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Pathogens
Special Issues
From Biology of Parasites to Tropical and Widespread Parasitic Diseases
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From Biology of Parasites to Tropical and Widespread Parasitic Diseases

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 November 2023) | Viewed by 4709

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Szymon Nowak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department and Clinic of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland
Interests: travel medicine; tropical medicine; parasites; protozoa; malaria; intestinal parasites; parasite–host interactions; new treatment strategies; biology of parasites; echinococcosis
Dr. Pawel Zmora

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: emerging viruses; influenza viruses; coronaviruses; virus-host interactions; virus entry; vaccines development; wastewater-based epidemiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Jerzy Stefaníak

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department and Clinic of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
Interests: echinococcosis; lyme disease; Toxoplasma gondii; gastrointestinal parasites; tropical disease

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The beginning of the post-COVID-19 era may be connected with a "boom" in international travel, among others, to subtropical and intertropical areas of the world. This will lead to increasing cases of imported tropical diseases to well-developed countries. On the other hand, the world still has some problems with widespread neglected parasitic infections, for which new strategies of diagnosis and treatment are extremely needed. The WHO Millenium Development Goals aimed at the eradication of most neglected parasitic diseases, but these have not yet been reached. To fulfill those aims, new antiparasitic strategies need to be developed. Understanding of the parasite biology and parasite–host interaction is a key for novel antiparasitic treatments and parasite eradication.

In 2022, the Department and Clinic of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, had its 60th anniversary. The department plays a role as a reference center for the diagnosis and treatment of tropical and widespread parasitic infections. This occasion may be a good reason to exchange experience between other research centers focused on parasitology. It is also a good reason to provide a new background for how, in the post-COVID-19 era, parasites should be considered.

Dr. Szymon Nowak
Dr. Pawel Zmora
Prof. Dr. Jerzy Stefaníak
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • travel medicine
  • tropical medicine
  • parasites
  • protozoa
  • malaria
  • intestinal parasites
  • parasite-host interactions
  • new treatment strategies
  • biology of parasites
  • echinococcosis

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 1631 KiB  
Article
Risk Factors and the Character of Clinical Course of the Echinococcus multilocularis Infection in Patients in Poland
by Magdalena Stefaniak, Monika Derda, Pawel Zmora and Szymon Pawel Nowak
Pathogens 2023, 12(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12020199 - 28 Jan 2023
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Abstract
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a chronic zoonotic disease caused by the larval form of Echinococcus multilocularis. In humans, it may become a serious chronic infection of the liver which resembles a slow malignant process leading to death when untreated. The aim of [...] Read more.
Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a chronic zoonotic disease caused by the larval form of Echinococcus multilocularis. In humans, it may become a serious chronic infection of the liver which resembles a slow malignant process leading to death when untreated. The aim of the study was an assessment of the risk factors of the E. multilocularis infections and the description of AE clinical course in the group of 36 patients with confirmed AE, hospitalized at the Department and Clinic of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Poznan University of Medical Sciences between 2013 and 2022. Among the study participants, most patients cultivated land, bred livestock, worked in the forest, or were employed in animal shelters. The E. multilocularis infection was diagnosed based on imaging and immunoassay techniques within 6 months in the majority of patients hospitalized in the Department. All patients hospitalized in the Department initiated anti-parasitic therapy at the moment of the diagnosis. Pharmacological treatment combined with surgery was applied in most of the study participants, who were presented with more advanced stages of infection. We conclude the following: 1. For humans in the risk group, regular abdominal imaging examinations and the detection of specific antibodies against E. multilocularis are recommended. 2. Regular screening tests in the hyperendemic areas of AE would increase the early detection of the disease and to improve the clinical prognosis in this extremely life-threatening parasitic disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Biology of Parasites to Tropical and Widespread Parasitic Diseases)
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Review

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20 pages, 727 KiB  
Review
Epidemiology of Blastocystis Infection: A Review of Data from Poland in Relation to Other Reports
by Monika Rudzińska and Katarzyna Sikorska
Pathogens 2023, 12(8), 1050; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12081050 - 16 Aug 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 1528
Abstract
Blastocystis is a common gut protist of humans and various animals worldwide, with a high level of genetic diversity. Neither its zoonotic potential and transmission routes nor its pathogenicity are fully known. This fact, and the fact that Blastocystis is the most abundant [...] Read more.
Blastocystis is a common gut protist of humans and various animals worldwide, with a high level of genetic diversity. Neither its zoonotic potential and transmission routes nor its pathogenicity are fully known. This fact, and the fact that Blastocystis is the most abundant eukaryote in human faeces, raises the question of its relevance to public health. Here, we summarise (in relation to other reports) the results of studies on the prevalence and genotypic variation of Blastocystis, which were carried out in animals, humans, and in water environments in Poland. In humans, the prevalence ranged between 0.14 and 23.6%, in some animals reached 58.97%, and in water environments was 5.1%. Seven subtypes were identified in humans (ST1-ST4, ST6, ST7, and ST9), of which ST3 was the most common. Among animals (wild, livestock, and pet animals), eleven STs were identified, with differential host specificity. Humans and animals shared ST1, ST2, ST3, ST6, and ST7, while ST1 and ST3 were present in humans, animals, and water sources. These observations indicate the possibility of Blastocystis transmission between animals and humans. Further studies should be continued in search of the sources and transmission routes of Blastocystis in order to prevent the spread of infections among humans and animals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Biology of Parasites to Tropical and Widespread Parasitic Diseases)
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Other

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11 pages, 1659 KiB  
Brief Report
The Immunological Changes in the Skin of BALC/c Mice with Disseminated Acanthamoebiasis
by Agnieszka Wojtkowiak-Giera, Monika Derda, Natalia Łanocha-Arendarczyk, Agnieszka Kolasa, Karolina Kot, Joanna Walczykiewicz, Piotr Solarczyk and Danuta Kosik-Bogacka
Pathogens 2023, 12(5), 631; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens12050631 - 22 Apr 2023
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Abstract
Toll-like receptors (TLR) are involved in the recognition of numerous pathogens, including Acanthamoeba spp. Thanks to this, it is possible for immune cells to recognize microorganisms and trigger the body’s innate immune response. The stimulation of TLRs also leads to the activation of [...] Read more.
Toll-like receptors (TLR) are involved in the recognition of numerous pathogens, including Acanthamoeba spp. Thanks to this, it is possible for immune cells to recognize microorganisms and trigger the body’s innate immune response. The stimulation of TLRs also leads to the activation of specific immunity. The aim of the study was to determine the TLR2 and TLR4 gene expression in the skin of BALC/c mice infected with Acanthamoeba with AM22 strain isolated from a patient. Receptor expression was assessed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) in the amoeba-infected host with normal (A) and reduced immunity (AS) as well as in the control host with normal immunity (C) and reduced immunity (CS). Statistical analysis of TLR2 gene expression in A and AS groups compared to C and CS groups, respectively, were statistically insignificant. In the A group, we found statistical upregulation of TLR4 gene expression at 8 dpi compared to the C group. While in AS group, TLR4 gene expression was at a similar level, such as in the CS group. Taking into account the host’s immune status, the TLR4 gene expression was statistically higher in the skin of host from A group than in host from AS group at the beginning of the infection. Increased TLR4 gene expression in hosts with normal immunity infected with Acanthamoeba suggests the involvement of the studied receptor in the course of acanthamoebiasis. The above research results provide new data on the involvement of the studied receptor in the skin in the host’s immune defense triggered during the Acanthamoeba infection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue From Biology of Parasites to Tropical and Widespread Parasitic Diseases)
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