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Lin L, Dacal E, Díez N, Carmona C, Martin Ramirez A, Barón Argos L, Bermejo-Peláez D, Caballero C, Cuadrado D, Darias-Plasencia O, García-Villena J, Bakardjiev A, Postigo M, Recalde-Jaramillo E, Flores-Chavez M, Santos A, Ledesma-Carbayo MJ, Rubio JM, Luengo-Oroz M. Edge Artificial Intelligence (AI) for real-time automatic quantification of filariasis in mobile microscopy. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0012117. [PMID: 38630833 PMCID: PMC11057975 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0012117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Filariasis, a neglected tropical disease caused by roundworms, is a significant public health concern in many tropical countries. Microscopic examination of blood samples can detect and differentiate parasite species, but it is time consuming and requires expert microscopists, a resource that is not always available. In this context, artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in the diagnosis of this disease by automatically detecting and differentiating microfilariae. In line with the target product profile for lymphatic filariasis as defined by the World Health Organization, we developed an edge AI system running on a smartphone whose camera is aligned with the ocular of an optical microscope that detects and differentiates filarias species in real time without the internet connection. Our object detection algorithm that uses the Single-Shot Detection (SSD) MobileNet V2 detection model was developed with 115 cases, 85 cases with 1903 fields of view and 3342 labels for model training, and 30 cases with 484 fields of view and 873 labels for model validation before clinical validation, is able to detect microfilariae at 10x magnification and distinguishes four species of them at 40x magnification: Loa loa, Mansonella perstans, Wuchereria bancrofti, and Brugia malayi. We validated our augmented microscopy system in the clinical environment by replicating the diagnostic workflow encompassed examinations at 10x and 40x with the assistance of the AI models analyzing 18 samples with the AI running on a middle range smartphone. It achieved an overall precision of 94.14%, recall of 91.90% and F1 score of 93.01% for the screening algorithm and 95.46%, 97.81% and 96.62% for the species differentiation algorithm respectively. This innovative solution has the potential to support filariasis diagnosis and monitoring, particularly in resource-limited settings where access to expert technicians and laboratory equipment is scarce.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Lin
- Spotlab, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | - Claudia Carmona
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alexandra Martin Ramirez
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC) Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lourdes Barón Argos
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ethan Recalde-Jaramillo
- Spotlab, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria Flores-Chavez
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Mundo Sano, Madrid, Spain
| | - Andrés Santos
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - María Jesús Ledesma-Carbayo
- Biomedical Image Technologies, ETSI Telecomunicación, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Rubio
- Malaria and Emerging Parasitic Diseases Laboratory, National Microbiology Centre, Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas (CIBERINFEC) Instituto de Salud Carlos III—Madrid, Madrid, Spain
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Ramharter M, Butler J, Mombo-Ngoma G, Nordmann T, Davi SD, Zoleko Manego R. The African eye worm: current understanding of the epidemiology, clinical disease, and treatment of loiasis. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 24:e165-e178. [PMID: 37858326 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00438-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Loa loa, the African eye worm, is a filarial pathogen transmitted by blood-sucking flies of the genus Chrysops. Loiasis primarily affects rural populations residing in the forest and adjacent savannah regions of central and west Africa, where more than 20 million patients are chronically infected in medium and high transmission regions. For a long time, loiasis has been regarded as a relatively benign condition. However, morbidity as measured by disability-adjusted life-years lost might be as high as 400 per 100 000 residents, and the population attributable fraction of death is estimated at 14·5% in highly endemic regions, providing unequivocal evidence for the substantial disease burden that loiasis exerts on affected communities. The clinical penetrance of loiasis is variable and might present with the classic signs of eye worm migration or transient Calabar swellings, but might include common, unspecific symptoms or rare but potentially life-threatening complications. Although adult worm migration seems most closely linked to symptomatic disease, high levels of microfilaraemia are associated with clinically important complications and death. Loiasis remains difficult to diagnose, treat, and control due to an absence of reliable point-of-care diagnostic assays, safe and efficacious drugs, and cost-effective prevention strategies. This Review summarises the major advances in our understanding of loiasis made over the past decade and highlights the many gaps that await to be addressed urgently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Ramharter
- Department of Clinical Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Tropical Medicine, I Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany.
| | | | - Ghyslain Mombo-Ngoma
- Department of Implementation Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Tropical Medicine, I Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Tamara Nordmann
- Department of Clinical Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Tropical Medicine, I Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Saskia Dede Davi
- Department of Clinical Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Tropical Medicine, I Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research, Partner Site Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rella Zoleko Manego
- Department of Clinical Research, Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Hamburg, Germany; Division of Tropical Medicine, I Department of Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany; Centre de Recherche Médicale de Lambaréné, Lambaréné, Gabon
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Kołodziej P, Szostakowska B, Lass A, Sulima M, Sikorska K, Kocki J, Krupski W, Starownik D, Bojar P, Szumiło J, Kasztelan-Szczerbińska B, Cichoż-Lach H, Bogucki J, Szymańska M, Fota-Markowska H, Bogucka-Kocka A. Chronic intestinal schistosomiasis caused by co-infection with Schistosoma intercalatum and Schistosoma mansoni. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2024; 24:e196-e205. [PMID: 37783223 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00486-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/04/2023]
Abstract
The Grand Round concerns a 24-year-old man from Zimbabwe who was studying and living in Poland. The patient had been complaining of abdominal pain, fatigue, alternating diarrhoea and constipation, and presence of blood in his stool for 3 years. The patient had the following diagnostic tests: colonoscopy, CT scan, histopathology, and parasitological and molecular tests. Results of the examinations showed that the cause of the patient's complaints was chronic intestinal schistosomiasis due to the co-infection with Schistosoma intercalatum and Schistosoma mansoni. The patient had two cycles of praziquantel therapy (Biltricide) and responded well to the treatment. In the Grand Round, we describe full diagnostics as well as clinical and therapeutic management in the patient with S intercalatum and S mansoni co-infection. This case allows us to draw attention to cases of forgotten chronic tropical diseases (including rare ones) in patients from regions with a high endemic index staying in non-endemic regions of the world for a long time. Co-infection with S intercalatum and S mansoni should be considered as a very rare clinical case.
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Affiliation(s)
- Przemysław Kołodziej
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland.
| | - Beata Szostakowska
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.
| | - Anna Lass
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Sulima
- Division of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Sikorska
- Division of Tropical and Parasitic Diseases, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Janusz Kocki
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Witold Krupski
- Department of Medical Radiology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Dorota Starownik
- Independent Public Clinical Hospital No. 4 in Lublin, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Paweł Bojar
- Department of Pathomorphology, Beskid Oncology Centre-John Paul II Memorial City Hospital in Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biała, Poland
| | - Justyna Szumiło
- Department of Clinical Pathomorphology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Halina Cichoż-Lach
- Department of Gastroenterology with Endoscopy Unit, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Jacek Bogucki
- Department of Organic Chemistry, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | - Magdalena Szymańska
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
| | | | - Anna Bogucka-Kocka
- Department of Biology and Genetics, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland
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Portela CS, Mendes de Araújo CP, Moura Sousa P, Gomes Simão CL, Silva de Oliveira JC, Crainey JL. Filarial disease in the Brazilian Amazon and emerging opportunities for treatment and control. CURRENT RESEARCH IN PARASITOLOGY & VECTOR-BORNE DISEASES 2023; 5:100168. [PMID: 38283060 PMCID: PMC10821485 DOI: 10.1016/j.crpvbd.2023.100168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Following the successful eradication of Wuchereria bancrofti, there are now just three species of conventional microfilaremic human filarial parasites endemic to the Brazilian Amazon region: Mansonella ozzardi, Mansonella perstans and Onchocerca volvulus. The zoonotic filarial parasite Dirofilaria immitis is also found in the Amazon region as are several sylvatic filarial parasites, some of which have been recorded causing zoonoses and some of which have never been recorded outside the region. Onchocerca volvulus is only found in the Amazonia onchocerciasis focus in the Brazilian state of Roraima where it affects the people of the Yanomami tribe living around the densely forested Venezuela border region. Mansonella ozzardi is by far the most common filarial parasite in Brazil and has a broad but patchy distribution throughout the western Amazon region. Recorded in the Brazilian states of Acre, Roraima, Matto Grosso, and within almost every municipality of Amazonas state, it is believed that pollution of the urban stream and river systems prevents the development of the simuliid vectors of M. ozzardi and explains the parasite's reduced distribution within urban areas and an absence of recent reports from the state capital Manaus. Decades of WHO-led periodic ivermectin treatment of Yanomami tribe's people have resulted in the partial suppression of O. volvulus transmission in this focus and has also probably affected the transmission of M. ozzardi in the region. Mansonella perstans, O. volvulus and very probably M. ozzardi infections can all be treated and most likely cured with a 4-6-week treatment course of doxycycline. The Brazilian Ministry of Health does not, however, presently recommend any treatment for mansonellosis infections and thus parasitic infections outside the Amazonia focus are typically left untreated. While the long treatment courses required for doxycycline-based mansonellosis therapies preclude their use in control programmes, new fast-acting filarial drug treatments are likely to soon become available for the treatment of both onchocerciasis and mansonellosis in the Amazon region. Filarial disease management in the Brazilian Amazon is thus likely to become dramatically more viable at a time when the public health importance of these diseases is increasingly being recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cleudecir Siqueira Portela
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Programa de Doutorado em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Cláudia Patrícia Mendes de Araújo
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Programa de Doutorado em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Patrícia Moura Sousa
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Programa de Doutorado em Biologia da Interação Patógeno Hospedeiro, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Carla Letícia Gomes Simão
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Programa de Mestrado em Condições de Vida e Situações de Saúde na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - João Carlos Silva de Oliveira
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Programa de Doutorado em Saúde Pública na Amazônia, Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - James Lee Crainey
- Instituto Leônidas e Maria Deane, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz Amazônia, Laboratório de Ecologia de Doenças Transmissíveis na Amazônia, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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Ferreira MU, Crainey JL, Gobbi FG. The search for better treatment strategies for mansonellosis: an expert perspective. Expert Opin Pharmacother 2023; 24:1685-1692. [PMID: 37477269 DOI: 10.1080/14656566.2023.2240235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Four species of the Mansonella genus infect millions of people across sub-Saharan Africa and Central and South America. Most infections are asymptomatic, but mansonellosis can be associated with nonspecific clinical manifestations such as fever, headache, arthralgia, and ocular lesions (M. ozzardi); pruritus, arthralgia, abdominal pain, angioedema, skin rash, and fatigue (M. perstans and perhaps Mansonella sp. 'DEUX'); and pruritic dermatitis and chronic lymphadenitis (M. perstans). AREAS COVERED We searched the PubMed and SciELO databases for publications on mansonelliasis in English, Spanish, Portuguese, or French that appeared until 1 May 2023. Literature data show that anthelmintics - single-dose ivermectin for M. ozzardi, repeated doses of mebendazole alone or in combination with diethylcarbamazine (DEC) for M. perstans, and DEC alone for M. streptocerca - are effective against microfilariae. Antibiotics that target Wolbachia endosymbionts, such as doxycycline, are likely to kill adult worms of most, if not all, Mansonella species, but the currently recommended 6-week regimen is relatively impractical. New anthelmintics and shorter antibiotic regimens (e.g. with rifampin) have shown promise in experimental filarial infections and may proceed to clinical trials. EXPERT OPINION We recommend that human infections with Mansonella species be treated, regardless of any apparent clinical manifestations. We argue that mansonellosis, despite being widely considered a benign infection, may represent a direct or indirect cause of significant morbidity that remains poorly characterized at present.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo U Ferreira
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Global Health and Tropical Medicine, Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, NOVA University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - James Lee Crainey
- Laboratory of Ecology and Transmissible Diseases in the Amazon, Leônidas and Maria Deane Institute, Fiocruz, Manaus, Brazil
| | - Federico G Gobbi
- Department of Infectious-Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Treviño B, Zarzuela F, Oliveira-Souto I, Maturana CR, Serre-Delcor N, Aznar ML, Pou D, Goterris L, Salvador F, Bosch-Nicolau P, Rubio JM, Ruiz E, Molina I, Sulleiro E. Unexpected Loa loa Finding in an Asymptomatic Patient From The Gambia: A Case Report. Open Forum Infect Dis 2023; 10:ofad338. [PMID: 37484898 PMCID: PMC10358219 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofad338] [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: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
A 17-year-old asymptomatic male from The Gambia presented for a routine health examination after migration to Spain. Laboratory diagnosis confirmed the presence of Loa loa microfilariae. This unusual finding emphasizes the importance of screening in newly arrived migrants and the need of an extended anamnesis including migratory route and previous travels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Begoña Treviño
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Francesc Zarzuela
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Inés Oliveira-Souto
- Correspondence: Inés Oliveira-Souto, MD, PhD, Unidad de Salud Internacional Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes, Servicio de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Hospital Universitario Vall d’Hebron, Passeig de la Vall d’Hebron 119-129, 08035 Barcelona, Spain ()
| | - Carles Rubio Maturana
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Núria Serre-Delcor
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Maria L Aznar
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Diana Pou
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lidia Goterris
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fernando Salvador
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pau Bosch-Nicolau
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M Rubio
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
- Microbiology National Centre, Carlos III Health Institute, Madrid, Spain
| | - Edurne Ruiz
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Israel Molina
- Vall d’Hebron-Drassanes International Health Unit, Infectious Diseases Department, Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, International Health Programme of Catalan Health Institute (PROSICS) Barcelona, Centres, Services and Reference Units (CSUR) Imported Tropical Diseases, Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Infectious Diseases, Madrid, Spain
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Checkouri T, Missamou F, Pion SDS, Bikita P, Hemilembolo MC, Boussinesq M, Chesnais CB, Campillo JT. Association between altered cognition and Loa loa microfilaremia: First evidence from a cross-sectional study in a rural area of the Republic of Congo. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2023; 17:e0011430. [PMID: 37339123 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with high Loa loa microfilarial densities are at risk of developing severe encephalopathy after administration of antiparasitic drugs. Apart from this finding, loiasis is considered benign with no effect on brain function. However, recent epidemiological data suggest an increased mortality and morbidity in L. loa infected individuals, underscoring the importance of studies on the possible neurological morbidity associated with loiasis. METHODOLOGY Using MoCA tests and neurological ultrasounds, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess cognitive alteration in a population living in a rural area endemic for loiasis in the Republic of Congo. Fifty individuals with high microfilarial densities (MFD) were matched on sex, age and residency with 50 individuals with low MFD and 50 amicrofilaremic subjects. Analyses focused on individuals with MoCA scores indicating an altered cognition (i.e. < 23/30) and on the total MoCA score according to Loa loa MFD, sociodemographic characteristics and neurological ultrasound results. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS MoCA scores were very low in the studied population (mean of 15.6/30). Individuals with more than 15,000 microfilariae per milliliter of blood (mean predicted score:14.0/30) are more than twenty times more likely to have an altered cognition, compared to individuals with no microfilaremia (mean predicted score: 16.3/30). Years of schooling were strongly associated with better MoCA results. Extracranial and intracranial atheroma were not associated with L. loa MFD. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE Loaisis microfilaremia is probably involved in cognitive impairment, especially when the MFD are high. These results highlight the urgent need to better understand loaisis-induced morbidity. Further studies investigating neurological morbidity of loiasis are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Checkouri
- AP-HP, Service des Urgences Cérébro-Vasculaires, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sorbonne Université, Paris, France
| | - François Missamou
- Programme National de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose, Direction de l'Épidémiologie et de la Lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Sebastien D S Pion
- UMI 233 TransVIHMI, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM Unité, Montpellier, France
| | - Paul Bikita
- Programme National de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose, Direction de l'Épidémiologie et de la Lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
| | - Marlhand C Hemilembolo
- Programme National de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose, Direction de l'Épidémiologie et de la Lutte contre la Maladie, Ministère de la Santé et de la Population, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo
- UMI 233 TransVIHMI, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM Unité, Montpellier, France
| | - Michel Boussinesq
- UMI 233 TransVIHMI, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM Unité, Montpellier, France
| | - Cédric B Chesnais
- UMI 233 TransVIHMI, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM Unité, Montpellier, France
| | - Jérémy T Campillo
- UMI 233 TransVIHMI, Université Montpellier, Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), INSERM Unité, Montpellier, France
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