A trend prevalence of visceral Leishmaniasis in West Armachiho District, Amhara Region, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract Background Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) is a disease caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that affects animals and humans. An estimated 3.2 million people are at risk of VL, and 3700–7400 cases occur annually in Ethiopia. The highest numbers of VL cases have been previously reported from the North Western parts of the country, especially in West Armachiho District. The aim of this study was to determine the trend prevalence of VL at the study area. Methods Health center based retrospective data were collected to determine the trend prevalence of VL among patients who had blood examination from January 2010 to August 2015. The blood samples were collected by finger pricking and the infections were confirmed by using rK39 antibody test. Result Of the 9299 VL suspected cases, 1948 (21%) were positive for rK39 antibody test. Of these, 1757 (90.2%) were primary kala-azar cases, 167 (8.6%) were relapse and the remaining 24 (1.2%) were post kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis cases. Conclusions The prevalence of VL is still high in the study area. Therefore, early case detection, diagnosis, treatment, and timely analysis are essential.

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EXPANSION OF VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS IN THE STATE OF RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL: REPORT OF THE FIRST AUTOCHTHONOUS CASE IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF VOLTA REDONDA AND THE DIFFICULTY OF DIAGNOSIS

Revista do Instituto de Medicina Tropical de São Paulo ◽

10.1590/s0036-46652014000300015 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 56 (3) ◽

pp. 271-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Luiz Henrique Conde Sangenis ◽

Sebastião Roberto de Almeida Lima ◽

Cíntia Xavier de Mello ◽

Daniela Trindade Cardoso ◽

Jurema Nunes Mello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Symptom Onset ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Correct Diagnosis ◽

Great Difficulty ◽

The State ◽

Differential Diagnoses ◽

The North ◽

Kala Azar ◽

Epidemiological Changes

Visceral Leishmaniasis has been showing remarkable epidemiological changes in recent decades, with marked expansion and an emergence of cases in urban areas of the North, Southeast and Midwest regions of Brazil. The Kala-azar cases reported here, despite being very characteristic, presented a great difficulty of diagnosis, because the disease is not endemic in Volta Redonda. The child underwent two hospitalizations in different hospitals, but got the correct diagnosis only after 11 months of symptom onset. In this report we discuss the main differential diagnoses and call attention to the suspected symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis in patients with prolonged fever, hepatosplenomegaly and pancytopenia, even in areas not traditionally endemic for the disease.

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Investigation of Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Aborted Fetuses of Sheep Using PCR: A Study in North Khorasan Province, Iran

Veterinary Medicine International ◽

10.1155/2020/7913912 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2020 ◽

pp. 1-5

Author(s):

Mitra Salehi ◽

Hosein Nezami ◽

Hamid Reza Niazkar

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Gestational Age ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Abortion Rate ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Pcr Method ◽

Toxoplasma Gondii Infection ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that infects warm-blooded animals as well as humans worldwide. The purpose of this study was to delineate the prevalence of Toxoplasma infection in aborted fetuses of sheep in North Khorasan province, Iran. Three hundred and ninety-nine samples of the liver (133 samples), placenta (133 samples), and brain (133 samples) from 133 aborted fetuses of sheep were collected from 2015 to 2017. The ages of aborted fetuses were higher than 120 days’ gestational age in this study. According to the samples, sixteen out of 133 aborted fetuses of sheep were infected with T. gondii. Toxoplasma DNA was found in the placenta (68.75%) and liver (31.25%) samples of infected fetuses using the PCR method. The highest and lowest rates of Toxoplasma infection were observed during 2016 and 2017, respectively. Shirvan and Faruj provinces were recognized as the two most infected districts among others. There was a significant difference between the year and abortion rate in sheep due to infection by the Toxoplasma parasite (P<0.05). Furthermore, no significant difference between the prevalence of T. gondii infection and aborted fetuses was seen (P>0.05) in different areas. According to the present study, T. gondii infection can be one of the causes of fetus abortion of sheep in North Khorasan province, Iran.

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In Astrocytes the Accumulation of the Immunity-Related GTPases Irga6 and Irgb6 at the Vacuole ofToxoplasma gondiiIs Dependent on the Parasite Virulence

The Scientific World JOURNAL ◽

10.1155/2013/480231 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-10

Author(s):

Felix P. Lubitz ◽

Daniel Degrandi ◽

Klaus Pfeffer ◽

Anne K. Mausberg

Keyword(s):

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Virulent Strains ◽

Resistance System ◽

A Cell ◽

The Central Nervous System ◽

Low Levels ◽

The Individual ◽

Common Infection ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Toxoplasma gondiiis an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite responsible for a common infection of the central nervous system. Interferon (IFN)γis the key cytokine of host defence againstT. gondii. However,T. gondiistrains differ in virulence andT. gondiifactors determining virulence are still poorly understood. In astrocytes IFNγprimarily induces immunity-related GTPases (IRGs), providing a cell-autonomous resistance system. Here, we demonstrate that astrocytes prestimulated with IFNγinhibit the proliferation of various avirulent, but not virulent,T. gondiistrains. The two analyzed immunity-related GTPases Irga6 and Irgb6 accumulate at the PV only of avirulentT. gondiistrains, whereas in virulent strains this accumulation is only detectable at very low levels. Both IRG proteins could temporarily be found at the same PV, but did only partially colocalize. Coinfection of avirulent and virulent parasites confirmed that the accumulation of the two analyzed IRGs was a characteristic of the individual PV and not determined by the presence of other strains ofT. gondiiin the same host cell. Thus, in astrocytes the accumulation of Irga6 and Irgb6 significantly differs between avirulent and virulentT. gondiistrains correlating with the toxoplasmacidal properties suggesting a role for this process in parasite virulence.

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MODELING POST-KALA-AZAR DERMAL LEISHMANIASIS AS AN INFECTION RESERVOIR FOR VISCERAL LEISHMANIASIS

Revista de Matemática Teoría y Aplicaciones ◽

10.15517/rmta.v27i1.39973 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (1) ◽

pp. 221-239

Author(s):

ANDREA CALDERÓN ◽

RYAN LANDRITH ◽

NHAN LE ◽

ILEANA MUÑOZ ◽

CHRISTOPHER M. KRIBS

Keyword(s):

Visceral Leishmaniasis ◽

Leishmania Donovani ◽

Combined Treatment ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Bed Nets ◽

Kala Azar ◽

Complete Treatment ◽

The Relationship ◽

Incomplete Treatment ◽

Parasite Leishmania

Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) is a potentially fatal disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania donovani. This disease is a health problem for the very poor because it results in thousands of deaths and illnesses every year. Some countries, such as India and Bangladesh, have started programs to reduce the occurrences of VL by focusing on early diagnosis and complete treatment of VL. Post-Kala-azar Dermal Leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a cutaneous manifestation of Leishmaniasis that can occur following the incomplete treatment of VL. Diagnosis and treatment of PKDL are limited in affected regions, and PKDL has been identified as a possible reservoir for infection. This study develops a mathematical model of the relationship between the level of PKDL treatment and the incidences of VL during a given period. The results indicate a nearly linear relationship between PKDL treatment rates and the percent reduction of VL incidences. With the current treatments available and considering achievable levels of treatment, the model predicts that up to 20% of VL cases could be prevented by treating new PKDL cases. Hypothetical combined treatment initiatives including bed nets and insecticide spraying are also considered. Results suggest that the population of individuals with PKDL is certainly a significant factor in the transmission of L. donovani infection, with treatment of new cases particularly important.

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Seroprevalance of Canine Brucellosis and Toxoplasmosis in Female and Male Dogs and Relationship to Various Factors as Parity, Abortion and Pyometra

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.b-707 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Osman Ergene ◽

Bekir Celebi ◽

Ibrahim Kucukaslan

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Reproductive Parameters ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

North Cyprus ◽

Brucella Canis ◽

Late Abortion ◽

Canine Brucellosis ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

The objective of this study was to determine the seroprevalance of canine brucellosis and toxoplasmosis in female and male dogs and also determine the realtionship to various factors as parity, abortion and pyometra. Brucella canis is a disease of the reproductive tract that may cause late abortion, infertility and fail of conception with optimum insemination time in females and infection of the sexual organs in males. Toxoplasma gondii is an important obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which can affect all warm-blooded mammals and humans which may cause fatal diseases with severe problems, such as abortion. As a result, in this study B. canis was determined in low seroprevalence in some cases on the island (North Cyprus), T. gondii was determined as an important contagious parasite. Also reproductive parameters like parity, spaying, cyclicity could be important too and it was presented that extended evaluation of these factors is needed with further studies.

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The major 85-kD surface antigen of the mammalian form of Trypanosoma cruzi is encoded by a large heterogeneous family of simultaneously expressed genes.

Journal of Experimental Medicine ◽

10.1084/jem.172.2.589 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 172 (2) ◽

pp. 589-597 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

S Kahn ◽

W C Van Voorhis ◽

H Eisen

Keyword(s):

Trypanosoma Cruzi ◽

Gene Family ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Surface Antigens ◽

African Trypanosomes ◽

Antigenic Diversity ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

The Family ◽

Large Repertoire ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Trypanosoma cruzi is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite. The parasite mammalian stage surface antigens exhibit extensive antigenic diversity. We have characterized a family of T. cruzi genes that code for a polymorphic set of 85-kD surface antigens, the SA85-1 antigens. The family contains greater than 100 genes and pseudogenes, of which a minimum of nine are transcribed. The gene family is expressed in the mammalian stage only. A subset of the gene family is present in two telomere-linked copies in the genome. Telomere linkage of other expressed SA85-1 genes has not been demonstrated. We have shown that at least three members of the SA85-1 gene family encode antigens at the surface of the mammalian stage of the parasite. Interestingly, these three antigens are expressed on all the trypanosomes examined. This suggests that T. cruzi simultaneously expresses a large repertoire of similar, but diverse antigens at its surface. Thus, T. cruzi exhibits extensive antigenic diversity in a system unique from that of African trypanosomes, perhaps reflecting its intracellular niche.

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ROLES OF IFN-γ ON STAGE CONVERSION OF AN OBLIGATE INTRACELLULAR PROTOZOAN PARASITE, Toxoplasma Gondii

International Reviews of Immunology ◽

10.1080/08830180213279 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 21 (4-5) ◽

pp. 405-421 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

AKIHIKO YANO ◽

HYE-SEONG MUN ◽

MEI CHIN ◽

KAZUMI NOROSE ◽

KAZUYUKI HATA ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Toxoplasma Gondii ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Stage Conversion ◽

Ifn Γ ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

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Babesia divergens: A Drive to Survive

Pathogens ◽

10.3390/pathogens8030095 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Cheryl A Lobo ◽

Jeny R Cursino-Santos ◽

Manpreet Singh ◽

Marilis Rodriguez

Keyword(s):

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Blood Stream ◽

Survival Strategies ◽

Optimum Conditions ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Diverse Species ◽

Babesia Divergens ◽

Host Blood ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Babesia divergens is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite that causes zoonotic disease. Central to its pathogenesis is the ability of the parasite to invade host red blood cells of diverse species, and, once in the host blood stream, to manipulate the composition of its population to allow it to endure unfavorable conditions. Here we will review key in vitro studies relating to the survival strategies that B. divergens adopts during its intraerythrocytic development to persist and how proliferation is restored in the parasite population once optimum conditions return.

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ToxoplasmaRhoptries: Unique Secretory Organelles and Source of Promising Vaccine Proteins for Immunoprevention of Toxoplasmosis

Journal of Biomedicine and Biotechnology ◽

10.1155/2008/632424 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 2008 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Henryka Dlugonska

Keyword(s):

Neospora Caninum ◽

Parasitophorous Vacuole ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

Current Data ◽

Intracellular Killing ◽

Apicomplexan Parasites ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

Animal Pathogens ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Toxoplasma gondiiis an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite classified in the phylum Apicomplexa, which includes numerous notable human and animal pathogens (Plasmodiumspecies,Cryptosporidiumspecies,Neospora caninum, etc.). The invasive stages of apicomplexans are characterized by the presence of an apical complex composed of specialized cytoskeletal and secretory organelles, including rhoptries. Rhoptries, unique apical secretory organelles shared exclusively by all apicomplexan parasites, are known to be involved in an active parasite's penetration into the host cell associated with the biogenesis of specific intracellular compartment, parasitophorous vacuole in which the parasite multiplies intensively, avoiding intracellular killing. Due to the key biological role of rhoptries, rhoptry proteins have recently become vaccine candidates for the prevention of several parasitoses, toxoplasmosis among them. The article presents current data onT. gondiirhoptries biology and new approaches to the development of effective vaccines against toxoplasmosis using rhoptry antigens.

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Significance of Neospora caninum in cattle farming

Veterinarski glasnik ◽

10.2298/vetgl0604223i ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 60 (3-4) ◽

pp. 223-231

Author(s):

Tamara Ilic ◽

Sanda Dimitrijevic

Keyword(s):

Neospora Caninum ◽

Protozoan Parasite ◽

The United States ◽

Neonatal Deaths ◽

Obligate Intracellular ◽

The World ◽

Three Stages ◽

Almost All ◽

Cycle Covers ◽

Intracellular Protozoan Parasite

Neospora caninum is an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite which primarily causes diseases in dogs and cattle all over the world. It was first described in Norway in the mid-eighties in dogs, after which, until the present time, clinical neosporosis was proven in sheep, goats, deer, rhinoceroses, horses, and experimental rodents. Antibodies against N. caninum have been found also in the serum of water buffalo, red and gray foxes, coyotes, camels, and felines. Due to the similarity of this Coccidia with Toxoplasma gondi, the neosporosis was for a series of years incorrectly diagnozed as toxoplasmosis. Domestic canines, dogs, are the only real host for N. caninum. Its life cycle covers three stages of development: tachyzoites, tissue cysts and oocysts. Carnivores are infected by ingesting parts of infected tissue which contain tissue cysts with bradyzoites. The dominant pathway of transmission of this cause in cattle is transplacentary infection, but cattle can also be infected by ingestion of feed or water contaminated by sporulated oo-cysts of N. caninum. Bitches can be subclinical carriers of the parasite, when they pass on the cause transplacentarily, which results in more than one litter being born with the infection. Neosporosis today appears as the main cause of abortions and neonatal deaths in dairy cows and fattening cattle in almost all parts of the world, but with the highest incidence in the United States (US), New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Germany. The treatment of this disease has not been fully determined, but medicines used for the treatment of toxoplasmosis have yielded certain good results. There is no verified vaccine that would prevent undesired abortions in cattle. .

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