Hasil untuk "Infectious and parasitic diseases"

Tarwendpanga F. X. Ouédraogo, Simon P. Sawadogo, Abdoul Azize Millogo et al.

Abstract Background Malaria vectors reproduce through in-flight copulation within swarms, which remains poorly understood. Gaining insights into swarming and mating behavior is essential for optimizing novel vector control strategies including sterile insect technique, genetically modified mosquitoes, and behavior based intervention. This study investigates the factors influencing swarm dynamics and mating efficiency in Anopheles coluzzii. Methods We surveyed swarms across 40 residential compounds in Burkina Faso, georeferencing swarming sites and recording swarming times and height. In a subset of three compounds selected for detailed characterization, we also measured inter-swarm distances, counted swarm size from photography, and mating pairs through direct observation during swarming. Furthermore, we collected 30% of male mosquitoes from swarms to measure wing length and perform PCR analyses. We monitored environmental variables including temperature, humidity, wind speed, and luminosity. Finally, we performed spatial and statistical analysis using ArcGIS and R to determine how swarm and mating dynamics are correlated and how they depend on biological and environmental conditions. Results We identified 169 Anopheles coluzzii swarms and found strong evidence of spatial clustering (General G: P < 0.001; Moran’s I = 0.2, P < 0.001), with localized hotspots. Swarming occurred between 18:05 h and 18:45 h, extending into darkness at ~19:15 h. Swarms had an average height of 2.87 m (range: 1.0–3.2 m) and consisted of 83–2783 mosquitoes. Swarm size strongly predicted pairing success in Anopheles coluzzii (t = 9.16, P < 0.001) with larger swarms producing more pairs. However, individual pairing efficiency decreased with swarm size (t = −3.515, P < 0.001). Male size positively influenced individual pairing efficiency (t = 3.25, P = 0.002) but did not affect swarm size or total pairing frequency. Inter-swarm distances varied nonrandomly, suggesting interactions between neighboring and/or swarm markers. Conclusions This study shows that An. coluzzii swarming is shaped by both biological and environmental factors. While larger males achieved higher individual mating efficiency, swarm size was the strongest predictor of mating success. Larger swarms yielded more mating pairs overall, although efficiency declined with increasing density. In addition, swarms formed in clustered nonrandom patterns within compounds. These results highlight the interplay between male traits and environment in shaping swarming dynamics. Graphical Abstract

Lucy S. Witt, Radhika Prakash Asrani, Hyun Bin Kim et al.

We explored the impact of infectious disease (ID) consultations on hospitalists’ prescribing of broad-spectrum, hospital-onset (BSHO) antibiotics. Periods with more ID consults had increased BSHO-DOT; however, this relationship was nonlinear, and ID consult frequency did not explain variability in prescribing. ID consultation should be considered when creating prescriber performance metrics.

Zhuo Lan, Xue Wang, Yuxi Zhang et al.

Clonorchiasis, caused by Clonorchis sinensis, is a significant public health issue in China and East Asia. However, understanding its pathological mechanisms underlying this disease remains limited. Here, we isolated and characterized C. sinensis extracellular vesicles (CsEVs) and evaluated their uptake by Kupffer cells (KCs) in vitro in immortalized KC (ImKC) line and in vivo in a model of C. sinensis infection, investigating genes with altered gene expression after treatment with CsEVs and during progression to liver fibrosis. CsEVs were successfully taken up by KCs to regulate gene expression. RNA-sequencing analysis identified 694 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), including upregulation of those encoding colony-stimulating factor 3 (CSF3), IL1b, and others. Further validation showed increased expressions of these genes in mice infected with C. sinensis. Gene ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analyses suggested that these DEGs were involved in pathways such as TNF signaling, and NF-κB signaling. During liver fibrosis progression, CSF3 expression positively correlated with alpha smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) levels in the liver, both of which were higher compared with negative controls. CSF3 inhibition caused a significant decrease in α-SMA expression. This study was the first to report differential gene expression changes in ImKCs stimulated by CsEVs, with CSF3, the most significantly upregulated gene, having a potential role in liver fibrosis. These findings provide important data for the pathology of clonorchiasis and could identify new targets for treatment.

Leesa M Pennell, Carole L. Galligan, E. Fish

E. Mantadakis

Iron deficiency and iron-deficiency anemia (IDA) affects approximately two billion people worldwide, and most of them reside in low- and middle-income countries. In these nations, additional causes of anemia include parasitic infections like malaria, other nutritional deficiencies, chronic diseases, hemoglobinopathies, and lead poisoning. Maternal anemia in resource-poor nations is associated with low birth weight, increased perinatal mortality, and decreased work productivity. Maintaining a normal iron balance in these settings is challenging, as iron-rich foods with good bioavailability are of animal origin and either expensive and/or available in short supply. Apart from infrequent consumption of meat, inadequate vitamin C intake, and diets rich in inhibitors of iron absorption are additional important risk factors for IDA in low-income countries. In-home iron fortification of complementary foods with micronutrient powders has been shown to effectively reduce the risk of iron deficiency and IDA in infants and young children in developing countries but is associated with unfavorable changes in gut flora and induction of intestinal inflammation that may lead to diarrhea and hospitalization. In developed countries, iron deficiency is the only frequent micronutrient deficiency. In the industrialized world, IDA is more common in infants beyond the sixth month of life, in adolescent females with heavy menstrual bleeding, in women of childbearing age and older people. Other special at-risk populations for IDA in developed countries are regular blood donors, endurance athletes, and vegetarians. Several medicinal ferrous or ferric oral iron products exist, and their use is not associated with harmful effects on the overall incidence of infectious illnesses in sideropenic and/or anemic subjects. However, further research is needed to clarify the risks and benefits of supplemental iron for children exposed to parasitic infections in low-income countries, and for children genetically predisposed to iron overload.

Bruna Del Acqua Barbosa, Livia Maria de Paula Castro, Isabella Guidini Benacchio et al.

Introdução: Meningite é uma inflamação das meninges, podendo ser de etiologia infecciosa ou não, sendo doença de notificação compulsória no Brasil. Apresenta caráter endêmico com períodos de surtos. 2014 foi ano crítico, com subsequente tendência de queda nas incidências. Um dos principais agentes etiológicos da meningite bacteriana é o coco gram-negativo Neisseria meningitidis, o qual é conhecido como meningococo e pode ser classificado em 13 sorogrupos: A, B, C, D, X, Y, Z, E-29, W-135, H, I, K e L. Os sorogrupos A e C são os mais epidêmicos, e foram responsáveis pelas duas grandes epidemias meningocócicas entre 1971 e 1975. A partir de então, o Brasil experienciou pequenas microepidemias. Objetivo: Analisar o número de casos confirmados e a letalidade dos sorotipos A, B, C, Y e W135 de meningococo no período de 2014 a 2022 no Brasil. Método: Estudo epidemiológico descritivo retrospectivo, baseado em dados do Sistema de Informações de Agravos de Notificações do Sistema Único de Saúde (SINAN/DATASUS). Foram incluídos os casos confirmados de meningite por meningococo de 2014 a 2022 no Brasil. As variáveis utilizadas foram ano do primeiro sintoma (2014 a 2022), sorogrupo (A, B, C, Y e W135) e evolução a óbito. Foi calculada a letalidade de cada sorogrupo, com os valores escritos até a segunda casa decimal. Resultados: No período descrito, houveram 1.967 casos confirmados, dos quais 7 foram do sorogrupo A, 584 do B, 1.152 do C, 64 do Y e 160 do W135. O ano de 2014 marcou o maior valor, com 365 casos, sendo o sorogrupo C o mais prevalente, responsável por 250 casos, e o Y o mais letal, com taxa de 30%. Em seguida, 2015 e 2016 registraram quedas, com, respectivamente, 292 e 239 casos. Em 2017, houve elevação, com 303 casos. Os anos de 2018 a 2021 registraram sucessivas quedas, com 271, 224, 75 e 44 casos anuais, respectivamente. Por fim, 2022 apresentou nova alta, com 116 casos. O número de óbitos nos 9 anos foi de 1 do sorogrupo A, 48 do B, 135 do C, 9 do Y e 27 do W135. O cálculo da letalidade no período total revelou frações equivalentes a, respectivamente, 14,28%, 8,21%, 11,71%, 14,06% e 16,87%. Conclusão: Embora o sorogrupo C seja mais prevalente, W135 foi o mais letal na totalidade dos anos analisados. Neste período, 2014 apresentou maior número de casos, confirmando a tendência esperada de queda nos anos subsequentes. Uma possível explicação para essa queda é a elevação na taxa de vacinação contra meningococo, porém estudos adicionais são necessários.

A. Casulli, B. Abela-Ridder, D. Petrone et al.

The neglected zoonosis cystic echinococcosis affects mainly pastoral and rural communities in both low-income and upper-middle-income countries. In Europe, it should be regarded as an orphan and rare disease. Although human cystic echinococcosis is a notifiable parasitic infectious disease in most European countries, in practice it is largely under-reported by national health systems. To fill this gap, we extracted data on the number, incidence, and trend of human cases in Europe through a systematic review approach, using both the scientific and grey literature and accounting for the period of publication from 1997 to 2021. The highest number of possible human cases at the national level was calculated from various data sources to generate a descriptive model of human cystic echinococcosis in Europe. We identified 64 745 human cystic echinococcosis cases from 40 European countries. The mean annual incidence from 1997 to 2020 throughout Europe was 0·64 cases per 100 000 people and in EU member states was 0·50 cases per 100 000 people. Based on incidence rates and trends detected in this study, the current epicentre of cystic echinococcosis in Europe is in the southeastern European countries, whereas historical endemic European Mediterranean countries have recorded a decrease in the number of cases over the time.

Mohammad Al-Awadhi, Suhail Ahmad, J. Iqbal

Vector-borne parasitic infectious diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality globally. Malaria is one of the most common vector-borne parasitic infection and is caused by five Plasmodium species, namely P. falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, P. malariae, and P. knowlesi. Epidemiologically, differences in the patterns of malaria cases, causative agent, disease severity, antimicrobial resistance, and mortality exist across diverse geographical regions. The world witnessed 229 million malaria cases which resulted in 409,000 deaths in 2019 alone. Although malaria cases are reported from 87 countries globally, Africa bears the brunt of these infections and deaths as nearly 94% of total malaria cases and deaths occur in this continent, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Most of the Middle East Region countries are malaria-free as no indigenous cases of infection have been described in recent years. However, imported cases of malaria continue to occur as some of these countries. Indeed, the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have large expatriate population originating from malaria endemic countries. In this review, the current status and epidemiology of malaria in the Middle East Region countries and other malaria-endemic countries that are home to a large migrant workforce being employed in Middle East Region countries are discussed.

Doina-Antonia Mercan, Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu, A. Grumezescu

Infectious diseases constitute an increasing threat to public health and medical systems worldwide. Particularly, the emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens has left the pharmaceutical arsenal unarmed to fight against such severe microbial infections. Thus, the context has called for a paradigm shift in managing bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections, leading to the collision of medicine with nanotechnology. As a result, renewed research interest has been noted in utilizing various nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles, aiming to overcome the limitations of current treatment options. In more detail, numerous studies have loaded natural and synthetic antimicrobial agents into different inorganic, lipid, and polymeric-based nanomaterials and tested them against clinically relevant pathogens. In this respect, this paper reviews the most recently reported successfully fabricated nanoformulations that demonstrated a great potential against bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites of interest for human medicine.

C. Cayrol

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is a member of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) family that is expressed in the nuclei of endothelial and epithelial cells of barrier tissues, among others. It functions as an alarm signal that is released upon tissue or cellular injury. IL-33 plays a central role in the initiation and amplification of type 2 innate immune responses and allergic inflammation by activating various target cells expressing its ST2 receptor, including mast cells and type 2 innate lymphoid cells. Depending on the tissue environment, IL-33 plays a wide variety of roles in parasitic and viral host defense, tissue repair and homeostasis. IL-33 has evolved a variety of sophisticated regulatory mechanisms to control its activity, including nuclear sequestration and proteolytic processing. It is involved in many diseases, including allergic, inflammatory and infectious diseases, and is a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of severe asthma. In this review, I will summarize the literature around this fascinating pleiotropic cytokine. In the first part, I will describe the basics of IL-33, from the discovery of interleukin-33 to its function, including its expression, release and signaling pathway. The second part will be devoted to the regulation of IL-33 protein leading to its activation or inactivation.

Zhenyu Wu, Lingling Wang, Jiaying Li et al.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are small membrane-surrounded structures released by different kinds of cells (normal, diseased, and transformed cells) in vivo and in vitro that contain large amounts of important substances (such as lipids, proteins, metabolites, DNA, RNA, and non-coding RNA (ncRNA), including miRNA, lncRNA, tRNA, rRNA, snoRNA, and scaRNA) in an evolutionarily conserved manner. EVs, including exosomes, play a role in the transmission of information, and substances between cells that is increasingly being recognized as important. In some infectious diseases such as parasitic diseases, EVs have emerged as a ubiquitous mechanism for mediating communication during host-parasite interactions. EVs can enable multiple modes to transfer virulence factors and effector molecules from parasites to hosts, thereby regulating host gene expression, and immune responses and, consequently, mediating the pathogenic process, which has made us rethink our understanding of the host-parasite interface. Thus, here, we review the present findings regarding EVs (especially exosomes) and recognize the role of EVs in host-parasite interactions. We hope that a better understanding of the mechanisms of parasite-derived EVs may provide new insights for further diagnostic biomarker, vaccine, and therapeutic development.

T. Atkinson, Mitchell F. Balish, K. Waites

Silvestor Ogwal , Edmand Bakashaba , Edirisa Ntale

Background The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between parent involvement and academic achievements of primary pupils in Kole North County, Kole District.  Methodology The study was a descriptive, correlational, and cross-sectional survey research design. Further, it was both quantitative and qualitative. The study used 32 head teachers of primary schools in Kole North County, Kole District as the respondents of this study. Results The findings revealed that 87% of the respondents were males and 13% of the respondents were females. Also, 59.4% of the respondents were aged 41-50 years, 28.1% of the respondents were aged 51-60 years and 12.5% of the respondents were aged 31- 40 years. The correlation between parents’ discussions with pupils and their academic performance in a secondary school within Kole North County was 0.843 with a sig value of 0.001. The correlation between parents’ attendance of school programs and completion of primary education by primary pupils was 0.411 with a sig. value of 0.018. This indicates a positive significant relationship between parents’ attendance of school programs and completion of primary education by primary pupils in North Kole County. Conclusions The education level of parents and parents’ involvement in providing scholastic materials and attending school programs contributes to the academic achievements of their children in Kole North County. Recommendations Parents should strive hard to provide school requirements in time to avoid sending students home as well as lack of scholastic materials. Parents should also do extra coaching of the children using a private tutor to help their children excel with better grades.

Tiziana Leone, Alison Gemmill, Laura Brown

Background While secular trends in high-income countries show an increase in the mean age at menopause, it is unclear if there is a similar pattern in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where women’s exposure to biological, environmental and lifestyle determinants of menopause may differ. Premature (before age 40 years) and early (ages 40–44 years) menopause could have negative repercussions on later life health outcomes which in ageing societies could mean further stress on low-resource health systems. An evaluation of such trends in LMICs has been hampered by the suitability, quality and comparability of data from these countries.Methods Using 302 standardised household surveys from 1986 to 2019, we estimate trends and CIs using bootstrapping in the prevalence of premature and early menopause in 76 LMICs. We also developed a summary measure of age at menopause for women who experience menopause before the age of 50 years based on demographic estimation methods that can be used to measure menopausal status in surveys with truncated data.Results Trends indicate an increasing prevalence of early and premature menopause in LMICs, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa and South/Southeast Asia. These regions also see a suggested decline of the mean age at menopause with greater variation across continents.Conclusions This study enables the analysis of menopause timing by exploiting data generally used for the study of fertility by methodologically allowing the use of truncated data. Findings show a clear increase in prevalence of premature and early menopause in the regions with the highest fertility with possible consequences for later life health. They also show a different trend compared with high-income regions, confirming a lack of generalisability and the importance of accounting for nutritional and health transitions at the local level. This study calls for further data and research on menopause on a global scale.

María Martin-Vicente, Hloni Mthiyane, María A Jiménez-Sousa et al.

Objectives: This study analyzed the association of TNFAIP3-interacting protein 1 (TNIP1) polymorphisms with the symptomatic human respiratory syncytial virus (HRSV) infection and bronchiolitis in infants. Methods: A case-control study was conducted involving 129 hospitalized infants with symptomatic HRSV infection (case group) and 161 healthy infants (control group) in South Africa (2016-2018). Six TNIP1 polymorphisms (rs869976, rs4958881, rs73272842, rs3792783, rs17728338, and rs999011) were genotyped. Genetic associations were evaluated using logistic regression adjusted by age and gender. Results: Both rs73272842 G and rs999011 C alleles were associated with reduced odds for symptomatic HRSV infection (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] = 0.68 [95% confidence interval {CI} = 0.48-0.96] and aOR = 0.36 [95% CI = 0.19-0.68], respectively] and bronchiolitis (aOR = 0.71 [95% CI = 0.50-1.00] and aOR = 0.38 [95% CI = 0.22-0.66], respectively). The significance of these associations was validated using the BCa Bootstrap method (P <0.05). The haplotype GC (composed of rs73272842 and rs999011) was associated with reduced odds of symptomatic HRSV infection (aOR = 0.53 [95% CI = 0.37-0.77]) and bronchiolitis (aOR = 0.62 [95% CI = 0.46-0.84]), which were validated by the BCa Bootstrap method (P = 0.002 for both). Conclusion: TNIP1 rs73272842 G allele and rs999011 C allele were associated with reduced odds of symptomatic HRSV infection and the development of bronchiolitis in infants, suggesting that TNIP1 polymorphisms could impact susceptibility to HRSV illness.

Binh Thang Tran, Minh Tu Nguyen, Minh Tam Nguyen et al.

Objectives We assessed the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression among adolescents living in families with separated or divorced parents in Hue City, Vietnam and identified factors associated with these conditions. Methods This cross-sectional study enrolled 309 adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, living in families with separated or divorced parents in Hue City, Vietnam. The depression anxiety stress scale-21 (DASS-21) was used to measure stress, anxiety, and depression. Predictors of overall and individual mental health problems were identified using ordered and binary logistic regression, respectively. Results The DASS-21 scale revealed a 49.2% prevalence of stress, while anxiety and depression had s prevalence rates of 61.5%. Among participants, 42.4% experienced all 3 mental health issues. Several factors were identified as significant predictors of mental health problems, including poor to average economic status (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.21–3.31; p=0.007); being in high school (aOR, 5.02; 95% CI, 2.93–8.60; p<0.001); maternal occupation of teacher, healthcare professional, or official (aOR, 2.39; 95% CI, 1.13–5.03; p=0.022); longer duration of family separation or divorce (aOR, 1.24; 95% CI, 1.05–1.45; p=0.009); living with one’s mother (aOR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.03–2.76; p=0.04); alcohol consumption (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 0.99–2.92; p=0.050); and being bullied (aOR, 5.33; 95% CI, 1.10–25.69; p=0.037). Most of these factors were associated with stress, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, smoking was associated with stress. Conclusion Adolescents with separated or divorced parents were at increased risk of stress, anxiety, and depression. The findings of this study provide important implications for prevention programs.

Anna-Clara Ivarsson, Elin Fransén, Ioanna Broumou et al.

Abstract Background Light microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) have long been the recommended diagnostic methods for malaria. However, in recent years, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) techniques have been shown to offer superior performance, in particular concerning low-grade parasitaemia, by delivering higher sensitivity and specificity with low laboratory capacity requirements in little more than an hour. In this study, the diagnostic performance of two LAMP kits were assessed head-to-head, compared to highly sensitive quantitative real time PCR (qPCR), in a non-endemic setting. Methods In this retrospective validation study two LAMP kits; Alethia® Illumigene Malaria kit and HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria Pan Detection (PDT) kit, were evaluated head-to-head for detection of Plasmodium-DNA in 133 biobanked blood samples from suspected malaria cases at the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory of Region Skåne, Sweden to determine their diagnostic performance compared to qPCR. Results Of the 133 samples tested, qPCR detected Plasmodium DNA in 41 samples (defined as true positives), and the two LAMP methods detected 41 and 37 of those, respectively. The results from the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit were in complete congruence with the qPCR, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 91.40–100%) and specificity of 100% (95% CI 96.07–100%). The Alethia® Illumigene Malaria kit had a sensitivity of 90.24% (95% CI 76.87–97.28) and a specificity of 95.65% (95% CI 89.24–98.80) as compared to qPCR. Conclusions This head-to-head comparison showed higher performance indicators of the HumaTurb Loopamp™ Malaria PDT kit compared to the Alethia® illumigene Malaria kit for detection of malaria.

Samantha Sayers, Li Li, Edison Ong et al.

Abstract Virulence factors (VFs) are molecules that allow microbial pathogens to overcome host defense mechanisms and cause disease in a host. It is critical to study VFs for better understanding microbial pathogenesis and host defense mechanisms. Victors (http://www.phidias.us/victors) is a novel, manually curated, web-based integrative knowledge base and analysis resource for VFs of pathogens that cause infectious diseases in human and animals. Currently, Victors contains 5296 VFs obtained via manual annotation from peer-reviewed publications, with 4648, 179, 105 and 364 VFs originating from 51 bacterial, 54 viral, 13 parasitic and 8 fungal species, respectively. Our data analysis identified many VF-specific patterns. Within the global VF pool, cytoplasmic proteins were more common, while adhesins were less common compared to findings on protective vaccine antigens. Many VFs showed homology with host proteins and the human proteins interacting with VFs represented the hubs of human–pathogen interactions. All Victors data are queriable with a user-friendly web interface. The VFs can also be searched by a customized BLAST sequence similarity searching program. These VFs and their interactions with the host are represented in a machine-readable Ontology of Host–Pathogen Interactions. Victors supports the ‘One Health’ research as a vital source of VFs in human and animal pathogens.