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Ekloh W, Asafu-Adjaye A, Tawiah-Mensah CNL, Ayivi-Tosuh SM, Quartey NKA, Aiduenu AF, Gayi BK, Koudonu JAM, Basing LA, Yamoah JAA, Dofuor AK, Osei JHN. A comprehensive exploration of schistosomiasis: Global impact, molecular characterization, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and future prospects. Heliyon 2024; 10:e33070. [PMID: 38988508 PMCID: PMC11234110 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2024] [Revised: 06/12/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis, one of the neglected tropical diseases which affects both humans and animals, is caused by trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma. The disease is caused by several species of Schistosoma which affect several organs such as urethra, liver, bladder, intestines, skin and bile ducts. The life cycle of the disease involves an intermediate host (snail) and a mammalian host. It affects people who are in close proximity to water bodies where the intermediate host is abundant. Common clinical manifestations of the disease at various stages include fever, chills, headache, cough, dysuria, hyperplasia and hydronephrosis. To date, most of the control strategies are dependent on effective diagnosis, chemotherapy and public health education on the biology of the vectors and parasites. Microscopy (Kato-Katz) is considered the golden standard for the detection of the parasite, while praziquantel is the drug of choice for the mass treatment of the disease since no vaccines have yet been developed. Most of the previous reviews on schistosomiasis have concentrated on epidemiology, life cycle, diagnosis, control and treatment. Thus, a comprehensive review that is in tune with modern developments is needed. Here, we extend this domain to cover historical perspectives, global impact, symptoms and detection, biochemical and molecular characterization, gene therapy, current drugs and vaccine status. We also discuss the prospects of using plants as potential and alternative sources of novel anti-schistosomal agents. Furthermore, we highlight advanced molecular techniques, imaging and artificial intelligence that may be useful in the future detection and treatment of the disease. Overall, the proper detection of schistosomiasis using state-of-the-art tools and techniques, as well as development of vaccines or new anti-schistosomal drugs may aid in the elimination of the disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Ekloh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana
| | - Andy Asafu-Adjaye
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Christopher Nii Laryea Tawiah-Mensah
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Naa Kwarley-Aba Quartey
- Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Biosciences, College of Science, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Albert Fynn Aiduenu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Blessing Kwabena Gayi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - Laud Anthony Basing
- Department of Medical Diagnostics, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | - Jennifer Afua Afrifa Yamoah
- Animal Health Division, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Animal Research Institute, Adenta-Frafraha, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aboagye Kwarteng Dofuor
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
| | - Joseph Harold Nyarko Osei
- Department of Parasitology, Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
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Shi L, Zhang JF, Li W, Yang K. Development of New Technologies for Risk Identification of Schistosomiasis Transmission in China. Pathogens 2022; 11:pathogens11020224. [PMID: 35215167 PMCID: PMC8877870 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Schistosomiasis is serious parasitic disease with an estimated global prevalence of active infections of more than 190 million. Accurate methods for the assessment of schistosomiasis risk are crucial for schistosomiasis prevention and control in China. Traditional approaches to the identification of epidemiological risk factors include pathogen biology, immunology, imaging, and molecular biology techniques. Identification of schistosomiasis risk has been revolutionized by the advent of computer network communication technologies, including 3S, mathematical modeling, big data, and artificial intelligence (AI). In this review, we analyze the development of traditional and new technologies for risk identification of schistosomiasis transmission in China. New technologies allow for the integration of environmental and socio-economic factors for accurate prediction of the risk population and regions. The combination of traditional and new techniques provides a foundation for the development of more effective approaches to accelerate the process of schistosomiasis elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Shi
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi 214064, China; (L.S.); (J.-F.Z.); (W.L.)
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Wuxi 214064, China
- Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Public Health Research Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Jian-Feng Zhang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi 214064, China; (L.S.); (J.-F.Z.); (W.L.)
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Wuxi 214064, China
- Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Public Health Research Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Wei Li
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi 214064, China; (L.S.); (J.-F.Z.); (W.L.)
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Wuxi 214064, China
- Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Public Health Research Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214064, China
| | - Kun Yang
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Parasitic Disease Control and Prevention, Wuxi 214064, China; (L.S.); (J.-F.Z.); (W.L.)
- Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory on Parasite and Vector Control Technology, Wuxi 214064, China
- Jiangsu Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Wuxi 214064, China
- Public Health Research Center, Jiangnan University, Wuxi 214064, China
- School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 211166, China
- Correspondence:
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Zhang J, Yue M, Hu Y, Bergquist R, Su C, Gao F, Cao ZG, Zhang Z. Risk prediction of two types of potential snail habitats in Anhui Province of China: Model-based approaches. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008178. [PMID: 32251421 PMCID: PMC7162538 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Elimination of the intermediate snail host of Schistosoma is the most effective way to control schistosomiasis and the most important first step is to accurately identify the snail habitats. Due to the substantial resources required for traditional, manual snail-searching in the field, and potential risk of miss-classification of potential snail habitats by remote sensing, more convenient and precise methods are urgently needed. Snail data (N = 15,000) from two types of snail habitats (lake/marshland and hilly areas) in Anhui Province, a typical endemic area for schistosomiasis, were collected together with 36 environmental variables covering the whole province. Twelve different models were built and evaluated with indices, such as area under the curve (AUC), Kappa, percent correctly classified (PCC), sensitivity and specificity. We found the presence-absence models performing better than those based on presence-only. However, those derived from machine-learning, especially the random forest (RF) approach were preferable with all indices above 0.90. Distance to nearest river was found to be the most important variable for the lake/marshlands, while the climatic variables were more important for the hilly endemic areas. The predicted high-risk areas for potential snail habitats of the lake/marshland type exist mainly along the Yangtze River, while those of the hilly type are dispersed in the areas south of the Yangtze River. We provide here the first comprehensive risk profile of potential snail habitats based on precise examinations revealing the true distribution and habitat type, thereby improving efficiency and accuracy of snail control including better allocation of limited health resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ming Yue
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yi Hu
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | | | - Chuan Su
- Center for Global Health, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Pathogen Biology, Department of Pathogen Biology & Immunology, Nanjing Medical University, Jiangning District, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fenghua Gao
- Anhui Institute of Schistosomiasis Control, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhi-Guo Cao
- Anhui Institute of Schistosomiasis Control, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Zhijie Zhang
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- * E-mail:
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