1,726 research outputs found
Human cyclosporiasis
No full textCyclospora species are socioeconomically important protistan pathogens. Cyclospora cayetanensis is usually transmitted via food or water to a human host via the faecal-oral route and can cause the gastrointestinal disease cyclosporiasis, which can be complicated by extra-intestinal disorders, particularly in immune-compromised people. Although more than 2 million children die each year from diarrhoeal diseases worldwide, it is not known to what extent cyclosporiasis is involved. Few epidemiological data are available on Cyclospora as a water-borne and food-borne pathogen in both underprivileged communities and developed countries. To gain an improved understanding of human cyclosporiasis, this Review describes the background of Cyclospora, summarises salient aspects of the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment, and control of cyclosporiasis, and explores what is known about its prevalence and geographical distribution. The findings show that the effect on human health of cyclosporiasis is likely underestimated, and recommendations are made about areas of future research and the prevention and control of this disease within an international collaborative context
Assessing sequence variation in the internal transcribed spacers of ribosomal DNA within and among members of the Contracaecum osculatum complex (Nematoda : Ascaridoidea : Anisakidae)
No full textThe anisakid nematodes of seals from different geographical origins, previously identified as Contracaecum osculatum A, C. osculatum B, C. osculatum C, C. osculatum D, C. osculatum E and C. osculatum baicalensis by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis, were characterised using a DNA approach. The first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1, ITS-2) of ribosomal DNA (rDNA) were individually amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and analysed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and sequencing. SSCP analyses allowed the unequivocal differentiation of all taxa except C. osculatum D from C. osculatum I E. While C. osculatum D and C. osculatum E had identical ITS sequences, each of the other four taxa had distinct sequences, with interspecific differences ranging from 0.3% to 2.3%. C. osculatum C was genetically the most distinct taxon with respect to all other members of the species complex
Design, synthesis and screening of a drug discovery library based on an Eremophila-derived serrulatane scaffold
No full textZhang, Chen, Lum, Kah Yean, Taki, Aya C., Gasser, Robin B., Byrne, Joseph J., Wang, Tao, Blaskovich, Mark A.T., Register, Emery T., Montaner, Luis J., Tietjen, Ian, Davis, Rohan A. (2021): Design, synthesis and screening of a drug discovery library based on an Eremophila-derived serrulatane scaffold. Phytochemistry (112887) 190: 1-10, DOI: 10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.112887, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.phytochem.2021.11288
The Robin - 04
No full textPhotograph - Walter Keilbaugh standing in front of The Robin, Calling Lake, Albert
The Robin
No full textPhotograph - A group of people in front of The Robin on the slipway, Calling Lake, Alberta just northwest of the McIntosh home. A hangar under construction is visible in the backgroun
The Robin - 03
No full textPhotograph - Mae and Kay McIntosh and Rob and Herb Haub standing in front of The Robin in a hangar at Calling Lake, Alberta just northwest of the McIntosh hom
Cryptosporidium parvum genotype IIa and Giardia duodenalis assemblage A in Mytilus galloprovincialis on sale at local food markets
No full textDNA Footprints: Using Parasites to Detect Elusive Animals, Proof of Principle in Hedgehogs
No full textThe Western European Hedgehog (Erinaceous europaeus) is a nocturnal animal that is in decline in much of Europe, but the monitoring of this species is subjective, prone to error, and an inadequate basis for estimating population trends. Here, we report the use of Crenosoma striatum, a parasitic nematode specific to hedgehogs as definitive hosts, to detect hedgehog presence in the natural environment. This is achieved through collecting and sampling the parasites within their intermediate hosts, gastropoda, a group much simpler to locate and sample in both urban and rural habitats. C. striatum and Crenosoma vulpis were collected post-mortem from the lungs of hedgehogs and foxes, respectively. Slugs were collected in two sessions, during spring and autumn, from Skomer Island (n = 21), which is known to be free of hedgehogs (and foxes); and Pennard, Swansea (n = 42), known to have a healthy hedgehog population. The second internal transcribed spacer of parasite ribosomal DNA was used to develop a highly specific, novel, PCR based multiplex assay. Crenosoma striatum was found only at the site known to be inhabited by hedgehogs, at an average prevalence in gastropods of 10% in spring and autumn. The molecular test was highly specific: One mollusc was positive for both C. striatum and C. vulpis, and differentiation between the two nematode species was clear. This study demonstrates proof of principle for using detection of specific parasite DNA in easily sampled intermediate hosts to confirm the presence of an elusive nocturnal definitive host species. The approach has great potential as an adaptable, objective tool to supplement and support existing ecological survey methods
Molecular characterization of selected dermatophytes and their identification by electrophoretic mutation scanning
No full textDermatophytes are fungi that can be contagious and cause infections in the keratinized skin of mammals, including humans. The etiological diagnosis of dermatophytosis relies on a combination of in vitro-culture and microscopic methods. Effective molecular tools could overcome the limitations of conventional methods of identification. In the present study, following phenetic identification as M. canis, M. fulvum, M. gypseum, T mentagrophytes and T terrestre, we genetically characterized key dermatophytes, employing the sequences of the first and second internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA as well as part of the chitin synthase-1 gene, and assessed the utility of these DNA regions (based on levels of nucleotide variation within and among species/taxa) as markers for the classification of species and genotypes. Employing partial chitin synthase-1 gene as the marker, we also established a PCR-coupled SSCP approach as a diagnostic/analytical mutation-scanning tool. This tool should facilitate fundamental investigations of the ecology, epidemiology and population genetics of dermatophytes and, importantly, should assist in allowing a more rapid diagnosis of dermatophytoses in humans and other animals, thus overcoming the significant delays in targeted chemotherapy following diagnosis using conventional methods. (Nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper are available in the EMBL, GenBank and DDJB datadases under accession numbers FJ897707-FJ897713 (ITS-1), FJ897714-FJ897720 (ITS-2) and FJ897700-FJ897706 (pchs-1))
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