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Africa
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The Challenge of Parasite Control
Published in Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin, Parasitology, 2023
Eric S. Loker, Bruce V. Hofkin
In more developed parts of the world, strategies used to reduce contact between parasites and their human hosts have essentially eliminated many parasitic diseases. Mosquito control, for instance, has lifted the scourge of malaria in Europe and North America. Adequate sanitation in tandem with clean food and water supplies has made food and waterborne disease uncommon. Yet in less developed regions, poor infrastructure, a lack of will on the part of governments and extreme poverty often collude to make even basic sanitation nothing more than a distant dream (Figure 9.1). Additionally, although certain diseases such as malaria attract considerable attention and research funding, many parasitic diseases tend to receive relatively low priority in the public health community. Many of these diseases, often collectively called neglected tropical diseases (Table 9.1), are at least in theory preventable, if only the underlying socioeconomic factors could be appropriately addressed.
Infections and Their Mimics in Returning Travelers in the Critical Care Unit
Published in Cheston B. Cunha, Burke A. Cunha, Infectious Diseases and Antimicrobial Stewardship in Critical Care Medicine, 2020
Elise Kochoumian, Jonathon Moore, Bushra Mina, Kevin Cahill
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries. This group of diseases largely affects low-income and politically marginalized people living in rural and urban areas, predominantly in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Populations mostly at risk are living in poverty, without adequate sanitation, and in close contact with infectious vectors: domestic animals and livestock. Among the 17 NTDs are trachoma, leprosy, dengue, rabies, Chagas, and schistosomiasis. More than 1 billion people were treated for at least one NTD in 2015 [4]. The Global Burden of Disease Study concluded that NTDs comprehensively contributed to approximately 26.06 million disability-adjusted life years in 2010, as well as significant deleterious economic effects [5].
Chemical Hybridization Approaches Applied to Natural and Synthetic Compounds for the Discovery of Drugs Active Against Neglected Tropical Diseases
Published in Venkatesan Jayaprakash, Daniele Castagnolo, Yusuf Özkay, Medicinal Chemistry of Neglected and Tropical Diseases, 2019
Elena Petricci, Paolo Governa, Fabrizio Manetti
In particular, we have taken into account the list of neglected tropical diseases (defined as “a diverse group of communicable diseases that prevail in tropical and subtropical conditions in 149 countries”) reported by WHO (World Health Organization, Neglected Tropical Diseases 2018b). For each of them, the WHO web site reports a link to the PubMed references that cited the specific disease. Next, citations for each disease were pruned by keeping only those that deal with hybrid compounds. The resulting publications are reviewed here. A very recent survey on hybrid compounds designed against leishmaniasis and Chagas disease has been reported (Cardona-Galeano et al. 2018). However, several additional examples were found in the literature and described here.
Emerging compounds and therapeutic strategies to treat infections from Trypanosoma brucei: an overhaul of the last 5-years patents
Published in Expert Opinion on Therapeutic Patents, 2023
Francesco Melfi, Simone Carradori, Cristina Campestre, Entela Haloci, Alessandra Ammazzalorso, Rossella Grande, Ilaria D’Agostino
Neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) are a group of 20 diverse conditions that are mainly prevalent in tropical areas, where they mostly affect impoverished communities characterized by very precarious hygienic conditions. In fact, studies suggest that the epidemiology of NTDs is often related to environmental conditions. Many NTDs are vector-borne diseases, have animal reservoirs, and are associated with multi-stage life cycles. All these factors make their public health control very challenging. Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT), also known as the sleeping sickness, is caused by microscopic parasites of the species Trypanosoma brucei. It is transmitted by the tsetse fly (Glossina species), found only in sub-Saharan Africa. Two different subspecies of the parasite cause distinct disease patterns in humans: T. brucei gambiense (Tbg) establishes the slowly progressing African trypanosomiasis in western and central Africa, while T. brucei rhodesiense (Tbr) induces the more acute African trypanosomiasis in eastern and southern Africa [1].
Deciphering the enzymatic target of a new family of antischistosomal agents bearing a quinazoline scaffold using complementary computational tools
Published in Journal of Enzyme Inhibition and Medicinal Chemistry, 2020
Victor Sebastian-Perez, Alfonso García-Rubia, Sayed H. Seif el-Din, Abdel-Nasser A. Sabra, Naglaa M. El-Lakkany, Samia William, Tom L. Blundell, Louis Maes, Ana Martinez, Nuria E. Campillo, Sanaa S. Botros, Carmen Gil
Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infectious disease caused by a trematode belonging to Schistosoma spp. Transmission occurs through contact with freshwater that is contaminated with larval forms (furcocercariae). Once in the human body, the larvae become adults in the blood vessels where the females release eggs. Part of the eggs is passed in the faeces or urine to continue the parasite’s life cycle by contaminating water while most become trapped in body tissues causing immune-inflammatory responses and progressive damage to organs1. This neglected tropical disease is endemic in a number of tropical and subtropical countries representing a serious health problem especially in poor communities. The disease has recently also reached Europe, demonstrating the possibility to emerge in new geographical areas previously unknown related to migration movements and parasite genetic variants2.
How can monoclonal antibodies be harnessed against neglected tropical diseases and other infectious diseases?
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery, 2019
For millions of years, viruses, bacteria, parasites, and natural toxins have represented a daily threat and disease burden for humankind. Although many diseases caused by these pathogens are now under control, particularly due to improved hygiene, effective vaccination programs, and the development of antibiotics, many diseases remain untreatable or have reemerged as a result of the development of resistance towards therapy [1,2]. Some of these diseases are infectious diseases, whereas others are non-communicable. A special cross-category of diseases are the ‘neglected tropical diseases’, which are tropical diseases (most of them infectious) that mostly affect impoverished communities having little political voice, and thus perpetuate poverty and vulnerability. In general, these diseases have received little attention from health authorities, research agendas, and the pharmaceutical industry. The World Health Organization currently lists 20 diseases as category A neglected tropical diseases that are of the highest importance. These include viral, bacterial, parasitic diseases, and snakebite envenoming (Table 1) [3]. These and other infectious diseases are caused by foreign agents, and antibody-based therapies may, therefore, present many benefits to their prevention or cure, as antibodies are inherently evolved to fight off foreign threats.