Prevalence of Dicrocoelium dendriticum ova in Ghanaian school children

Intestinal Helminth Infections in Ghanaian Children from the Ashanti Region between 2007 and 2008—A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Real-Time PCR-Based Assessment

In spite of ongoing eradication programs, helminth infections are still a medical issue in Ghana. For follow-up assessments on the decline of regional helminth infections, historic baseline prevalence values obtained with standardized diagnostic procedures can be helpful. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, real-time PCR targeting the nematodes Ancylostoma spp. (ITS2), Ascaris lumbricoides (ITS1), Enterobius vermicularis (ITS1), Necator americanus (ITS2), Strongyloides stercoralis (18S rRNA) and Trichuris trichiura (18S rRNA), the trematodes Schistosoma spp. (ITS2) as well as the cestodes Hymenolepis nana (ITS1), Taenia saginata (ITS1) and Taenia solium (ITS1) was applied with 2046 DNA eluates from stool samples of Ghanaian children from the Ashanti region collected between 2007 and 2008 in order to retrospectively define prevalence values. The overall prevalence was low with 3.8% (n = 77) and only 0.1% (n = 2) double infections with helminths were recorded. The three most frequently detected enteric helminth species comprised 2% S. stercoralis (n = 41), 0.8% H. nana (n = 16), and 0.7% N. americanus (n = 14), while only sporadic infection events were recorded for other helminth species comprising 0.1% E. vermicularis (n = 2), 0.1% Schistosoma spp. (n = 2), 0.1% T. saginata (n = 1) and 0.1% T. trichiura (n = 1). A. lumbricoides, Ancylostoma spp. and T. solium were not detected at all. In conclusion, the retrospective assessment suggests a low prevalence of enteric helminth infections in Ghanaian children from the Ashanti Region within the assessment period between 2007 and 2008.

Dicrocoelium spp. in cattle from Wa, Ghana: prevalence and phylogeny based on 28S rRNA

Dicrocoeliosis is a trematode infection in cattle, sheep and goats caused by the small liver fluke, Dicrocoelium spp. Though endemic in Ghana, its disease situation is poorly understood. In the present study, the prevalence, distribution and worm load of Dicrocoelium spp. in cattle at slaughter in Wa were determined. A total of 389 cattle were screened during meat inspection for liver flukes, and polymerase chain reaction accompanied by DNA sequencing of the 28S rRNA gene was used to identify Dicrocoelium spp. Generally, prevalence of bovine dicrocoeliosis (small liver fluke) stood at 19.54 % with prevalence in males and females being 17.62 % and 21.43 %, respectively. Animals under 2 years suffered more infection than older ones (23.08 % vs. 16.80 %). Dicrocoelium infection was recorded in animals from all the communities where slaughtered cattle came from. On average, 31 flukes per infected animal were recorded. A molecular confirmatory test on seven flukes identified them as D. hospes. This preliminary study highlights the importance of bovine dicrocoeliosis in Ghana and has identified D. hospes as a causal agent. The data provides basis for further studies to appraise the trematode disease situation in animals and phylogeny of Dicrocoelium spp. circulating in Ghana.

First isolation of Dicrocoelium dendriticum among cattle in some Northern Algerian slaughterhouses

Background and Aim:

Dicrocoelium dendriticum or small liver fluke often causes unnoticed clinical manifestations in cattle. For a live animal, its diagnosis is mainly based on the detection of eggs by coproscopic examination. The objective of this study was to determine the presence or absence of Dicrocoelium spp. never previously reported in the study area but also to establish its prevalence, as well as an association between dicrocoeliasis and sex, age and season of the year, and histological characteristics.

Materials and Methods:

The study was carried out in slaughterhouses of three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia) from January 2017 to December 2017. To this end, of 4053 cattle, representing more than 10% of the total number of animals slaughtered, stool and bile samples were collected and a liver inspection was carried out to investigate lesions of distomial cholangitis. They were processed for histological analysis. The specimens were morphologically identified according to the orientation of the testicles, the length and width of the body, and the level of the maximum width of the body.

Results:

The total prevalence of dicrocoeliasis obtained of the 4053 cattle inspected is 0.52% with a prevalence of 0.66% in Tizi-Ouzou, 0.54% in Bouira, and 0.27% in Bejaia. About 0.52% of livers had distomial cholangitis (21 of the 4053 livers examined had adult D. dendriticum and 15% had non-distomial cholangitis. About 0.25% of cattle had D. dendriticum eggs in the stool versus 0.52% of cattle had parasite eggs in the bile. Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between dicrocoeliasis infection and the season of the year (p>0.05). However, a significant association was found between dicrocoeliasis infection and sex and age of the animal (p<0.05); females and older animals are more likely to have dicrocoeliasis. Histological analysis of the fluke revealed an anterior positioning of the testicles with a slightly oblique tandem orientation, an average body length of 3.69 mm and an average body width of 1 mm. The maximum body width level is either in the middle of the fluke body or in the rear position.

Conclusion:

The histological study confirms that the collected fluke is D. dendriticum. Thus, this work reveals for the 1^st time in Algeria the presence of D. dendriticum in three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia). The results indicate that many cattle farms in the North Central Province of Algeria are infested with D. dendriticum.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum: An Unusual Parasitological Diagnosis in a Reference International Health Unit

Finding Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs in human feces is exceptional and there are few prevalence data available. True infection occurs after accidental ingestion of ants containing metacercariae and spurious infection through the consumption of infected animal liver. Differential diagnosis between true and pseudo-infections is performed through stool examination after a diet free of liver. In addition, microscopy can help to differentiate the type of infection. We report six cases, all from sub-Saharan Africa, detection of this fluke at the Tropical Medicine Unit Vall d'Hebron-Drassanes (Barcelona, Spain). Dicrocoelium dendriticum transit eggs were visualized in five cases and there were no subsequent visualizations after diet, which reinforces that all these cases were false parasitism. In one case, few embryonated eggs were observed and the patient was treated for a possible true parasitism. There is a need to investigate the prevalence of D. dendriticum in our country focusing on the distinction between true and spurious infections.

The Increase of Exotic Zoonotic Helminth Infections: The Impact of Urbanization, Climate Change and Globalization

Zoonotic parasitic diseases are increasingly impacting human populations due to the effects of globalization, urbanization and climate change. Here we review the recent literature on the most important helminth zoonoses, including reports of incidence and prevalence. We discuss those helminth diseases which are increasing in endemic areas and consider their geographical spread into new regions within the framework of globalization, urbanization and climate change to determine the effect these variables are having on disease incidence, transmission and the associated challenges presented for public health initiatives, including control and elimination.