Asymptomatic carriage of intestinal protists is common in children in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

Background: PCR-based screenings on the presence of diarrhoea-causing intestinal protist species are limited in Zambia, resulting in inaccurate current prevalence and epidemiological data. Sensitive PCR-based methods are particularly well suited for detecting subclinical infections in apparently healthy carriers.

Methodology: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we investigated the occurrence of the most common intestinal protists in an apparently healthy paediatric population (5-18 years) in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

Insights into extracellular vesicle biogenesis and secretion of the tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta: host interaction and cultivation dynamics.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) from parasites have been identified as potent modulators of host-parasite interactions. However, their biogenesis and secretory activity are still poorly understood. Here we present a comprehensive examination of the secretory dynamics of two distinct EV fractions isolated from the adult tapeworm Hymenolepis diminuta.

Schistosoma heamatobium tetraspanins TSP-2 and TSP-6 induce Dendritic Cells maturation, cytokine production and T helper cells differentiation in vitro.

Urogenital schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma haematobium is a major cause of disability in endemic areas. Despite its socio-economic burden, no vaccine exists and the parasite's immunobiology remains underexplored. Genome annotation has revealed over 40 different genes encoding tetraspanins, transmembrane proteins with known immunomodulatory properties in other plathelminthes.

Loss of Lipooligosaccharide Synthesis in Produces Changes in Outer Membrane Vesicle Protein Content.

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) are nanostructures derived from the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. We previously demonstrated that vaccination with endotoxin-free OMVs isolated from an strain lacking lipooligosaccharide (LOS) biosynthesis, due to a mutation in , provides full protection in a murine sepsis model. The present study characterizes the protein content of highly-purified OMVs isolated from LOS-replete and LOS-deficient strains.

Trematode Genomics and Proteomics.

Trematode infections stand out as one of the frequently overlooked tropical diseases, despite their wide global prevalence and remarkable capacity to parasitize diverse host species and tissues. Furthermore, these parasites hold significant socio-economic, medical, veterinary and agricultural implications. Over the past decades, substantial strides have been taken to bridge the information gap concerning various "omic" tools, such as proteomics and genomics, in this field.