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An Introduction to Parasitism
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
Given how widespread the parasitic lifestyle is, a theme developed further in Chapter 2, it is not surprising that many different kinds of parasites inhabit our world. Some such as the Varroa mite mentioned in Box 1.2, or the human body louse Pediculus humanus humanus, live on the external surface of their hosts and are referred to as ectoparasites. They are said to cause infestations. In contrast, endoparasites, such as the adult tapeworm Taenia solium or the trematode Schistosoma mansoni shown above, live inside their host’s body and are said to cause infections. As if to defy attempts at categorization, a female of the cod worm Lernaeocera branchialis attaches firmly to the gills of marine fish like codfish, leaving most of her body (including coiled egg strings) hanging off the external surface of the gills (Figure 1.6). From the anterior end of this highly modified crustacean though, a long projection extends deep into the fish and taps blood from the fish’s circulatory system. Is it an ecto-or endoparasite? Several other similar examples could be noted.
Health Protection and Global Approach to Neglected Communicable Diseases
Published in Vincent La Placa, Julia Morgan, Social Science Perspectives on Global Public Health, 2023
Maria Jacirema Ferreira Gonçalves, Anny Beatriz Costa Antony de Andrade, Amanda Rodrigues Amorim Adegboye
There is no international consensus definition for NCDs. Overall, NCDs are a group of infectious diseases, including 17 parasitic, bacterial, and viral infections that predominantly affect the poorest and most vulnerable populations, and contribute to the poverty cycle, social exclusion, and inequalities. This is because this group of diseases has a major impact on maternal and child health, productivity, and generates stigma (WHO, 2009). The World Health Organization classifies the following diseases and disease groups as NCDs: Buruli ulcer; Chagas disease (American trypanosomiasis); dengue and severe dengue; Dracunculiasis (Guinea-Worm disease); Echinococcosis; foodborne trematode infections; human African trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness); leishmaniasis; leprosy; lymphatic filariasis; mycetoma, chromoblastomycosis, and other deep mycoses; onchocerciasis (river blindness); rabies; scabies and other ectoparasite; schistosomiasis; soil-transmitted helminth infections; snakebite envenoming; taeniasis/cysticercosis; trachoma; vector-borne diseases, yaws, and Endemic Treponematoses (WHO, 2020b). Beyond these NCDs, the PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases also consider the relevance of co-infections between NCDs and HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Tuberculosis (TB), and the nutritional links underlying neglected diseases (Hotez, 2017). The seven most common NCDs include three helminth infections: Ascariasis, Hookworm, Trichuriasis, Schistosomiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Onchocerciasis, and Trachoma. Mortality from these diseases is relatively low. However, morbidity is extremely high.
Infectious Skin Diseases
Published in Aimilios Lallas, Zoe Apalla, Elizabeth Lazaridou, Dimitrios Ioannides, Theodosia Gkentsidi, Christina Fotiadou, Theocharis-Nektarios Kirtsios, Eirini Kyrmanidou, Konstantinos Lallas, Chryssoula Papageorgiou, Dermatoscopy A–Z, 2019
Aimilios Lallas, Zoe Apalla, Elizabeth Lazaridou, Dimitrios Ioannides, Theodosia Gkentsidi, Christina Fotiadou, Theocharis-Nektarios Kirtsios, Eirini Kyrmanidou, Konstantinos Lallas, Chryssoula Papageorgiou
The female lice, 1–2 days after fertilization, deliver eggs (nits), which fix to the hair shafts, near the proximal end, within 1–2 mm of the scalp. At this site, the increased temperature is optimal for incubation. Sites of predilection are the temporal and occipital area of the scalp. Each mature louse lays about 7–10 eggs (nits) per day. After 6–10 days, nymphs (immature lice) hatch from the nits, and after 9–12 days, they become mature and live as adults for about 1–3 months. The parasite is white to gray in color, 1–3 mm in length, and has three pairs of clawed legs. As an ectoparasite, whose only hosts are humans, the adult louse survives only 24–48 hours away from the human body.
Vaccinomics: a future avenue for vaccine development against emerging pathogens
Published in Expert Review of Vaccines, 2021
José de la Fuente, Marinela Contreras
Advances in vaccinomics and adversomics have provided new platforms to accelerate vaccine development, something well illustrated by vaccines registered for the control of COVID-19 [79,80]. However, major challenges discussed here need to be addressed in developing new effective and safe vaccines for the control of diseases caused by emerging pathogens. One of these challenges is the characterization of host-vector-pathogen interactions, which is relevant for advancing the development of vaccines combining protective antigens for the control of ectoparasite vector infestations and multiple pathogens with an impact on human and animal health worldwide [30,77,95]. The advances in vaccinomics include the generation of multiple omics datasets including recent advances in completing sequence of human genome [96] and data integration and analysis for the identification of candidate protective antigens [30].
In vitro and ex vivo biofilms of dermatophytes: a new panorama for the study of antifungal drugs
Published in Biofouling, 2020
Débora de Souza Collares Maia Castelo-Branco, Lara de Aguiar, Géssica dos Santos Araújo, Raissa Geovanna Pereira Lopes, Jamile de Alencar Sales, Waldemiro Aquino Pereira-Neto, Adriana de Queiroz Pinheiro, Germana Costa Paixão, Rossana de Aguiar Cordeiro, José Júlio Costa Sidrim, Raimunda Sâmia Nogueira Brilhante, Marcos Fábio Gadelha Rocha
Ex vivo assays were performed on Persian cat hair, which was obtained from an 11-month-old healthy ectoparasite-free animal with no clinical signs of skin infections. The material was collected with the permission of the owner, and the hair was cut painlessly, close to the skin with the use of scissors. The hair was properly packaged and taken to the Specialized Medical Mycology Center. In order to ensure the preservation of the natural characteristics of cat hair, it was not washed and it was autoclaved only once. For this, hair samples were cut to 0.5cm lengths, separated into aliquots weighing 0.0015g and separately autoclaved at 121°C, for 15min, seven days before use in the ex vivo model. Hair sterility was assured by seeding a small amount of each aliquot in brain-heart infusion broth (BHI; Himedia, Mumbai, India), for up to 72h, before performing the ex vivo assays (Brilhante et al. 2019). Then, these samples were discarded and the remaining hair was used in the assays, if no microbial growth was observed.
Pursuit of proteomic excellence and the excitement in Košice, Slovakia, at the 11th Central and Eastern European Proteomic Conference (CEEPC)
Published in Expert Review of Proteomics, 2018
Suresh Gadher, Mangesh Bhide, Hana Kovarova
Gustavo Makert (Clinic for Birds and Reptiles, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Department of Immunology, Vaccine Technologies Unit, Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany) presented an interesting talk on vaccine development for the control of the ectoparasite Dermanyssus gallinae: a potential vector of pathogenic agents. Dermanyssus gallinae causes devastation in poultry farming worldwide and several strategies to control this parasite have failed. Gustavo discussed a solution where mite protein extracts could be used to immunize hens with two different adjuvants followed by IgY isolation from eggs to test for mite mortality in an in vitro feeding assay. Complete protein sequences can then be deduced from genomic and transcriptomic assemblies derived from high-throughput sequencing of total DNA and RNA. The results showed that such a strategy could help develop a vaccine against Dermanyssus gallinae.