Parasitic Zoonosis Research Articles

Integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses of plerocercoid and adult Spirometra mansoni reveal potential important pathways in the development of the medical tapeworm

BackgroundSpirometra mansoni can parasitize animals and humans through food and water, causing parasitic zoonosis. Knowledge of the developmental process of S. mansoni is crucial for effective treatment; thus, it is important to characterize differential and specific proteins and pathways associated with parasite development.MethodsIn this study, we performed a comparative proteomic analysis of the plerocercoid and adult stages using a tandem mass tag-based quantitative proteomic approach. Additionally, integrated transcriptomic and proteomic analyses were conducted to obtain the full protein expression profiles of different life cycle stages of the tapeworm.ResultsApproximately 1166 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in adults versus plerocercoids, of which 641 DEPs were upregulated and 525 were downregulated. Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous groups (COG) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses indicated that most DEPs related to genetic information processing and metabolism of energy in adults seem to be more activated. In the plerocercoid stage, compared to metabolism, genetic information processing appears more dynamic. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) revealed six key proteins (phosphomannomutase, glutathione transferase, malate dehydrogenase, cytoplasmic, 40S ribosomal protein S15, ribosomal protein L15 and 60S acidic ribosomal protein P2) that may play active roles in the growth and development of S. mansoni. Finally, the combination of transcriptomic and proteomic data suggested that three pathways (ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis, phagosome and spliceosome) and five proteins closely related to these pathways might have a significant influence in S. mansoni.ConclusionsThese findings contribute to increasing the knowledge on the protein expression profiles of S. mansoni and provide new insights into functional studies on the molecular mechanisms of the neglected medical tapeworm.Graphical

Knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding porcine cysticercosis control among smallholder pig farmers in Kongwa and Songwe districts, Tanzania: A cross-sectional study.

Taenia solium taeniasis/cysticercosis (TSTC) is a parasitic zoonotic disease that is endemic in several developing countries, causing serious public health and economic impacts. A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to porcine cysticercosis (PCC) transmission, prevention and control among smallholder pig farmers in Kongwa and Songwe Districts in Tanzania. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 692 smallholder pig farmers from randomly selected households. STATA software version 17 was used to analyse quantitative data, summarize farmers' KAP about PCC and calculate performance scores. Nearly half (42%) of the respondents had little knowledge regarding PCC, only 17% of the respondents had good practices towards prevention/control of PCC and 72% had a positive attitude towards PCC- prevention/control measures. The majority (73%) of smallholder pig farmers admitted deworming their pigs regularly, whereas 76% reported deworming themselves and their family members regularly. Albendazole and ivermectin are the most commonly used medications for deworming people and pigs, respectively. According to the findings, the majority of smallholder pig farmers in Kongwa and Songwe Districts showed a good attitude towards PCC prevention/control measures but had limited knowledge of the PCC life cycle and control. In addition, only one in five farmers was engaged in good practices. The findings revealed further that farmers are engaged in risky behaviours that aid the spread and perpetuation of the T. solium parasite in the study area. It is recommended that farmers should be given proper health education on the T. solium transmission cycle and preventive/control practices to limit PCC transmission.

The epidemiology of patients with toxoplasmosis and its associated risk factors in Taiwan during the 2007-2020 period.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), and may cause miscarriage and birth defects during pregnancy. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological features, epidemic trends, and correlations between the before number of confirmed toxoplasmosis cases in Taiwan from 2007 to 2020 in gender, age, season, and residential area, and hypothesized the environmental and climate factors also might affect the disease in Taiwan. This study reviewed publicly available annual summary data on reported toxoplasmosis cases in the Taiwan Centers for Diseases Control (TCDC) between 2007 and 2020. This study collected 150 confirmed domestic and nine patients with imported toxoplasmosis. There was an increasing trend in the incidence of toxoplasmosis, 0.09-0.89 cases per 1,000,000 people, peaking in 2017. The average annual toxoplasmosis incidence was 4.4, 13, and 18 during 2007-2011, 2012-2016, and 2017-2020, respectively. Comparing sex, age, season, and place of residence, the incidence rate was highest in male, 20-39 years-old patients, summer, and the eastern region, with 1.02, 1.72, 0.38, and 3.63 cases per million population, respectively. Additionally, comparing the distribution of cases by age group in Taiwan, there were significant differences between 40-59 years-old in the northern region (odds ratio (OR) = 0.343, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.167-0.705, p = 0.004) and 40-59 years-old in the southern region (OR = 4.488, and 95% CI = 2.149-9.374, p< 0.001), respectively. Linear regression analysis also showed that PM (particulate matter) 2.5 (μg/m3) concentration was positively associated with toxoplasmosis (β = 0.095, p = 0.037). CO concentration was negatively correlated with toxoplasmosis (β = -14.001, p = 0.021). This study is the first to report domestic and confirmed cases of imported toxoplasmosis from the surveillance data of the TCDC between 2007 and 2020. It identified that residence and age were associated with an increased risk of toxoplasmosis in Taiwan. This study confirmed that toxoplasmosis remains a prevalent infectious disease in Taiwan, its epidemic is gradually increasing and becoming more severe. These findings might be useful for policy-makers and clinical experts to direct prevention and control activities to patients with T. gondii, which causes the most severe illness and greatest burden to Taiwanese people.

Parasitological datas of helminthes parasites of Macrodon atricauda (Günther, 1880)

Ichthyoparasites can affect the health of fish, cause negative economic repercussions and are causes of parasitic zoonoses in the population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the helminth fauna of Macrodon atricauda, ​​as well as to evaluate the zoonotic potential of the parasites that were found. The fishes were collected in two periods in 2014 and 2015. The present study demonstrated that the females presented better conditions than the males, and there was no statistically significant difference between the conditions in both sexes. There is a positive relation regarding total parasite prevalence and fish weight and length. The occurrence of helminth parasites of fish can be dangerous to humans because some species represent a zoonotic potential gives evidence to the need for a change in the hygienic and food habits of the population and the need for control and prevention by the public health agencies.

Detection of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Small Ruminants: Old Problems, and Current Solutions.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonosis of veterinary importance, with implications for public health. Toxoplasma gondii infection causes abortion or congenital disease in small ruminants. Moreover, the consumption of infected meat, cured meat products, or unpasteurized milk and dairy products can facilitate zoonotic transmission. Serological studies conducted in various European countries have shown the high seroprevalence of specific anti-T. gondii antibodies in sheep and goats related to the presence of oocysts in the environment, as well as climatic conditions. This article presents the current status of the detection possibilities for T. gondii infection in small ruminants and their milk. Serological testing is considered the most practical method for diagnosing toxoplasmosis; therefore, many studies have shown that recombinant antigens as single proteins, mixtures of various antigens, or chimeric proteins can be successfully used as an alternative to Toxoplasma lysate antigens (TLA). Several assays based on DNA amplification have been developed as alternative diagnostic methods, which are especially useful when serodiagnosis is not possible, e.g., the detection of intrauterine T. gondii infection when the fetus is not immunocompetent. These techniques employ multicopy sequences highly conserved among different strains of T. gondii in conventional, nested, competitive, and quantitative reverse transcriptase-PCR.

Comparison of Native Hydatid Cyst Fluid (HCF), Lyophilized HCF, Antigen B (AgB) and Lyophilized AgB (LAgB) Originated from Echinococcus granulosus Sensu Stricto for Sero-Diagnosis of Active, Transitional and Inactive Human Liver Cystic Echinococcosis.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is an important zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larval stage or metacestode of the tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato. Due to treatment protocols for different liver cysts, diagnosis of cyst stages is very important. Different antigens have been used for CE diagnosis. However, each one is more sensitive and effective for the diagnosis of specific CE stages is not known well. We aimed to compare Native Hydatid Cyst Fluid (HCF), Lyophilized Hydatid Cyst Fluid (LHCF), antigen B (AgB) and Lyophilized antigen B (LAgB) originated from E. granulosus sensu stricto (G1-G3) genotype, for sero- diagnosis of active, transitional and inactive human liver CE using ELISA technique. The HCF was collected aseptically from liver CE cysts of sheep slaughtered from 2018 to 2019 in Shiraz slaughterhouse, Southern, Iran. The cysts were characterized by PCR and sequencing for genotype specification. Four types of antigens were used: HCF, LHCF, AgB and LAgB originated from E. granulosus sensu stricto (G1-G3) genotype. Thirty-three serum samples from active, transitional, and inactive human cysts were collected. Overall, 48 samples from other parasitic diseases and 60 samples from healthy subjects as negative controls were checked using four antigens by ELISA method. The best diagnostic sensitivity with 96.97% was observed by anti-LHCF IgG ELISA test. The best specificity with 95.37% was observed in ELISA test using LAgB. Simultaneous test of sera with anti-LHCF IgG ELISA and anti-LAgB IgG ELISA would be the best in the diagnosis of human liver cystic echinococcosis.

Plasmodium knowlesi: New threat to Humans

Plasmodium knowlesi is a parasite that can spread from animals to humans. Over the past 20 years, scientists have become more and more interested in this parasite. This parasitic zoonotic infection is common in Southeast Asia, and 6-9 % of symptomatic adult who get it have severe symptoms. In this review paper, we will discuss recent and past studies on P. knowlesi. Additionally, we will describe the epidemiology, clinical aspects, diagnosis, and therapy of this infectious disease. In addition to this, we concentrate on the difficulties associated with the prevention and management of this important parasitic zoonotic disease.

Understanding Alveolar echinococcosis patients' psychosocial burden and coping strategies-A qualitative interview study.

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a serious parasitic zoonotic disease that resembles malignancy with clinically silent infiltrative growth predominantly involving the liver. AE patients show high levels of comorbid psychological burden and fear of disease progression. This study aimed to examine AE patients' perspective on their disease-related psychosocial burden using qualitative methods. We conducted N = 12 semi-structured interviews with AE patients focusing on their disease-related psychosocial burden, coping strategies, information seeking behavior, and subjective illness concepts. To this end, AE patients from a previous quantitative cross-sectional study were invited to participate. After verbatim transcription, interviews were analyzed thematically. After analysis, data was grouped into five main themes: A) Perceived disease-related burden, B) Coping with disease-related burden, C) Disease-related impact on their social environment, D) Facing the future with the disease, and E) Disease-related information seeking behavior and subjective illness concepts. All participants perceived AE as a severe disease with inextricably linked biological, psychological, and social effects. Key positive influences reported included the provision of information and access to informal and formal support, including the ability to lead active personal and professional lives for as long as possible. Self-directed, web-based information seeking often led to increased feelings of hopelessness and anxiety. Our findings underscore the need to consider psychosocial morbidity in AE patient management. To reduce psychological burden, address disease-related apprehensions, and to prevent stigmatization, health professionals need to provide AE patients with comprehensive disease-related information to improve patient and social awareness.

In vitro and in vivo Efficacies of Novel Harmine Derivatives in the Treatment of Cystic Echinococcosis.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a chronic zoonotic parasitic disease caused by the larvae of the Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) cluster. The current existing drugs have limited therapeutic efficacy against cystic echinococcosis, and thus, there is an urgent need to develop new drugs. In this study, 7 harmine (HM) derivatives were screened and the effects of HM derivatives on E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) were evaluated by in vitro and mouse experiments. The safety of the HM derivatives was assessed by cytotoxicity assays, acute toxicity study in animals and subacute toxicity study. These results show that the HM derivatives H-2-168 and DH-004 exhibited more significant antiparasitic effects at an initial concentration of 40 μM. The results of further studies showed that H-2-168 and DH-004 had dose-dependent effects against protoscoleces and had satisfactory therapeutic outcomes in vivo. Electron microscopy observations demonstrated that H-2-168 and DH-004 caused severe disruption of the parasite ultrastructure. Notably, the results of the acute toxicity and subchronic toxicity studies showed that H-2-168 and DH-004 had significantly improved safety. In addition, we found that H-2-168 and DH-004 induced DNA damage in E. granulosus s.s., which may be the mechanism by which these drugs produce their therapeutic effects. Overall, the data from this work demonstrate that H-2-168 and DH-004 are highly effective candidate compounds with low toxicity for the treatment of CE and will provide a new therapeutic strategy for CE pharmacological treatment.

Domesticated Cats as a Source of Environmental Contamination with Toxocara cati and Other Soil-Transmitted Helmminth Eggs in Urban Area, Manila-Philiphines

Toxocariasis and soil-transmitted helminthiases are the most prevalent parasitic zoonoses affecting humans and animals that cause environmental contamination. Toxocara and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs in animal feces are the primary sources of soil-transmitted helminthiases transmission in the environment particularly in urban areas. These parasite eggs constitute a source of infection for both definitive and paratenic hosts. Avian and rodents, that can be paratenic hosts of these parasites, are a significant source of food for cats in urban settings. Stray cats and dogs also consume leftover food or receive frequent feedings from locals that increases the chance of acquiring soil-transmitted helminth infections. Despite the risks that these soil-transmitted helminths have, studies and information regarding their zoonotic potential is very limited to date. This study aimed to determine the relationship between cat feces and the environmental contamination of residential soils with Toxocara cati and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs. A total of 50 samples were collected in selected urban residences in Malate, Manila. Stool samples were processed using Formol-Ether Concentration Technique while optimized sugar flotation technique was used for the soil samples then both were subjected to microscopy. The overall infection rate was 76% and the contamination rate was 52%. Toxocara cati was the most prevalent zoonotic parasite identified in 48% of stool and 44% of soil samples followed by Ascaris spp. with 32% in stools and 16% in soil samples. Trichuris spp. with 24% and hookworm with 16% were also detected in stool samples but were absent in soil samples. The presence of Toxocara cati and Ascaris spp. eggs in feces and their environmental contamination might be accounted to their durable and highly resistant eggs as well as the as the Philippines as a tropical country which may induce optimal conditions for Toxocara spp. and other soil-transmitted helminth eggs’ development and survival.&#x0D;

Anti-Toxoplasma gondii Effects of Lipopeptide Derivatives of Lycosin-I.

Toxoplasmosis, caused by Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii), is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease. We previously found that Lycosin-I exhibited anti-T. gondii activity, but its serum stability was not good enough. In this study, we aimed to improve the stability and activity of Lycosin-I through fatty acid chain modification, so as to find a better anti-T. gondii drug candidate. The α/ε-amino residues of different lysine residues of Lycosin-I were covalently coupled with lauric acid to obtain eight lipopeptides, namely L-C12, L-C12-1, L-C12-2, L-C12-3, L-C12-4, L-C12-5, L-C12-6, and L-C12-7. Among these eight lipopeptides, L-C12 showed the best activity against T. gondii in vitro in a trypan blue assay. We then conjugated a shorter length fatty chain, aminocaproic acid, at the same modification site of L-C12, namely L-an. The anti-T. gondii effects of Lycosin-I, L-C12 and L-an were evaluated via an invasion assay, proliferation assay and plaque assay in vitro. A mouse model acutely infected with T. gondii tachyzoites was established to evaluate their efficacy in vivo. The serum stability of L-C12 and L-an was improved, and they showed comparable or even better activity than Lycosin-I did in inhibiting the invasion and proliferation of tachyzoites. L-an effectively prolonged the survival time of mice acutely infected with T. gondii. These results suggest that appropriate fatty acid chain modification can improve serum stability and enhance anti-T. gondii effect of Lycosin-I. The lipopeptide derivatives of Lycosin-I have potential as a novel anti-T. gondii drug candidate.

The regulatory roles of Fasciola hepatica GSTO1 protein in inflammatory cytokine expression and apoptosis in murine macrophages

Fascioliasis, a global zoonotic parasitic disease, is mainly caused by Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) parasitizing in the livers of hosts, mainly humans and herbivores. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) is one of the important excretory- secretory products (ESPs) from F. hepatica, however, the regulatory roles of its Omega subtype in the immunomodulatory effects remain unknown. Here, we expressed F. hepatica recombinant GSTO1 protein (rGSTO1) in Pichia pastoris and analyzed its antioxidant properties. Then, the interaction between F. hepatica rGSTO1 and RAW264.7 macrophages and its effects on inflammatory responses and cell apoptosis were further explored. The results revealed that GSTO1 of F. hepatica owned the potent ability to resist oxidative stress. F. hepatica rGSTO1 could interact with RAW264.7 macrophages and inhibit its cell viability, furthermore, it may suppress the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, but promote the expression of anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In addition, F. hepatica rGSTO1 may down-regulate the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax, and increase the expression of pro-apoptotic protein caspase-3, thereby eliciting the apoptosis of macrophages. Notably, F. hepatica rGSTO1 inhibited the activation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and mitogen‑activated protein kinases (MAPKs p38, ERK and JNK) pathways in LPS-activated RAW264.7 cells, exerting potent modulatory effects on macrophages. These findings suggested that F. hepatica GSTO1 can modulate the host immune response, which provided new insights into the immune evasion mechanism of F. hepatica infection in host.

IgG glycomic profiling identifies potential biomarkers for diagnosis of echinococcosis

Echinococcosis caused by larval stage of the genus Echinococcus, is a serious and potentially fatal parasitic zoonosis distributed globally. The two types of the disease in human are cystic echinococcosis (CE) and alveolar echinococcosis (AE). As the biological and encysting characteristics of the parasite, early diagnosis remains to address. In the present study, we demonstrate the value of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycome as a potential diagnostic biomarker for echinococcosis. Serum IgG glycome profiles were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography in a cohort comprised of 127 echinococcosis patients, of them 98 were diagnosed as CE and 29 as AE. IgG N-glycome analysis in pretreatment serum of echinococcosis patients presents 25 glycans and 64 derived traits. Compared with IgG glycans of healthy control group, neutral glycans, fucosylation and agalactosylated N-glycans increased while sialylation and galactosylation decreased in echinococcosis patients. Combined with a machine-learning-based approach, we built three biomarker combinations to distinguish CE, AE and healthy controls. Meanwhile, galactosylation, sialylation and A2BG2S1 in IgG glycan profiles were evidently associated with different types of CE (from CE1 to CE5). Our findings suggest that the alterations in IgG N-glycome may be of value in CE and AE diagnosis and follow-up CE disease progress. The role of IgG N-glycans as diagnostic biomarker remains to be verified in future study.

Laboratory associated zoonotic parasitic infections: a review of main agents and biosecurity measures

Laboratory workers are exposed to the risk of acquiring infections due to the manipulation of infectious materials. The biological hazard for researchers is seven times higher when compared with hospital and public health laboratory workers. Despite the implementation of standardized practices to control infections, multiple cases of Laboratory Associated Infections (LAIs) usually go unreported. There has been a lack of comprehensive epidemiological data regarding the situation of LAIs for parasitic zoonosis and besides, the available sources are not completely updated. Since most accounts of laboratory infections are organism-specific, this study has focused on common pathogenic/zoonotic species handled at parasitological laboratories and summarising the standard biosecurity protocols for the infectious agents. The main characteristics of Cryptosporidium spp., Entamoeba spp, Giardia duodenalis, Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Echinococcus spp., Schistosoma spp., Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Strongyloides stercoralis are considered in this review in order to assess the potential risk of developing occupational infections in the workplace along with stating prevention and prophylactic measures for each species. It was concluded that the LAIs from these agents can be prevented by using personal protective measures and good laboratory practices. However, further studies are necessary to better understand the environmental resistance of cysts, oocysts and eggs, with a view to select the most suitable disinfection methods. Furthermore, it is fundamental to constantly update epidemiological data of infection acquired by laboratory workers, to develop accurate risk indicators.

Prevalence of zoonotic diseases of small ruminants at Savar upazila of Dhaka district

The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of zoonotic diseases of small ruminants (SR) at Savar upazila of Dhaka district. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted in small and middle-scale goat and sheep farms at Savar Upazila with a total number of 1981 SR (1438 goats and 543 sheep). We found a total of 468 diseased SR (281 goats and 187 sheep), of which 206 cases were zoonotic (41.37%) (124 / 60% goats; 82/40% sheep). Prevalence of bacterial zoonoses (Salmonellosis, Tetanus Dermatophilosis, Brucellosis, Listeriosis and Campylobacteriosis ) was higher (23.78% in goat and 15.53% in sheep) followed by that of parasitic zoonoses (Hydatidosis, Fascioliasis, Amphistomiasis and Cryptosporidiosis) (17.48% in goat and 11.65% in sheep), viral zoonoses (Contagious Ecthyma, Foot and Mouth Disease and Rabies) (12.14% in goat and 7.77% in sheep), rickettsial zoonoses (Q Fever) (2.91% in goat and 1.94% in sheep). The age-wise, sex-wise and breed-wise prevalence of zoonotic diseases in goats and sheep were also determined. The study provided an epidemiological forecast showing the prevalence of zoonotic diseases of SR, which can be helpful for the clinician in the diagnosis of such infections. The present study revealed that the SR at Savar Upazila is susceptible and also infected with various zoonotic diseases. So, prevention and control of these zoonotic diseases are essential. Bangladesh J. Agri. 2023, 48(1): 81-91

Toxoplasma gondii genotyping in AIDS patients using high resolution melt analysis (HRM analysis) in Khuzestan province, southwest Iran.

Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic zoonotic disease caused by Toxoplasma gondii, a common protozoan in the Apicomplexa phylum. Several studies in Iran have demonstrated the presence of the parasite in various hosts, but no data on T. gondii genotyping in HIV patients in Khuzestan, Southwest Iran, is available. One hundred of blood samples from AIDS patients were collected and tested by real-time PCR High Resolution Melting analyses for T.gondii detection and genotyping. T. gondii was discovered in 8 out of 100 (8%) AIDS patients with dominant Type I. This study suggest that HRM method demonstrated excellent discriminating ability for T. gondii, and AIDS patients should be tested for Toxoplasma detection and genotyping to prevent parasite pathogenicity.

Plasma lipopolysaccharide elevations in cattle associated with early-stage infection by Fasciola hepatica.

Fasciolosis is an endemic zoonotic parasitic disease with significant impacts on human health and both animal health and production. Early post-infection impacts on the host remain unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the changes, if any, to levels of endotoxin in cattle plasma in response to early-stage infection with Fasciola hepatica. Thirty-six (36) commercial bred cattle were experimentally infected with approximately 400 viable metacercariae. Plasma lipopolysaccharide (endotoxin) levels were examined on 24 occasions from 0 h before infection to 336 h after infection using the Limulus Amoebocyte Lysate chromogenic end point assay and compared with that of six (6) uninfected control animals. Peak lipopolysaccharide levels in infected animals were reached at 52 h after infection and returned to pre-infection levels at time 144 h after infection. Infected animals had significantly elevated lipopolysaccharide levels between 24 and 120 h after infection when compared to uninfected animals. The mean change in endotoxin units (EU)/mL over time after infection was statistically significant in infected animals. Elevations of lipopolysaccharide occurred in all infected animals suggesting a possible repeatable and titratable endotoxemia conducive to therapeutic agent model development.

Spread of Toxoplasma gondii among animals and humans in Northern Italy: A retrospective analysis in a One-Health framework

Toxoplasmosis occurs worldwide and is considered one of the most important food-borne parasitic zoonoses. The consumption of undercooked meat containing viable tissue cysts and ingestion of environmental oocyst are the most important sources of infection. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the spread of Toxoplasma gondii in the province of Bologna (Emilia-Romagna region) in northern Italy, with a One Health approach, comparing seropositivity rates in different animal species and in humans over the last 19 and 4 years respectively. Analyses were performed on serological data collected over different periods at three separate locations: Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e della Emilia-Romagna (IZSLER); Veterinary University Hospital Clinical Pathology Service, Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Bologna; and Unit of Microbiology, St. Orsola Hospital, Bologna. Most relevant seropositivity rates observed in animals were 15.5% (wild boar), 25% (roe deer), 18.7% (goat), 29.9% (sheep), 9.7% (pigs), 42.9% and 21.8% in cat and dog, respectively. A comprehensive screening was conducted on a population of 36,814 individuals, revealing a prevalence of 20.4%. Among pregnant women, a frequence of 0.39% for active toxoplasmosis was observed. Despite certain limitations, this study provided valuable insights into the extensive distribution of this parasitic infection among diverse animal species and human populations in the province of Bologna. These findings underscore the importance of implementing consistent and proactive toxoplasmosis screening protocols during pregnancy, while emphasizing the critical need for adopting a One Health approach for effective control of this parasitic disease.

Seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional farms in South-Eastern Côte d'Ivoire

BackgroundPorcine cysticercosis is an endemic parasitic zoonosis in many developing countries. The objective of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis in traditional pig farms in the departments of Dabou, Aboisso and Agboville. MethodsBlood samples were taken from pigs and analyzed by ELISA (IgG) and western blot. Data on farming practices and pig characteristics were collected. Multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify risk factors. ResultsA total of 668 pigs were sampled from 116 farms and 639 samples were analyzed. The seroprevalence of cysticercosis was estimated at 13.2%. Overweight [OR = 2.6; 95%CI (1.3–4.9)] and fat pigs [OR = 2.3; 95%CI (1.0–4.8)] were twice as likely to be seropositive for cysticercosis. This risk was increased in farms using well water for drinking [OR = 2.5; 95%CI (1.0–6.3)] as well as those reporting veterinary care of the animals (OR = 2.9; 95%CI (1.2–7.3)). ConclusionsThis study demonstrated the circulation of Taenia solium in pig farms in southern Côte d'Ivoire.

The helminth infection rate of livestocks in Thua Thien Hue province and the effectiveness of autoclave in decontaminating parasitic infection agents

Livestock and pets are important to human life but have many potential health hazards such as parasitic zoonoses. Objectives: To investigate the prevalence of helminth infection in some kind of livestocks and pets in Thua Thien Hue province and evaluate the value of autoclaving to decontamination to avoid the helminthic infections. Materials and methods: cross-sectional and experimental descriptive study using Formalin - Ether technique to investigate the prevalence of helminth eggs of dog, and cattle feces collected in Thua Thien Hue province. Comparing the shape of helminth eggs in 10% formalin and the other preserved in 10% formalin, then autoclaved, to evaluate the effectiveness of autoclave decontamination in both preventing helminth infection and identifying helminths. Results: The overall prevalence of helminth infections in some domestic animals (cattle, dogs and pig) in Thua Thien Hue province was 42%. Parasitic helminth egg specimens can be stored for a long time by autoclaving to avoid infection. Conclusions: The rate of helminth infections in some domestic animals in Thua Thien Hue province is still relatively high. The method of autoclaving and decontamination has the potential to prevent helminth infection in the laboratory and safty for storage slide. Key words: helminths, livestock, decontamination.