Praziquantel is the current drug of choice for human schistosomiasis. Recent reports from laboratory and field studies concerning reduced praziquantel efficacy against Schistosoma mansoni have generated some controversy. The prevailing question is whether the emergence of strains of schistosome resistant to praziquantel is a fact, or an artifact resulting from erroneous field or laboratory experimentation. In this article, Padraic Fallon, Liang-feng Tao, Magdi Ismail and James Bennett examine the available evidence for schistosome resistance to praziquantel. Contributory factors to the schistosomicidal activity of praziquantel, which may interfere with evaluation of drug efficacy or resistance, are also considered.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0169-4758(96)10029-6 | DOI Listing |
Curr Res Parasitol Vector Borne Dis
January 2025
Western University of Health Sciences, 200 Mullins Dr, Lebanon, OR, 97355, USA.
snails are intermediate hosts for schistosome parasites, which cause morbidity and mortality in humans worldwide. We aimed to determine the mating system of , a hermaphroditic vector of schistosomiasis in the African Great Lakes, with the goal of informing the design of genetic studies such as linkage mapping to improve genome assembly and genetic association studies to identify snail resistance genes. To determine the relative rates of outcrossing selfing, we assayed the progeny of experimental crosses of snails in the laboratory using a PCR and restriction enzyme digest to determine snail genotype and parentage.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPathogens
January 2025
National Reference Laboratory for Animal Schistosomiasis, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China.
Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease and the second most common parasitic disease after malaria. While praziquantel remains the primary treatment, concerns about drug resistance highlight the urgent need for new drugs and effective vaccines to achieve sustainable control. Previous proteomic studies from our group revealed that the expression of glycosyltransferase and nicastrin as proteins was higher in single-sex males than mated males, suggesting their critical roles in parasite reproduction and their potential as vaccine candidates.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicroorganisms
December 2024
National Reference Laboratory for Animal Schistosomiasis, Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai 200241, China.
Schistosomiasis, caused by , continues to pose a major public health threat in East Asia, with an estimated 71 million people at risk of infection. Domestic animals, especially buffaloes and goats, serve as important reservoir hosts, facilitating the transmission of the parasite to humans. While praziquantel (PZQ) is the first-line treatment for schistosomiasis due to its broad-spectrum efficacy against adult schistosomes, its prophylactic potential is less explored.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrop Med Infect Dis
December 2024
Unit of Evolution, Epidemiology and Parasite Resistance (UNEEREP), Franceville Interdisciplinary Center for Medical Research (CIRMF), Franceville BP 769, Gabon.
This study aimed to determine the prevalence of co-infection with malaria and intestinal parasites and assess its association with anemia in school-aged children from rural and urban settlements in Gabon. This cross-sectional study involved afebrile school children recruited at schools between May and June 2021. Blood and stool samples were collected from participants whose parents or legal guardians provided informed consent to participate in the study.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Parasitol
October 2024
Department of Biology and Chemistry, School of Health Sciences, Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA, United States.
Schistosomiasis is a group of both acute and chronic parasitic trematode infections of the genus . Research into schistosomiasis has been minimal, leading to its classification as a neglected tropical disease, yet more than 140 million people are infected with schistosomes globally. There are no treatments available for early-stage infections, schistosomal dermatitis, or Katayama syndrome, other than symptomatic control with steroids and antihistamines, as the maturing organisms seem to be mostly resistant to typical antiparasitics.
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