Ticks as vectors of Trypanosomatidae with medical or veterinary interest: Insights and implications from a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis.

Since the 20th century, numerous studies have detected or isolated parasites from the Trypanosomatidae family in various tick species. However, the status of ticks as vectors for medically or veterinary significant and remains unclear. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to provide new insights into the potential vector status of these pathogens, which have significant medical and veterinary implications.

Fatty Acid Profiles of Derived from Human and Rodent Hosts in Endemic Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Areas of Tunisia and Algeria.

Leishmaniasis is a protozoal vector-borne disease that affects both humans and animals. In the Mediterranean Basin, the primary reservoir hosts of spp. are mainly rodents and canids.

Meta-analysis and discussion on challenges to translate Leishmania drug resistance phenotyping into the clinic.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) threatens the prevention and treatment of infections caused by a large range of microorganisms. Leishmania is not an exception and treatment failure due to drug-resistant organisms is increasingly reported. Currently, no molecular methods and marker are validated to track drug-resistant organism and antimicrobial susceptibility tests are roughly not amenable to a clinical setting.

Genome Dynamics during Environmental Adaptation Reveal Strain-Specific Differences in Gene Copy Number Variation, Karyotype Instability, and Telomeric Amplification.

Protozoan parasites of the genus adapt to environmental change through chromosome and gene copy number variations. Only little is known about external or intrinsic factors that govern genomic adaptation. Here, by conducting longitudinal genome analyses of 10 new clinical isolates, we uncovered important differences in gene copy number among genetically highly related strains and revealed gain and loss of gene copies as potential drivers of long-term environmental adaptation in the field.

Antimony susceptibility of Leishmania isolates collected over a 30-year period in Algeria.

Background: In Algeria, the treatment of visceral and cutaneous leishmanioses (VL and CL) has been and continues to be based on antimony-containing drugs. It is suspected that high drug selective pressure might favor the emergence of chemoresistant parasites. Although treatment failure is frequently reported during antimonial therapy of both CL and VL, antimonial resistance has never been thoroughly investigated in Algeria.

Synthesis of aminophenylhydroxamate and aminobenzylhydroxamate derivatives and in vitro screening for antiparasitic and histone deacetylase inhibitory activity.

A series of aminophenylhydroxamates and aminobenzylhydroxamates were synthesized and screened for their antiparasitic activity against Leishmania, Trypanosoma, and Toxoplasma. Their anti-histone deacetylase (HDAC) potency was determined. Moderate to no antileishmanial or antitrypanosomal activity was found (IC > 10 μM) that contrast with the highly efficient anti-Toxoplasma activity (IC < 1.

Development of a Murine Infection Model with Leishmania killicki, Responsible for Cutaneous Leishmaniosis in Algeria: Application in Pharmacology.

In Algeria, Leishmania infantum, Leishmania major, and Leishmania killicki (Leishmania tropica) are responsible for cutaneous leishmaniosis. We established a murine model of L. killicki infection to investigate its infective capacity, some immunophysiopathological aspects, and its suitability for pharmacological purposes.

Transmission potential of antimony-resistant leishmania field isolates.

We studied the development of antimony-resistant Leishmania infantum in natural vectors Lutzomyia longipalpis and Phlebotomus perniciosus to ascertain the risk of parasite transmission by sand flies. All three resistant strains produced fully mature late-stage infections in sand flies; moreover, the resistant phenotype was maintained after the passage through the vector. These results highlight the risk of circulation of resistant Leishmania strains and question the use of human drugs for treatment of dogs as Leishmania reservoirs.