β-Triketones from Leptospermum scoparium (mānuka) oil show potential as scabicides.

Background: Scabies is a debilitating and neglected infectious disease with limited effective treatment options and affecting millions of people worldwide, mainly in poor and overcrowded settings. Essential oils from Australasian Myrtaceae are known to have parasiticidal properties, often attributed to the presence of β-triketones, which are known inhibitors of the tyrosine catabolism pathway through inhibition of hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase (HPPD).

Purpose: In this study, essential oils from mānuka (Leptospermum scoparium) were evaluated in vitro for miticidal and ovicidal activities and their active β-triketone constituents (flavesone, leptospermone, and isoleptospermone) were identified.

Correction: Scabies Mite Peritrophins Are Potential Targets of Human Host Innate Immunity.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.

Assessment of the in vitro acaricidal activity of Bravecto (fluralaner) and a proposed orange oil-based formulation vehicle for the treatment of Sarcoptes scabiei.

Background: Sarcoptic mange is a serious animal welfare concern in bare-nosed wombats (Vombatus ursinus). Fluralaner (Bravecto) is a novel acaricide that has recently been utilised for treating mange in wombats. The topical 'spot-on' formulation of fluralaner can limit treatment delivery options in situ, but dilution to a volume for 'pour-on' delivery is one practicable solution.

-Pregnane Glycosides from Australian Caustic Vine ( subsp. ).

subsp. , more commonly known as caustic vine, is a leafless succulent that grows in the northern arid zone of Australia. Toxicity toward livestock has been reported for this species, along with use in traditional medicine and its potential anticancer activity.

Investigating the Antibacterial Properties of Prospective Scabicides.

Scabies is a dermatological disease found worldwide. Mainly in tropical regions, it is also the cause of significant morbidity and mortality due to its association with potentially severe secondary bacterial infections. Current treatment strategies for scabies do not consider the role of opportunistic bacteria, and here we investigate whether current and emerging scabicides can offer any anti-bacterial protection.

Proteomic analysis of Sarcoptes scabiei reveals that proteins differentially expressed between eggs and female adult stages are involved predominantly in genetic information processing, metabolism and/or host-parasite interactions.

Presently, there is a dearth of proteomic data for parasitic mites and their relationship with the host animals. Here, using a high throughput LC-MS/MS-based approach, we undertook the first comprehensive, large-scale proteomic investigation of egg and adult female stages of the scabies mite, Sarcoptes scabiei-one of the most important parasitic mites of humans and other animals worldwide. In total, 1,761 S.

Spinosad topical suspension (0.9%): a new topical treatment for scabies.

Introduction: Scabies is a highly contagious skin disease caused by the parasitic mite . There is no vaccine and for the past 30 years, the first line treatments have been topical permethrin and oral ivermectin. These drugs target mainly the parasite nervous system, killing only the motile stages.

An RNA Interference Tool to Silence Genes in Eggs.

In a quest for new interventions against scabies-a highly significant skin disease of mammals, caused by a parasitic mite -we are focusing on finding new intervention targets. RNA interference (RNAi) could be an efficient functional genomics approach to identify such targets. The RNAi pathway is present in and operational in the female adult mite, but other developmental stages have not been assessed.

First evidence of the activity of an entomopathogenic fungus against the eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei.

The entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana has been successfully used for the control of phytopathogenic arthropods and there are a growing number of studies suggesting that this kind of fungus could also be used for the control of ectoparasites in mammals. This study evaluated for the first time the efficacy of different Beauveria strains against the eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei collected from experimentally infected pigs. Eggs were exposed to fungal conidia and monitored for hatching over 10 days.

First Description of the Composition and the Functional Capabilities of the Skin Microbial Community Accompanying Severe Scabies Infestation in Humans.

Epidemiological studies link infection and impetigo. Scabies mites can promote (Group A ) and infections by breaching the skin barrier and excreting molecules that inhibit host innate immune responses. However, little is known about the composition and the function of the scabies-associated microbiota.

Molecular diagnosis of scabies using a novel probe-based polymerase chain reaction assay targeting high-copy number repetitive sequences in the Sarcoptes scabiei genome.

Background: The suboptimal sensitivity and specificity of available diagnostic methods for scabies hampers clinical management, trials of new therapies and epidemiologic studies. Additionally, parasitologic diagnosis by microscopic examination of skin scrapings requires sample collection with a sharp scalpel blade, causing discomfort to patients and difficulty in children. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based diagnostic assays, combined with non-invasive sampling methods, represent an attractive approach.

High-quality nuclear genome for Sarcoptes scabiei-A critical resource for a neglected parasite.

The parasitic mite Sarcoptes scabiei is an economically highly significant parasite of the skin of humans and animals worldwide. In humans, this mite causes a neglected tropical disease (NTD), called scabies. This disease results in major morbidity, disability, stigma and poverty globally and is often associated with secondary bacterial infections.

Proteases and pseudoproteases in parasitic arthropods of clinical importance.

Parasitic arthropods feed on blood or skin tissue and share comparable repertoires of proteases involved in haematophagy, digestion, egg development and immunity. While proteolytically active proteases of multiple classes dominate, an increasing number of pseudoproteases have been discovered that have no proteolytic function but are pharmacologically active biomolecules, evolved to carry out alternative functions as regulatory, antihaemostatic, anti-inflammatory or immunomodulatory compounds. In this review, we provide an overview of proteases and pseudoproteases from clinically important arthropod parasites.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) oil: A promising miticidal and ovicidal agent against Sarcoptes scabiei.

Background: Essential oils may represent an alternative strategy for controlling scabies, a neglected tropical disease caused by the infestation of mite from the species Sarcoptes scabiei. Lemongrass (Cymbopogen citratus) oil is reported to possess pharmacological properties including antiparasitc, antioxidant, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory. The aim of the present study was to assess the potential efficacy of lemongrass oil against the mites and eggs of Sarcoptes scabiei.

The Management of Scabies in the 21st Century: Past, Advances and Potentials.

Scabies is one of the most common skin diseases worldwide, affecting 150-200 million people yearly. Scabies affects young children in particular, and has the greatest impact in poor overcrowded living conditions. The burden of the disease is now well characterized, including group A Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial superinfections, with reports of nephritis, acute rheumatic fever, or fatal invasive sepsis secondary to scabies.

Activity of Beauvericin against All Developmental Stages of .

Scabies is a frequent cutaneous infection caused by the mite in a large number of mammals, including humans. As the resistance of against several chemical acaricides has been previously documented, the establishment of alternative and effective control molecules is required. In this study, the potential acaricidal activity of beauvericin was assessed against different life stages of var.

A Machine Learning-Based Raman Spectroscopic Assay for the Identification of and Related Species.

, the causative agent of glanders, and , the causative agent of melioidosis in humans and animals, are genetically closely related. The high infectious potential of both organisms, their serological cross-reactivity, and similar clinical symptoms in human and animals make the differentiation from each other and other species challenging. The increased resistance against many antibiotics implies the need for fast and robust identification methods.

Characterization of Contrast-Enhancing and Non-contrast-enhancing Multiple Sclerosis Lesions Using Susceptibility-Weighted Imaging.

Susceptibility-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (SWI) offers additional information on conventional MRI contrasts. Central veins can be identified within lesions, and recently, it has been suggested that multiple sclerosis (MS) lesions with slowly expanding demyelination, so-called smoldering lesions, can be identified by a phase rim surrounding the lesion. We analyzed post-contrast SWI in regard to intrinsic lesion characteristics in a cohort of MS patients.

The Challenge of Developing a Single-Dose Treatment for Scabies.

Scabies is a common skin disease with an estimated worldwide incidence of 200 million people infected per year. Its morbidity and mortality is principally due to secondary bacterial infections, a link now well recognized and prompting the recent inclusion of this disease-complex in the WHO list of neglected tropical diseases. The few treatments available are poorly effective against Sarcoptes scabiei eggs and appear to induce resistance in the parasite.

Cytoplasmic and periplasmic expression of recombinant shark VNAR antibody in Escherichia coli.

Shark variable new antigen receptors (VNARs) are known to possess excellent heat-stability, and the long complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) has permitted it to penetrate into the cleft region of antigens. The number of cysteine (Cys) residues contained within VNAR is greater than in conventional antibodies, entailing disulfide bond formation in both the inter- or intra-loop regions is required for interactions with the target protein antigens. Therefore, the selection of a suitable expression system is important to ensure the solubility and correct folding of functional VNAR protein production.