%), and kids (0.59%). When comparing young culled from the herd by species, it was higher in piglets (32.39%) than in calves (17.6 %), and when poultry and rabbits were compared, the incidence was highest in turkeys (3.38%), followed by ducks (2.20%), geese (1.09%), broiler chickens (0.08%), and rabbits (0.04%). The results indicate that fattening animals have a better liver condition than mature animals and that culled young have a worse liver condition than older fattening animals. Chronic lesions represented the dominant proportion of pathological findings. Parasitic lesions occurred, first and foremost, in animals grazed on meadows with likely parasitic invasion, i.e., in ewes (7.51%), lambs (3.51%), and heifers (1.31%), and in animals in which antiparasitic protection is limited in view of the protection of meat from antiparasitic residues, i.e., finishing pigs (3.68%). Parasitic damage to the liver was rarely detected in rabbits and poultry. The results obtained represent a body of knowledge for measures to improve the health and condition of the liver in food animals.

Contribution of Retrotransposons to the Pathogenesis of Type 1 Diabetes and Challenges in Analysis Methods.

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is one of the most common chronic diseases of the endocrine system, associated with several life-threatening comorbidities. While the etiopathogenesis of T1D remains elusive, a combination of genetic susceptibility and environmental factors, such as microbial infections, are thought to be involved in the development of the disease. The prime model for studying the genetic component of T1D predisposition encompasses polymorphisms within the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) region responsible for the specificity of antigen presentation to lymphocytes. Apart from polymorphisms, genomic reorganization caused by repeat elements and endogenous viral elements (EVEs) might be involved in T1D predisposition. Such elements are human endogenous retroviruses (HERVs) and non-long terminal repeat (non-LTR) retrotransposons, including long and short interspersed nuclear elements (LINEs and SINEs). In line with their parasitic origin and selfish behaviour, retrotransposon-imposed gene regulation is a major source of genetic variation and instability in the human genome, and may represent the missing link between genetic susceptibility and environmental factors long thought to contribute to T1D onset. Autoreactive immune cell subtypes with differentially expressed retrotransposons can be identified with single-cell transcriptomics, and personalized assembled genomes can be constructed, which can then serve as a reference for predicting retrotransposon integration/restriction sites. Here we review what is known to date about retrotransposons, we discuss the involvement of viruses and retrotransposons in T1D predisposition, and finally we consider challenges in retrotransposons analysis methods.

Prevalence, Risk Factors and Patterns of Different Underlying Enteropathogens in Pediatric Patients

Background: According to the WHO, diarrhea is a result of inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene and is the second leading cause of death in pediatrics. Objectives: Therefore, the study was intended to discover enteropathogens linked with diarrhea in pediatrics less than 5 years, their prevalence, distribution patterns and risk factors. Methods: The study was conducted in selected hospitals of District Dera Ismail Khan from March 2021 to October 2022 and comprised 384 patients diagnosed with bacterial (through culture) and parasitic (through microscopic examination) agents. Their demographic characteristics and risk factors were recorded on the pre-designed questionnaire. Results: Out of 384, 123 patients (32.03%) were suffering from bacterial diarrhea (p<0.05) and 261 children (67.96%) were diagnosed with parasitic ailments. Among bacterial causes, Escherichia coli (49.78%) was predominant (p<0.05), followed by Salmonella (18.92%), Campylobacter (10.66%), Shigella (7.13%) and Vibrio (1.91%), while the major parasitic infestation (p<0.05) involved Giardia (21.12%), Ascaris (17.78%), hookworms (14.39%), Trichuris (12.98%) Entamoeba (12.84%) and Taenia (3.19%). Most infected children belonged to the rural population (59.11%) than the urban (40.88%). Practical implications: The current study will pave a path for the clinicians to differentially diagnose the bacterial and parasitic origin enteropathogens in pediatric patients. Conclusion: Most of the diarrheic patients were diagnosed with parasitic than bacterial etiological agents. The major risk factors of the infection were poor hygiene, sanitation, weak immunity and playing of children in the contaminated soil and ingesting contaminated food materials. Keywords: Acute diarrhea; Parasites; Poor hygiene; Stool culture

Epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of urinary tract infections caused by bacteria

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most frequent diseases in hospital and outpatient clinical practice and can affect patients of all ages. UTIs can be of bacterial, fungal or parasitic origin, with bacteria being responsible for around 90% of cases. UTIs are caused in most cases by E. coli, a microorganism naturally present at the large intestine and perianal region. The diagnosis of UTIs is based on the patient's clinical picture, symptoms and laboratory diagnosis with urine samples. This paper briefly reviews the pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of UTIs, considering the most recent literature.

Diarrhea of Bacterial and Parasitic Origin in Children in the Pediatric Department of the ANAIM Hospital in Kamsar Guinea

Diarrhea of Bacterial and Parasitic Origin in Children in the Pediatric Department of the ANAIM Hospital in Kamsar Guinea

Comparison of the incidence of kidney damage in cattle, pigs, sheep and goats detected at slaughterhouses as an indicator of animal health

The incidence of kidney damage in livestock was monitored in the Czech slaughterhouses from 2010 to 2021. The results showed that the incidence of kidney damage was lower in all monitored species (P < 0.05) in fattened animals compared to adult ones. In cattle and pigs, the incidence of kidney damage was lower (P < 0.01) in fattened animals (bulls, finisher pigs) than in culled young (calves, piglets). When comparing individual categories of adult animals, the lowest incidence of kidney damage was found in does and ewes (2.68% and 3.01%, respectively), then in sows (28.45%), and the highest was in cows (40.46%). Among fattened animals, the incidence of findings in kidneys was increasing in the order of kids (0.21%), lambs (0.42%), bulls (10.46%) and finisher pigs (14.42%). Findings of chronic kidney damage were more frequent than findings of acute (P < 0.01) and parasitic (P < 0.01) origin in all observed categories of animals. The results show that, from the point of view of the incidence of kidney damage as a major consequence of imbalance between the organism’s metabolic needs and the nutrition provided to the animals, there are deficiencies of a significant level, which prove that there is still significant room for further optimization of the nutrition of individual categories of animals, that would take into account not only performance, overall clinical health, but also subclinical animal health, leading to a reduction in the incidence of kidney damage detected in animals at slaughter.

Main mites associated with dermatopathies present in dogs and other members of the Canidae family.

Dermatological diseases of parasitic origin are one of the most frequent in the clinical practice of dogs and cats. Mites such as Sarcoptes scabiei, Otodectes cynotis, Demodex canis, and Cheyletiella spp., commonly affect domestic dogs. However, the impact generated by these mites on populations of wildlife animals and the mechanisms involved in their epidemiological dynamics are still not clear. In recent decades, the migration of populations and their interaction with domestic environments and vice versa have generated a worrying threat due to the transmission of some of these ectoparasites. Some reports have suggested that sarcoptic mange represents an emerging threat to wildlife. Given the outbreaks of greater magnitude and geographical extension. The objective of this review is to contribute to the state of the art of the main mites that cause dermatopathies in members of the Canis lupus familiaris family and other members of the Canidae family. For this, a systematic search was carried out in the Embase and PubMed databases. Infections caused by mites, mainly scabies, continue to be diseases with a worldwide distribution, affecting mammals and humans. Although they are long-standing diseases, the effects that are generated in wild canids are still unknown. A comprehensive evaluation is required to generate guidelines in favor of the conservation of some species of foxes and wolves present in different regions of the world.

A mathematical approach for studying the fractal-fractional hybrid Mittag-Leffler model of malaria under some control factors

<abstract><p>Malaria disease, which is of parasitic origin, has always been one of the challenges for human societies in areas with poor sanitation. The lack of proper distribution of drugs and lack of awareness of people in such environments cause us to see many deaths every year, especially in children under the age of five. Due to the importance of this issue, in this paper, a new five-compartmental $ (c_1, c_2) $-fractal-fractional $ \mathcal{SIR} $-$ \mathcal{SI} $-model of malaria disease for humans and mosquitoes is presented. We use the generalized Mittag-Leffler fractal-fractional derivatives to design such a mathematical model. In different ways, we study all theoretical aspects of solutions such as the existence, uniqueness and stability. A Newton polynomial that works in fractal-fractional settings is shown, which allows us to get some numerical trajectories. From the trajectories, we saw that an increase in antimalarial treatment in consideration to memory effects reduces the peak of sick individuals, and mosquito insecticide spraying minimizes the disease burden in all compartments.</p></abstract>

Interaction between the parasitic barnacle Polyascus planus (Cirripedia: Rhizocephala) and its brachyuran host Metopograpsus thukuhar during the development of the externa of the parasite: Control of the gonadal development and vitellogenin synthesis of the host

Developmental profile of the female reproductive apparatus (the externa) of Polyascus planus parasitizing the thukuhar shore-crab Metopograpsus thukuhar is described. The development is divided into 4 stages, which are named based on the distinct color of the externa at each stage. The effects of parasitism on the gonad and hepatopancreas of the host were then examined. The ovary was heavily infiltrated by the rootlet of the parasite, with the oocytes being arrested at the pre-vitellogenic state, whereas the testis, not being infiltrated, still contained abundant amounts of spermatozoa. The hepatopancreas of the hosts of both sexes was heavily infiltrated by the rootlets. Regarding the synthesis of vitellogenin (Vg), the hemolymph precursor of the major yolk protein (vitellin, Vn), expression of host Vg gene was detected in the ovary and hepatopancreas of both non-parasitized and parasitized females, and, importantly, its expression found to be induced in the hepatopancreas of parasitized males. Furthermore, results of quantitative gene expression assays showed that expression levels of the host Vg in the ovary and hepatopancreas did not change significantly among the various parasitization status (i.e., host bearing externa of different developmental stages), nor did those of the parasite Vg in the externa among the developmental stage of the externa. The Vg expression levels in the hepatopancreas of parasitized males and in the externa were however negatively correlated. Finally, analysis of tryptic peptide fragments derived from hemolymph proteins of high molecular weight in the parasitized males confirmed the induction of synthesis of the host Vg, whereas analysis of externa proteins of similar molecular weight revealed that Vg of both host and parasite origins contributes to the formation of parasite Vn. The combined results indicate that the parasitized hosts, regardless of sex, synthesize Vg for the ovarian maturation of the parasite, to which Vg of parasite origin also contributes. Discussion is also made with regard to the strategy the parasite adopts toward hosts of different sexes. The profile of the development of externa established would serve as a temporal framework against which studies of host/parasite interaction can be conducted in a developmental context.

Global biogeography of ant social parasites: Exploring patterns and mechanisms of an inverse latitudinal diversity gradient

AbstractAimOne of the most consistent global biogeographic patterns is the latitudinal diversity gradient where species richness peaks within the equatorial tropics and decreases towards the poles. Here, we explore the global biogeography of socially parasitic ant species, which comprises the most diverse group of social parasites in the Hymenoptera. We test the biogeographic hypothesis that ant social parasites are distributed along an inverse latitudinal diversity gradient (iLDG) by peaking in diversity outside of the equatorial tropics, which would contrast with the biogeographic pattern observed in free‐living, non‐parasitic ant species.LocationGlobal.TaxonAnts (Hymenoptera: Formicidae).MethodsWe assembled a comprehensive biogeographic dataset consisting of 6001 geographic distribution records for all 371 taxonomically described socially parasitic ant species. We used phylogenetic and taxonomic studies to estimate the number of independent evolutionary origins of ant social parasitism to directly compare species richness with the number of species representing independent evolutionary origins of social parasitism across a latitudinal gradient. In addition, we compared ant social parasite diversity across biogeographic regions using rarefaction to account for different sampling efforts. Finally, we tested for a correlation between latitude and the proportion of ant social parasite species within regional ant faunae.ResultsThe geographic distribution records and the inferred 91 independent evolutionary origins of socially parasitic life histories in ants show that both species richness and the number of species representing independent evolutionary origins of social parasitism peak in the northern hemisphere outside of the equatorial tropics. Based on rarefaction curves, northern latitude regions harbour the most ant social parasite species, but the diversity of independent evolutionary origins is not significantly different between northern and southern hemispheres. The proportion of ant social parasite species within regional faunae is tightly correlated with latitude only in the northern hemisphere.Main conclusionsThe iLDG of ant social parasites contrasts with the biogeographic pattern observed in free‐living, non‐parasitic ant species and appears to be driven by large species radiations as well as by the presence of specialized life histories exclusive to the northern hemisphere.

Prevalence of malaria resistance-associated mutations in Plasmodium falciparum circulating in 2017-2018, Bo, Sierra Leone.

In spite of promising medical, sociological, and engineering strategies and interventions to reduce the burden of disease, malaria remains a source of significant morbidity and mortality, especially among children in sub-Saharan Africa. In particular, progress in the development and administration of chemotherapeutic agents is threatened by evolved resistance to most of the antimalarials currently in use, including artemisinins. This study analyzed the prevalence of mutations associated with antimalarial resistance in Plasmodium falciparum from 95 clinical samples collected from individuals with clinically confirmed malaria at a hospital in Bo, Sierra Leone between May 2017 and December 2018. The combination of polymerase chain reaction amplification and subsequent high throughput DNA sequencing was used to determine the presence of resistance-associated mutations in five P. falciparum genes - pfcrt, pfmdr1, pfdhfr, pfdhps and pfkelch13. The geographic origin of parasites was assigned using mitochondrial sequences. Relevant mutations were detected in the pfcrt (22%), pfmdr1 (>58%), pfdhfr (100%) and pfdhps (>80%) genes while no resistance-associated mutations were found in the pfkelch13 gene. The mitochondrial barcodes were consistent with a West African parasite origin with one exception indicating an isolate imported from East Africa. Detection of the pfmdr1 NFSND haplotype in 50% of the samples indicated the increasing prevalence of strains with elevated tolerance to artemeter + lumefantrine (AL) threatening the combination currently used to treat uncomplicated malaria in Sierra Leone. The frequency of mutations linked to resistance to antifolates suggests widespread resistance to the drug combination used for intermittent preventive treatment during pregnancy.

Theory on the infectious and parasitic origin of malignant diseases with reference to the polish scholars' papers - historical essay.

The theory about the infectious causes of cancer was very popular at the turn of the nineteenth and twentiethcenturies. The research methodology to confirm this hypothesis was based on diagnostic methods used bybacteriology. Various types of experiments were carried out on animals and humans. Attempts were made to"infect" cancer, as well as to transplant cancer cells into healthy animals. Disinfectants were studied lookingfor opportunities for anti-cancer prophylaxis. They were guided by analogy and empiricism, clinical images ofdiseases were compared. The aim of the article is to recall research on the infectious theory of cancer with areminder of the achievements of Polish scientists in this field, and to try to determine the genesis of this theory.

Prosopanche: A remarkable genus of parasitic plants

Prosopanche is a poorly known genus of parasitic plants from South and Central America. Growing almost entirely underground with a complete lack of leaves, plants of Prosopanche bear more resemblance to fungi than plants and have many remarkable aspects to their life history and ecology that require further investigation. Here, we provide an up‐to‐date revision of the current state of understanding of Prosopanche, including taxonomy, biogeography, plant‐pollinator ecology and host‐parasite interactions. We discuss the untapped research potential of this group of plants and recommend the Prosopanche as an ideal candidate for exploring the evolutionary origins of parasitism among flowering plants.

Public Health Threats from Pet Bird Zoonoses

The very high exotic or genetic value made pet birds, likecanaries, parakeets, and parrots a choice for trade across countries and continents, and the capability of these birds to act aspotential carriers or transmitters of zoonotic diseases contributes a significant threat to humans. Birds are characterized and known for their susceptibility, transmission, and maintenance of pathogens that are zoonotic to humans. Some of the zoonotic diseases they spread, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), salmonellosis, and chlamydophilosishave a significant impact on human health and these things make this issue a one health concern. Zoonotic diseases among birds areclassified as bacterial, viral, fungal, and of parasitic origin. The intensity with which they affect humans varies according to their pathogenicity and virulence. The awareness of pet bird zoonosesis of prime importance while trading or domesticating the bird, which will help to understand their potential fordiseases and install preventive measures accordingly. This review paper aims to educate readers about the risks faced by bird owners and the public by describing several instances of bird-human disease transmission and the characteristicsymptoms of those diseases.

Liver abscesses in the Western pediatric population.

Liver abscesses are rare in the Western pediatric population and data on predisposing factors and etiology are scarce. We aimed to describe predisposing factors, microbiological characteristics, and treatment. Retrospective analysis of children admitted to two tertiary care hospitals in Belgium from 1 January 1996 to 31 December 2019. We analyzed clinical features, predisposing factors, imaging characteristics, microbiological data, treatment, and outcome in children with a liver abscess and compared these data with the literature. We collected 24 cases with a male to female ratio of 1.4 and a median age of 3.2 years at time of diagnosis. Survival was 95.8%. Invasive culture specimens were obtained in 83.3% and showed growth of bacteria in 55%. Parenteral antibiotics were administered before invasive culture sampling in 80%. Liver abscesses were cryptogenic in four (16.7%) patients. Hepatobiliary disease was the most prevalent predisposing factor (n = 6; 25%), followed by recent antineoplastic therapy for malignancies (n = 5; 20.8%), intra-abdominal surgical pathology (n = 4; 16.7%) and umbilical venous catheters (n = 2; 8.3%). In two patients there was a parasitic origin (n = 2; 8.3%) and in one it was caused by Bartonellosis. There was no diagnosis of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) in our cohort. Pediatric liver abscesses have a favorable outcome in the developed world. Whenever feasible, invasive abscess culture specimens should be obtained. In patients presenting with a cryptogenic liver abscess or atypical disease course, immunological workup should be ensured.