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Parasitologia
Special Issues
Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety
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Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety

A special issue of Parasitologia (ISSN 2673-6772).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 14129

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Hany Elsheikha

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Interests: host-parasite interaction; neuropathogens; therapeutics; public health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nearly 5 years ago, the Irish-born American parasitologist William Campbell was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine, alongside the Japanese microbiologist Ōmura Satoshi and the Chinese scientist Tu Youyou. The award was granted in recognition of their efforts in the discovery of antiparasitic compounds (avermectin, ivermectin, and artemisinin), which saved the lives of millions of people and various animal species worldwide. The contributions of parasitologists to the global society are expected to continue, particularly with the current technological advances, as well as the many emerging approaches that could potentially lead to innovations in parasitology research, which will ultimately benefit public health and food security. These two areas of research could not be more exciting for parasitologists, given the challenges we face to protect the public from the constant threat of parasitic diseases and to secure enough food for the growing human population. For these reasons, we would like to invite colleagues and peers to submit their seminal work (original research and reviews) for consideration for publication in Parasitologia. The theme of the first Special Issue focuses on the role of parasitology research in advancing public health and food security. We welcome submission of articles from authors from all geographic regions of the world.

Dr. Hany Elsheikha
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Parasitologia is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Foodborne parasite
  • Zoonosis
  • Pathogenesis
  • Parasite control
  • Antiparasitic drugs
  • Vector-borne infection

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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8 pages, 1585 KiB  
Article
An Epidemiological Survey of Malaria Infection in Espírito Santo State, Brazil, from 2007 to 2017
by Nayna Carvalho Oliveira, Lais Rosa Boscalha, Cinthia Emerich Toledo, Felipe Sarlo Pezzin, Bruno Costanza Cisari, Suellen Rodrigues Maran, Laís Rodrigues Diniz, Pedro Henrique Schultz Corcino Freitas, Adenilton Cruzeiro, Frederico Eutropio, Juliana Rodrigues Tovar Garbin, Marcela Segatto, Nilmar Silvio Moretti and Vinícius Santana Nunes
Parasitologia 2023, 3(3), 215-222; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia3030022 - 1 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1650
Abstract
Malaria is one of the most important neglected diseases in the world, and Brazil has the largest number of cases on the American continent. In Brazil, this disease is considered to be endemic in the Amazon region, although malaria lethality in extra-Amazonian regions [...] Read more.
Malaria is one of the most important neglected diseases in the world, and Brazil has the largest number of cases on the American continent. In Brazil, this disease is considered to be endemic in the Amazon region, although malaria lethality in extra-Amazonian regions is higher. Recently, it has been shown that malaria cases of autochthonous origin are not uncommon in the southeastern states. Among these states, Espírito Santo (ES) has the highest percentage of reported cases. This study aimed to describe the epidemiological profile and main factors that contribute to the incidence of malaria cases in this region, which corresponded to 4155 notifications in the 2007–2017 period based on data obtained from the Special Center for Epidemiological Surveillance of Espírito Santo. The most affected group was males aged around 40 years old, and most of the cases registered were of autochthonous origin. The number of malaria cases decreased during the period 2007–2017. Among the causative species, P. vivax was predominant, and it was followed by P. falciparum as the second most common species of all malaria cases. The main cities of ES presented high records of malaria disease, with high numbers of malaria cases in Santa Tereza, Domingos Martins, Alfredo Chaves, Santa Leopoldina, and Marechal Floriano. It is up to the local governments to advise the population about the epidemiological situation and to standardize medical care for individuals with suspected malaria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety)
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16 pages, 1485 KiB  
Article
Trypanosoma cruzi and Trypanosoma rangeli in Acre, Brazilian Amazonia: Coinfection and Notable Genetic Diversity in an Outbreak of Orally Acquired Acute Chagas Disease in a Forest Community, Wild Reservoirs, and Vectors
by José Gabriel Vergara-Meza, Andreia Fernandes Brilhante, Vera da Costa Valente, Evaristo Villalba-Alemán, Paola Andrea Ortiz, Sueli Cosmiro de Oliveira, Maxdelles Rodrigues Cavalcante, Genimar Rebouças Julião, Maria Carmelinda Gonçalves Pinto, Sebastiao Aldo Valente, Erney Plesmann Camargo and Marta Maria Geraldes Teixeira
Parasitologia 2022, 2(4), 350-365; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia2040029 - 2 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2643
Abstract
Acute Chagas disease (ACD) caused by Trypanosoma cruzi has emerged as a major food-borne disease in Brazilian Amazonia. For the first time, we characterized an outbreak of orally acquired ACD in Acre, in the forest community of Seringal Miraflores, affecting 13 individuals who [...] Read more.
Acute Chagas disease (ACD) caused by Trypanosoma cruzi has emerged as a major food-borne disease in Brazilian Amazonia. For the first time, we characterized an outbreak of orally acquired ACD in Acre, in the forest community of Seringal Miraflores, affecting 13 individuals who shared the pulp of açai palm berries: 11 adults and two children (one newborn), all diagnosed by thick-drop blood smears. The fluorescent fragment length barcoding method, which simultaneously identifies species/genotypes of trypanosomes in blood samples, uncovered an unprecedented genetic diversity in patients from a single outbreak of ACD: T. cruzi TcI in all patients, mostly concomitantly with the non-pathogenic Trypanosoma rangeli of genotypes TrA or TrB, and TcI, TcIV, and TrB in the child. The patients presented persistent fever, asthenia, myalgia, edema of the face and lower limbs, hepatosplenomegaly and, rarely, cardiac arrhythmia. The clinical symptoms were not correlated to gender, age, or to trypanosome species and genotypes. The inferred SSU rRNA phylogenetic analyses of trypanosomes from humans, triatomines and sylvatic hosts included the first sequences of T. cruzi and T. rangeli from humans in southwestern (Acre and Rondônia) Amazonia, and the first TcI/TcIV sequences from Rhodnius spp. from Acre. The sylvatic transmission cycles of genetically different trypanosomes in landscapes changed by deforestation for human settlements and increasing açai production is a novel scenario favoring trypanosome transmission to humans in Acre. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety)
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12 pages, 892 KiB  
Article
Taenia multiceps in Northern Tanzania: An Important but Preventable Disease Problem in Pastoral and Agropastoral Farming Systems
by Tito Kibona, Joram Buza, Gabriel Shirima, Felix Lankester, Jahashi Nzalawahe, Abdul-Hamid Lukambagire, Katharina Kreppel, Ellen Hughes, Kathryn J. Allan and Sarah Cleaveland
Parasitologia 2022, 2(3), 237-248; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia2030020 - 26 Aug 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2578
Abstract
Coenurosis due to Taenia multiceps has emerged as a major concern to small ruminant-owning communities in northern Tanzania. Although a high incidence of disease has been reported, gaps still remain in our knowledge of the disease problem across different agro-ecological settings. The study [...] Read more.
Coenurosis due to Taenia multiceps has emerged as a major concern to small ruminant-owning communities in northern Tanzania. Although a high incidence of disease has been reported, gaps still remain in our knowledge of the disease problem across different agro-ecological settings. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of coenurosis in small ruminants and taeniid infection in dogs and identify risk factors for infection. Questionnaire surveys, postmortem examination of small ruminants, and coproscopic examination of dog faeces were used to collect data on reported coenurosis cases and taeniid infections, respectively. The twelve-month period prevalence of coenurosis in small ruminants was 8.4% (95% CI 8.2–8.6). The prevalence of taeniid infection in dogs was 12.5% (95% CI 9.1–17.4). The village-level prevalence of coenurosis in sheep and goats was significantly correlated with taeniid infection prevalence in dogs (r = 0.51, p = 0.029). Multivariable analysis indicated that home slaughter was significantly associated with the livestock owner-reported neurological syndrome due to coenurosis in sheep and goats (OR = 13.3, 95% CI 4.2–42.0, p < 0.001) and the practice of offering discarded brains to dogs was significantly associated with taeniid infection prevalence in dogs (OR = 2.80, 95% CI 0.98–7.98, p = 0.05). Coenurosis is a major disease problem in livestock-keeping communities of northern Tanzania, but there is little awareness of transmission risks associated with home slaughter and dog feeding practices. There is a need for veterinary and animal health services to engage more actively with communities to increase awareness of the transmission cycle of T. multiceps and the preventive measures that can be taken to reduce the impact of disease in livestock-dependent communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety)
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Review

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31 pages, 6650 KiB  
Review
Diagnosis and Management of Acanthamoeba Keratitis: A Continental Approach
by Maxime Bouten and Hany M. Elsheikha
Parasitologia 2022, 2(3), 167-197; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia2030016 - 4 Jul 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5650
Abstract
Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a potentially blinding infection caused by protozoa found worldwide. The topical application of biguanides and diamidines is the most common anti-amoebic treatment for AK. In this study, we hypothesized that geographical location and socioeconomic status influence the management and [...] Read more.
Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) is a potentially blinding infection caused by protozoa found worldwide. The topical application of biguanides and diamidines is the most common anti-amoebic treatment for AK. In this study, we hypothesized that geographical location and socioeconomic status influence the management and treatment of AK. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed case reports and series of Acanthamoeba eye infections from different geographic regions to evaluate the association between diagnosis, treatment, and outcome worldwide. This study looked specifically at case reports of patients with diagnosed AK using bibliographic databases such as PubMed, BioMed Central, and Google Scholar, which were searched between 30 April 1990 and 1 May 2022. The search identified 38 eligible studies that provided data for 60 clinical cases of AK. The results indicated that current standard treatments are effective if the infection is identified early and that delays can lead to clinical symptoms, including permanent visual opacities. There was evidence suggesting an association between the treatment regimen practiced in certain geographic regions and treatment outcome. Patient access to medical facilities and economic background also had an influence on the treatment and outcome of AK. Further analysis of more case reports can expand our understanding of the influence of specific demographic and individual patient characteristics on the effectiveness and accessibility of AK medicines. Additionally, using a living systematic review approach to incorporate emerging evidence will reveal the relative merits of different treatment regimens for AK and outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Parasitology for Public Health and Food Safety)
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