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Molecular Evidence of Misidentification of Anopheles minimus as Anopheles fluviatilis in Assam (India).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Anophelesminimus s.l. and Anophelesfluviatilis s.l., two closely related taxa, are reported vectors of malaria in Assam state of India. We determined the DNA sequences of morphologically identified An. minimus s.l. and An. fluviatilis s.l. collected from the Kamrup district in Assam, for two rDNA loci- internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) and D3 domain of 28S rDNA (28S-D3). Analysis of rDNA data revealed that the sequences of both the morphologically identified An. minimus s.l. and An. fluviatilis s.l. from Assam are identical, homologous to the sequences of An. minimus s.s. (former species A) and different from that o...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 11, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Singh OP, Nanda N, Dev V, Bali P, Sohail M, Mehrunnisa A, Adak T, Dash AP Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The wheat germ cell-free protein synthesis system: a key tool for novel malaria vaccine candidate discovery.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Malaria kills more than a million people a year, causes malady in about three hundred million people and poses risk to approximately 40% of the world's population living in malarious countries. This disease is re-emerging mainly due to the development of drug-resistant parasites and insecticide-resistant mosquitoes. Therefore, we are now forced to resort to remedy through vaccination. Until now, not even a single licensed malaria vaccine has been developed despite intensive efforts. Even the efficacy of RTS,S, the most advanced and promising vaccine candidate in the pipeline of malaria vaccine development, was only aro...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 11, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tsuboi T, Takeo S, Arumugam TU, Otsuki H, Torii M Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Erythrocyte binding ligands in malaria parasites: Intracellular trafficking and parasite virulence.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The intracellular trafficking of an Erythrocyte Binding Like (EBL) ligand has recently been shown to dramatically affect the multiplication rate and virulence of the rodent malaria parasite Plasmodium yoelii yoelii. In this review, we describe the current understanding of the role of EBL and other erythrocyte binding ligands in erythrocyte invasion, and discuss the mechanisms by which they may control multiplication rates and virulence in malaria parasites. PMID: 19913491 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - November 11, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Culleton R, Kaneko O Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Specific Chemotherapy of Chagas Disease: Relevance, Current Limitations and New Approaches.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A critical review of the development of specific chemotherapeutic approaches for the management of American Trypanosomiasis or Chagas disease is presented, including controversies on the pathogenesis of the disease, the initial efforts that led to the development of currently available drugs (nifurtimox and benznidazole), limitations of these therapies and novel approaches for the development of anti-Trypanosoma cruzi drugs, based on our growing understanding of the biology of this parasite. Among the later, the most promising approaches are ergosterol biosynthesis inhibitors such as posaconazole and ravuconazole, pois...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 6, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Urbina JA Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The life cycle of Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa (Digenea: Heterophyidae), a causative agent of fish-borne trematodosis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The complete life cycle of the trematode Ascocotyle (Phagicola) longa (Digenea: Heterophyidae) is elucidated by natural observation validated by experimental infections. The natural first intermediate host of A. (P.) longa, an agent of human heterophyiasis in Brazil, is the cochliopid snail Heleobia australis (new first intermediate host). Metacercariae were found encysted in the body musculature, heart, stomach, liver, kidney, spleen, gonads and mesentery of mullets Mugil liza. Hamsters Mesocricetus auratus were experimentally infected with metacercariae of A. (P.) longa obtained from the mullets, and the adults recov...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 5, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Simões SB, Barbosa HS, Santos CP Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Seroprevalence and risk factors for dengue infection in socioeconomically distinct areas of Recife, Brazil.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Brazil currently accounts for the majority of dengue cases reported in the Americas, with co-circulation of DENV 1, 2 and 3. Striking variation in the epidemiological pattern of infection within cities has been observed. Therefore, investigation of dengue transmission in small areas is important to formulate control strategies. A population-based household survey was performed in three diverse socio-economic and environmental areas of Recife, a large urban center of Brazil, between 2005 and 2006. Dengue serostatus and individual- and household-level risk factors for infection were collected in residents aged between 5 ...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 5, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Braga C, Luna CF, Martelli CM, Souza WV, Cordeiro MT, Alexander N, Albuquerque MD, Júnior JC, Marques ET Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Carlos chagas: biographical sketch.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
CARLOS CHAGAS: BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH. Acta Trop. 2009 Nov 3; Authors: Moncayo A Carlos Chagas was born on 9 July 1878 in the farm "Bon Retiro" located close to the City of Oliveira in the interior of the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. He started his medical studies in 1897 at the School of Medicine of Rio de Janeiro. In the late XIX century, the works by Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch induced a change in the medical paradigm with emphasis in experimental demonstrations of the causal link between microbes and disease. During the same years in Germany appeared the pathological concept of disease, linking organic les...
Source: Acta Tropica - November 3, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Moncayo A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Animal research ethics in Africa: an overview.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
With research projects that use animals on the increase worldwide and in Africa in particular, animal research ethics should continue to be reviewed to improve the welfare of animals used in research. The welfare of animals used in research has gained attention globally that has led to the development of guidelines and in some instances national laws governing animal experimentation. Although there may not be empirical data on the existence or adequacy of national and/or institutional policies and guidelines on the use of animals in research in Africa, most African countries are not yet at the same level as developed c...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nyika A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

It is critical that the welfare of research participants who enable such research activities to be conducted is protected during and after the studies. Foreword.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19646943 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kilama W Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Research and legal liability.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Legal liability in the research realm is increasing, both in affluent and developing countries. This work outlines the liability risks of researchers, host institutions, research ethics committees, consulting bioethicists, and research sponsors through a review of sample cases involving these parties. PMID: 19665438 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Singh JA Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Professional ethics: an overview from health research ethics point of view.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The advancement of the medical field has been to a large extent made possible by the hard work contributed by researchers all over the world. The pool of knowledge generated through research is the basis for diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions and policies that continue to improve the quality of life for mankind. Health researchers are the ones who interact directly with research participants as they implement research protocols. Although other players involved in health research such as Ethics Review Committees, Regulatory Authorities, Data Safety and Monitoring Boards, and sponsors help to ensure that the h...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nyika A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Ethical principles in health research and review process.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this paper I want to reflect on the fundamental ethical principles and their application in different particular contexts, especially in health research and the ethics review process. Four fundamental ethical principles have been identified and widely discussed in bioethical literature. These principles namely are: autonomy or respect for others, beneficence, non-maleficence and justice. These principles have cross-cultural validity, relevance and applicability. Every real-life situation and every concrete particular case in which ethical decision-making is called-for is unique and different from all others; but the...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tangwa GB Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

An ethics perspective on responsibilities of investigators, sponsors and research participants.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The major international guidelines for health research have come a long way in setting standards and providing direction on acceptable practices for the conduct of research. However, the responsibilities of the key players have generally been addressed in a rather uncoordinated manner, and there still remain gaps in addressing the responsibilities of some of the key players in the research setting. This paper is a review of crosscutting guidelines and mix of the key responsibilities of investigators, sponsors, study participants together with their communities. Some new responsibilities for the participants and researc...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Chilengi R Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Using the courts to challenge irrational health research policies and administrative decisions.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
While the judiciary has previously adjudicated on research-related matters, with several landmark cases having been heard in North America, the use of the judiciary in research-related matters in the developing world is relatively rare. Even rarer, both in developed and developing countries, is public-interest litigation in the health research context. South Africa is proving to be a trail-blazer in this respect. This work outlines three landmark South African cases where irrational, discriminatory, and arguably unethical decisions of government authorities pertaining to research were successfully challenged in the cou...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Singh JA Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Health research ethics in public health: trials and implementation of malaria mosquito control strategies.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Health research ethics has its roots in protecting individuals participating in clinical trials. There is, however, nascent interest in ethics in public health, although it does not yet cover ethics in the development of public health products. The paper reviews the history of the development of malaria vector interventions, which initially aimed at promoting colonial interests. Attempts at eradicating malaria in Africa ended in 1969, and DDT, the leading malaria vector control tool was banned soon after. Insecticide Treated Nets, which later gave rise to Long Lasting Insecticidal Nets have resurrected malaria mosquito...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kilama WL Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Ethical and practical challenges surrounding genetic and genomic research in developing countries.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The nature of some potential benefits and risks associated with genetic research is different from the types of potential benefits and risks associated with other types of health research such as clinical trials and biomedical research involving humans. Whereas most potential risks associated with biomedical research or clinical trials are mainly biological in nature, potential risks associated with genetic research are mainly of socioeconomic nature. Although the peculiarity of some of the aspects of genetic research and the complexity of the science involved are acknowledged, the extent to which these characteristics...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nyika A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The ethics of improving African traditional medical practice: scientific or African traditional research methods?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The disease burden in Africa, which is relatively very large compared with developed countries, has been attributed to various factors that include poverty, food shortages, inadequate access to health care and unaffordability of Western medicines to the majority of African populations. Although for 'old diseases' knowledge about the right African traditional medicines to treat or cure the diseases has been passed from generation to generation, knowledge about traditional medicines to treat newly emerging diseases has to be generated in one way or another. In addition, the existing traditional medicines have to be conti...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nyika A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Introduction to intellectual property rights for investigators in health research and institutional intellectual property policy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The concept of Intellectual Property (IP) in the domain of technology has assumed enhanced importance and the subject matter has attracted more interest with time. As the world moves towards a knowledge-based economy, where wealth creation is no longer based on the capital investment per se, but rather more and more on the brainpower and ability to create, Intellectual Property has become an integral part of world business and a major source for wealth creation and economic growth (ARIPO, 2002). In recognizing the importance of IPR, African Malaria Network Trust (AMANET) has decided to include a module of intellectual ...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Shemdoe GS Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

From research to control: Translating research findings into health policies, operational guidelines and health products.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although Africa's health research capacity is still weak, African R&D institutions are contributing immensely to the development of health policies, guidelines and products essential for diagnosis, treatment, prevention and control of Africa's leading health problems. In order to increase Africa's contributions, all health research stakeholders should participate in setting health research priorities and agenda, followed by establishing health research networks and consortia, holistic capacity strengthening, and gathering of baseline data. The evaluation of candidate tools, and the research preceding it, must abide...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kilama W Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The 10/90 gap in sub-Saharan Africa: resolving inequities in health research.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is worse off in terms of health indicators than any other region of the world, and suffers badly from the 10/90 gap, whereby 90% of the world's investment in health research addresses only 10% of the global health problems. This anomaly in health research investment in SSA is mainly attributed to rampant poverty, weak educational institutions, deficient health research capacity, feeble communications systems and isolation. Translating research results into action, manufacturing and access are also weak. Furthermore, many diseases of poverty are neglected diseases, they receive scanty research a...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kilama WL Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Health research oversight in Africa.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Increased research involving human participants in developing countries has resulted in commensurate rise in needs for functional research oversight activities. The importance of developing countries regulatory and ethical review authorities to demonstrate capability in reviewing clinical trials, quality of the products as well as clinical data obtained through well-coordinated oversight systems cannot be over-emphasized. According to the recent international changes in regulatory frameworks and evolving manufacture's strategies, African countries are now responsible to review applications and license new products with...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Noor RA Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Research with vulnerable human beings.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Some categories of human beings are particularly vulnerable vis-à-vis medical research. Vulnerability could be considered as the liability to be harmed, exploited, deceived, cheated, wronged, or otherwise unfairly treated, in roughly that descending order of importance. Vulnerable human beings obviously include the incompetent (minors and mentally handicapped adults), the desperately poor, ill or ignorant, prisoners, refugees, pregnant women, subordinates in highly authoritarian systems, etc. Vulnerability in itself does not imply that no research whatsoever should be carried out with such categories of humans but...
Source: Acta Tropica - October 7, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Tangwa GB Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Remarks on identification of amplified fragment length polymorphisms linked to SAG resistance in Leishmania.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19800857 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - September 30, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Van der Auwera G, Bhattarai NR, Odiwuor S, Vuylsteke M Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Characterization of Leishmania (Leishmania) tropica axenic amastigotes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Optimum conditions for generating Leishmania (Leishmania) tropica axenic amastigotes (AxA) in culture were determined, pH 5.5/36(o)C, and the parasites characterized by different techniques, including light microscopy, macrophage infection, stage-specific antigen expression and differential display. AxA were morphologically similar to amastigotes and 15.5-fold more infective than stationary phase promastigotes for mouse peritoneal macrophages. Western blotting with promastigote stage specific monoclonal antibodies to either lipophosphoglycan (T2) or a 60 kDa flagella antigen (F3) showed a dramatic decrease in antigen e...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 23, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Nasereddin A, Schweynoch C, Schonian G, Jaffe CL Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Slight activation of nuclear factor kappa-B is associated with increased hepatic stellate cell apoptosis in human schistosomal fibrosis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To investigate the relationship between NF-kappaB activation and hepatic stellate cell (HSC) apoptosis in hepatosplenic schistosomiasis, hepatic biopsies from patients with Schistosoma mansoni-induced periportal fibrosis, hepatitis C virus-induced cirrhosis, and normal liver were submitted to alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) and NF-kappaB p65 immunohistochemistry, as well as to NF-kappaB Southwestern histochemistry and TUNEL assay. The numbers of alpha-SMA-positive cells and NF-kappaB- and NF-kappaB p65-positive HSC nuclei were reduced in schistosomal fibrosis relative to liver cirrhosis. In addition, increased HS...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 21, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Braz MM, Ramalho FS, Cardoso RL, Zucoloto S, Costa RS, Ramalho LN Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Detection of Plasmodium vivax infection in the Republic of Korea by Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel technique that rapidly amplifies target DNA in isothermal conditions. In a previous study, the sensitivities and specificities of LAMP, microscopy, and nested PCR were compared in the context of rapid malaria detection. In the present study, LAMP detected vivax malaria parasites in 115 of 117 microscopically positive samples (sensitivity, 98.3%; 95% CI, 97.4%-100%), which agreed well with the nested PCR results (sensitivity, 99.1%; 95% CI: 96.0%-100%). No positive cases of malaria were detected by LAMP or nested PCR in 50 consecutive feverish patients other than ...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 20, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Chen JH, Lu F, Lim CS, Kim JY, Ahn HJ, Suh IB, Takeo S, Tsuboi T, Sattabongkot J, Han ET Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Two novel ternary albendazole-cyclodextrin-polymer systems: dissolution, bioavailability and efficacy against Taenia crassiceps cysts.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The effect of two water-soluble polymers: pectin and polyvinylpyrrolidone in combination with beta-cyclodextrin, on the dissolution, bioavailability and cysticidal efficacy of albendazole was evaluated using a commercial suspension as reference product. The dissolution of the albendazole-beta-cyclodextrin-pectin formulation was slow and incomplete (44.7 %). No statistical differences in Cmax and AUC were found between this formulation and the reference. Also its cysticidal efficacy (33 %) was similar to the reference (38 %). The albendazole-beta-cyclodextrin-polyvinylpyrrolidone formulation exhibited the highest dissol...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 17, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Palomares-Alonso F, González CR, Bernad-Bernad MJ, Montiel MD, Hernández GP, González-Hernández I, Castro-Torres N, Estrada EP, Jung-Cook H Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

PCR for Diagnosis and Assessment of Cure in Kala-azar Patients in Bangladesh.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The study evaluated the usefulness of Leishmania nested polymerase chain reaction (Ln-PCR) for diagnosis of kala-azar and assessed its role as a test of cure among kala-azar patients in Bangladesh. Peripheral blood buffy coat Ln-PCR was done in ninety seven (97) clinically-suspected patients of kala-azar, in forty (40) healthy controls from both endemic and non-endemic areas, and in 46 patients after completion of treatment with sodium stibogluconate (SSG). The Ln-PCR results were compared with Leishmania donovani parasite load graded by 1+ to 6+ in all smear-positive Leishmania donovani cases. Out of 97 clinically-sus...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 17, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Salam MA, Mondal D, Kabir M, Ekram AR, Haque R Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

In Vitro Biological Evaluation of Biguanides and Dihydrotriazines Against Brugia Malayi and Folate Reversal Studies.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, DHFR inhibitors could be used as leads for new antifilarial drugs. PMID: 19769933 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - September 17, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bag S, Tawari NR, Sharma R, Goswami K, Reddy M, Degani MS Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Identification of a novel 19 kDa Echinococcus granulosus antigen.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
By screening an E. granulosus cDNA library with IgG4 from patients with active cystic echinococcosis (CE), we identified a cDNA encoding a protein of 19.0 kDa (Eg19). Eg19, in 12% SDS-PAGE in reducing and non-reducing conditions, showed several bands between 19-100 kDa. Immunoblotting (IB) analysis detected total IgG, IgG1 and IgG4 specific to the 38/40 kDa band of Eg19 in the 10% of patients' sera. The percentage of total IgG, IgG1 and IgG4-positive sera were significantly higher in sera from patients with active disease and cyst in multiple sites than from patients with inactive disease and cyst in the liver (P< 1...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 17, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Delunardo F, Ortona E, Margutti P, Perdicchio M, Vacirca D, Teggi A, Sorice M, Siracusano A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Schistosoma mansoni infection in a rural area of the Jequitinhonha Valley, Minas Gerais, Brazil: analysis of exposure risk.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This study examines the relative contribution of age-specific total IgE levels, eosinophils and water contact behavior to the prevalence and intensity (geometric mean egg counts) of Schistosoma mansoni infection in the poor rural population of Virgem das Graças in northern Minas Gerais State. In bivariate analysis, age was strongly correlated with both prevalence and intensity of infection, while eosinophil levels with prevalence only (p<0.0001); IgE levels and 5 demographic and socioeconomic variables were moderately correlated with prevalence (p<0.05), as were number of persons per room and TBM (total body min...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Pereira WR, Kloos H, Crawford SB, Velásquez-Melendez JG, Matoso LF, Fujiwara RT, Cançado GG, Loverde PT, Correa-Oliveira R, Gazzinelli A Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Transmissibility, by Glossina morsitans morsitans, of Trypanosoma congolense strains during the acute and chronic phases of infection.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In order to verify whether chronic trypanosomal infections can affect the transmissibility of Trypanosoma congolense by tsetse flies, batches of Glossinamorsitans morsitans were fed on mice infected with the same level of parasitemia (10(8.1) 24 trypanosomes/ml of blood) of two cloned low virulent T. congolense strains during the acute and the chronic phases of infection. Results showed that the proportions of procyclic infections in flies that were fed during the acute phase(32.6% and 45.4% for isolates 1 and 2, respectively) were significantly higher (chi2 27 =4.7, P<0.05 and chi2 28 = 23.7, P<0.0001, respectiv...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 14, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Masumu J, Akoda K, Van den Bossche P Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Characterization of antimicrobial resistance and integrons among Escherichia coli isolated from animal farms in Eastern China.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A total of 182 Escherichia coli isolates from animals, environment and workers of dairy cattle, swine and chicken farms in Shandong which locates in eastern China, were investigated for antimicrobial resistance as well as prevalence and the transfer mechanisms of integrons. The results revealed isolates from swine and chicken farm exhibited high levels of resistance to antimicrobial agents. The positive rate of gene cassette of class 1 integron in dairy cattle, swine and chicken farms was 5%, 20% and 41.94% respectively. Only 4 isolates possessed class 2 integron, all of which were from chicken farm. Nine distinct cass...
Source: Acta Tropica - September 6, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lu L, Dai L, Wang Y, Wu C, Chen X, Li L, Qi Y, Xia L, Shen J Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Study of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered animals in Al Baha region, Saudi Arabia: Interaction between some biotic and abiotic factors.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In conclusion, these findings of infection, mean abundance and fertility rates of CE in slaughtered animals, prompt plans for further epidemiological studies and control programmes. PMID: 19744464 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - September 6, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ibrahim MM Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Percentage of reactor animals to SCCIT in small ruminants in Punjab Pakistan.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To investigate the percentage reactor animals to SCCIT in sheep and goat the present study was carried out by using bovine and avian PPDs at 7 Livestock Experiment stations of Punjab and villages around two cities. The overall percentage of reactor animals to SCCIT at farms in sheep and goat was 0.9% and 2.4%, while it was 0.4% and 0.0% around two cities, respectively. 100% of goat and 86% of sheep farms under study had positive reactor animals. The reactor animals to SCCIT around two cities were 0% in goat and 0.4% in sheep. Goats (P<0.05) and sheep (P<0.001) kept with large ruminants at farms had higher percent...
Source: Acta Tropica - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Javed MT, Munir A, Shahid M, Severi G, Irfan M, Aranaz A, Cagiola M Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Influence of habitat and seasonal variation on wild mammal diversity and distribution with special reference to the Trypanosoma brucei gambiense host-reservoir in Bipindi (Cameroon).Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
To evaluate the role of wildlife in the resurgence and perenisation of human African trypanosomiasis (HAT), we investigated the influence of habitat and seasonal variations on the diversity and spatial distribution of wild mammals, with special reference to those recognised as potential host reservoirs of Trypanosoma brucei gambiense in Bipindi (southwestern Cameroon). To achieve this, we carried out transect surveys in four habitat types over two years. A total of 31 mammal species were recorded, of which 14 occurred in the undisturbed forest, 9 in cocoa plantations, 11 in farmlands and 11 in village-adjacent gallery ...
Source: Acta Tropica - August 31, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Anselme MJ, Champlain DL, Flobert N, Claude L, Ploeg JD Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Successful elimination of onchocerciasis (river blindness) vectors from isolated foci in two African countries.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
PMID: 19619685 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Acta Tropica)
Source: Acta Tropica - July 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Brattig NW Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The elimination of the onchocerciasis vector from the island of Bioko as a result of larviciding by the WHO African Programme for Onchocerciasis Control.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The island of Bioko is part of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea and is the only island in the World to have endemic onchocerciasis. The disease is hyperendemic and shows a forest-type epidemiology with low levels of blindness and high levels of skin disease, and the whole population of 68,000 is estimated to be at risk. Control of onchocerciasis began in 1990 using ivermectin and this yielded significant clinical benefits but transmission was not interrupted. Feasibility and preparatory studies carried out between 1995 and 2002 confirmed the probable isolation of the vector on the island, the high vectorial efficiency...
Source: Acta Tropica - July 24, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Traoré S, Wilson MD, Sima A, Barro T, Diallo A, Aké A, Coulibaly S, Cheke RA, Meyer RR, Mas J, McCall PJ, Post RJ, Zouré H, Noma M, Yaméogo L, Sékétéli AV, Amazigo UV Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Genetic basis of multidrug resistance in Salmonella enterica serovars Enteritidis and Typhimurium isolated from diarrheic calves in Egypt.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Up to this date, nothing is known about the molecular basis of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella isolated from animals in Africa. Therefore, this study was carried out to screen the incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains of Salmonella from neonatal calf diarrhea in Egypt and also to characterize the molecular basis of this resistance. Nine unique Salmonella isolates were obtained from 220 fecal samples, and six of these showed multidrug resistance phenotypes and harbored at least two antimicrobial resistance genes. Four were Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and two were S. enterica serovar Enteritid...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ahmed AM, Younis EE, Ishida Y, Shimamoto T Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Praziquantel: neglected drug? Ineffective treatment? Or therapeutic choice in cystic hydatid disease?Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The role of praziquantel in hydatid disease has not been well defined. This review evaluates the evidence on the use of praziquantel in treatment of cystic hydatid disease from in vitro and in vivo animal studies, human clinical studies and case reports. Praziquantel may prevent the vesicular evolution of protoscoleces and inhibit the formation of secondary cysts. It may also contribute to the loss of viability of small cysts before cyst differentiation and development of the fibrous adventitial layer. There is some evidence to support a role for the use of praziquantel in combination with albendazole in pre- and post-...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bygott JM, Chiodini PL Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Fluke egg characteristics for the diagnosis of human and animal fascioliasis by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In trematodiases, shape and size of the fluke eggs shed with faeces are crucial diagnostic features because of their typically reduced intraspecific variability. In fascioliasis, the usual diagnosis during the biliary stage of infection is based on the classification of eggs found in stools, duodenal contents or bile. The aim of the present study is to validate the identification of Fasciola species based on the shape and size of eggs shed by humans, characterizing their morphometric traits using a computer image analysis system (CIAS). The influence of both the geographical location and of the host (human and livestoc...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Valero MA, Perez-Crespo I, Periago MV, Khoubbane M, Mas-Coma S Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Epidemiological situation of malaria in Madagascar: baseline data for monitoring the impact of malaria control programmes using serological markers.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The aim of this study was to provide baseline information of the epidemiological situation of malaria in Madagascar using serological markers. We carried out cross-sectional studies in schoolchildren from eight sites in the four different malarious epidemiological strata of Madagascar. We studied the prevalence of anti-MSP1 antibodies to assess the burden, and anti-CSP antibodies to estimate the transmission intensity, of malaria. The overall prevalence of each antibody tested was 46.1% for anti-PfMSP-1, 15.2% for anti-PvMSP-1, 14.9% for anti-PfCSP, 4.9% for anti-PvCSP and 2.4% for anti-PmCSP. The prevalence of the fiv...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Razakandrainibe R, Thonier V, Ratsimbasoa A, Rakotomalala E, Ravaoarisoa E, Raherinjafy R, Andrianantenaina H, Voahanginirina O, Rahasana TE, Carod JF, Domarle O, Menard D Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Synthesis and screening of 1-methyl-4-substituted benzoyl piperazides against adult Setaria digitata for antifilarial activity.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There is no safe and effective drug for killing the adult worms for the elimination/control of lymphatic filariasis and research is very much warranted towards the development of a macrofilaricidal drug. Therefore, the synthesis and evaluation of 1-N-methyl-substituted benzoyl/phenyl acetyl piperazides for macrofilaricidal activity were carried out. The title compounds, 1-N-methyl-substituted benzoyl/phenyl acetyl piperazides were synthesized and purified by slightly modifying the reported procedure and characterized by FT-IR, NMR and mass spectral data. The compounds were screened for macrofilaricidal activity against...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Kalyanasundaram M, Mathew N, Paily KP, Prabakaran G Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

The additional benefit of the ML Flow test to classify leprosy patients.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The use of the skin lesion counting classification leads to both under and over diagnosis of leprosy in many instances. Thus, there is a need to complement this classification with another simple and robust test for use in the field. Data of 202 untreated leprosy patients diagnosed at FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was analyzed. There were 90 patients classified as PB and 112 classified as MB according to the reference standard. The BI was positive in 111 (55%) patients and the ML Flow test in 116 (57.4%) patients. The ML Flow test was positive in 95 (86%) of the patients with a positive BI. The lesion counting class...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Bührer-Sékula S, Illarramendi X, Teles RB, Penna ML, Nery JA, Sales AM, Oskam L, Sampaio EP, Sarno EN Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Molecular epidemiology of Brazilian Biomphalaria: a review of the identification of species and the detection of infected snails.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The three vector species of Schistosoma mansoni in Brazil, Biomphalaria glabrata, B. tenagophila and B. straminea show different susceptibility levels to the trematode besides a wide geographical distribution. The identification of such molluscs is important to further understand the disease epidemiology. Considering the fact that morphological identification may become difficult or even impossible under particular circumstances, the use of molecular-based methods have permitted the generation of more consistent information concerning the population structure of Biomphalaria furthering knowledge on taxonomy and diagnos...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Caldeira RL, Jannotti-Passos LK, Carvalho OS Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

TESA-blot for the diagnosis of Chagas disease in dogs from co-endemic regions for Trypanosoma cruzi, Trypanosoma evansi and Leishmania chagasi.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We standardized serodiagnosis of dogs infected with Trypanosoma cruzi using TESA (trypomastigote excreted-secreted antigen)-blot developed for human Chagas disease. TESA-blot showed 100% sensitivity and specificity. In contrast, ELISA using TESA (TESA-ELISA) or epimastigotes (epi-ELISA) as antigen yielded 100% sensitivity but specificity of 94.1% and 49.4%, respectively. When used in field studies in an endemic region for Chagas disease, visceral leishmaniasis and Trypanosoma evansi (Mato Grosso do Sul state, Central Brazil), positivities were 9.3% for TESA-blot, 10.7% for TESA-ELISA and 32% for epi-ELISA. Dogs from a ...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Umezawa ES, Souza AI, Pinedo-Cancino V, Marcondes M, Marcili A, Camargo LM, Camacho AA, Stolf AM, Teixeira MM Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Low efficacy of chloroquine: time to switchover to artemisinin-based combination therapy for falciparum malaria in India.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Drug resistance in Plasmodium falciparum poses a major threat to malaria control globally; including India. Chloroquine is still the most widely used drug in the country because of its safety and cost effectiveness. Although chloroquine resistance was first reported in 1973 in North Eastern India, the extent of the problem was realized only after the more intensive 28-day drug efficacy studies were used to monitor drug resistance. In the present study, efficacy of chloroquine in treatment of uncomplicated falciparum malaria was investigated using standard World Health Organization (WHO) procedures in three distinct epi...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Valecha N, Joshi H, Mallick PK, Sharma SK, Kumar A, Tyagi PK, Shahi B, Das MK, Nagpal BN, Dash AP Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Freshwater snail diversity in Benin (West Africa) with a focus on human schistosomiasis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The aim of this study was to conduct a large-scale freshwater snail survey in Benin to assess the malacological diversity and the larval trematode infections with a focus on Schistosoma genus. We conducted 82 freshwater snail surveys in 35 sites ranked in 4 types and belonging to 9 out of 12 departments. Among 19,200 collected snails, 11 species of freshwater snails were identified. Four species of human schistosome transmitting snails, Bulinus forskalii, B. globosus, B. truncatus and Biomphalaria pfeifferi and seven species of non-human schistosome transmitting snails. Although B. forskalii and B. globosus were the mo...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Ibikounlé M, Mouahid G, Sakiti NG, Massougbodji A, Moné H Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Development of a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method based on amplification of mitochondrial DNA to detect Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In this study we standardized a new technical approach in which the target mitochondrial DNA sequence (mtDNA) is amplified using a simple but sensitive PCR method as a tool to detect Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax. Specific primers were designed to hybridize with cytochrome c oxidase genes of P. falciparum (cox III) and P. vivax (cox I). Amplification products were obtained for all positive samples, presenting homology only for species-specific mtDNA. Sensitivity and specificity were 100%. The applicability of the method was tested in a cross-sectional study, in which 88 blood samples from individuals naturally...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Cunha MG, Medina TS, Oliveira SG, Marinho AN, Póvoa MM, Ribeiro-dos-Santos AK Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals

Detection of circulating antigen in serum of mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum by immunomagnetic bead ELISA based on IgY.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We developed a novel immunomagnetic bead ELISA based on IgY (egg yolk immunoglobulin) for detection of circulating antigen (CA) in sera of mice infected with Schistosoma japonicum. The assay involved the use of chicken polyclonal antibodies IgY against soluble egg antigens (SEA) of S. japonicum as a capture antibody and anti-SEA mouse monoclonal antibody NP28-5B labeled horseradish peroxidase (HRP) as a detecting antibody. Two groups of BALB/c mice infected with S. japonicum cercariae were used: lightly infected mice (infected with 10 S. japonicum cercariae) and heavily infected mice (infected with 30 S. japonicum cerc...
Source: Acta Tropica - June 27, 2009 Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Lei JH, Liu WQ, Sun CS, Tang CL, Li MJ, Chen YL, Li YL Tags: Acta Trop Source Type: journals