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Parasitologia
Special Issues
The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites
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The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites

A special issue of Parasitologia (ISSN 2673-6772).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 6834

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Geoff Hide

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biomedical Research Centre, School of Science Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford M5 4WT, UK
Interests: molecular epidemiology; Toxoplasma; trypanosomes; protozoan parasites; host-parasite interactions; ecology of parasitic diseases; host resistance to parasites

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Molecular epidemiology generally refers to the use of DNA-based approaches to understanding the identity, etiology or transmission of a disease. In the case of parasites, it has revolutionized our understanding of transmission cycles, transmission dynamics and the detailed taxonomic dissection of the infectious agents we are interested in. Since the first review, over 30 years ago, on the “Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites” (Hide and Tait, 1991, Experientia, 47, 128-142), technology has expanded from “the promise” of “new techniques” such as PCR to our current ability to sequence entire genomes from populations of parasites and beyond. Furthermore, the very limited range of parasites studied back then has exploded since. Databases of genomic sequences have enabled the development of tools which can not only be applied to almost all parasites but also used to discover those species as yet unknown to us. The aim of this Special Issue is to gather together recent studies that apply these wide ranges of techniques or approaches and to showcase the range of parasite species to which they have been applied. With the World Health Organization recently reporting that parasites cause 6 of the top 10 sources of death in low-income parts of the world, there is a pressing need to bring together ideas to advance our knowledge of parasite epidemiology.

Submitted works should focus on recent studies that make use of DNA-based technologies as a tool for investigating the epidemiology of a specific parasite or group of parasites. Typically, but not exclusively, the topics considered could be the application of molecular approaches to (1) understanding life cycles or transmission cycles, (2) understanding transmission dynamics within host–parasite systems, (3) understanding the evolution of new host–parasite interactions, or (4) the identification of the roles in parasite epidemiology of new species and strains, of new/revised taxonomies, and of newly identified organisms. Contributed submissions can be either reviews or primary research papers and will be peer-reviewed. A key objective of this Special Issue is to enable researchers to “look sideways” at different approaches used in different parasite systems; as such, there is no restriction on which parasites or approaches are covered. While we have invited key contributors to cover a wide range of molecular epidemiological scenarios, we are happy to consider any manuscripts that are encompassed within this topic. This Special Issue should draw together a range of current views of the use of molecular tools as applied to the epidemiology of parasites.

Prof. Dr. Geoff Hide
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Parasitologia is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1000 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • parasites
  • molecular epidemiology
  • host–parasite interactions
  • transmission cycles
  • life cycles
  • transmission dynamics
  • parasite taxonomy
  • parasite evolution

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 1885 KiB  
Article
From Intact to Highly Degraded Mitochondrial Genes in Trypanosoma vivax: New Insights into Introduction from Africa and Adaptation to Exclusive Mechanical Transmission in South America
by Herakles A. Garcia, Adriana C. Rodrigues, Carla M. F. Rodrigues, Andrea S. Florentin, Angélica M. Bethencourt, Armando Reyna-Bello, María Augusta Chávez-Larrea, Carlos L. Pereira, Zacharia Bengaly, Desie Sheferaw, Agapitus B. Kato, Fernando Paiva, Erney F. P. Camargo and Marta M. G. Teixeira
Parasitologia 2024, 4(4), 390-404; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia4040035 - 13 Dec 2024
Viewed by 989
Abstract
Trypanosoma vivax displays distinct mitochondrial genomes: intact in Africa and degraded in South America. This finding, formerly reported from four isolates, suggested an association between mitochondrial mutations and adaptation to exclusive mechanical transmission outside Africa, circumventing mitochondrial activity essential for cyclical transmission by [...] Read more.
Trypanosoma vivax displays distinct mitochondrial genomes: intact in Africa and degraded in South America. This finding, formerly reported from four isolates, suggested an association between mitochondrial mutations and adaptation to exclusive mechanical transmission outside Africa, circumventing mitochondrial activity essential for cyclical transmission by tsetse flies. Here, we characterized the mitochondrial ND7 and COIII genes in 25 South American isolates of T. vivax from livestock from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, as well as in 11 African isolates from Mozambique, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria, and Burkina Faso from tsetse flies, antelopes, and cattle. Phylogenetic inference supported the lineages TVV (Trypanosoma vivax vivax) and TVL (Trypanosoma vivax-like), predominant in South America/West Africa and East Africa, respectively. Both ND7 and COIII genes were intact in all African TVV and TVL isolates and, for the first time, in 10 South American isolates from Brazil. Remaining South American isolates exhibited some degree of gene erosion, including ~142 bp deletion at the 3′ end of ND7 disclosed in Venezuela and Colombia, ~163 bp deletion at the 3′ end of ND7 in Brazil and Argentina, and ~750 bp deletion from the 5′ end of ND7 to the 3′ end of COIII in Venezuela. Comprehensive analyses of whole mitochondrial genomes from additional South American and African isolates are crucial for formulating reliable hypotheses regarding the origin, absence, and rapid mitochondrial degradation observed in South American T. vivax. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites)
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13 pages, 1314 KiB  
Article
Effect of Anthelmintic Treatment on the Agreement Between Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) and Kato–Katz Microscopic Technique in the Diagnosis of Soil-Transmitted Helminth Infections
by Paul Alvyn Nguema-Moure, Jean Claude Dejon-Agobé, Roméo-Aimé Laclong Lontchi, Gédéon Prince Manouana, Moustapha Nzamba Maloum, Brice Meulah, Danny Carrel Manfoumbi Mabicka, Marguerite Emmanuelle Nzame Ngome, Peter Gottfried Kremsner and Ayôla Akim Adegnika
Parasitologia 2024, 4(4), 345-357; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia4040030 - 24 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1059
Abstract
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), including Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm species, and Trichuris trichiura, cause significant morbidity worldwide. For an effective proper control of their morbidity, accurate diagnosis method is needed. To this end, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has been developed, but [...] Read more.
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), including Ascaris lumbricoides, hookworm species, and Trichuris trichiura, cause significant morbidity worldwide. For an effective proper control of their morbidity, accurate diagnosis method is needed. To this end, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method has been developed, but its use remains limited due to the high cost of its implementation, the resources required, and the lack of qualified technicians. The objective of the present analysis is to assess the agreement between the Kato–Katz microscopy method and quantitative real-time PCR (RT-PCR) in the diagnostic of STHs before and after treatment, to decipher the usefulness of either technique for evaluation of the treatment. Methods: Stool samples were collected before and after three- or six-weeks post-treatment from study participants and analyzed using Kato–Katz and RT-PCR methods for the diagnosis of STHs infections. The cure rate (CR) was estimated according to each diagnostic method. Agreement between CRs was tested using the Kappa statistical test. Results: Agreement between Kato–Katz and RT-PCR methods varied regarding the STH species targeted and was different after treatment compared with before treatment. At baseline, the two diagnostic methods showed a moderate agreement (0.45 < K < 0.5) for all STH species, whereas after treatment, concordance decreased slightly (0.11 ≤ K ≤ 0.14) for A. lumbricoides, remained moderate (0.5 ≤ K ≤ 0.53) for T. trichiura, and went from moderate to absent for hookworms. Conclusion: Our findings showed basically a moderate agreement between the Kato–Katz method and RT-PCR. There is a likely association with a moderate proportion of microscopy-positive cases. Reciprocally, a decrease in agreement after treatment was observed with low microscopy-positive cases after treatment, whereby RT-PCR was more likely to detect positive cases than microscopy. Therefore, the agreement is positively associated with an increasing in the number of samples testing positive. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites)
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Review

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15 pages, 1200 KiB  
Review
Current Applications of Digital PCR in Veterinary Parasitology: An Overview
by Constantina N. Tsokana, Isaia Symeonidou, Georgios Sioutas, Athanasios I. Gelasakis and Elias Papadopoulos
Parasitologia 2023, 3(3), 269-283; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia3030028 - 6 Sep 2023
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2878
Abstract
Digital PCR (dPCR) is an emerging technology that enables the absolute quantification of the targeted nucleic acids. The body of research on the potential applications of this novel tool is growing in human and veterinary medicine. Most of the research on dPCR applications [...] Read more.
Digital PCR (dPCR) is an emerging technology that enables the absolute quantification of the targeted nucleic acids. The body of research on the potential applications of this novel tool is growing in human and veterinary medicine. Most of the research on dPCR applications in veterinary parasitology is concentrated on developing and validating new assays to detect and quantify parasites of great financial impact in the food-producing animal industry. Several studies describe the utility of dPCR for individualized medicine in companion animals. Most frequently, dPCR performance is assessed compared to quantitative PCR or Next Generation Sequencing platforms, while others also compare the accuracy of dPCR with traditional parasitological techniques considered gold standard methods. Other researchers describe dPCR assays for surveillance purposes, species identification, and quantification in mixed parasitic infections, the detection of mutations indicative of anthelmintic resistance, and the identification of new targets for drug development. This review provides an overview of the studies that employed dPCR in investigating animal parasites and parasitic diseases from a veterinary perspective and discusses how this novel technology could advance and facilitate diagnosis, surveillance, and the monitoring of response to treatment, or shed light on current gaps in our knowledge of the epidemiology of significant veterinary parasitic diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites)
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Other

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20 pages, 766 KiB  
Systematic Review
Genetic Diversity of Cryptosporidium Species in Different Hosts in Africa: A Systematic Review
by Chahari A. Midala, Falmata Kyari and ThankGod E. Onyiche
Parasitologia 2024, 4(4), 405-424; https://doi.org/10.3390/parasitologia4040036 - 16 Dec 2024
Viewed by 634
Abstract
Cryptosporidium species are protozoan parasites of veterinary and medical importance that infect a wide range of vertebrates globally. Primarily, the mode of infection is typically ingestion of sporulated oocysts, and the risk of transmission to susceptible host is increased by environmental contamination with [...] Read more.
Cryptosporidium species are protozoan parasites of veterinary and medical importance that infect a wide range of vertebrates globally. Primarily, the mode of infection is typically ingestion of sporulated oocysts, and the risk of transmission to susceptible host is increased by environmental contamination with sporulated oocysts. This systematic review aims to provide a summary of the available data on Cryptosporidium genotypes in Africa. A systematic research of literature on four electronic databases, including Scopus Web of Science, Science Direct, and AJOL, was performed for the determination of Cryptosporidium genotypes in animal and human hosts across Africa between January 2000 to August 2023. All published studies were screened based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Overall, 131 Cryptosporidium genotypes were generated from the 47 articles included in this study, which cut across 14 African countries. Cryptosporidium genotypes were reported across all regions within the African continent, such as northern, eastern, western, central, and southern Africa. Cryptosporidium hominis (Ia, Ib, Id, Ie, If, Ih, Ii, and Ik) genotypes were the most dominant, with C. hominis subfamily Ia genotypes reported across all African regions, which indicates high diversity of these subfamilies on the continent. Cryptosporidium parvum (IIa, IIb, IIc, IId, IIe, IIm, and IIi) genotypes were the second dominant genotypes reported, with C. parvum subfamily IIa genotypes having a high diversity across all the African regions with the exception of southern Africa. C. parvum subfamily IIc (IIcA5G3b), which is known to circulate among humans, was reported in a study on dogs in Nigeria. Other documented species of Cryptosporidium with known subtypes in Africa include C. meleagridis (IIIb, IIId, and IIIg), C. cuniculus (Vb), C. ubiquitum (XIIa), C.), and C. erinacei (XIIIa) genotypes. In conclusion, findings from this review have elucidated the Cryptosporidium species and subtypes within the African continent across humans and multiple animal hosts, implying the diversity of this parasites and its ability to infect wide host ranges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Molecular Epidemiology of Parasites)
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