Prevalence of Intestinal Parasites Among the Patients Visiting Sub-Regional Hospital, Dadeldhura, Nepal

Intestinal parasitic infections caused by intestinal helminthes and protozoa are the most common human infections endemic throughout the world especially in tropical and subtropical countries including Nepal. This study was conducted to study the prevalence of intestinal parasites among patients visiting Sub-Regional Hospital, Dadeldhura, Nepal. Altogether 480 stool samples were collected from April 2017- October 2017. Microscopic examination of stool was done by using formal-ether concentration technique in the Microbiology Laboratory of Sub-Regional Hospital, Dadeldhura Nepal. The overall prevalence rate was found to be 10.625%. The prevalence of parasitic infection was higher in males (52.94%) than in females (47.06%). In the age group below 15 years, the prevalence was found to be higher (52.94 %) than other age groups. Total 6 species of intestinal parasites; 2 (33.33%) were protozoan parasites viz. cysts and trophozoites of Giardia lamblia, and cysts of Entamoeba histolytica, and 4 (66.67%) were helminths viz. ova of Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichuria, Hymenolepis nana, and Ancylostoma duodenale. The infection rate was found to be higher in people taking normal tap water. The study concluded that intestinal protozoan infection is still a public health problem of concern among the people of Dadeldhura. The prevalence of intestinal protozoan infection was found to be high in children and low educated groups in Dadeldhura. Thus, health education along with infection management actions and awareness programs for sanitation improvements are required to reduce protozoan infections.

Malaria

Malaria is a subtropical and tropical protozoan infection that accounts for nearly half a million deaths each year. Most deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and are caused by Plasmodium falciparum. The least studied of the five Plasmodia species that cause malaria, P. knowlesi, along with P. vivax cause life-threatening disease, mostly in Southeast Asia. Children, pregnant women, and non-immune travellers to endemic countries are most vulnerable to severe malaria. Cerebral malaria and anaemia are complications that results in neurological deficit and death if treatment is delayed or inappropriately administered. Rapid diagnostic tests have emerged as accurate and reliable means to diagnosing malaria at point-of-care.

Prevalence of Eimeria infection and risk factors associated with domestic chickens raised in Nsukka LGA, Enugu State, Southeast Nigeria

Eimeria infection has been considered the most important protozoan infection of the poultry industry in Nigeria because of its high incidence. A total of 400 faecal samples were collected from 10 farms in Nsukka LGA and analyzed using the Wisconsin’s faecal floatation technique. Data on the management practices of these farms were collected using a wellstructured questionnaire. Eimeria tenella was the only identified species. A total of 158 (39.5%) of the domestic chickens sampled were infected with the protozoan parasite. There was significant difference (p < 0.0001) of E. tenella between towns and between the studied farms. Of the 5 towns sampled, the prevalence was highest at Obukpa town 52 (65.0%) and in birds aged 7 weeks 20 (83.3%) and least at Edem 2 (2.5%) and in birds aged 32 weeks 2 (5.0%). The mean intensity of infection was highest at Obukpa (9.35 ± 9.24) and in birds aged 4weeks (11.50 ± 11.09) and least in Edem town and in birds aged 32 weeks. The difference in prevalence between birds of different ages was significant (p <0.0001). Majority of the farms practiced deep litter housing compared to battery cage users (90% vs. 10%). The most used vaccine was combination 7 (70%). Fifty percent of the farms employed the expertise of veterinary doctors in vaccine administration. Eimeria infection, the main cause of coccidiosis in chicken, has continued to be a major challenge in poultry production and management. Conclusively, the prevalence of Eimeria infection is moderately low as a result of the widespread use of vaccines and anticoccidials.

Fucose Ameliorates Tritrichomonas sp.-Associated Illness in Antibiotic-Treated Muc2−/− Mice

The mucus layer in the intestine plays a critical role in regulation of host–microbe interactions and maintaining homeostasis. Disruptions of the mucus layer due to genetic, environmental, or immune factors may lead to inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IBD frequently are accompanied with infections, and therefore are treated with antibiotics. Hence, it is important to evaluate risks of antibiotic treatment in individuals with vulnerable gut barrier and chronic inflammation. Mice with a knockout of the Muc2 gene, encoding the main glycoprotein component of the mucus, demonstrate a close contact of the microbes with the gut epithelium which leads to chronic inflammation resembling IBD. Here we demonstrate that the Muc2−/− mice harboring a gut protozoan infection Tritrichomonas sp. are susceptible to an antibiotic-induced depletion of the bacterial microbiota. Suppression of the protozoan infection with efficient metronidazole dosage or L-fucose administration resulted in amelioration of an illness observed in antibiotic-treated Muc2−/− mice. Fucose is a monosaccharide presented abundantly in gut glycoproteins, including Mucin2, and is known to be involved in host–microbe interactions, in particular in microbe adhesion. We suppose that further investigation of the role of fucose in protozoan adhesion to host cells may be of great value.

Prevalence and risk factors of intestinal protozoan infection among symptomatic and asymptomatic populations in rural and urban areas of southern Algeria

Background Intestinal parasitic infections are amongst the most common infections worldwide and have been identified as one of the most significant causes of morbidity and mortality among disadvantaged populations. This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the prevalence of intestinal protozoan infections and to identify the significant risk factors associated with intestinal parasitic infections in Laghouat province, Southern Algeria. Methods A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted, involving 623 symptomatic and 1654 asymptomatic subjects. Structured questionnaires were used to identify environmental, socio demographic and behavioral factors. Stool specimens were collected and examined using direct wet mount, formalin-ether concentration, xenic in vitro culture and staining methods. Results A highly significant difference of prevalence was found between symptomatic (82.3%) and asymptomatic subjects (14.9%), with the majority attributable to protozoan infection. The most common species in the symptomatic subjects were Blastocystis spp. (43.8%), E. histolytica/dispar (25.4%) and Giardia intestinalis (14.6%) and more rarely Enterobius vermicularis (02.1%), Teania spp. (0.6%) and Trichuris trichiura (0.2%), while in asymptomatic population Blastocystis spp. (8%), Entamoeba coli (3.3%) and Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (2.5%) were the most common parasites detected with no case of helminth infection. Multivariate log-linear analysis showed that contact with animals was the main risk factor for transmission of these protozoa in both populations. Furthermore, living in rural areas was significantly associated with combined protozoan infection in the asymptomatic population, whereas, in the symptomatic population an increasing trend of protozoan infection was detected in the hot season. In addition, Blastocystis spp. and G. intestinalis infection were found to be associated with host sex and contact with animals across the study period. Conclusions Based on these results, several strategies are recommended in order to effectively reduce these infections including good animal husbandry practices, health education focused on good personal hygiene practices and adequate sanitation.

Spatiotemporal epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis in the Republic of Ireland, 2008–2017: development of a space–time “cluster recurrence” index

Background Ireland frequently reports the highest annual Crude Incidence Rates (CIRs) of cryptosporidiosis in the EU, with national CIRs up to ten times the EU average. Accordingly, the current study sought to examine the spatiotemporal trends associated with this potentially severe protozoan infection. Methods Overall, 4509 cases of infection from January 2008 to December 2017 were geo-referenced to a Census Small Area (SA), with an ensemble of geo-statistical approaches including seasonal decomposition, Local Moran’s I, and space–time scanning used to elucidate spatiotemporal patterns of infection. Results One or more confirmed cases were notified in 3413 of 18,641 Census SAs (18.3%), with highest case numbers occurring in the 0–5-year range (n = 2672, 59.3%). Sporadic cases were more likely male (OR 1.4) and rural (OR 2.4), with outbreak-related cases more likely female (OR 1.4) and urban (OR 1.5). Altogether, 55 space–time clusters (≥ 10 confirmed cases) of sporadic infection were detected, with three “high recurrence” regions identified; no large urban conurbations were present within recurrent clusters. Conclusions Spatiotemporal analysis represents an important indicator of infection patterns, enabling targeted epidemiological intervention and surveillance. Presented results may also be used to further understand the sources, pathways, receptors, and thus mechanisms of cryptosporidiosis in Ireland.

Molecular Detection of Soil-Transmitted Helminths and Enteric Protozoa Infection in Children and Its Association with Household Water and Sanitation in Manhiça District, Southern Mozambique

Intestinal parasite infections can have detrimental health consequences in children. In Mozambique, soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections are controlled through mass drug administration since 2011, but no specific control program exists for enteric protozoa. This study evaluates STH and protozoan infections in children attending healthcare in Manhiça district, Southern Mozambique, and its association with water and sanitation conditions. We conducted a cross-sectional study in children between 2 and 10 years old in two health centers (n = 405). A stool sample and metadata were collected from each child. Samples were analyzed by multi-parallel real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). We fitted logistic regression-adjusted models to assess the association between STH or protozoan infection with household water and sanitation use. Nineteen percent were infected with at least one STH and 77.5% with at least one enteric protozoon. qPCR detected 18.8% of participants with intestinal polyparasitism. Protected or unprotected water well use showed a higher risk for at least one protozoan infection in children (OR: 2.59, CI: 1.01–6.65, p-value = 0.010; OR: 5.21, CI: 1.56–17.46, p-value = 0.010, respectively) compared to household piped water. A high proportion of children had enteric protozoan infections. Well consumable water displayed high risk for that.

Avoidance of Contaminated Food Correlates With Low Protozoan Infection in Bonobos

Intense selection pressure from parasites on free-living animals has resulted in behavioral adaptations that help potential hosts avoid sources of infection. In primates, such “behavioral immunity” is expressed in different contexts and may vary according to the ecology of the host, the nature of the infectious agent, and the individual itself. In this study, we investigated whether avoidance of contaminated food was associated with reduced parasite infection in sanctuary-housed bonobos. To do this, we used bonobos’ responses to soil- and fecally-contaminated food in behavioral experiments, and then compared the results with an estimate of protozoan infection across individuals. We found that avoidance of contaminated food correlated negatively with Balantioides coli infection, a potentially pathogenic protozoan transmitted through the fecal-oral route. The association between avoidance responses and parasitism were most evident in experiments in which subjects were offered a choice of food items falling along a gradient of fecal contamination. In the case of experiments with more limited options and a high degree of contamination, most subjects were averse to the presented food item and this may have mitigated any relationship between feeding decisions and infection. In experiments with low perceived levels of contamination, most subjects consumed previously contaminated food items, which may also have obscured such a relationship. The behavioral immunity observed may be a consequence of the direct effects of parasites (infection), reflecting the first scale of a landscape of disgust: individual responses. Indirect effects of parasites, such as modulation of feeding decisions and reduced social interactions—and their potential trade-offs with physiological immunity—are also discussed in light of individual fitness and primate evolution. This study builds on previous work by showing that avoidance behaviors may be effective in limiting exposure to a wide diversity of oro-fecally transmitted parasites.

An Efficient Image Classification of Malaria Parasite Using Convolutional Neural Network and ADAM Optimizer

Machine learning can be a technique of nursing lysis that automatically develops an analytical model. It is a branch of synthetic intelligence that believes that systems are going to learn information, determine patterns of information and decide with degraded human intervention. Machine learning addresses the question of how computers can be constructed that improve mechanically through knowledge. It lies at the intersection of technology and statistics and at the center of artificial data and information science, one in all the quickest increasing technical fields of nowadays. Recent advances in machine learning were driven by the event of latest learning and theories also as by the constant explosion. The event of latest learning algorithms and also theory and the in-progress growth within the accessibility of on-line information also as low-priced computation crystal rectifier to recent progress within the field of machine learning. Additional evidence-based decision-making could be carried out in science, technology and trade, including healthcare, production, education and monetary modelling, enforcement and promotion, with adoption of mechanical learning techniques based on data-intensive methods. The results are also available. The infection can be a life-threatening disease. The bite of a nursing partner is often transmitted in dipterous Anopheles. In infected mosquitoes, plasmodium parasite is a gift. The parasite is discharged into your blood after you bite this dipterous insect once it bites you. Once your body is composed of the parasites, they mature into the liver. The mature parasites enter the blood for several days when red blood cells start to infect. In red blood cells, parasites increase over 48-72 hours, causing infected cells to divide. The parasites still infect red blood cells, which last 2 to 3 days in cycles. This paper is used for observation of protozoan infection with a deep learning idea.