filaria

INTRODUCTION: Mouse models of human filarial infections are not only urgently needed to investigate the biology of the nematodes and their modulation of the host's immunity, but will also provide a platform to screen and test novel anti-filarial drugs. Recently, murine Loa loa infection models have been stablished using immunocompromised mouse strains, whereas murine Mansonella perstans infections have not been implemented until now. METHODS: Therefore, we aim to establish experimental M...

BACKGROUND OBJECTIVES: Annual mass drug administration (MDA) is the main strategy to interrupt the transmission of lymphatic filariasis (LF) in the community. The main aim of monitoring the MDA program, for its effectiveness and interruption of LF is the post-MDA surveillance using antigen survey in children born after MDA. The latest technique of new research suggests that xenomonitoring is an effective tool for monitoring LF intervention. The objective of this study was to assess the W...

Dirofilaria immitis is a mosquito-borne nematode-causing canine heartworm disease, with adult worms localized in the pulmonary arteries and right heart. In rare cases, ectopic migration might occur, and adults and blood circulating microfilariae can be found in unusual organs or fluids (e.g., eyes, abdominal cavity, bone marrow, and urine). A 17-year-old mixed-breed female dog was presented in a private veterinary clinic in Italy for hematuria and dysuria. Physical examination showed cardiac mitral murmur with marked respiratory distress and cyanotic mucous membranes after handling...

Lungworm infection, or verminous pneumonia, is a parasitic disease that causes serious problems in small and large ruminants. Despite the fact that nematodes of the genus Dictyocaulus in cattle and sheep are the main cause of this disease, there are few studies on the natural infections of South American camelids. For this reason, this study aims to report the natural infection by Dictyocaulus filaria in vicunas (Vicugna vicugna) for the first time. During a shearing season (chaku) in Cuzco, Peru, two accidentally killed adult vicunas were submitted to the IVITA-Marangani research center in Cuzco for their respective necropsies...

Among small ruminants, lungworms are important parasitic nematodes that infect the lower respiratory tract and are implicated in a high mortality and morbidity rate. However, the magnitude and its determinants of lungworm infection in the study districts are not known. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of lungworm infection and assess associated risk factors in selected districts, Wolaita Zone, southern Ethiopia. A total of 742 fecal samples collected from 443 sheep and 299 goats were examined, using modified Baermann techniques, to recover first-stage larvae from fecal samples...

Filariasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by roundworms, is a significant public health concern in many tropical countries. Microscopic examination of blood samples can detect and differentiate parasite species, but it is time consuming and requires expert microscopists, a resource that is not always available. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in the diagnosis of this disease by automatically detecting and differentiating microfilariae. In line with the target product profile for lymphatic filariasis as defined by the World Health Organization, we developed an edge AI system running on a smartphone whose camera is aligned with the ocular of an optical microscope that detects and differentiates filarias species in real time without the internet connection...

Canine filariosis is caused by filiform nematodes and affects several species of animals as well as humans. The disease produces a wide range of symptoms that can often be confused with other diseases, which increases the complexity of its diagnosis. The search for methodologies to facilitate its diagnosis is a challenge, and specific and differential identification of the parasite species causing the disease holds key to a successful diagnosis. In Colombia, there is a problem of underdiagnosis of filariosis in microfilaremic dogs infected by Dirofilaria immitis and Acanthocheilonema reconditum , and of microfilaremias not related to heartworm disease...

To unravel the heterogeneity and molecular signature of effector memory Th2 cells (Tem2), we analyzed 23 individuals' PBMCs of filaria-infected (Filaria+) and 24 healthy volunteers (Filaria-), with or without coincident house dust mite (HDM) allergic sensitization. Flow cytometry revealed 3 CD4+ Tem subsets - CCR4+CCR6+CRTH2- Tem17, CCR4+CCR6-CRTH2+ Tem2, and CCR6+CCR4+CRTH2+ Tem17.2 - markedly enriched in Filaria+ individuals. These subsets were sorted and analyzed by multiomic single-cell RNA immunoprofiling...

Six new dimeric 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones (1-6) were successfully isolated from the ethanol extract of agarwood of Aquilaria filaria from Philippines under HPLC-MS guidance. Compounds 1-6 are all dimers formed by linking 5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone and flindersia 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone via a single ether bond, and the linkage site (C5-O-C8'') of compound 2 is extremely rare. A variety of spectroscopic methods were used to ascertain their structures, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis, HRESIMS, and comparison with literature...

During bacterial and viral pathogen investigation of 30 specimens of bats captured in periurban forest areas in the city of Belém, Pará, Brazil, a case of cerebral filariasis was observed. In the course of histopathological examination, adult filariae were found in pseudocystic cavities brain of Molossus barnesi (Molossidae) and classified morphologically as Litomosoides by the shape of the spicules-left spicule with a handle longer than the blade; right spicule curved, with a sclerotized heel supporting a dorsal notch; the area rugosa constituted by a ventral band of small longitudinal crests; tail rounded in males; long esophagus with a slightly glandular distal portion; and a muscular bent vagina...

Following the successful eradication of Wuchereria bancrofti , there are now just three species of conventional microfilaremic human filarial parasites endemic to the Brazilian Amazon region: Mansonella ozzardi , Mansonella perstans and Onchocerca volvulus. The zoonotic filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis is also found in the Amazon region as are several sylvatic filarial parasites, some of which have been recorded causing zoonoses and some of which have never been recorded outside the region. Onchocerca volvulus is only found in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus in the Brazilian state of Roraima where it affects the people of the Yanomami tribe living around the densely forested Venezuela border region...

Dirofilaria immitis is the causative agent for one of the major parasitic infections in dogs. It is currently not possible to reliably diagnose the infection before the development of fertile adult female worms and the presence of microfilariae which takes six to 7 months. However, at this point adult worms already reside in the pulmonary arteries and can cause significant damage. Novel in vivo models may facilitate the development of new diagnostic tools and improve treatment options for both the early and late stages of D...

The genus Mansonella Faust, 1929 includes 29 species, mainly parasites of platyrrhine monkeys in South America and anthropoid apes in Africa. In Malaysia, Mansonella ( Tupainema ) dunni (Mullin & Orihel, 1972) was described from the common treeshrew Tupaia glis Diard & Duvaucel (Scandentia). In a recent classification of the genus Mansonella , seven subgenera were proposed, with M . ( Tup .) dunni as a monotypic species in the subgenus Tupainema . In this study, we collected new material of M . ( Tup ...

BACKGROUND: Camel filariasis induced variable clinical syndromes characterized by fever, lethargy, localized dermal lesions, loss of condition, and testicular and scrotal swelling. The objective of the present work focused on clarifying the diagnostic importance of clinical findings, serum testosterone, and semen analysis as well as blood smear and testicular histopathology as a differential tool between only balanoposthitis without filariasis male camels group (OnlyBpgr ) and balanoposthitis-filariasis infected male camels group (BpFlgr )...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine the key mental health indicators affecting people affected by lymphatic filariasis (LF) lymphoedema by assessing the prevalence of depressive symptoms and quality of life (QOL), identifying associated sociodemographic and clinical risk factors, and evaluating the impact of an enhanced self-care intervention for lymphoedema management. METHODS: A prospective cohort study of adults with filarial lymphoedema from two regions of Malawi was conducted over six months in 2021...

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization (WHO) validated Thailand in 2017 as having eliminated lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem with recommendations for continued surveillance. This article describes measures and progress made in Thailand with post-validation surveillance (PVS) of LF from 2018 until 2022. METHODS: The implementation unit (IU) is a sub-village in 11 former LF endemic provinces. Human blood surveys are targeted in 10% of IUs each year...

BACKGROUND: The Global Program to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis is the largest public health program based on mass drug administration (MDA). Despite decades of MDA, ongoing transmission in some countries remains a challenge. To optimize interventions, it is essential to differentiate between recrudescence (poor drug response and persistent infection) and new infections (ongoing transmission). Since adult filariae are inaccessible in humans, an approach that relies on genotyping the offspring microfilariae (mf) is required...

BACKGROUND: Dirofilarioses are widespread diseases caused by mosquito-borne nematodes of the family Onchocercidae, genus Dirofilaria. The major etiologic agent of canine dirofilariosis in the American continent is the zoonotic parasite Dirofilaria immitis. Existing reports of filarioid nematodes in Cuba are based solely on morphological and immunological analysis which do not allow unambiguous identification and/or direct detection of causal agents. RESULTS: Here we present the molecular characterization of filarioid nematodes found in a dog in Cuba...

BACKGROUND: Co-endemicity of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) necessitates that these diseases should be considered concomitantly to understand the relationship between pathology and to support disease management and control programs. The aims of the study were to assess the prevalence of filarial infection in asymptomatic Leishmania donovani infected individuals and the correlation of Wuchereria bancrofti infection with progression to clinical visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in Bihar, India...

Based on light microscopical and scanning electron microscopical (SEM) examinations, two North American species of Spinitectus Fourment, 1884, S. acipenseri Choudhury & Dick, 1992 and S. micracanthus Christian, 1972 (Nematoda, Cystidicolidae) are redescribed from museum voucher specimens (S. acipenseri) and those newly collected from centrarchid and some other fishes in the Upper San Marcos River in Texas and the Santee River in South Carolina, USA. The first use of SEM to study S. acipenseri, a parasite of lake sturgeon Acipenser fulvescens Rafinesque (Acipenseridae) in Canada, made it possible to describe dorsal and ventral lips, amphids and sublabia, and the presence of a dorsal barb on the right spicule, which was confirmed to be the most characteristic feature of this species...