Removal Of Parasites Research Articles

Effects of gastrointestinal parasites on fecal glucocorticoids and behaviour in vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus).

Relationships between parasites, host physiology, and behaviours are complex. Parasites can influence host hormonal microenvironment and behaviour through "sickness behaviours" that generally conserve energy. Using a parasite removal experiment, we examined the effects of gastrointestinal parasites on fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (fGC) and behaviours of vervet monkeys (Chlorocebus pygerythrus) at Lake Nabugabo, Uganda. We collected parasitological, hormonal, and behavioural data from adult and subadult male and female vervets (N = 19) in 2014 across four study phases: pre-deworming, post-deworming, early reinfection, and late reinfection as well as in 2015. Overall, there was no decrease in fGC after deworming, but there was an increase following natural reinfection. There was no change in feeding across study phases; however, moving, grooming, and resting changed between the post-deworming and late reinfection phases, but not always in the predicted direction. Comparing behaviour across the same months in the following year as in the 2014 experimental study period, we found no differences in moving, feeding, grooming, and resting events. Despite behavioural variation between study phases, we cannot conclude that behavioural changes are due to parasitism rather than other seasonal variation. However, fGC increased following reinfection, which is consistent with parasitism being costly for hosts.

ACTIVE ANTING WITH A MILLIPEDE (DIPLOPODA) BY A TURQUOISE JAY Cyanolyca turcosa (CORVIDAE) IN THE SOUTHERN ANDES OF ECUADOR

Some ectoparasites of birds can have adverse effects on their hosts’ fitness. Therefore, anti-parasitic behaviors such as ‘anting’ have evolved to combat various parasites. This note provides a new report of anting behavior in a Turquoise Jay Cyanolyca turcosa in Cajas National Park, located in the high Andes of southern Ecuador. An adult bird was observed using a medium-size millipede to actively rub its plumage, suggesting a potential external parasite removal strategy (anting). After 12 min of this behavior, the millipede was consumed by the bird. This observation opens up the possibility that anting behavior is more common than previously acknowledged.

Chafing behaviour of great barracudas on sea turtles triggers escape response of external parasites

If chafing behaviours on the bottom or rocks are common, interspecific events are rare and usually involve smaller ray-finned fishes rubbing on larger sharks or manta rays. Reports on interspecific chafing between fishes and reptiles are even less common, with just one report of great barracudas (Sphyraena barracuda) using swimming hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas) as chafing surfaces in the Southwestern Atlantic. Here, we describe a chafing interaction between a great barracuda and a hawksbill turtle in the Red Sea. Our observation provides evidence that this interaction is probably not localised but may represent a more widespread behavioural pattern than previously thought. This chafing behaviour is suggested to remove external parasites, and our observation documents the behaviour of the scraper and the scraped animal, as well as the reaction of the parasites during the same event, clearly demonstrating that chafing behaviour aims at the removal of parasitic copepods (Caligidae). We also report the evasive behaviour of the copepods during the event, providing novel information on parasite removal in reef fishes.

<Note>Simulation of leaf grooming as play by infant wild chimpanzee

This article reports a new finding of a simulation of leaf grooming behavior as a form of play by an infant chimpanzee in Mahale, Tanzania. Leaf grooming, typically associated with external parasite removal, is a common behavior customary observed in M group chimpanzees in Mahale. However, the acquisition of this behavior by inexperienced individuals remains poorly understood. 3.5 year-old infant female chimpanzee, KP20, was observed simulating leaf grooming behavior while her mother participated in social grooming, but its function was unclear. The observed behavior displayed characteristics consistent with five criteria of play behavior, suggesting a potential role in acquisition of the techniques of leaf grooming in Mahale by infant chimpanzees. This case sheds light on the importance of play behavior in the development of tool using behaviors

Theileria parasites sequester host eIF5A to escape elimination by host-mediated autophagy

Intracellular pathogens develop elaborate mechanisms to survive within the hostile environments of host cells. Theileria parasites infect bovine leukocytes and cause devastating diseases in cattle in developing countries. Theileria spp. have evolved sophisticated strategies to hijack host leukocytes, inducing proliferative and invasive phenotypes characteristic of cell transformation. Intracellular Theileria parasites secrete proteins into the host cell and recruit host proteins to induce oncogenic signaling for parasite survival. It is unknown how Theileria parasites evade host cell defense mechanisms, such as autophagy, to survive within host cells. Here, we show that Theileria annulata parasites sequester the host eIF5A protein to their surface to escape elimination by autophagic processes. We identified a small-molecule compound that reduces parasite load by inducing autophagic flux in host leukocytes, thereby uncoupling Theileria parasite survival from host cell survival. We took a chemical genetics approach to show that this compound induced host autophagy mechanisms and the formation of autophagic structures via AMPK activation and the release of the host protein eIF5A which is sequestered at the parasite surface. The sequestration of host eIF5A to the parasite surface offers a strategy to escape elimination by autophagic mechanisms. These results show how intracellular pathogens can avoid host defense mechanisms and identify a new anti-Theileria drug that induces autophagy to target parasite removal.

Exploring the Efficacy of Pellitorine as an Antiparasitic Agent Against Argulus: Impacts on Antioxidant Levels and Immune Responses in Goldfish (Carassius auratus).

Argulus spp. infestation is a significant challenge for aquaculture, currently, there are no approved medications available to efficiently manage this parasite. Consequently, mechanical removal of parasites using forceps and natural substances like herbs are being explored as alternative treatment methods. Pellitorine (PLE) is a naturally occurring compound found in several plant species. It is classified as an alkaloid and belongs to the class of compounds known as amides. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of PLE in preventing Argulus spp. infestations in goldfish (Carassius auratus) and to determine the optimal dosage of PLE for the detachment of Argulus spp. The findings of this study revealed that PLE enhanced the immune response of goldfish by promoting superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) in Argulus-infected goldfish. Additionally, PLE induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cellular damage in the Argulus. PLE at a dosage of 5mg/mL was able to detach 80% of the argulus from goldfish within 12h. Therapeutic index was found to be 5.99, suggesting that PLE is the safest drug. Therefore, our findings suggest that PLE can be a suitable and effective treatment option for preventing Argulus infestations in goldfish. The results of this study can guide the use of PLE at an optimal dosage to control Argulus infestation in goldfish.

A300 ADVANCED HEPATIC ECHINOCOCCOSIS: A CASE REPORT

Abstract Background Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a rare and potentially fatal disease caused by the parasite echinococcus multilocularis (EM). Humans are intermediate hosts who become infected through contact with definitive hosts (foxes, wolves, coyotes, dogs and cats) and ingestion of contaminated food and water. AE primarily affects the liver but has the potential for local or metastatic spread. It has a clinical latency time of 5-15 years and resembles a malignancy in appearance and growth, posing a challenge in diagnosis and management. Treatment includes benzimidazole therapy and surgical resection, however, removal of the entire parasitic mass is not always possible. Aims Present a case of hepatic AE involving the gallbladder, biliary tree, and spleen. Methods Case report. Results A 49-year-old farmer was admitted to a Saskatchewan hospital for a 2-week history of abdominal pain, jaundice, and progressive weight loss. Computed tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis showed a necrotic mass in the gallbladder compromising the liver, splenic lesions and involvement of the biliary tree. The patient was given a preliminary diagnosis of metastatic cholangiocarcinoma and underwent a gallbladder biopsy which returned as echinococcus, confirmed with two liver biopsies and a positive EM nucleic acid test. He was then diagnosed with advanced hepatic AE with metastasis to the gallbladder, biliary tree, and spleen. The patient required a long-term hepatic drain and developed a hepatocutaneous fistula. While surgery is curative, his disease was too extensive for resection. He was started on Albendazole and received into our care for a liver transplant assessment 10 months later. Currently, there is limited literature on liver transplantation in advanced AE as it may not be curative. Additionally, subsequent immunosuppression may expedite residual parasite growth leading to aggressive disease recurrence. In this case, liver transplant would also require a splenectomy and excision of the hepatocutaneous fistula for complete parasite removal. Repeat CT of the abdomen and pelvis at thirteen months after the patient's initial hospitalization did not show disease progression. Given his stability on Albendazole, the added surgical complexity, and possibility of aggressive disease recurrence post liver-transplant, the multidisciplinary committee decided against liver transplant at this time. He continues to do well on Albendazole 15 months after initial presentation. Conclusions The reported mortality rate of AE is ampersand:003E 90% within 10-15 years of diagnosis if untreated or inadequately treated. This case highlights the complexities in management of advanced hepatic AE and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment with radical surgery. Although not curative, benzimidazole therapy is effective in slowing disease progression in unresectable cases. Further studies are needed to assess the role of liver transplantation in advanced hepatic AE. Funding Agencies None

Non-linear effects of non-host diversity on the removal of free-living infective stages of parasites

Among the ecological functions and services of biodiversity is the potential buffering of diseases through dilution effects where increased biodiversity results in a reduction in disease risk for humans and wildlife hosts. Whether such effects are a universal phenomenon is still under intense debate and diversity effects are little studied in cases when non-host organisms remove free-living parasite stages during their transmission from one host to the next by consumption or physical obstruction. Here, we investigated non-host diversity effects on the removal of cercarial stages of trematodes, ubiquitous parasites in aquatic ecosystems. In laboratory experiments using response surface designs, varying both diversity and density at same time, we compared three combinations of two non-hosts at four density levels: predatory crabs that actively remove cercariae from the water column via their mouth parts and gills, filter feeding oysters that passively filter cercariae from the water column while not becoming infected themselves, and seaweed which physically obstructs cercariae. The addition of a second non-host did not generally result in increased parasite removal but neutralised, amplified or reduced the parasite removal exerted by the first non-host, depending on the density and non-host combination. These non-linear non-host diversity effects were probably driven by intra- and interspecific interactions and suggest the need to integrate non-host diversity effects in understanding the links between community diversity and infection risk.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of human ocular helaziasis in China from 2011 to 2022 based on bibliometrics

To understand the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of human ocular thelaziasis patients in China. Case reports regarding human ocular thelaziasis cases in China were retrieved in international and national electronic databases, including CNKI, VIP, CBM, Traditional Chinese Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System, Wanfang Database, PubMed and Web of Science from 2011 to 2022. Patients' gender, age, clinical symptoms, treatment, recurrence, site of infections, time of onset, affected eye, affected sites, number of infected Thelazia callipaeda, sex of T. callipaeda and source of infections were extracted for descriptive analyses. A total of 85 eligible publications were included, covering 101 cases of human ocular thelaziasis, including 57 males (56.44%) and 44 females (43.56%) and aged from 3 months to 85 years. The main clinical manifestations included foreign body sensation (56 case-times, 22.49%), eye itching (38 case-times, 15.26%), abnormal or increased secretions (36 case-times, 14.46%), tears (28 case-times, 11.24%) and eye redness (28 case-times, 11.24%), and conjunctival congestion (50 case-times, 41.67%) was the most common clinical sign. The most common main treatment (99/101, 98.02%) was removal of parasites from eyes using ophthalmic forceps, followed by administration with ofloxacin and pranoprofen. In publications presenting thelaziasis recurrence, there were 90 cases without recurrence (97.83%) and 2 cases with recurrence (2.17%). Of all cases, 51.96% were reported in four provinces of Hubei, Shandong, Sichuan, Hebei and Henan, and ocular thelaziasis predominantly occurred in summer (42.19%) and autumn (42.19%). In addition, 56.45% (35/62) had a contact with dogs. The human thelaziasis cases mainly occur in the continental monsoon and subtropical monsoon climate areas such as the Yellow River and the Yangtze River basin, and people of all ages and genders have the disease, with complex clinical symptoms and signs. Personal hygiene is required during the contact with dogs, cats and other animals, and individual protection is required during outdoor activities to prevent thelaziasis.

Parasiticides: perspectives and prospects

For over 50 years, anthelmintics, insecticides and acaricides have played a central role in the treatment and control of ruminant parasites, but over the same time-frame, their effectiveness has gradually diminished through the emergence of resistance. Currently, in parallel with initiatives to reduce on-farm use of antibiotics, the routine use of anthelmintics and ectoparasiticides is actively discouraged by several organisations and individuals. For these reasons, there is little incentive for the animal health industry to discover and develop new products for farm animals. While the removal of parasites in clinical disease must inevitably rest on effective therapeutics, longer term control of parasitism can be facilitated through complementary practices that enhance host resistance and resilience and reduce parasite challenge. When parasiticides are used, preservation and maintenance of refugia are key to reducing selection pressure for resistance and mitigating any untoward side-effects in the environment. Adoption of such approaches requires adaptability, more attention to detail and extra effort by farmers. Veterinarians can play an important role in encouraging the adoption of proven diagnostic and monitoring technologies and providing advice to farmers as they transition away from parasiticide-dependence.

Sustainable municipal wastewater treatment using an innovative integrated compact unit: microbial communities, parasite removal, and techno-economic analysis

BackgroundThe upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors rely on bacterial communities to break down pollutants in wastewater (municipal or industrial).Methods and resultsIn this study, a novel combination of UASB followed by aerobic treatment has been proposed for the treatment of municipal wastewater focusing on bacterial communities using high-throughput sequencing and parasite removal in this novel combination of reactors. Moreover, economic estimation of the compact unit composed of two overlapping UASB reactors, followed by a downflow hanging non-woven fabric (DHNW) reactor, the anaerobic baffled reactor (ABR), and chlorine unit was investigated in this study based on community populations of 1000 and 10,000 inhabitants, with a municipal plant capacity of 54,000 and 540,000 m3/year. Cost estimation was conducted based on two scenarios, one considering the contingency cost and auxiliary facility, and the other excluding them. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) revealed that the treatment stages structured the microbial communities. Proteobacteria was the most prevalent phylum in all treatment stages, followed by Bacteroidota in most stages. Firmicutes and Actinobacteria were also present in significant amounts. The treatment system achieved from 40 to 66.67% removal of parasites (parasitic nematode, Cryptosporidium, and microsporidia). Redundancy analysis (RDA) indicated a strong positive correlation between chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD/BOD) with Campylobacterales and could be used as a bioindicator of treatment performance.ConclusionThese findings can inform the development of more efficient and sustainable wastewater treatment systems that take into account microbial ecology and economic considerations.

Comparison of non-medicinal delousing strategies for parasite (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) removal efficacy and welfare impact on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) hosts

AbstractSince salmon lice have developed resistance to pesticides, non-medicinal delousing treatments have become increasingly used to remove the parasite from fish on salmon farms in Norwegian waters. These novel techniques are an important means of controlling epidemics of lice at farms for maintaining the health of farmed fish and for preventing the spread of lice to wild salmonid populations. However, some treatments are associated with higher mortality rates and negative welfare impacts on the host fish. Furthermore, it is unclear how effective each treatment is in removing lice compared to alternatives. Here, in a controlled laboratory environment, we tested the efficacy of mechanical, warm water (28 °C and 34 °C), and freshwater treatments alone and in combination, and examined their welfare impact on host fish. Regardless of treatment group or control, the handling of fish through the experiment led to a reduction in lice load and decline in fish welfare. Among the treatments examined, the freshwater bath alone and in combination with other treatments had the greatest delousing efficacy. The 34 °C warm water baths also significantly reduced lice loads but led to worse welfare outcomes with fish having a higher prevalence of injuries and reduced growth and condition factor. Delousing treatments were however not associated with long-term effects on neuroendocrine parameters or stress coping ability, suggesting that immediate welfare impacts from these procedures are generally reversible. It was also found that sedating fish prior to treatment was shown to mitigate the welfare impact. These findings are useful for the needed optimization of delousing strategies for greater delousing efficacy and reduced welfare impact on fish.

Anthelmintic Treatment and the Stability of Parasite Distribution in Ruminants.

Parasites are generally overdispersed among their hosts, with far-reaching implications for their population dynamics and control. The factors determining parasite overdispersion have long been debated. In particular, stochastic parasite acquisition and individual host variation in density-dependent regulation through acquired host immunity have been identified as key factors, but their relative roles and possible interactions have seen little empirical exploration in parasite populations. Here, Taylor's power law is applied to test the hypothesis that periodic parasite removal destabilises the host-parasite relationship and increases variance in parasite burden around the mean. The slope of the power relationship was compared by analysis of covariance among 325 nematode populations in wild and domestic ruminants, exploiting that domestic ruminants are often routinely treated against parasite infections. In Haemonchus spp. and Trichostrongylus axei in domestic livestock, the slope increased with the frequency of anthelmintic treatment, supporting this hypothesis. In Nematodirus spp., against which acquired immunity is known to be strong, the slope was significantly greater in post-mortem worm burden data than in faecal egg counts, while this relationship did not hold for the less immunogenic genus Marshallagia. Considered together, these findings suggest that immunity acting through an exposure-dependent reduction in parasite fecundity stabilises variance in faecal egg counts, reducing overdispersion, and that periodic anthelmintic treatment interferes with this process and increases overdispersion. The results have implications for the diagnosis and control of parasitic infections in domestic animals, which are complicated by overdispersion, and for our understanding of parasite distribution in free-living wildlife. Parasite-host systems, in which treatment and immunity effectively mimic metapopulation processes of patch extinction and density dependence, could also yield general insights into the spatio-temporal stability of animal distributions.

Sharks are the preferred scraping surface for large pelagic fishes: Possible implications for parasite removal and fitness in a changing ocean.

Mutualistic and commensal interactions can have significant positive impacts on animal fitness and survival. However, behavioural interactions between pelagic animals living in offshore oceanic environments are little studied. Parasites can negatively effect the fitness of their hosts by draining resources and diverting energy from growth, reproduction, and other bodily functions. Pelagic fishes are hosts to a diverse array of parasites, however their environment provides few options for removal. Here we provide records of scraping behaviour of several pelagic teleost species, a behaviour that is likely used for parasite removal. These records span three ocean basins and, to the best of our knowledge, include the first records of scraping interactions involving tunas, blue sharks, and mako sharks as well as the first records of intraspecific scraping. We found that scrapers preferred scraping their head, eyes, gill cover, and lateral surfaces, areas where parasites are commonly found and where damage would likely have a substantial impact on fitness. Scraper species varied in their scraping preferences with tunas scraping mostly on the posterior caudal margins of sharks and occasionally conspecifics, while rainbow runner scraped in more varied locations on both sharks and conspecifics. Lengths of scrapers and scrapees were positively correlated and fish scraping on sharks were larger than those scraping on conspecifics, suggesting that risk of predation may be a limiting factor. We show that pelagic teleosts prefer to scrape on sharks rather than conspecifics or other teleosts and suggest that this behaviour may have a positive impact on teleost fitness by reducing parasite loads. The decline of shark populations in the global ocean and the reduction in mean size of many species may limit these interactions, eroding possible fitness benefits associated with this behaviour, and consequently placing more pressure on already highly targeted and vulnerable species.

The effects of allogrooming and social network position on behavioural indicators of stress in female lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus)

Allogrooming serves an important social function in primates and confers short term benefits such as parasite removal and stress-relief. There is currently mixed evidence as to the immediate impact of allogrooming on an individual’s stress levels, which may be influenced by their role in the grooming dyad, position in their social network, or their relationship with their grooming partner. In this study of seven captive adult female lion-tailed macaques (Macaca silenus) in a mixed sex group at Chester Zoo, UK, we found evidence to support a tension-reduction function of allogrooming. Focal animal sampling showed that the duration of self-directed behaviour (SDB), which indicates moderate to high levels of stress, was significantly lower in the five-minute period following allogrooming than the five-minute period preceding it for both recipients and groomers. However, when compared to match-control periods, both SDB rates and durations were significantly lower across all individuals in the five-minute period both before and after allogrooming, indicating that although allogrooming reduces stress, it is also more likely to occur when individuals are already in a relatively relaxed state. The rate and duration of SDB post-grooming did not correlate with the strength of a dyad’s bond (based on proximity). This suggests that it is the act of allogrooming itself, rather than the identity of the partner, that reduces stress for both parties. Analysis of the proximity network highlighted a clear cost to social integration; node strength, a measure of the number and strength of an individual’s direct relationships, positively correlated with the duration of self-directed behaviour, suggesting that more gregarious individuals may experience higher levels of stress. These findings add to the growing body of literature that examines the effect of the individual social environment on primate stress levels, and also highlight the need to further investigate the link between social integration and the stress experienced by group-living animals.

Experimental removal of nematode parasites increases growth, sprint speed, and mating success in brown anole lizards.

Parasites interact with nearly all free-living organisms and can impose substantial fitness costs by reducing host survival, mating success, and fecundity. Parasites may also indirectly affect host fitness by reducing growth and performance. However, experimentally characterizing these costs of parasitism is challenging in the wild because common antiparasite drug formulations require repeated dosing that is difficult to implement in free-living populations, and because the extended-release formulations that are commercially available for livestock and pets are not suitable for smaller animals. To address these challenges, we developed a method for the long-term removal of nematode parasites from brown anole lizards (Anolis sagrei) using an extended-release formulation of the antiparasite drug ivermectin. This treatment eliminated two common nematode parasites in captive adult males and dramatically reduced the prevalence and intensity of infection by these parasites in wild adult males and females. Experimental parasite removal significantly increased the sprint speed of captive adult males, the mating success of wild adult males, and the growth of wild juveniles of both sexes. Although parasite removal did not have any effect on survival in wild anoles, parasites may influence fitness directly through reduced mating success and indirectly through reduced growth and performance. Our method of long-term parasite manipulation via an extended-release formulation of ivermectin should be readily adaptable to many other small vertebrates, facilitating experimental tests of the extent to which parasites affect host phenotypes, fitness, and eco-evolutionary dynamics in the wild.

Can we increase the success of scabies treatment? The effect of removing tunnels from patients in the success of scabies treatment.

Recently, there has been an increase in scabies infestations. Moreover, the number of patients who do not benefit from conventional treatment regimens is increasing rapidly worldwide. This situation leads clinicians to seek new treatments. To evaluate the contribution of mechanical parasite removal to treatment success when applied prior to topical permethrin 5% treatment. The mechanical removal process was applied once during diagnosis. Two groups of 30 people each were included in the study. Permethrin treatment was given directly to the first group without any procedure. In the second group, the maximum number of tunnels that could be detected were removed from patients. After this procedure, the group received permethrin treatment. All patients were called for control after 10 days, and treatment response rates were evaluated. Sixteen (53.3%) patients who received permethrin treatment directly without any procedure responded to the treatment. In the remaining 14 (46.6%) patients, tunnels and Sarcoptes mites were still present. In the second group, which underwent tunnel removal, complete recovery was observed in 26 (86.6%) patients. The patients who did not benefit from the treatment in the study group had relatively less tunnel removal from their bodies. Removing the tunnel from the patient before the treatment increases the success of the treatment. Considering that there are 8-10 parasites on average in scabies patients, it has been determined that the tunnel removal method is not difficult and contributes to therapeutic success.

Approach and management of histamine imbalance in functional medicine

Histamine is known as a substance that causes allergies and anaphylaxis, but, in fact, it is a kind of inflammatory cytokine which is involved in immune and inflammatory responses that protect from external materials. Especially, it is involved in the removal of dust, parasites, and bacteria. Histamine mainly plays a role in physically washing or sterilizing these substances through vasodilation, increasing mucus secretion and expectoration, smooth muscle contraction, and gastric acid secretion. In addition, histamine has central nervous system effects such as arousal and memory, because it is necessary to remember and avoid harmful exposures. Like other cytokines, histamine must be produced, released, and degraded in a balance for proper action. When this balance is broken, various non-specific symptoms from histamine excess, such as rhinitis, urticarial, itching sense, abdominal cramp, diarrhea, epigastric burning, chronic cough, headache, dizziness, edema, insomnia, nervousness and irritability can be appeared. It is defined as “histamine imbalance” in functional medicine, and some researchers are called it as “histamine syndrome”. There can be several causes, but allergies and chronic subclinical inflammation are particularly important. The importance of histamine imbalance is increasing because there are many factors for subclinical inflammation in modern society, such as environmental pollution including fine dust, lack of sleep and exercise, increased carbohydrate consumption with decreased vitamin and mineral intake, and infectious disease like Coronavirus disease-2019. In this review, the authors will propose the concept of histamine imbalance and its functional medical approach and management.

Schistosoma mansoni infection induces plasmablast and plasma cell death in the bone marrow and accelerates the decline of host vaccine responses.

Schistosomiasis is a potentially lethal parasitic disease that profoundly impacts systemic immune function in chronically infected hosts through mechanisms that remain unknown. Given the immunoregulatory dysregulation experienced in infected individuals, this study examined the impact of chronic schistosomiasis on the sustainability of vaccine-induced immunity in both children living in endemic areas and experimental infections in mice. Data show that chronic Schistosoma mansoni infection impaired the persistence of vaccine specific antibody responses in poliovirus-vaccinated humans and mice. Mechanistically, schistosomiasis primarily fostered plasmablast and plasma cell death in the bone marrow and removal of parasites following praziquantel treatment reversed the observed cell death and partially restored vaccine-induced memory responses associated with increased serum anti-polio antibody responses. Our findings strongly suggest a previously unrecognized mechanism to explain how chronic schistosomiasis interferes with an otherwise effective vaccine regimen and further advocates for therapeutic intervention strategies that reduce schistosomiasis burden in endemic areas prior to vaccination.

Microeukaryotic gut parasites in wastewater treatment plants: diversity, activity, and removal

BackgroundDuring wastewater treatment, the wastewater microbiome facilitates the degradation of organic matter, reduction of nutrients, and removal of gut parasites. While the latter function is essential to minimize public health risks, the range of parasites involved and how they are removed is still poorly understood.ResultsUsing shotgun metagenomic (DNA) and metatranscriptomic (RNA) sequencing data from ten wastewater treatment plants in Switzerland, we were able to assess the entire wastewater microbiome, including the often neglected microeukaryotes (protists). In the latter group, we found a surprising richness and relative abundance of active parasites, particularly in the inflow. Using network analysis, we tracked these taxa across the various treatment compartments and linked their removal to trophic interactions.ConclusionsOur results indicate that the combination of DNA and RNA data is essential for assessing the full spectrum of taxa present in wastewater. In particular, we shed light on an important but poorly understood function of wastewater treatment – parasite removal.6ehe_ZkZdE9fr2WhScWVWRVideo