Heterogeneity in the in vitro susceptibility of Loa loa microfilariae to drugs commonly used in parasitological infections.

Background: Co-infection with loiasis remains a potential problem in control programs targeting filarial infections. The effects of many anti-parasitic drugs often administered to Loa loa infected people are not well documented. This study compared the in vitro activity of several of these drugs on the viability of L.

Analysis of nematode motion using an improved light-scatter based system.

Background: The detailed assessment of nematode activity and viability still remains a relatively undeveloped area of biological and medical research. Computer-based approaches to assessing the motility of larger nematode stages have been developed, yet these lack the capability to detect and analyze the more subtle and important characteristics of the motion of nematodes. There is currently a need to improved methods of assessing the viability and health of parasitic worms.

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.