Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| ivermectin treatment in patients with onchocerciasis-associated epilepsy: protocol of a randomized clinical trial. | many studies have reported an association between epilepsy, nodding syndrome (ns), and onchocerciasis (river blindness). a high prevalence of epilepsy has been noted particularly in onchocerciasis hyperendemic areas where onchocerciasis is not or insufficiently controlled with mass ivermectin distribution. there is evidence that increasing the coverage of ivermectin reduces the incidence of epilepsy, and anecdotal evidence suggests a reduction in seizure frequency in onchocerciasis-associated ep ... | 2017 | 28855148 |
| incidental finding observed on a blood smear. | filariases are infections caused by distinct species of nematodes. these infections are transmitted through insect bites and primarily affect lymph nodes and skin. filariases are classified as neglected diseases and affect millions, producing severe disability and social stigma. this type of infection is rarely diagnosed in travellers, as prolonged stays in endemic areas are usually required acquire infection. infections may be asymptomatic, and clinical manifestations depend on the host immune ... | 2017 | 28760711 |
| a novel rapid test for detecting antibody responses to loa loa infections. | ivermectin-based mass drug administration (mda) programs have achieved remarkable success towards the elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. however, their full implementation has been hindered in central africa by the occurrence of ivermectin-related severe adverse events (saes) in a subset of individuals with high circulating levels of loa loa microfilariae. extending mda to areas with coincident l. loa infection is problematic, and inexpensive point-of-care tests for l. loa a ... | 2017 | 28749939 |
| ivermectin treatment of loa loa hyper-microfilaraemic baboons (papio anubis): assessment of microfilarial load reduction, haematological and biochemical parameters and histopathological changes following treatment. | individuals with high intensity of loa loa are at risk of developing serious adverse events (saes) post treatment with ivermectin. these saes have remained unclear and a programmatic impediment to the advancement of community directed treatment with ivermectin. the pathogenesis of these saes following ivermectin has never been investigated experimentally. the loa/baboon (papio anubis) model can be used to investigate the pathogenesis of loa-associated encephalopathy following ivermectin treatmen ... | 2017 | 28686693 |
| discovery of specific antigens that can predict microfilarial intensity in loa loa infection. | antigen-based immunoassays are currently needed for point-of-care quantification of loa loa microfilariae (mf). coupling transcriptomic approaches with bioinformatic analysis, we have identified 11 specific putative proteins (coding mrnas) with potential utility as biomarkers of patent (mf (+) ) l. loa infection. we successfully developed antigen capture immunoassays to quantify 2 (loag_14221 and loag_15846) of these proteins in individual plasma/serum samples. of the 2 quantifiable circulating ... | 2017 | 28637911 |
| central and peripheral nervous system disorders following ivermectin mass administration: a descriptive study based on the democratic republic of congo pharmacovigilance system. | the mainstay of onchocerciasis control currently is mass administration of ivermectin; however, this may be associated with serious adverse events, including deaths, when administered in areas where onchocerciasis and loiasis are co-endemic. | 2017 | 28600751 |
| validation of onchocerciasis biomarker n-acetyltyramine-o-glucuronide (natog). | the neglected tropical disease onchocerciasis is a parasitic disease. despite many control programmes by the world health organization (who), large communities in west and central africa are still affected. besides logistic challenges during biannual mass drug administration, the lack of a robust, point-of-care diagnostic is limiting successful eradication of onchocerciasis. towards the implementation of a non-invasive and point-of-care diagnostic, we have recently reported the discovery of the ... | 2017 | 28600214 |
| loa loa vectors chrysops spp.: perspectives on research, distribution, bionomics, and implications for elimination of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. | loiasis is a filarial disease caused loa loa. the main vectors are chrysops silacea and c. dimidiata which are confined to the tropical rainforests of central and west africa. loiasis is a mild disease, but individuals with high microfilaria loads may suffer from severe adverse events if treated with ivermectin during mass drug administration campaigns for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. this poses significant challenges for elimination programmes and alternative inte ... | 2017 | 28381279 |
| effect of 3 years of biannual mass drug administration with albendazole on lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections: a community-based study in republic of the congo. | the standard treatment strategy of mass drug administration with ivermectin plus albendazole for lymphatic filariasis cannot be applied in central africa, because of the risk of serious adverse events in people with high loa loa microfilaraemia. thus, alternative strategies are needed. we investigated one such alternative strategy for mass drug administration for elimination of lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections in republic of the congo. | 2017 | 28372977 |
| elimination of lymphatic filariasis in loa loa areas. | 2017 | 28372976 | |
| posttreatment reactions after single-dose diethylcarbamazine or ivermectin in subjects with loa loa infection. | severe adverse reactions have been observed in individuals with loa loa infection treated with either diethylcarbamazine (dec), the drug of choice for loiasis, or ivermectin (ivm), which is used in mass drug administration programs for control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis in africa. in this study, posttreatment clinical and immunologic reactions were compared following single-dose therapy with dec or ivm to assess whether these reactions have the same underlying pathophysiology. | 2017 | 28329346 |
| demography, maternal health and the epidemiology of malaria and other major infectious diseases in the rural department tsamba-magotsi, ngounie province, in central african gabon. | sub-saharan africa is undergoing an epidemiological transition from a predominance of infectious diseases to non-communicable and lifestyle related conditions. however, the pace of this transition and the pattern of disease epidemiology are uneven between affluent urban and rural poor populations. to address this question for a remote rural region located in the central african rainforest region of gabon, this study was conducted to assess reasons for health care attendance and to characterize t ... | 2017 | 28129759 |
| loiasis in us traveler returning from bioko island, equatorial guinea, 2016. | the filarial parasite loa loa overlaps geographically with onchocera volvulus and wuchereria bancrofti filariae in central africa. accurate information regarding this overlap is critical to elimination programs targeting o. volvulus and w. bancrofti. we describe a case of loiasis in a traveler returning from bioko island, equatorial guinea, a location heretofore unknown for l. loa transmission. | 2017 | 27983940 |
| using community-level prevalence of loa loa infection to predict the proportion of highly-infected individuals: statistical modelling to support lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis elimination programs. | lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis (river blindness) constitute pressing public health issues in tropical regions. global elimination programs, involving mass drug administration (mda), have been launched by the world health organisation. although the drugs used are generally well tolerated, individuals who are highly co-infected with loa loa are at risk of experiencing serious adverse events. highly infected individuals are more likely to be found in communities with high prevalence. an un ... | 2016 | 27906982 |
| an isothermal dna amplification method for detection of onchocerca volvulus infection in skin biopsies. | diagnostic procedures for the diagnosis of infection with the nematode parasite onchocerca volvulus are currently based on the microscopic detection of microfilariae in skin biopsies. alternative approaches based on amplification of parasitic dna in these skin biopsies are currently being explored. mostly this is based on the detection of the o-150 repeat sequence using pcr based techniques. | 2016 | 27906100 |
| protein translation enzyme lysyl-trna synthetase presents a new target for drug development against causative agents of loiasis and schistosomiasis. | helminth parasites are an assemblage of two major phyla of nematodes (also known as roundworms) and platyhelminths (also called flatworms). these parasites are a major human health burden, and infections caused by helminths are considered under neglected tropical diseases (ntds). these infections are typified by limited clinical treatment options and threat of drug resistance. aminoacyl-trna synthetases (aarss) are vital enzymes that decode genetic information and enable protein translation. the ... | 2016 | 27806050 |
| excess mortality associated with loiasis: a retrospective population-based cohort study. | the burden of loiasis has received limited attention and loiasis is still considered a benign condition. to assess whether loiasis bears any excess mortality, we did a retrospective cohort study in cameroon. | 2017 | 27777031 |
| positivity of antigen tests used for diagnosis of lymphatic filariasis in individuals without wuchereria bancrofti infection but with high loa loa microfilaremia. | since the mid-2000s, the immunochromatographic card test (ict), a point-of-care test for detecting wuchereria bancrofti circulating filarial antigens (cfas), has been the backbone for mapping and monitoring lymphatic filariasis (lf) worldwide. recently, there have been instances in which cfa positivity has been associated with loa loa microfilaremia. here, we examined the association, at both the community and individual levels, between l. loa and cfa using additional diagnostic tools (quantitat ... | 2016 | 27729568 |
| filaricidal activities on onchocerca ochengi and loa loa, toxicity and phytochemical screening of extracts of tragia benthami and piper umbellatum. | onchocerciasis is the world's second leading infectious cause of blindness. its control is currently hampered by the lack of a macrofilaricidal drug and by severe adverse events observed when the lone recommended microfilaricide, ivermectin is administered to individuals co-infected with loa loa. therefore, there is the need for a safe and effective macrofilaricidal drug that will be able to cure the infection and break transmission cycles, or at least, an alternative microfilaricide that does n ... | 2016 | 27576736 |
| development and validation of an onchocerca ochengi microfilarial hamster model for onchocerciasis drug screens. | onchocerciasis, caused by the parasitic nematode, onchocerca volvulus afflicts some 37 million people worldwide, and is the second leading infectious cause of blindness globally. the only currently recommended drug for treatment of the disease, ivermectin, is only microfilaricidal and has serious adverse effects in individuals co-infected with high loads of loa loa microfilariae (mf), prompting the search for new and better drugs. onchocerciasis drug discovery studies have so far been based on i ... | 2016 | 27515037 |
| anterior chamber live loa loa: case report. | we reported a case of unusual intraocular loa loa in a 27-year-old patient who presented with painful red eye. biomicroscopy revealed a living and active adult worm in the anterior chamber of the right eye. after surgical extraction under local anesthesia, parasitological identification confirmed l. loa filariasis. | 2016 | 27441005 |
| a pediatric case of thelaziasis in korea. | in the present study, we intended to report a clinical pediatric case of thelaziasis in korea. in addition, we briefly reviewed the literature on pediatric cases of thelaziasis in korea. in the present case, 3 whitish, thread-like eye-worms were detected in a 6-year-old-boy living in an urban area and contracted an ocular infection known as thelaziasis incidentally during ecological agritainment. this is the first report of pediatric thelaziasis in seoul after 1995. | 2016 | 27417087 |
| therapeutic apheresis using a mononuclear cell program to lower the microfilaria burden of a 23-year-old african woman with loiasis. | apheresis has been used to lower the parasite burden of patients with loa loa infection, but there are no reports regarding how to do this using modern, continuous flow equipment with a currently available program. a 23-year-old female refugee from cameroon with known loa loa infection presented to our emergency department with acute mental status changes and a picture of encephalitis. lumbar puncture revealed loa loa in her cerebrospinal fluid. her midday blood microfilaria count was 15,000/ml. ... | 2016 | 27302472 |
| risk factors for epilepsy in bas-uélé province, democratic republic of the congo: a case-control study. | the reason for the high prevalence of epilepsy in onchocerciasis endemic areas remains unknown. the aim of this study was to detect risk factors associated with epilepsy in a region endemic for onchocerciasis. | 2016 | 27210267 |
| first report of thelazia callipaeda infection in wild european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) in portugal. | thelazia callipaeda is a zoonotic nematode that affects the eyes of domestic and wild animals, including dogs, cats and red foxes. this parasitic eye worm is transmitted by phortica variegata, which is a zoophilic fruit fly spread in europe. two wild european rabbits (oryctolagus cuniculus) found dead in north-eastern portugal were submitted to necropsy. | 2016 | 27160400 |
| further evidence of the cross-reactivity of the binax now® filariasis ict cards to non-wuchereria bancrofti filariae: experimental studies with loa loa and onchocerca ochengi. | the immunochromatographic test (ict) for lymphatic filariasis is a serological test designed for unequivocal detection of circulating wuchereria bancrofti antigen. it was validated and promoted by who as the primary diagnostic tool for mapping and impact monitoring for disease elimination following interventions. the initial tests for specificity and sensitivity were based on samples collected in areas free of loiasis and the results suggested a near 100% specificity for w. bancrofti. the possib ... | 2016 | 27151313 |
| a step toward eradication of human filariases in areas where loa is endemic. | mass drug administration (mda) programs have achieved remarkable success in limiting the pathology and transmission of the human parasitic infections onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. the full implementation of mda campaigns for filariasis elimination has been stymied by the unacceptable incidence of severe adverse events observed following drug treatment of a subset of individuals who harbor high loads of loa loa microfilaria. extending mda strategies to regions where loiasis is coendemi ... | 2016 | 27073095 |
| adult loa loa filarial worm in the anterior chamber of the eye: a first report from savanna belt of northern nigeria. | 2016 | 27054771 | |
| molecular epidemiology of blood-borne human parasites in a loa loa-, mansonella perstans-, and plasmodium falciparum-endemic region of cameroon. | the study of the interactions among parasites within their hosts is crucial to the understanding of epidemiology of disease and for the design of effective control strategies. we have conducted an assessment of infections with loa loa, mansonella perstans, wuchereria bancrofti, and plasmodium falciparum in eastern cameroon using a highly sensitive and specific quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay using archived dried whole blood spots. the resident population (n = 1,085) was parasitized ... | 2016 | 27044568 |
| effect of two or six doses 800 mg of albendazole every two months on loa loa microfilaraemia: a double blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. | loiasis is a parasitic infection endemic in the african rain forest caused by the filarial nematode loa loa. loiasis can be co-endemic with onchocerciasis and/or lymphatic filariasis. ivermectin, the drug used in the control of these diseases, can induce serious adverse reactions in patients with high l loa microfilaraemia (llm). a drug is needed which can lower llm below the level that represents a risk so that ivermectin mass treatment to support onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis elimina ... | 2016 | 26967331 |
| differential evolutionary selection and natural evolvability observed in alt proteins of human filarial parasites. | the abundant larval transcript (alt-2) protein is present in all members of the filarioidea, and has been reported as a potential candidate antigen for a subunit vaccine against lymphatic filariasis. to assess the potential for vaccine escape or heterologous protection, we examined the evolutionary selection acting on alt-2. the ratios of nonsynonymous (k(a)) to synonymous (k(s)) mutation frequencies (ω) were calculated for the alt-2 genes of the lymphatic filariasis agents brugia malayi and wuc ... | 2016 | 26890364 |
| identification and validation of loa loa microfilaria-specific biomarkers: a rational design approach using proteomics and novel immunoassays. | immunoassays are currently needed to quantify loa loa microfilariae (mf). to address this need, we have conducted proteomic and bioinformatic analyses of proteins present in the urine of a loa mf-infected patient and used this information to identify putative biomarkers produced by l. loa mf. in total, 70 of the 15,444 described putative l. loa proteins were identified. of these 70, 18 were l. loa mf specific, and 2 of these 18 (loag_16297 and loag_17808) were biologically immunogenic. we develo ... | 2016 | 26884435 |
| absence of the filarial endosymbiont wolbachia in seal heartworm (acanthocheilonema spirocauda) but evidence of ancient lateral gene transfer. | the symbiotic relationship of wolbachia spp. was first observed in insects and subsequently in many parasitic filarial nematodes. this bacterium is believed to provide metabolic and developmental assistance to filarial parasitic nematodes, although the exact nature of this relationship remains to be fully elucidated. while wolbachia is present in most filarial nematodes in the family onchocercidae, it is absent in several disparate species such as the human parasite loa loa . all tested members ... | 2016 | 26859724 |
| doxycycline plus ivermectin versus ivermectin alone for treatment of patients with onchocerciasis. | onchocerciasis, also known as "river blindness," is a parasitic disease that is caused by infection from the filarial nematode (roundworm), onchocerca volvulus. nematodes are transmitted from person to person by blackflies of the simulium genus, which usually breed in fast flowing streams and rivers. the disease is the second leading infectious cause of blindness in endemic areas.ivermectin (a microfilaricide) is widely distributed to endemic populations for prevention and treatment of onchocerc ... | 2016 | 26771164 |
| loa loa in the vitreous cavity of the eye. | a 25-year-old man presented with painful diminution of vision (20/160), accompanied by redness, pain and floaters, over a period of 2 weeks, in his left eye. on examination, the anterior segment revealed moderate inflammation. posterior segment examination showed a grade one vitreous haze with a fairly long live worm moving around in a haphazard and relentless manner throughout the vitreous cavity. the media was slightly hazy due to corneal oedema. the worm was clearly visible in the fundus phot ... | 2016 | 26746839 |
| relationship between oral declaration on adherence to ivermectin treatment and parasitological indicators of onchocerciasis in an area of persistent transmission despite a decade of mass drug administration in cameroon. | onchocerciasis control for years has been based on mass drug administration (mda) with ivermectin (ivm). adherence to ivm repeated treatment has recently been shown to be a confounding factor for onchocerciasis elimination precisely in rain forest areas where transmission continues and loa loa co-exists with onchocerca volvulus. in this study, participants' oral declarations were used as proxy to determine the relationship between adherence to ivm treatment and parasitological indicators of onch ... | 2015 | 26715524 |
| [subconjunctival migration of a loa loa parasite]. | 2015 | 26616300 | |
| transcriptome analysis of stress tolerance in entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus steinernema. | entomopathogenic nematodes of the genus steinernema are effective biological control agents. the infective stage of these parasites can withstand environmental stresses such as desiccation and heat, but the molecular and physiological mechanisms involved in this tolerance are poorly understood. we used 454 pyrosequencing to analyse transcriptome expression in steinernema spp. that differ in their tolerance to stress. we compared these species, following heat and desiccation treatments, with thei ... | 2016 | 26598027 |
| parasitological, hematological and biochemical characteristics of a model of hyper-microfilariaemic loiasis (loa loa) in the baboon (papio anubis). | loiasis, a filarial infection caused by loa loa usually thought to cause relatively minor morbidity, can cause serious and often fatal reactions in patients carrying very high levels of circulating loa loa microfilariae (mf) following administration of microfilaricidal drugs. an experimental model of this condition would greatly aid the definition of the optimal management of this important clinical presentation. | 2015 | 26555070 |
| cross-reactivity of filariais ict cards in areas of contrasting endemicity of loa loa and mansonella perstans in cameroon: implications for shrinking of the lymphatic filariasis map in the central african region. | immunochromatographic card test (ict) is a tool to map the distribution of wuchereria bancrofti. in areas highly endemic for loaisis in drc and cameroon, a relationship has been envisaged between high l. loa microfilaria (mf) loads and ict positivity. however, similar associations have not been demonstrated from other areas with contrasting levels of l. loa endemicity. this study investigated the cross-reactivity of ict when mapping lymphatic filariasis (lf) in areas with contrasting endemicity ... | 2015 | 26544042 |
| thelazia callipaeda--first human case of thelaziosis in croatia. | a case of the first ocular thelaziosis in a human male patient in croatia is presented. thelaziosis is a zoonosis caused by the nematodes of the genus thelazia. in all, two types of the genus have been described as causes of infection in humans, thelazia callipaeda and thelazia californiensis. this zoonosis, called "oriental eye worm" is very rare in humans in european countries, with high incidence in asian countries, especially in china, thailand, and japan. | 2016 | 26542130 |
| mansonella, including a potential new species, as common parasites in children in gabon. | like other tropical african countries, gabon is afflicted by many parasitic diseases, including filariases such as loiasis and mansonellosis. this study aimed to assess the prevalence of these two filarial diseases in febrile and afebrile children using quantitative real-time pcr and standard pcr assays coupled with sequencing. | 2015 | 26484866 |
| genome filtering for new dna biomarkers of loa loa infection suitable for loop-mediated isothermal amplification. | loa loa infections have emerged as a serious public health problem in patients co-infected with onchocerca volvulus or wuchereria bancrofti because of severe adverse neurological reactions after treatment with ivermectin. accurate diagnostic tests are needed for careful mapping in regions where mass drug administration is underway. loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) has become a widely adopted screening method because of its operational simplicity, rapidity and versatility of visual d ... | 2015 | 26414073 |
| hypo-endemic onchocerciasis hotspots: defining areas of high risk through micro-mapping and environmental delineation. | onchocerciasis (river blindness) caused by the parasite onchocercavolvulus and transmitted by riverine simulium spp. (black flies) is targeted for elimination in africa. this is a significant change in strategy from the 'control' of meso- and hyper-endemic areas through mass drug administration (mda) with mectizan® (ivermectin), to the 'elimination' in all endemic areas where a range of interventions may be required. the most significant challenges of elimination in low transmission or hypo-ende ... | 2015 | 26279835 |
| the relationship between microfilaraemic and amicrofilaraemic loiasis involving co-infection with mansonella perstans and clinical symptoms in an exposed population from gabon. | the relationship between the frequency of loiasis objective symptoms and microfilaraemic or amicrofilaraemic infection was assessed in 1148 exposed patients also infected, or not, with mansonella perstans. filarial infections were detected by direct microscopy, leucoconcentration and serology, with prevalence values of 39.5% loa loa, 5.6% m. perstans and 3.4% co-infection with both filarial species. amicrofilaraemic or occult loiasis (ol) predominated among l. loa-infected individuals, with a pr ... | 2016 | 26268068 |
| human onchocerciasis: modelling the potential long-term consequences of a vaccination programme. | currently, the predominant onchocerciasis control strategy in africa is annual mass drug administration (mda) with ivermectin. however, there is a consensus among the global health community, supported by mathematical modelling, that onchocerciasis in africa will not be eliminated within proposed time frameworks in all endemic foci with only annual mda, and novel and alternative strategies are urgently needed. furthermore, use of mda with ivermectin is already compromised in large areas of centr ... | 2015 | 26186715 |
| loiasis in a japanese traveler returning from central africa. | we encountered a probable case of loiasis in a returned traveler from central africa. a 52-year-old japanese woman presented to our hospital complaining of discomfort in her eyes and skin. she reported having frequently visited central africa over many years and having been extensively exposed to the rainforest climate and ecosystem. although no microfilariae were found in her blood, there was an elevated level of igg antibodies against the crude antigens of brugia pahangi, which have cross-reac ... | 2015 | 26161033 |
| clinical features of imported loiasis: a case series from the hospital for tropical diseases, london. | we retrospectively analyzed the background, clinical features, and treatment response of 50 cases of imported loiasis who presented between 2000 and 2014 to the hospital for tropical diseases (htd), london, united kingdom. of them, 29 were migrants from, and 21 were visitors to, countries where the disease is endemic. clinical features differed between these groups. migrants experienced fewer calabar swellings (odds ratio [or] = 0.12), more eye worm (or = 3.4), more microfilaremia (or = 3.5), lo ... | 2015 | 26101271 |
| immunotherapy with mutated onchocystatin fails to enhance the efficacy of a sub-lethal oxytetracycline regimen against onchocerca ochengi. | human onchocerciasis (river blindness), caused by the filarial nematode onchocerca volvulus, has been successfully controlled by a single drug, ivermectin, for over 25 years. ivermectin prevents the disease symptoms of severe itching and visual impairment by killing the microfilarial stage, but does not eliminate the adult parasites, necessitating repeated annual treatments. mass drug administration with ivermectin does not always break transmission in forest zones and is contraindicated in indi ... | 2015 | 26100152 |
| impact of anti-retroviral treatment and cotrimoxazole prophylaxis on helminth infections in hiv-infected patients in lambaréné, gabon. | foci of the hiv epidemic and helminthic infections largely overlap geographically. treatment options for helminth infections are limited, and there is a paucity of drug-development research in this area. limited evidence suggests that antiretroviral therapy (art) reduces prevalence of helminth infections in hiv-infected individuals. we investigated whether art exposure and cotrimoxazole preventive therapy (ctx-p) is associated with a reduced prevalence of helminth infections. | 2015 | 25993501 |
| point-of-care quantification of blood-borne filarial parasites with a mobile phone microscope. | parasitic helminths cause debilitating diseases that affect millions of people in primarily low-resource settings. efforts to eliminate onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis in central africa through mass drug administration have been suspended because of ivermectin-associated serious adverse events, including death, in patients infected with the filarial parasite loa loa. to safely administer ivermectin for onchocerciasis or lymphatic filariasis in regions co-endemic with l. loa, a strategy t ... | 2015 | 25947164 |
| draft genome of neurotropic nematode parasite angiostrongylus cantonensis, causative agent of human eosinophilic meningitis. | angiostrongylus cantonensis is a bursate nematode parasite that causes eosinophilic meningitis (or meningoencephalitis) in humans in many parts of the world. the genomic data from a. cantonensis will form a useful resource for comparative genomic and chemogenomic studies to aid the development of diagnostics and therapeutics. we have sequenced, assembled and annotated the genome of a. cantonensis. the genome size is estimated to be ∼260 mb, with 17,280 genomic scaffolds, 91x coverage, 81.45% for ... | 2015 | 25910624 |
| loa loa infection in pregnant women, gabon. | 2015 | 25897819 | |
| co-endemicity of loiasis and onchocerciasis in rain forest communities in southwestern nigeria. | loiasis is currently receiving attention as a disease of public health importance because of the possibility of increased risk of developing neurologic serious adverse event following mass ivermectin treatment against onchocerciasis in individual co-infected with onchocerca volvulus and loa loa. | 2015 | 25812086 |
| the impact of two semiannual treatments with albendazole alone on lymphatic filariasis and soil-transmitted helminth infections: a community-based study in the republic of congo. | implementation of mass drug administration (mda) with ivermectin plus albendazole (alb) for lymphatic filariasis (lf) has been delayed in central africa because of the risk of serious adverse events in subjects with high loa loa microfilaremia. we conducted a community trial to assess the impact of semiannual mda with alb (400 mg) alone on lf and soil-transmitted helminth (sth) infections in the republic of congo. evaluation at 12 months showed that alb mda had not significantly reduced wucherer ... | 2015 | 25758650 |
| an extremely rare situation - subcutaneously filariasis presented at ed craiova. | a 32 year old male patient presented to the ed craiova with migratory, burning pain, to the right cervical and left upper eyelid. sudden, transient, bilateral knee swelling six months ago. an inflammatory trace and a renitent cord can feel at this level, with spontaneous mobility. a microfilaraemic parasite was surgically extracted from upper eyelid. mobility of the parasite was the key element of an extremely quick and easy diagnosis for a very rare disease but the specific circumstances of the ... | 2017 | 25729596 |
| repurposing auranofin as a lead candidate for treatment of lymphatic filariasis and onchocerciasis. | two major human diseases caused by filariid nematodes are onchocerciasis, or river blindness, and lymphatic filariasis, which can lead to elephantiasis. the drugs ivermectin, diethylcarbamazine (dec), and albendazole are used in control programs for these diseases, but are mainly effective against the microfilarial stage and have minimal or no effect on adult worms. adult onchocerca volvulus and brugia malayi worms (macrofilariae) can live for up to 15 years, reproducing and allowing the infecti ... | 2015 | 25700363 |
| targeting filarial abl-like kinases: orally available, food and drug administration-approved tyrosine kinase inhibitors are microfilaricidal and macrofilaricidal. | elimination of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis is targeted for 2020. given the coincident loa loa infections in central africa and the potential for drug resistance development, the need for new microfilaricides and macrofilaricides has never been greater. with the genomes of l. loa, onchocerca volvulus, wuchereria bancrofti, and brugia malayi available, new drug targets have been identified. | 2015 | 25657255 |
| examination of muscle strength and pressure pain thresholds in knee osteoarthritis: test-retest reliability and agreement. | knee osteoarthritis (oa) is associated with reduced muscle strength and pain sensitization. the purpose of this study was to determine intrarater reliability and agreement (measurement error) of isometric knee extensor and flexor muscle strength assessed using handheld dynamometry and of pressure pain thresholds (ppt; a measure of pain sensitization) from the knee, the leg, and the forearm assessed using handheld algometry in knee oa. | 2015 | 25594517 |
| genome mining offers a new starting point for parasitology research. | parasites including helminthes, protozoa, and medical arthropod vectors are a major cause of global infectious diseases, affecting one-sixth of the world's population, which are responsible for enormous levels of morbidity and mortality important and remain impediments to economic development especially in tropical countries. prevalent drug resistance, lack of highly effective and practical vaccines, as well as specific and sensitive diagnostic markers are proving to be challenging problems in p ... | 2015 | 25563615 |
| cd4+cd25hifoxp3+ cells in cord blood of neonates born from filaria infected mother are negatively associated with cd4+tbet+ and cd4+rorγt+ t cells. | children who have been exposed in utero to maternal filarial infection are immunologically less responsive to filarial antigens, have less pathology, and are more susceptible to acquire infection than offspring of uninfected mothers. moreover children from filaria infected mothers have been shown to be less responsive to vaccination as a consequence of an impairment of their immune response. however, it is not well known how in utero exposure to parasite antigens affects cellular immune response ... | 2014 | 25531674 |
| chemokines responses to plasmodium falciparum malaria and co-infections among rural cameroonians. | malaria remains the major cause of disease morbidity and mortality in sub-saharan africa with complex immune responses associated with disease outcomes. symptoms associated with severe malaria have generally shown chemokine upregulation but little is known of responses to uncomplicated malaria. eight villages in central cameroon of 1045 volunteers were screened. among these, malaria-positive individuals with some healthy controls were selected for chemokine analysis using enzyme-linked immunosor ... | 2015 | 25462711 |
| loa loa and onchocerca ochengi mirnas detected in host circulation. | a combination of deep-sequencing and bioinformatics analysis enabled identification of twenty-two microrna candidates of potential nematode origin in plasma from loa loa-infected baboons and a further ten from the plasma of an onchocerca ochengi-infected cow. the obtained data were compared to results from previous work on mirna candidates from dirofilaria immitis and o. volvulus found in host circulating blood, to examine the species specificity of the released mirna. none of the mirna candidat ... | 2014 | 25461483 |
| novel parasitic nematode-specific protein of bovine filarial parasite setaria digitata displays conserved gene structure and ubiquitous expression. | setaria digitata is an animal filarial parasite, which can cause fatal diseases to livestock such as cattle, sheep, goat, buffaloes, horses etc. inflicting considerable economic losses to livelihood of livestock farmers. in spite of this, the biology and parasitic nature of this organism is largely unknown. as a step towards understanding these, we screened the cdna library of s. digitata and identified an open reading frame that code for parasitic nematode-specific protein, which showed a signi ... | 2014 | 25382479 |
| eosinophil-associated processes underlie differences in clinical presentation of loiasis between temporary residents and those indigenous to loa-endemic areas. | loa loa has emerged as an important public health problem due to the occurrence of immune-mediated severe posttreatment reactions following ivermectin distribution. also thought to be immune-mediated are the dramatic differences seen in clinical presentation between infected temporary residents (tr) and individuals native to endemic regions (end). | 2015 | 25234520 |
| repurposed automated handheld counter as a point-of-care tool to identify individuals 'at risk' of serious post-ivermectin encephalopathy. | administration of ivermectin (ivm) as part of mass drug administration (mda) campaigns for onchocerciasis and/or lymphatic filariasis (lf) has been suspended in areas co-endemic for loa loa due to severe post-treatment adverse events (saes) associated with high-burden of infection (>30,000 mf/ml). one simple approach for preventing saes is to identify and exclude individuals at risk from mda. here, we describe a repurposed hand-held automated cell counter (scepter 2.0; hhac) as a rapid, point-of ... | 2014 | 25232954 |
| filarial antigenemia and loa loa night blood microfilaremia in an area without bancroftian filariasis in the democratic republic of congo. | implementation of mass drug administration for lymphatic filariasis (lf) has been delayed in central africa because of incomplete mapping and coendemic loiasis. we mapped two regions in eastern democratic republic of congo that were suspected to have lf. night blood samples were collected from 2,724 subjects in 30 villages. filarial antigenemia rates by card test exceeded 1% in 28 villages (range = 0-14%). prevalence rates for large sheathed microfilariae (mf) ranged from 4% to 40%; mansonella p ... | 2014 | 25223938 |
| single molecule sequencing and genome assembly of a clinical specimen of loa loa, the causative agent of loiasis. | more than 20% of the world's population is at risk for infection by filarial nematodes and >180 million people worldwide are already infected. along with infection comes significant morbidity that has a socioeconomic impact. the eight filarial nematodes that infect humans are wuchereria bancrofti, brugia malayi, brugia timori, onchocerca volvulus, loa loa, mansonella perstans, mansonella streptocerca, and mansonella ozzardi, of which three have published draft genome sequences. since all have hu ... | 2014 | 25217238 |
| multidimensional complexities of filariasis control in an era of large-scale mass drug administration programmes: a can of worms. | the impact of control and elimination programmes by mass drug administration (mda) targeting onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (lf) in sub-saharan africa over the last two decades has resulted in significantly reduced prevalence and intensity of infection, with some areas interrupting transmission. however, given that these infections are often co-endemic and the drugs (either ivermectin alone or combined with albendazole) also impact on soil transmitted helminths (sth), the importance of ... | 2014 | 25128408 |
| human ocular thelaziasis in karnataka. | thelaziasis is an arthropod-born disease of the eye and adnexa caused by thelazia callipaeda, a nematode parasite transmitted by drosophilid flies to carnivores and humans. because of its distribution mainly confined to south asian countries and russia, it is commonly known as oriental eye worm. it is often under-reported and not been given its due clinical importance. we report first case of human thelaziasis from hassan district, karnataka. five creamy-white, translucent worms were removed fro ... | 2014 | 25116781 |
| molecular cloning and analysis of ancylostoma ceylanicum glutamate-cysteine ligase. | glutamate-cysteine ligase (gcl) is a heterodimer enzyme composed of a catalytic subunit (gclc) and a modifier subunit (gclm). this enzyme catalyses the synthesis of γ-glutamylcysteine, a precursor of glutathione. cdnas of the putative glutamate-cysteine ligase catalytic (ace-gclc) and modifier subunits (ace-gclm) of ancylostoma ceylanicum were cloned using the race-pcr amplification method. the ace-gclc and ace-gclm cdnas encode proteins with 655 and 254 amino acids and calculated molecular mass ... | 2014 | 25092620 |
| innovative tools for assessing risks for severe adverse events in areas of overlapping loa loa and other filarial distributions: the application of micro-stratification mapping. | the wide distribution of loa loa infection (loiasis) throughout the democratic republic of congo (drc) is a major obstacle to the plans to eliminate onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (lf) because the standard drug regime is dependent on ivermectin, which cannot be used in co-endemic areas due to the risk of severe adverse events (saes). a better understanding of the micro-epidemiology, overlapping low and high risk areas, and how they relate to saes is critical to ensure safe and effective ... | 2014 | 24992829 |
| epidemiology of the eye worm thelazia callipaeda in cats from southern switzerland. | thelazia callipaeda is a spiruroid nematode of dogs, cats and wild carnivores transmitted by zoophilic drosophilid phortica flies and found in an increasing number of european countries. in cats the disease is diagnosed sporadically. this study presents an epidemiological investigation of feline thelaziosis, performed in southern ticino, switzerland, an endemic area for t. callipaeda. between january 2009 and july 2011 2171 cats, having outdoor access and presenting for various reasons, were exa ... | 2014 | 24810375 |
| tabanids: neglected subjects of research, but important vectors of disease agents! | tabanids are nuisance pests for people and livestock because of their painful and irritating bite, persistent biting behavior, and blood ingestion. about 4400 tabanid species have been described; they are seasonally present in all kinds of landscapes, latitudes, and altitudes. high populations have a significant economic impact on outdoor activities, tourism, and livestock production. tabanids are also vectors of animal disease agents, including viruses, bacteria and parasites. however, tabanids ... | 2014 | 24727644 |
| development of a highly sensitive loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) method for the detection of loa loa. | the filarial parasite loa loa, the causative agent of loiasis, is endemic in central and western africa infecting 3-13 million people. l. loa has been associated with fatal encephalopathic reactions in high loa-infected individuals receiving ivermectin during mass drug administration programs for the control of onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis. in endemic areas, the only diagnostic method routinely used is the microscopic examination of mid-day blood samples by thick blood film. improved ... | 2014 | 24722638 |
| loop-mediated isothermal amplification for rapid and semiquantitative detection of loa loa infection. | rapid and accurate tests are currently needed to identify individuals with high levels of loa loa microfilaria (mf), so that these individuals may be excluded from mass ivermectin administration campaigns against onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis being conducted in areas where onchocerca volvulus, wuchereria bancrofti, and l. loa are coendemic. to address this need, colorimetric loop-mediated isothermal amplification (lamp) assays targeting the l. loa-specific gene sequences llmf72 and llm ... | 2014 | 24696020 |
| molecular characterization and functional analysis of serine/threonine protein phosphatase of toxocara canis. | toxocara canis (t. canis) is a widely prevalent zoonotic parasite that infects a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans. we generated the full-length complementary dna (cdna) of the serine/threonine phosphatase gene of t. canis (tc stp) using 5' rapid amplification of the cdna ends. the 1192-bp sequence contained a continuous 942-nucleotide open reading frame, encoding a 313-amino-acid polypeptide. the tc stp polypeptide shares a high level of amino-acid sequence identity with the predi ... | 2014 | 24657583 |
| coinfection with herpes zoster ophthalmicus and oriental eye worm in a rural woman: the first report of an unusual case. | 2014 | 24648704 | |
| expression of translationally controlled tumor protein (tctp) gene of dirofilaria immitis guided by transcriptomic screening. | dirofilaria immitis (heartworm) infections affect domestic dogs, cats, and various wild mammals with increasing incidence in temperate and tropical areas. more sensitive antibody detection methodologies are required to diagnose asymptomatic dirofilariasis with low worm burdens. applying current transcriptomic technologies would be useful to discover potential diagnostic markers for d. immitis infection. a filarial homologue of the mammalian translationally controlled tumor protein (tctp) was ini ... | 2014 | 24623877 |
| comparative bioinformatics, temporal and spatial expression analyses of ixodes scapularis organic anion transporting polypeptides. | organic anion-transporting polypeptides (oatps) are an integral part of the detoxification mechanism in vertebrates and invertebrates. these cell surface proteins are involved in mediating the sodium-independent uptake and/or distribution of a broad array of organic amphipathic compounds and xenobiotic drugs. this study describes bioinformatics and biological characterization of 9 oatp sequences in the ixodes scapularis genome. these sequences have been annotated on the basis of 12 transmembrane ... | 2014 | 24582512 |
| studies on the epidemiology of filariasis in west africa, with special reference to the british cameroons and the niger delta. i. methods of survey for infections with loa loa and acanthocheilonema perstans. | 1950 | 24539939 | |
| disorganized muscle protein-1 (dim-1) of filarial parasite brugia malayi: cdna cloning, expression, purification, structural modeling and its potential as vaccine candidate for human filarial infection. | we have recently identified disorganized muscle protein-1 (dim-1) in one of the proinflammatory fractions of the human filaria brugia malayi adult worm. the present study was undertaken to characterize b. malayi dim-1 (dim-1bm) and explore its vaccine potential. in this study we cloned and expressed the dim-1bm gene, investigated its sequence homology with other nematodes, constructed in silico structural model, purified the recombinant dim-1bm (rdim-1bm) protein, and studied the effect of immun ... | 2014 | 24513011 |
| occurrence of gravid loa loa in subconjunctival space of man: a case report from west bengal, india. | loa loa a benign filarial eye worm is endemic in tropical rain forests areas of west and central africa. reports of its sporadic recovery from india are available mostly from the travellers and miogrants. this is the fifth report from india in 100 years. one 10.5 cm long gravid female eye worm loa loa was recovered from the subconjunctival area of a 50 year old indian lady with history of trekking in swamp areas in the himalayas in kumayun district. she was suffering from recurrent attacks of sw ... | 2013 | 24431541 |
| absence of an association between plasmodium falciparum infection and post-ivermectin loa-related non-neurologic serious adverse events. | although ivermectin treatment can induce serious adverse events (saes) in individuals harboring high loa loa microfilaremia (mf), not all patients with high mf levels develop such reactions, suggesting that cofactors may be involved. a study was conducted in cameroon to investigate the possible role of plasmodium coinfection at the time of ivermectin treatment in the development of saes. before their first ivermectin treatment, thick smears were obtained from 4,175 individuals to determine the b ... | 2014 | 24420781 |
| spatial generalised linear mixed models based on distances. | risk models derived from environmental data have been widely shown to be effective in delineating geographical areas of risk because they are intuitively easy to understand. we present a new method based on distances, which allows the modelling of continuous and non-continuous random variables through distance-based spatial generalised linear mixed models. the parameters are estimated using markov chain monte carlo maximum likelihood, which is a feasible and a useful technique. the proposed meth ... | 2016 | 24368765 |
| loa loa-does it deserve to be neglected? | more than 10 million people in western and central africa are estimated to be infected with loa loa filarial nematodes. like most other infectious diseases, l loa filariasis (loiasis) covers a wide range of symptoms. severe complications have been reported; however, most observations are anecdotal, typically in travellers. the widespread use of filaricidal drugs within eradication programmes of onchocerca volvulus and wuchereria bancrofti led to the observation that concomitant l loa infection i ... | 2014 | 24332895 |
| impact of repeated ivermectin treatments against onchocerciasis on the transmission of loiasis: an entomologic evaluation in central cameroon. | annual community-directed treatment with ivermectin (cdti) have been carried out since 1999 in the lekie division (central region of cameroon where most cases of loa-related post ivermectin severe adverse events were reported) as part of the joined activities of the african programme for onchocerciasis control (apoc) and mectizan® donation program (mdp). as large-scale administration of ivermetine was demonstrated to be an efficient means to control loiasis transmission, it was hypothesized that ... | 2013 | 24289520 |
| influence of mansonella perstans microfilaraemia on total ige levels in gabonese patients co-infected with loa loa. | mansonella (m.) perstans filariasis is widely found in africa, including gabon where loa loa is also endemic. this study reports the total ige titres according to different bioclinical forms of single or co-infection with l. loa and m. perstans in 138 patients and 20 healthy controls. the median parasite density was significantly higher in cases of loiasis. ige titres were higher in patients with microscopic dual-infection and in the group of patients with occult loiasis plus m. perstans microfi ... | 2014 | 24280145 |
| [ocular loiasis in a patient with chronic hypereosinophilia]. | we present a case of ocular loiasis with a subconjunctival filaria, 5.5cm long, and a severe microfilaremia, 1 microfilaria/ml, on a previously asymptomatic woman from equatorial guinea, with a past medical history of hypereosinophilia of unknown origin. | 2014 | 24269453 |
| gene discovery, evolutionary affinity and molecular detection of oxyspirura petrowi, an eye worm parasite of game birds. | oxyspirura petrowi appears to be emerging as a nematode parasite that could negatively impact northern bobwhite quail individuals and populations within texas and other regions of the united states. despite this eye worm's potential importance in the conservation of wild quail, little is known about the general biology and genome composition of o. petrowi. to fill the knowledge gap, we performed a small scale random genome sequence survey, sequenced its 18s rrna and the intergenic region between ... | 2013 | 24144118 |
| imported loiasis in france: a retrospective analysis of 47 cases. | french physicians occasionally encounter travelers (immigrants, expatriates, others) seeking care for loiasis. | 2013 | 24035648 |
| [preliminary results about loiasis in the district of likouala in the republic of the congo]. | the authors report results of a prospective study to assess the prevalence of loiasis in populations older than 18 years in two villages of the likouala district in the congo: the study took place during a visit to lopola in 2012 and to lopola and lombo in 2013. the prevalence rate was 20%. loa loa carriers were treated with diethylcarbamazine citrate and celestamine. | 2013 | 24001642 |
| community-wide distribution of long-lasting insecticidal nets can halt transmission of lymphatic filariasis in southeastern nigeria. | lymphatic filariasis (lf) in rural southeastern nigeria is transmitted mainly by anopheles spp. mosquitoes. potential coinfection with loa loa in this area has prevented use of ivermectin in the mass drug administration (mda) strategy for lf elimination because of potential severe adverse l. loa-related reactions. this study determined if long-lasting insecticidal net (llin) distribution programs for malaria would interrupt lf transmission in such areas, without need for mda. monthly entomologic ... | 2013 | 23939708 |
| neurological manifestations of filarial infections. | filarial infections cause a huge public health burden wherever they are endemic. these filaria may locate anywhere in the human body. their manifestations and pathogenic mechanisms, except the most common ones, are rarely investigated systematically. their neurological manifestations, however, are being increasingly recognized particularly with onchocerciasis or loa loa infections, wuchereria bancrofti, or mansonella perstans. the risk of developing these manifestations may also increase in case ... | 2013 | 23829914 |
| preventive chemotherapy as a strategy for elimination of neglected tropical parasitic diseases: endgame challenges. | global efforts to address neglected tropical diseases (ntds) were stimulated in january 2012 by the london declaration at which 22 partners, including the bill & melinda gates foundation, world bank, world health organization (who) and major pharmaceutical companies committed to sustaining and expanding ntd programmes to eliminate or eradicate 11 ntds by 2020 to achieve the goals outlined in the recently published who road map. here, we present the current context of preventive chemotherapy for ... | 2013 | 23798692 |
| loa loa: neglected neurology and nematodes. | 2013 | 23769594 | |
| [subconjunctival loiasis: case reports and review of cases described in italy]. | filariasis or loiasis is an eye infection caused by a parasite belonging to the species loa loa, also known as "african eye worm" since it is present in the rainforests belt of western and central africa. the purpose of this study is the description of a clinical case presented to our department. a 40-years-old congolese woman, in the third month of pregnancy, complained a foreign body sensation in the right eye for which she was submitted to complete ophthalmologic examination. slit-lamp examin ... | 2013 | 23698214 |
| characterization of cys-loop receptor genes involved in inhibitory amine neurotransmission in parasitic and free living nematodes. | we have isolated two genes, hco-lgc-53 and hco-mod-1, from the parasitic nematode haemonchus contortus, which are orthologs of previously characterized genes that encode dopamine and serotonin-gated chloride channels, respectively, in caenorhabditis elegans. a search of transcriptome data for the filarial nematode parasites loa loa, brugia malayi, and wucheria bancrofti revealed predicted coding sequences for orthologs of acetylcholine, serotonin and dopamine-gated chloride channels, which corre ... | 2013 | 23602737 |
| genomics of loa loa, a wolbachia-free filarial parasite of humans. | loa loa, the african eyeworm, is a major filarial pathogen of humans. unlike most filariae, l. loa does not contain the obligate intracellular wolbachia endosymbiont. we describe the 91.4-mb genome of l. loa and that of the related filarial parasite wuchereria bancrofti and predict 14,907 l. loa genes on the basis of microfilarial rna sequencing. by comparing these genomes to that of another filarial parasite, brugia malayi, and to those of several other nematodes, we demonstrate synteny among f ... | 2013 | 23525074 |
| vectorborne diseases in west africa: geographic distribution and geospatial characteristics. | this paper provides an overview of the methods in which geographic information systems (gis) and remote sensing (rs) technology have been used to visualise and analyse data related to vectorborne diseases (vbd) in west africa and to discuss the potential for these approaches to be routinely included in future studies of vbds. gis/rs studies of diseases that are associated with a specific geographic landscape were reviewed, including malaria, human african trypanosomiasis, leishmaniasis, lymphati ... | 2013 | 23479360 |