Search Results (13)

In medicine, parasitic cysts (e.g., brain cysticerci) are believed to be sterile, and are primarily treated with antiparasitic medications, not antibiotics, which could prevent abscess formation and localized inflammation. This study quantified the microbial composition of parasitic cysts in a wild rodent, using multi-kingdom metagenomics to comprehensively assess if parasitic cysts are sterile, and further understand gut microbial translocation and adaptation in wildlife confined environments, outside the gut. Analysis was conducted on DNA from two hepatic parasitic cysts from a feline tapeworm, Hydatigera (Taenia) taeniaeformis, affecting a wild vole mouse (Microtus pennsylvanicus), and from feces, liver and peritoneal fluid of this and two other concurrent individual wild voles trapped during pest control in one of our university research vegetable gardens. Bacterial metagenomics revealed the presence of gut commensal/opportunistic species, Parabacteroides distasonis, Bacteroides (Bacteroidota); Klebsiella variicola, E. coli (Enterobacteriaceae); Enterococcus faecium and Lactobacillus acidophilus (Bacillota) inhabiting the cysts, and peritoneal fluid. Remarkably, viral metagenomics revealed various murine viral species, and unexpectedly, a virus from the insect armyworm moth (Pseudaletia/Mythimna unipuncta), known as Mythimna unipuncta granulovirus A (MyunGV-A), in both cysts, and in one fecal and one peritoneal sample from the other non-cyst voles, indicating the survival and adaption potential of the insect virus in voles. Metagenomics also revealed a significantly lower probability of fungal detection in cysts compared to that in peritoneal fluid/feces (p < 0.05), with single taxon detection in each cyst (Malassezia and Pseudophaeomoniella oleicola). The peritoneal fluid had the highest probability for fungi. In conclusion, metagenomics revealed that bacteria/viruses/fungi coexist within parasitic cysts supporting the potential therapeutic benefits of antibiotics in cystic diseases, and in inflammatory microniches of chronic diseases, such as Crohn’s disease gut wall cavitating micropathologies, from which we recently isolated similar synergistic pathogenic Bacteroidota and Enterobacteriaceae, and Bacillota. Full article

Flatworms are known for their remarkable regenerative ability, one which depends on totipotent cells known as germinative cells in cestodes. Depletion of germinative cells with hydroxyurea (HU) affects the regeneration of the parasite. Here, we studied the reduction and recovery of germinative cells in T. crassiceps cysticerci after HU treatment (25 mM and 40 mM of HU for 6 days) through in vitro assays. Viability and morphological changes were evaluated. The recovery of cysticerci’s mobility and morphology was evaluated at 3 and 6 days, after 6 days of treatment. The number of proliferative cells was evaluated using EdU. Our results show morphological changes in the size, shape, and number of evaginated cysticerci at the 40 mM dose. The mobility of cysticerci was lower after 6 days of HU treatment at both concentrations. On days 3 and 6 of recovery after 25 mM of HU treatment, a partial recovery of the proliferative cells was observed. Proteomic and Gene Ontology analyses identified modifications in protein groups related to DNA binding, DNA damage, glycolytic enzymes, cytoskeleton, skeletal muscle, and RNA binding. Full article

Taeniasis and cysticercosis are parasitic infections that affect humans and pigs. Their global distribution constitutes a serious public health issue with significant implications for pork production. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the presence of porcine cysticercosis in backyard swine from 42 indigenous communities throughout Tuchín-Córdoba, Colombia. Between December 2020 and March 2021, free-range pigs (n = 442) were assessed using the ELISA cysticercosis Ag test; 85 pigs were examined through sublingual visual evaluation, and 4 slaughtered pig carcasses were subjected to standard operation inspection. The collected cysticercus underwent histological and PCR analysis. Furthermore, 192 surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) were used to identify the factors that facilitate infection transmission. Serological investigation revealed that 9.7% (46/472) of the animals were positive for cysticerci Ag. Sublingual inspection identified cysticercus in 28.7% (25/87) of the animals, while PCR analysis indicated that cysticercus corresponded to the T. solium American/African genotype. The factors associated with T. solium infection in the pigs in the surveyed areas numbered 14. The majority are associated with factors that promote the active persistence of Taenia solium’s life cycle in an area, such as lack of environmental sanitation, a lack of coverage or care for drinking water and wastewater treatment services, and no solid waste disposal. Full article

Peroxiredoxins (Prxs) and glutathione peroxidases (GPxs) are the main enzymes of the thiol-dependent antioxidant systems responsible for reducing the H₂O₂ produced via aerobic metabolism or parasitic organisms by the host organism. These antioxidant systems maintain a proper redox state in cells. The cysticerci of Taenia crassiceps tolerate millimolar concentrations of this oxidant. To understand the role played by Prxs in this cestode, two genes for Prxs, identified in the genome of Taenia solium (TsPrx1 and TsPrx3), were cloned. The sequence of the proteins suggests that both isoforms belong to the class of typical Prxs 2-Cys. In addition, TsPrx3 harbors a mitochondrial localization signal peptide and two motifs (-GGLG- and -YP-) associated with overoxidation. Our kinetic characterization assigns them as thioredoxin peroxidases (TPxs). While TsPrx1 and TsPrx3 exhibit the same catalytic efficiency, thioredoxin–glutathione reductase from T. crassiceps (TcTGR) was five and eight times higher. Additionally, the latter demonstrated a lower affinity (>30-fold) for H₂O₂ in comparison with TsPrx1 and TsPrx3. The TcTGR contains a Sec residue in its C-terminal, which confers additional peroxidase activity. The aforementioned aspect implies that TsPrx1 and TsPrx3 are catalytically active at low H₂O₂ concentrations, and the TcTGR acts at high H₂O₂ concentrations. These results may explain why the T. crassiceps cysticerci can tolerate high H₂O₂ concentrations. Full article

Taenia crassiceps is a zoonotic tapeworm of the genus Taenia that is distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere. Wild and domestic carnivores are final hosts, while rodents and rabbits are primarily intermediate hosts, although many other mammals may harbour the larval stage, Cysticercus longicollis. This case report aims to describe C. longicollis infection in a lemur and molecularly characterise the isolated parasite. The excised lesion was subjected to morphological and histopathological examination, which revealed cysticerci of the tapeworm. Formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded block (FFPEB), as well as the cysticerci fixed with formalin stored for one year, were subjected to molecular analysis, which aimed at detecting the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of Taenia sp. Based on the morphological characteristics, the parasite was identified as a metacestode of T. crassiceps. The presence of the cox1 gene was detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in all samples. A randomly selected PCR product was sequenced and compared with other sequences from the GenBank database, confirming that the detected parasite was T. crassiceps. This article reports the first case of T. crassiceps cysticercosis in a lemur (Lemur catta) in Croatia and emphasises the potential risk of transmission from wild carnivores. Full article

Neurocysticercosis (NCC), the infection of the central nervous system caused by Taenia solium larvae (cysticerci), is a major cause of acquired epilepsy worldwide. Calcification in NCC is the most common neuroimaging finding among individuals with epilepsy in T. solium-endemic areas. We describe the demographic, clinical, and radiological profiles of a large hospital cohort of patients with calcified NCC in Peru (during the period 2012–2022) and compared profiles between patients with and without a previous known diagnosis of viable infection. A total of 524 patients were enrolled (mean age at enrollment: 40.2 ± 15.2 years, mean age at symptom onset: 29.1 ± 16.1 years, 56.3% women). Of those, 415 patients (79.2%) had previous seizures (median time with seizures: 5 years, interquartile range (IQR): 2–13 years; median number of seizures: 7 (IQR: 3–32)), of which 333 (80.2%) had predominantly focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures; and 358 (68.3%) used antiseizure medication). Patients had a median number of three calcifications (IQR: 1–7), mostly located in the frontal lobes (79%). In 282 patients (53.8%) there was a previous diagnosis of viable infection, while 242 only had evidence of calcified NCC since their initial neuroimaging. Most patients previously diagnosed with viable infection were male, had previous seizures, had seizures for a longer time, had more calcifications, and had a history of taeniasis more frequently than patients without previously diagnosed viable infection (all p < 0.05). Patients with calcified NCC were heterogeneous regarding burden of infection and clinical manifestations, and individuals who were diagnosed after parasites calcified presented with milder disease manifestations. Full article

Background: Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is endemic in non-developed regions of the world. Two forms of NCC have been described, for which neurological morbidity depends on the location of the lesion, which can be either within the cerebral parenchyma or in extraparenchymal spaces. The extraparenchymal form (EXP-NCC) is considered the most severe form of NCC. EXP-NCC often requires several cycles of cysticidal treatment and the concomitant use of glucocorticoids to prevent increased inflammation, which could lead to intracranial hypertension and, in rare cases, to death. Thus, the improvement of EXP-NCC treatment is greatly needed. Methods: An experimental murine model of EXP-NCC, as an adequate model to evaluate new therapeutic approaches, and the parameters that support it are described. EXP-NCC was established by injecting 30 Taenia crassiceps cysticerci, which are less than 0.5 mm in diameter, into the cisterna magna of male and female Wistar rats. Results: Cyst implantation and infection progression were monitored by detecting the HP10 antigen and anti-cysticercal antibodies in the serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) of infected rats and by magnetic resonance imaging. Higher HP10 levels were observed in CSF than in the sera, as in the case of human EXP-NCC. Low cell recruitment levels were observed surrounding established cysticerci in histological analysis, with a modest increase in GFAP and Iba1 expression in the parenchyma of female animals. Low cellularity in CSF and low levels of C-reactive protein are consistent with a weak inflammatory response to this infection. After 150 days of infection, EXP-NCC is accompanied by reduced levels of mononuclear cell proliferation, resembling the human disease. EXP-NCC does not affect the behavior or general status of the rats. Conclusions: This model will allow the evaluation of new approaches to control neuroinflammation and immunomodulatory treatments to restore and improve the specific anti-cysticercal immunity in EXP-NCC. Full article

A cysticercosis model of Taenia crassiceps ORF strain in susceptible BALB/c mice revealed a Th2 response after 4 weeks, allowing for the growth of the parasite, whereas resistant C57BL/6 mice developed a sustained Th1 response, limiting parasitic growth. However, little is known about how cysticerci respond to an immunological environment in resistant mice. Here, we show that the Th1 response, during infection in resistant C57BL/6 mice, lasted up to 8 weeks and kept parasitemia low. Proteomics analysis of parasites during this Th1 environment showed an average of 128 expressed proteins; we chose 15 proteins whose differential expression varied between 70 and 100%. A total of 11 proteins were identified that formed a group whose expression increased at 4 weeks and decreased at 8 weeks, and another group with proteins whose expression was high at 2 weeks and decreased at 8 weeks. These identified proteins participate in tissue repair, immunoregulation and parasite establishment. This suggests that T. crassiceps cysticerci in mice resistant under the Th1 environment express proteins that control damage and help to establish a parasite in the host. These proteins could be targets for drugs or vaccine development. Full article

Taenia crassiceps is a parasite of wild canids and dogs that serve as definite hosts, harboring the adult cestode, whereas rodents are the intermediate hosts in which the metacestode/cysticercus/larval stage occurs. Fecal-oral transmission ensures the parasite’s lifecycle. At times, dogs and humans act as accidental intermediate hosts. Despite the public health concern this parasite warrants, its epidemiology remains unclear. In this report, we document the occurrence of metacestodes of T. crassiceps in a muskrat (Ondatra zibethicus) and a domestic dog from the northeastern United States, a development that necessitates increased awareness and surveillance to tackle this disease of “one health” significance. Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis was confirmed in an adult male muskrat in February 2018 and in a 4-year-old female spayed Staffordshire Bull Terrier in December 2020. Parasitological and histopathologic examination of both cases revealed cysticerci with the characteristic rostellar hook morphology that aided in Taenia species identification. In the muskrat case specifically, partial sequencing of the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase gene confirmed the species identity as T. crassiceps. We report T. crassiceps occurrence in a muskrat in New York State for the first time and document a case presentation in a domestic dog from New Jersey that was infected with metacestode stages of this parasite. Given the detection of this parasite in the northeastern United States, T. crassiceps infection, which otherwise is considered a rare disease, should be on the radar of veterinary, medical and wildlife biologists for timely diagnosis and interventions. Full article

(1) Background: Taenia crassiceps is a cosmopolitan tapeworm endemic to the northern hemisphere with an indirect lifecycle. Its definitive hosts are carnivores, and its intermediate hosts are rodents and rabbits. Nonhuman primates in zoos appear to be highly susceptible to T. crassiceps cysticercosis. The aim of this study was to confirm the presence and the molecular characterization of T. crassiceps cysts isolated from a captive ring-tailed lemur. (2) Methods: Surgery revealed multifocal, transparent saccules containing several thin-walled tapeworm cysticerci. In some of the metacestodes, single or multiple exogenous buds from daughter cysticerci were spotted. A molecular analysis was performed to confirm our morphological examinations, using two protocols to obtain the partial nad1 and cox1 genes of the Taenia sp. (3) Results: On the basis of morphological features and molecular analysis, the cysticerci were identified as T. crassiceps metacestodes, and products taken from the PCRs were sequenced. With respect to interpreting the sequencing results of the obtained amplicons, we compared them with data in the GenBank database, proving that, in this case, the causative agent was indeed T. crassiceps. (4) Conclusions: The received data can be used to supplement descriptions of this species. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of cysticercosis caused by T. crassiceps in a nonhuman primate in Poland. Full article

Cysticercus pisiformis (C. pisiformis), the larval form of Taenia pisiformis, parasitize mainly the liver, omentum and mesentery of rabbits and cause huge economic losses in the rabbit breeding industry. MicroRNA (miRNA), a short non-coding RNA, is widely and stably distributed in the plasma and serum. Numerous data demonstrates that, after parasitic infection, miRNAs become the key regulatory factor for controlling host biological processes. However, the roles of serum miRNAs in C. pisiformis-infected rabbits have not been elucidated. In this study, we compared miRNA expression profiles between the C. pisiformis-infected and healthy rabbit serum using RNA-seq. A total of 192 miRNAs were differentially expressed (fold change ≥ 2 and p < 0.05), including 79 up- and 113 downregulated miRNAs. These data were verified by qRT-PCR (real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction) analysis. Additionally, GO analysis showed that the target genes of these dysregulated miRNAs were most enriched in cellular, single-organism and metabolic processes. KEGG pathway analysis showed that these miRNAs target genes were involved in PI3K-Akt, viral carcinogenesis and B cell receptor signaling pathways. Interestingly, after aligning clean reads to the T. pisiformis genome, four (miR-124-3p_3, miR-124-3p_4, miR-124a and novel-miR1) T. pisiformis-derived miRNAs were found. Of these, novel-miR1was upregulated in different periods after C. pisiformis infection, which was verified qRT-PCR, and pre- novel-miR-1 was amplified from the cysticerci by RT-PCR, implying novel-miR-1 was derived from C. pisiformis and has great potential for the diagnosis of Cysticercosis pisiformis infection. This is the first investigation of miRNA expression profile and function in the serum of rabbits infected by C. pisiformis, providing fundamental data for developing diagnostic targets for Cysticercosis pisiformis. Full article

The aim of this study was to provide molecular characterization, together with phylogenetic analysis, of Taenia pisiformis cysts isolated from rabbit. On the basis of morphological features and molecular analysis, the cysticerci were identified as T.pisiformis metacestodes. PCR was performed with three different protocols to obtain partial sequences of 12S ribosomal RNA (12S rRNA), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1), and cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of Taenia spp. The products from the PCRs were sequenced. Interpretation of the sequencing results of the obtained amplicons, by comparing them with the GenBank database, proved that the causative agent, in this case, was T. pisiformis. The phylogenetic analysis of the received sequences identified a new haplotype. The received data can be used to supplement the species description. To our knowledge, this is the first molecular confirmation of T. pisiformis metacestodes infection in the rabbit, in Poland. Full article

Cysticercosis and Trichinella spp. infection are parasitic zoonoses prevalent among pigs in Southeast Asia, where pork is the most important source of meat. In rural Cambodia, many pigs are raised extensively in family backyards, and information regarding the prevalence in rural small-scale pig production is very limited. This study was conducted in four provinces in north-eastern Cambodia to determine the seroprevalence of porcine cysticercosis and Trichinella spp. infection in rural villages, and to identify possible risk factors. Only households with less than 10 pigs above three months old were eligible. In total, 139 households participated, and 242 blood samples were collected. Farmers were interviewed about food and hygiene habits, disease knowledge and practices. The serum samples were analysed by ELISA to determine antigens to Taenia spp. cysticerci or antibodies to Trichinella spp. muscle larvae. Positivity among the pigs was 11.2% (95% CI 7.5–15.8) for Taenia spp. cysts and 2.5% (95% CI 0.9–5.4) for Trichinella spp. Cysticerci were more common in the province Preah Vihear (p < 0.001) than in the other provinces. Risk factors associated with porcine cysticercosis were management systems for the pigs and access to human faeces (p < 0.001). Trichinella spp. infection in pigs was more common in the province Ratanakiri (p = 0.001). The main risk factor associated with Trichinella spp. transmission was feeding pigs with food waste (p = 0.048). More men had heard about cysticercosis than women (p = 0.002), and men also consumed undercooked pork meat to a greater extent (p = 0.004). Although the present study is relatively small, several risk factors could be identified for porcine infection with Taenia spp. and Trichinella spp., which can be used to guide future interventions to improve both porcine and human health in these provinces. Full article