First survey of Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in diarrhoeic children from Wuhan, China.

Intestinal protozoan pathogens cause significant diarrhoeal diseases in children. However, to date, there has been limited genetic study of the intestinal pathogens Cryptosporidium, Giardia and Enterocytozoon in humans in China, with the exception of research in a small number of cities/provinces. In the present study, PCR-based tools were used to detect and characterise these protistan parasites from 500 children with a history of diarrhoea in Wuhan and environs, Hubei province, China.

Mitochondrial genomic comparison of Clonorchis sinensis from South Korea with other isolates of this species.

Clonorchiasis is a neglected tropical disease that affects >35 million people mainly in China, Vietnam, South Korea and some parts of Russia. The disease-causing agent, Clonorchis sinensis, is a liver fluke of humans and other piscivorous animals, and has a complex aquatic life cycle involving snails and fish intermediate hosts. Chronic infection in humans causes liver disease and associated complications including malignant bile duct cancer.

Phylogenetic analysis of the Australasian paralysis ticks and their relatives (Ixodidae: Ixodes: Sternalixodes).

Background: The Australasian paralysis ticks and their relatives, Ixodes Latrielle, subgenus Sternalixodes Schulze, are some of the most important ticks in the region. However, very little is known about their phylogenetic relationships. The aim of this study was to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of members of the subgenus Sternalixodes by undertaking phylogenetic analyses of morphological and molecular datasets.

Exploring the molecular mechanisms of parasite-host interactions with a view towards new therapeutics and vaccines.

Despite the massive disease burden worldwide caused by parasitic nematodes and other infectious pathogens, the molecular basis of many infectious diseases caused by these pathogens has been unduly neglected for a long time. Therefore, accelerated progress towards novel therapeutics, and ultimately control of such infectious diseases, is of crucial importance. Capitalising on the wealth of data becoming available from proteomic and genomic studies, new protein targets at the pathogen-host interface can be identified and subjected to protein-based explorations of the molecular basis of pathogen-host interactions.

Mitochondrial Phylogenomics yields Strongly Supported Hypotheses for Ascaridomorph Nematodes.

Ascaridomorph nematodes threaten the health of humans and other animals worldwide. Despite their medical, veterinary and economic importance, the identification of species lineages and establishing their phylogenetic relationships have proved difficult in some cases. Many working hypotheses regarding the phylogeny of ascaridomorphs have been based on single-locus data, most typically nuclear ribosomal RNA.

Ascaris phylogeny based on multiple whole mtDNA genomes.

Ascaris lumbricoides and A. suum are two parasitic nematodes infecting humans and pigs, respectively. There has been considerable debate as to whether Ascaris in the two hosts should be considered a single or two separate species.

An outbreak of oriental theileriosis in dairy cattle imported to Vietnam from Australia.

This study reports an outbreak of oriental theileriosis in dairy cattle imported to Vietnam from Australia. Following clinical and pathological diagnoses, a total of 112 cattle blood samples were divided into three groups and tested using multiplexed tandem PCR. Group 1 were from aborted heifers in Vietnam; group 2 were from cattle before shipment from group 1 cattle and group 3 were from the same batch of cattle but transported to Taiwan.

The apicoplast genomes of two taxonomic units of Babesia from sheep.

The apicoplast (ap) is a unique, non-photosynthetic organelle found in most apicomplexan parasites. Due to the essential roles that this organelle has, it has been widely considered as target for drugs against diseases caused by apicomplexans. Exploring the ap genomes of such parasites would provide a better understanding of their systematics and their basic molecular biology for therapeutics.

Probing function and structure of trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatases from pathogenic organisms suggests distinct molecular groupings.

The trehalose biosynthetic pathway is of great interest for the development of novel therapeutics because trehalose is an essential disaccharide in many pathogens but is neither required nor synthesized in mammalian hosts. As such, trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase (TPP), a key enzyme in trehalose biosynthesis, is likely an attractive target for novel chemotherapeutics. Based on a survey of genomes from a panel of parasitic nematodes and bacterial organisms and by way of a structure-based amino acid sequence alignment, we derive the topological structure of monoenzyme TPPs and classify them into 3 groups.

Population structure of Haemonchus contortus from seven geographical regions in China, determined on the basis of microsatellite markers.

Background: Studying genetic variation within and among Haemonchus contortus populations can inform some aspects of this parasite's population genetics and epidemiology. However, almost nothing is known about such variation in China.

Methods: Adult males of H.

Mitochondrial genomes of two Babesia taxa from sheep in China as a foundation for population genetic and epidemiological investigations.

Here, we sequenced, assembled and annotated the mitochondrial (mt) genomes of two operational taxonomic units of Babesia from sheep from China using a deep sequencing-coupled approach. Then, we defined and compared the gene order of these mt genomes (~5.8 to 6.

Comparative transcriptomic analyses of male and female adult Toxocara canis.

Toxocariasis is an important, neglected zoonosis caused mainly by Toxocara canis. Although our knowledge of helminth molecular biology is improving through completed draft genome projects, there is limited detailed information on the molecular biology of Toxocara species. Here, transcriptomic sequencing of male and female adult T.

Molecular characterisation of Theileria orientalis in imported and native bovines from Pakistan.

The epidemiological aspects of Theileria orientalis in Pakistan are unknown; therefore, investigations using sensitive and precise molecular techniques are required. This study reports the first molecular characterisation of T. orientalis detected from imported (Bos taurus) and native cattle (Bos indicus×Bos taurus) and buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) selected from four districts of Punjab, Pakistan.

Organometallic Derivatization of the Nematocidal Drug Monepantel Leads to Promising Antiparasitic Drug Candidates.

The discovery of novel drugs against animal parasites is in high demand due to drug-resistance problems encountered around the world. Herein, the synthesis and characterization of 27 organic and organometallic derivatives of the recently launched nematocidal drug monepantel (Zolvix ) are described. The compounds were isolated as racemates and were characterized by H, C, and F NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and IR spectroscopy, and their purity was verified by microanalysis.

Genomic resources for a unique, low-virulence Babesia taxon from China.

Background: Babesiosis is a socioeconomically important tick-borne disease of animals (including humans) caused by haemoprotozoan parasites. The severity of babesiosis relates to host and parasite factors, particularly virulence/pathogenicity. Although Babesia bovis is a particularly pathogenic species of cattle, there are species of Babesia of ruminants that have limited pathogenicity.

Two benzimidazole resistance-associated SNPs in the isotype-1 β-tubulin gene predominate in Haemonchus contortus populations from eight regions in China.

Haemonchus contortus is one of the most important parasitic nematodes of small ruminants around the world, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions. The control of haemonchosis relies mainly on anthelmintics, but the excessive and prolonged use of anthelmintics is causing serious drug resistance issues in many countries. As benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics have been broadly used in China, we hypothesized that resistance is widespread.

Metabolic profiling and in vitro assessment of anthelmintic fractions of Picria fel-terrae Lour.

Anthelmintic resistance is widespread in gastrointestinal nematode populations, such that there is a consistent need to search for new anthelmintics. However, the cost of screening for new compounds is high and has a very low success rate. Using the knowledge of traditional healers from Borneo Rainforests (Sarawak, Malaysia), we have previously shown that some traditional medicinal plants are a rich source of potential new anthelmintic drug candidates.

Assessment of the nematocidal activity of metallocenyl analogues of monepantel.

In this study, we present the design, synthesis, characterization and biological evaluation of structurally new ferrocenyl and ruthenocenyl derivatives of the organic anthelmintic monepantel (Zolvix). All seven metallocenyl derivatives prepared (4a/b, 5a/b, 6a/b and 7) were isolated as racemates and characterized by H, C and F NMR spectroscopies, mass spectrometry, IR spectroscopy and elemental microanalysis. The molecular structures of four compounds (4a/b, 6a and 7) were further confirmed by X-ray crystallography.

Pharyngostrongylus thylogale n. sp. (Nematoda: Strongylida) from the stomachs of macropodid marsupials defined by morphological and molecular criteria.

Pharyngostrongylus thylogale n. sp. (Nematoda: Strongylida) is described from the stomach of the red-legged pademelon, Thylogale stigmatica (Gould) (Marsupialia: Macropodidae) from north-eastern Queensland and Papua New Guinea, having formerly been confused with P.

Screening of the 'Pathogen Box' identifies an approved pesticide with major anthelmintic activity against the barber's pole worm.

There is a substantial need to develop new medicines against parasitic diseases via public-private partnerships. Based on high throughput phenotypic screens of largely protozoal pathogens and bacteria, the Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) has recently assembled an open-access 'Pathogen Box' containing 400 well-curated chemical compounds. In the present study, we tested these compounds for activity against parasitic stages of the nematode Haemonchus contortus (barber's pole worm).

Divergent Transcriptional Responses to Physiological and Xenobiotic Stress in Giardia duodenalis.

Understanding how parasites respond to stress can help to identify essential biological processes. Giardia duodenalis is a parasitic protist that infects the human gastrointestinal tract and causes 200 to 300 million cases of diarrhea annually. Metronidazole, a major antigiardial drug, is thought to cause oxidative damage within the infective trophozoite form.

First survey of parasitic helminths of goats along the Han River in Hubei Province, China.

Diseases caused by parasitic helminths cause considerable production and economic losses in livestock worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology of these parasites has important implications for controlling them. The main purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of key parasitic helminths in goats along the Han River in Zhanggang, Hubei Province (from January to December 2014).