Prevalence and co-infection of schistosomiasis/hepatitis B among rural populations in endemic areas in Hubei, China

Beyond schistosomiasis: unraveling co-infections and altered immunity

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the helminth Schistosoma spp. and has the second highest global impact of all parasites. Schistosoma are transmitted through contact with contaminated fresh water predominantly in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Due to the widespread prevalence of Schistosoma, co-infection with other infectious agents is common but often poorly described. Herein, we review recent literature describing the impact of Schistosoma co-infection between species and Schistosoma co-infection with blood-borne protozoa, soil-transmitted helminths, various intestinal protozoa, Mycobacterium, Salmonella, various urinary tract infection-causing agents, and viral pathogens. In each case, disease severity and, of particular interest, the immune landscape, are altered as a consequence of co-infection. Understanding the impact of schistosomiasis co-infections will be important when considering treatment strategies and vaccine development moving forward.

Screening for Neglected Tropical Diseases and other infections in African refugees and asylum seekers in Rome and Lazio region, Italy

BACKGROUND

Few reliable data are available on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) and other infections among African refugees and asylum seekers in Italy. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of NTDs and other infections in a large cohort of African refugees and asylum seekers living in reception centers in Lazio, Italy.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

This is an observational, prospective prevalence study on infectious diseases in a large population of African refugees and asylum seekers (936 overall) consecutively enrolled for screening purpose at the Infectious and Tropical diseases outpatient clinic of the National Institute of Migrant and Poverty (INMP), Rome from August 2019 to December 2020.

RESULTS

We found a prevalence of 8.8 % and 31 % for Strongyloides and schistosoma infection, respectively, while the prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection was 0.7 %, HCV antibodies 2.5%, hepatitis B virus surface antigen 10.8 % and syphilis serological tests 2.9 %.

CONCLUSION

Strongyloidiasis and schistosomiasis are highly prevalent among African refugees and asylum seekers in Italy, in contrast to communicable diseases (with the exception of hepatitis B). Raising awareness of NTDs among health professionals and implementing guidelines seems to be of paramount importance to prevent these diseases and their sufferers from becoming even more "neglected".

Impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 lockdown on Schistosoma host Oncomelania hupensis density in Wuhan

BACKGROUND

Snails that host the parasitic worm Schistosoma were once controlled or eliminated in Wuhan, China. However, safety measures associated with the outbreak of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) halted snail detection and extermination efforts. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on urban schistosomiasis transmission remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate snail density and the associated risk of a schistosomiasis outbreak in Wuhan.

METHODS

The density and infection status of snails were monitored by global positioning system satellites, and outbreak risk was calculated by adjusting the Kaiser model. SigmaPlot was used to create a three-dimensional risk matrix.

RESULTS

The living snail frame occurrence rate was 1.48%, and the average living snail density was 0.054/0.11 m² in 2020, indicating an increase relative to the respective 2019 values (0.019/0.11 m²). No infectious snails were observed in the survey area. The possibility, harmfulness, and uncontrollability indicator values were 0.842, 0.870, and 0.866, respectively. The areas at greatest risk were the northern bank of Tianxingzhou and the Tianxingzhou and Hongshan districts overall. The existing snail sites in the northern bank of Tianxingzhou exhibited the highest risk scores, followed by those in Pak Sha Chau, with the highest risk score found in Yangsiji Village. The events likely to occur in Hongshan District were also likely to have high severity.

CONCLUSIONS

During the COVID-19 outbreak, the risk of schistosomiasis increased due to snail colonies returning to their sites of origin in Wuhan, suggesting a need for strengthened infection control and prevention measures.

Co-infections of Schistosoma spp. and Malaria with Hepatitis Viruses from Endemic Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Co-infection of schistosomiasis and malaria with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are common in countries where schistosomiasis and malaria are endemic.

OBJECTIVE

The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to assess the prevalence of malaria/hepatitis viruses and Schistosoma/hepatitis viruses' co-infections.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Relevant published studies on the co-infection of malaria and Schistosoma spp. with HBV and HCV were retrieved via international databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Regarding meta-analysis, the random-effect model was employed by forest plot with a 95% of confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

A total of 22 studies, including 15 studies with malaria/hepatitis viruses' co-infection and 7 studies with Schistosoma/hepatitis viruses' co-infection met the eligibility criteria. The co-infection of malaria/HCV and malaria/HBV in different populations were 15% (95% CI, 0-77%) and 5% (95% CI, 1-10%), respectively. Moreover, Schistosoma/HCV and Schistosoma/HBV co infection were detected in 7% (95% CI, 0-54%) and 2% (95% CI, 0-7%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

The overlaps between Schistosoma spp. and malaria with hepatitis B and C viruses in endemic countries with lower income levels were high, which deserve further attention.

A preliminary investigation into the immune cell landscape of schistosome-associated liver fibrosis in humans

Schistosomiasis is a widespread helminth disease that poses a heavy social and economic burden on people worldwide. Advanced schistosomiasis often develops into schistosome‐associated liver fibrosis, the pathogenesis of which remains unclear. This study aimed preliminarily to profile immune cells of schistosome‐associated liver fibrosis using single‐cell RNA sequencing. Three patient groups were enrolled, including an Schistosomiasis japonicum (SJ) group (n = 1), a chronic liver failure (CLF) group (n = 3) and a healthy control (HC) group (n = 2), revealing 17 cell clusters out of 20 093 cells. From these limited datasets, it was observed that T cell(1), mononuclear phagocytes‐1 and dendritic cells (DCs) were higher in the SJ group. CAVIN2⁺ MP(2) was the predominant cell type in the MP subset of the SJ group (53%), and was higher than that in both the CLF (8%) and HC (1%) groups. Kupffer cell marker genes (CD163, MARCO and TIMD4) were enriched in caveolae‐associated protein 2 (CAVIN2)⁺ MP(2), which was also an important source of TGFB1. The KEGG pathways of CAVIN2⁺ MP(2) indicated that they were associated with lysosome, endocytosis, phagosome and antigen processing and presentation. The preliminary study showed that granzyme B (GZMB)⁺ T cell(1) and ankyrin repeat domain‐containing protein 36B⁺ T cell(3) were the most common T cells in the SJ group (50% and 32%, respectively). The KEGG pathways of GZMB⁺ T cell(1) were mainly related to natural killer cell‐mediated cytotoxicity. The percentage of ring1 and YY1 binding protein (RYBP)⁺ DC(1) was higher in the SJ group (57%) than in the CLF (16%) and HC (6%) groups. The KEGG pathway of RYBP⁺ DC(1) was related to Fc gamma R‐mediated phagocytosis and antigen processing and presentation. Overall, CAVIN2⁺ Kupffer cells were the main source of TGFB1, consisting primarily of mononuclear phagocytes in the livers of the SJ group subjects and potentially playing an irreplaceable role in hepatic fibrosis of schistosomiasis.

Two rivals or colleagues in the liver? Hepatit B virus and Schistosoma mansoni co-infections: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Globally, hepatitis B and schistosomiasis (Mansoni) together affect about 300 million people; which cause hepatic disorders worldwide. Given that little is known about co-infections with hepatitis B and schistosoma mansoni, the present study investigates these two health problems alone and together and their possible correlation.

METHODS

A search was conducted for reports published between January 1990 and October 2020 by using Embase, Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science databases; Out of a total of 20 studies, 14 cross-sectional studies (6329 people) and 6 case-control studies (2138 individual) were reviewed. The pooled prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV), S.mansoni infections, and their co-infections; heterogeneity and the Odds Ratio (OR) were evaluated by Stata 11.2.

FINDINGS

Among the included studies in the inclusion criteria, the pooled prevalence of hepatitis B, S. mansoni was 34% (95% CI, 0.23-0.46), 41% (95% CI, 0.24-0.59) and their co-infections was 18% (95% CI, 0.11-0.25) by regions. The hepatitis B and S. mansoni correlation was significant in populations with schistosoma compared to control group (OR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.36-3.30).

COMMENTARY

Our results showed that in addition to the high global prevalence of hepatitis B- S. mansoni (co) infections in the included studies, there is a significant association between them, especially in people suffering from schistosoma. These results highlight the importance of integrated interventions measurements against coexistence of parasitic and viral diseases. We know that more research studies need to be done in this field and global monitoring should be considered for the co-infection of these two important complications.