Browsing by Keyword "Helminths"
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Publication Prevalence and public health relevance of enteric parasites in domestic dogs and cats in the region of Madrid (Spain) with an emphasis on Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp(Wiley, 2023-09-19) Mateo, Marta; Montoya, Ana; Bailo-Barroso, Begoña; Köster, Pamela Carolina; Dashti, Alejandro; Hernández-Castro, Carolina; Saugar, Jose Maria; Matas, Pablo; Xiao, Lihua; Carmena, David; Instituto de Salud Carlos III; Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España); Fundación Universidad Alfonso X el SabioBackground: Pet dogs and cats exert an unquestionable beneficial effect in the well-being of their owners, but can also act as a source of zoonotic infections if improperly cared. Objectives: We investigated the occurrence, risk factors, genetic variability and zoonotic potential of intestinal parasites in dogs and cats attended in a clinical veterinary setting in Spain. Methods: Canine (n = 252) and feline (n = 35) faecal samples were collected during 2017-2019 and analysed by coproparasitological methods. A rapid lateral immunochromatographic test (ICT) was used for detecting Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium sp. Samples positive at microscopy examination and/or ICT were reassessed by molecular methods. Results: Overall, 48.8% (123/252) of dogs and 48.6% (17/35) of cats were infected by enteric parasites. In dogs, G. duodenalis was the most prevalent species (40.9%), followed by Cystoisospora sp. (7.1%), and Toxocara canis (5.2%). In cats, Joyeuxiella sp. and Toxocara cati were the dominant species (20.0% each), followed by G. duodenalis (14.3%), D. caninum (5.7%) and Cystoisospora felis and Toxascaris leonina (2.9% each). Pups and kittens were more likely to harbour intestinal parasites and develop clinical signs. Sequence analyses of dog isolates revealed the presence of assemblages A (n = 1), C (n = 4), D (n = 4) and C+D (n = 1) within G. duodenalis; C. parvum (n = 1) and C. canis (n = 4) within Cryptosporidium and PtEb IX (n = 1) in Enterocytozoon bieneusi. A novel C. canis subtype family, named XXi, is reported. Conclusions: Our results highlight that (i) well-cared dogs carry zoonotic enteric protozoan parasites of public health relevance, (ii) proper hygiene practices and routine veterinary treatment are essential to prevent zoonotic infections, (iii) vulnerable populations should avoid contact with pups/kittens with diarrhoea and (iv) infected dogs might be major contributors to the environmental contamination with soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) eggs.Publication Special considerations for studies of extracellular vesicles from parasitic helminths: A community-led roadmap to increase rigour and reproducibility(Wiley, 2023-01) White, Ruby; Sotillo, Javier; Ancarola, María Eugenia; Borup, Anne; Boysen, Anders Toftegaard; Brindley, Paul J; Buzás, Edit I; Cavallero, Serena; Chaiyadet, Sujittra; Chalmers, Iain W; Cucher, Marcela A; Dagenais, Maude; Davis, Chelsea N; Devaney, Eileen; Duque-Correa, Maria A; Eichenberger, Ramon Marc; Fontenla, Santiago; Gasan, Thomas A; Hokke, Cornelis H; Kosanovic, Maja; Kuipers, Marije E; Laha, Thewarach; Loukas, Alex; Maizels, Rick M; Marcilla, Antonio; Mazanec, Hynek; Morphew, Russell M; Neophytou, Kyriaki; Nguyen, Linh Thuy; Nolte-'t Hoen, Esther; Povelones, Michael; Robinson, Mark W; Rojas, Alicia; Schabussova, Irma; Smits, Hermelijn H; Sungpradit, Sivapong; Tritten, Lucienne; Whitehead, Bradley; Zakeri, Amin; Nejsum, Peter; Buck, Amy H; Hoffmann, Karl FOver the last decade, research interest in defining how extracellular vesicles (EVs) shape cross-species communication has grown rapidly. Parasitic helminths, worm species found in the phyla Nematoda and Platyhelminthes, are well-recognised manipulators of host immune function and physiology. Emerging evidence supports a role for helminth-derived EVs in these processes and highlights EVs as an important participant in cross-phylum communication. While the mammalian EV field is guided by a community-agreed framework for studying EVs derived from model organisms or cell systems [e.g., Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles (MISEV)], the helminth community requires a supplementary set of principles due to the additional challenges that accompany working with such divergent organisms. These challenges include, but are not limited to, generating sufficient quantities of EVs for descriptive or functional studies, defining pan-helminth EV markers, genetically modifying these organisms, and identifying rigorous methodologies for in vitro and in vivo studies. Here, we outline best practices for those investigating the biology of helminth-derived EVs to complement the MISEV guidelines. We summarise community-agreed standards for studying EVs derived from this broad set of non-model organisms, raise awareness of issues associated with helminth EVs and provide future perspectives for how progress in the field will be achieved.Publication Transgenesis in parasitic helminths: a brief history and prospects for the future(BioMed Central (BMC), 2022-03-28) Quinzo, Mónica; Perteguer-Prieto, Maria Jesus; Brindley, Paul J; Loukas, A; Sotillo, Javier; Instituto de Salud Carlos IIIHelminth infections impact the health of hundreds of millions of persons globally and also cause important economic losses in livestock farming. Methodological limitations as well as the low attention given to the study of helminths have impacted biological research and, thus, the procurement of accurate diagnosis and effective treatments. Understanding the biology of helminths using genomic and proteomic approaches could contribute to advances in understanding host-helminth interactions and lead to new vaccines, drugs and diagnostics. Despite the significant advances in genomics in the last decade, the lack of methodological adaptation of current transgenesis techniques has hampered the progression of post-genomic research in helminthology. However, the application of new techniques, such as CRISPR, to the study of trematodes and nematodes has opened new avenues for genome editing-powered functional genomics for these pathogens. This review summarises the historical advances in functional genomics in parasitic helminths and highlights pending limitations that will need to be overcome to deploy transgenesis tools.