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Khairuzzaman M, Hasan MM, Ali MT, Mamun AA, Akter S, Nasrin P, Islam MK, Nahar AU, Sarker DK, Hamdi OAA, Uddin SJ, Seidel V, Shilpi JA. Anthelmintic screening of Bangladeshi medicinal plants and related phytochemicals using in vitro and in silico methods: An ethnobotanical perspective. JOURNAL OF ETHNOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 328:118132. [PMID: 38565411 DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2024.118132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Infections caused by parasitic worms or helminth continue to pose a great burden on human and animal health, particularly in underdeveloped tropical and subtropical countries where they are endemic. Current anthelmintic drugs present serious limitations and the emergence of drug resistance has made it increasingly challenging to combat such infections (helminthiases). In Bangladesh, medicinal plants are often used by indigenous communities for the treatment of helminthiases. Knowledge on such plants along with screening for their anthelmintic activity has the potential to lead to the discovery of phytochemicals that could serve as novel molecular scaffolds for the development of new anthelminthic drugs. AIM OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study was i) to conduct an ethnobotanical survey to gather data on Bangladeshi medicinal plants used in the treatment of helminthiases, ii) to test plants with the highest use values for their in vitro anthelmintic activity, and iii) to carry out in silico screening on phytochemicals present in the most active plant extract to investigate their ability to disrupt β-tubulin function in helminths. METHODS The ethnobotanical survey was conducted across three sub-districts of Bangladesh, namely Mathbaria, Phultala and Khan Jahan Ali. The in vitro screening for anthelmintic activity was performed in a motility test using adult Haemonchus contortus worms. Virtual screening using PyRx was performed on the phytochemicals reported from the most active plant, exploring their interactions with the colchicine binding site of the β-tubulin protein target (PDB ID: 1SA0). RESULTS The survey respondents reported a total of 32 plants for treating helminthiases. Based on their use values, the most popular choices were Ananas comosus (L.) Merr., Azadirachta indica A.Juss., Carica papaya L., Citrus maxima (Burm.) Merr., Curcuma longa L., Momordica charantia L., Nigella sativa L. and Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels. In vitro anthelmintic testing revealed that A. indica leaves and bark had the highest activity with LC50 values of 16 mg/mL in both cases. Other plant extracts also exhibited good anthelmintic activity with LC50 values ranging from 16 to 52 mg/mL, while the value for albendazole (positive control) was 8.39 mg/mL. The limonoids nimbolide and 28-deoxonimbolide showed a binding affinity of -8.9 kcal/mol, and satisfied all drug-likeness parameters. The control ligand N-deacetyl-N-(2-mercaptoacetyl)colchicine had a binding affinity of -6.9 kcal/mol. CONCLUSION Further in silico and in vitro studies are warranted on the identified limonoids to confirm the potential of these derivatives as novel drug templates for helminthiases. The current study supports the need for an ethnobotanical survey-based approach to discover novel drug templates for helminthiases.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Khairuzzaman
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Md Mehedi Hasan
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Tuhin Ali
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Abdullah Al Mamun
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Sheuly Akter
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh; Bangladesh Reference Institute for Chemical Measurements, Dr Kudrat-e-Khuda Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Papia Nasrin
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Md Khirul Islam
- Department of Life Technologies, Division of Biotechnology, University of Turku, Finland
| | - Akhlak Un Nahar
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Dipto Kumer Sarker
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Omer Abdalla Ahmed Hamdi
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Technology, Al-Neelain University, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Shaikh Jamal Uddin
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh
| | - Veronique Seidel
- Natural Products Research Laboratory, Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jamil A Shilpi
- Pharmacy Discipline, Life Science School, Khulna University, Khulna, Bangladesh.
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Wijshake T, Rose J, Wang J, Zielke J, Marlar-Pavey M, Chen W, Collins JJ, Agathocleous M. Schistosome Infection Impacts Hematopoiesis. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 212:607-616. [PMID: 38169327 PMCID: PMC10872488 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Helminth infections are common in animals. However, the impact of a helminth infection on the function of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and other hematopoietic cells has not been comprehensively defined. In this article, we describe the hematopoietic response to infection of mice with Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic flatworm that causes schistosomiasis. We analyzed the frequency or number of hematopoietic cell types in the bone marrow, spleen, liver, thymus, and blood and observed multiple hematopoietic changes caused by infection. Schistosome infection impaired bone marrow HSC function after serial transplantation. Functional HSCs were present in the infected liver. Infection blocked bone marrow erythropoiesis and augmented spleen erythropoiesis, observations consistent with the anemia and splenomegaly prevalent in schistosomiasis patients. This work defines the hematopoietic response to schistosomiasis, a debilitating disease afflicting more than 200 million people, and identifies impairments in HSC function and erythropoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wijshake
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Joseph Rose
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jipeng Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Current address: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jacob Zielke
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Madeleine Marlar-Pavey
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Weina Chen
- Department of Pathology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - James J. Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michalis Agathocleous
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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Barsch E, Kowarik K, Rodler K, Hörweg C, Reschreiter H, Sattmann H, Walochnik J. First molecular data on the human roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides species complex from the Bronze and Iron Age in Hallstatt, Austria. Sci Rep 2023; 13:12055. [PMID: 37491505 PMCID: PMC10368691 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38989-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Palaeoparasitological studies can provide valuable information on the emergence, distribution, and elimination of parasites during a particular time in the past. In the prehistoric salt mines of Hallstatt, located in the Austrian Alps, human faeces have been conserved in salt. The aim of this study was to recover ancient DNA of intestinal parasites from these coprolites. Altogether, 35 coprolites from the Hallstatt salt mines, dating back to the Bronze Age mining phase (1158-1063 BCE) and the Iron Age mining phase (750-662 BCE), respectively, were analysed by microscopy and molecular methods. In 91% of the coprolite samples, eggs of soil-transmitted helminths (STH), namely of Trichuris and/or Ascaris were detected by light microscopy. The Ascaris eggs were exceptionally well preserved. For further analysis, DNA was extracted from the palaeofaecal samples and species-specific primers targeting different genes were designed. While amplification of Trichuris DNA remained unsuccessful, sequence data of A. lumbricoides species complex were successfully obtained from 16 coprolites from three different genes, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1), the mitochondrial cytochrome B gene (cytB) and the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene (nadh1). Importantly, these included two Ascaris sequences from a coprolite from the Bronze Age, which to the best of our knowledge are the first molecular data of this genus from this period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Barsch
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Kerstin Kowarik
- Prehistoric Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Archaeological Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Katharina Rodler
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Hörweg
- 3rd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hans Reschreiter
- Prehistoric Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Helmut Sattmann
- 3rd Zoological Department, Natural History Museum Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Julia Walochnik
- Institute of Specific Prophylaxis and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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Wijshake T, Wang J, Rose J, Marlar-Pavey M, Collins JJ, Agathocleous M. Helminth infection impacts hematopoiesis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.10.528073. [PMID: 36798229 PMCID: PMC9934639 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.10.528073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/13/2023]
Abstract
Helminth infections are common in animals. However, the impact of a helminth infection on the function of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and other hematopoietic cells has not been comprehensively defined. Here we describe the hematopoietic response to infection of mice with Schistosoma mansoni, a parasitic flatworm which causes schistosomiasis. We analyzed the frequency or number of hematopoietic cell types in the bone marrow, spleen, liver, thymus, and blood, and observed multiple hematopoietic changes caused by infection. Schistosome infection impaired bone marrow HSC function after serial transplantation. Functional HSCs were present in the infected liver. Infection blocked bone marrow erythropoiesis and augmented spleen erythropoiesis, observations consistent with the anemia and splenomegaly prevalent in schistosomiasis patients. This work defines the hematopoietic response to schistosomiasis, a debilitating disease afflicting more than 200 million people, and identifies impairments in HSC function and erythropoiesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobias Wijshake
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Jipeng Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences at Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Joseph Rose
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Madeleine Marlar-Pavey
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Cell Biology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - James J. Collins
- Department of Pharmacology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Michalis Agathocleous
- Children’s Medical Center Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
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5
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The worldwide prevalence of intestinal helminthic parasites among food handlers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Control 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2023.109658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Wang T, Cessford C, Dittmar JM, Inskip S, Jones PM, Mitchell PD. Intestinal parasite infection in the Augustinian friars and general population of medieval Cambridge, UK. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PALEOPATHOLOGY 2022; 39:115-121. [PMID: 35989173 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2022.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate how lifestyle may have impacted the risk of contracting intestinal parasites in medieval England . Regular clergy (such as those living in monasteries) and the lay population form interesting groups for comparison as diet and lifestyle varied significantly. Monasteries were built with latrine blocks and hand washing facilities, unlike houses of the poor. MATERIALS Sediment samples from the pelvis, along with control samples from feet and skull, of 19 burials of Augustinian Friars (13th-16th century), and 25 burials from All Saints by the Castle parish cemetery (10th-14th century), Cambridge. METHODS We analysed the sediment using micro-sieving and digital light microscopy to identify the eggs of intestinal parasites. RESULTS Parasite prevalence (roundworm and whipworm) in the Augustinian friars was 58%, and in the All Saints by the Castle parishioners just 32% (Barnards Test score statistic 1.7176, p-value 0.092). CONCLUSIONS It is interesting that the friars had nearly double the infection rate of parasites spread by poor hygiene, compared with the general population. We consider options that might explain this difference, and discuss descriptions and treatment of intestinal worms in medical texts circulating in Cambridge during the medieval period. SIGNIFICANCE This is the first study to compare prevalence of parasite infection between groups with different socioeconomic status from the same location. LIMITATIONS Quality of egg preservation was suboptimal, so our data may under-represent the true prevalence. SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH Larger studies with greater statistical power, covering different time periods and regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyi Wang
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK
| | - Craig Cessford
- Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK
| | - Jenna M Dittmar
- Department of Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Elphinstone Road, Aberdeen AB24 3UF, UK
| | - Sarah Inskip
- School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK
| | - Peter M Jones
- Kings College, University of Cambridge, King's Parade, Cambridge CB2 1ST, UK
| | - Piers D Mitchell
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3DZ, UK.
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van der Kuyl AC. Historic and Prehistoric Epidemics: An Overview of Sources Available for the Study of Ancient Pathogens. EPIDEMIOLOGIA (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 3:443-464. [PMID: 36547255 PMCID: PMC9778136 DOI: 10.3390/epidemiologia3040034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Since life on earth developed, parasitic microbes have thrived. Increases in host numbers, or the conquest of a new species, provide an opportunity for such a pathogen to enjoy, before host defense systems kick in, a similar upsurge in reproduction. Outbreaks, caused by "endemic" pathogens, and epidemics, caused by "novel" pathogens, have thus been creating chaos and destruction since prehistorical times. To study such (pre)historic epidemics, recent advances in the ancient DNA field, applied to both archeological and historical remains, have helped tremendously to elucidate the evolutionary trajectory of pathogens. These studies have offered new and unexpected insights into the evolution of, for instance, smallpox virus, hepatitis B virus, and the plague-causing bacterium Yersinia pestis. Furthermore, burial patterns and historical publications can help in tracking down ancient pathogens. Another source of information is our genome, where selective sweeps in immune-related genes relate to past pathogen attacks, while multiple viruses have left their genomes behind for us to study. This review will discuss the sources available to investigate (pre)historic diseases, as molecular knowledge of historic and prehistoric pathogens may help us understand the past and the present, and prepare us for future epidemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antoinette C. van der Kuyl
- Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; ; Tel.: +31-205-666-778
- Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, 1100 DD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Doyle SR, Søe MJ, Nejsum P, Betson M, Cooper PJ, Peng L, Zhu XQ, Sanchez A, Matamoros G, Sandoval GAF, Cutillas C, Tchuenté LAT, Mekonnen Z, Ame SM, Namwanje H, Levecke B, Berriman M, Fredensborg BL, Kapel CMO. Population genomics of ancient and modern Trichuris trichiura. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3888. [PMID: 35794092 PMCID: PMC9259628 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31487-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The neglected tropical disease trichuriasis is caused by the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, a soil-transmitted helminth that has infected humans for millennia. Today, T. trichiura infects as many as 500 million people, predominantly in communities with poor sanitary infrastructure enabling sustained faecal-oral transmission. Using whole-genome sequencing of geographically distributed worms collected from human and other primate hosts, together with ancient samples preserved in archaeologically-defined latrines and deposits dated up to one thousand years old, we present the first population genomics study of T. trichiura. We describe the continent-scale genetic structure between whipworms infecting humans and baboons relative to those infecting other primates. Admixture and population demographic analyses support a stepwise distribution of genetic variation that is highest in Uganda, consistent with an African origin and subsequent translocation with human migration. Finally, genome-wide analyses between human samples and between human and non-human primate samples reveal local regions of genetic differentiation between geographically distinct populations. These data provide insight into zoonotic reservoirs of human-infective T. trichiura and will support future efforts toward the implementation of genomic epidemiology of this globally important helminth.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Martin Jensen Søe
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
| | - Peter Nejsum
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Martha Betson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Philip J Cooper
- Institute of Infection and Immunity, St George's University of London, London, UK
- School of Medicine, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Lifei Peng
- Department of Parasitology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangdong Medical University, Zhanjiang, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Xing-Quan Zhu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu, Shanxi Province, People's Republic of China
| | - Ana Sanchez
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gabriela Matamoros
- Microbiology Research Institute, Ciudad Universitaria, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
| | | | - Cristina Cutillas
- Departamento de Microbiología y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Zeleke Mekonnen
- Institute of Health, School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jimma University, Jimma, Ethiopia
| | - Shaali M Ame
- Public Health Laboratory Ivo de Carneri, Pemba, Tanzania
| | | | - Bruno Levecke
- Department of Translational Physiology, Infectiology and Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Brian Lund Fredensborg
- Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Denmark
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Reconstructing the history of helminth prevalence in the UK. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010312. [PMID: 35446843 PMCID: PMC9022885 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Intestinal helminth parasites (worms) have afflicted humans throughout history and their eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits including at locations where intestinal parasites are no longer considered endemic (e.g. the UK). Parasites provide valuable archaeological insights into historical health, sanitation, hygiene, dietary and culinary practices, as well as other factors. Differences in the prevalence of helminths over time may help us understand factors that affected the rate of infection of these parasites in past populations. While communal deposits often contain relatively high numbers of parasite eggs, these cannot be used to calculate prevalence rates, which are a key epidemiological measure of infection. The prevalence of intestinal helminths was investigated through time in England, based on analysis of 464 human burials from 17 sites, dating from the Prehistoric to Industrial periods. Eggs from two faecal-oral transmitted nematodes (Ascaris sp. and Trichuris sp.) and the food-derived cestodes (Taenia spp. and Diphyllobothrium latum syn Dibothriocephalus latus) were identified, although only Ascaris was detected at a high frequency. The changing prevalence of nematode infections can be attributed to changes in effective sanitation or other factors that affect these faecal-oral transmitted parasites and the presence of cestode infections reflect dietary and culinary preferences. These results indicate that the impact of helminth infections on past populations varied over time, and that some locations witnessed a dramatic reduction in parasite prevalence during the industrial era (18th-19th century), whereas other locations continued to experience high prevalence levels. The factors underlying these reductions and the variation in prevalence provide a key historical context for modern anthelmintic programs. Parasitic worms (helminths) cause many health problems in poorer countries, particularly those in tropical and sub-tropical regions. In modern Europe these infections are very rare and mostly found in those travelling from endemic areas but this wasn’t always the case. Archaeological studies have detected eggs of parasitic helminths in numerous European sites. Key questions include how prevalent these infections were in past communities and whether (or when) these patterns changed over time? This paper addresses both of these questions using a large number of single grave samples from archaeological sites in England dating between Prehistoric and Industrial periods. Helminth infections were detected across all periods but the overall prevalence rates changed over time, being highest in the Roman and Late-Medieval periods. The Industrial period was interesting in that two of the three sites contained very few (or no) parasites whereas the third, London, contained high levels of infection. We discuss factors that may have contributed to the changing parasite landscape and how understanding these factors may influence efforts to control helminth infections in modern endemic areas.
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Global incidence of helminthic contamination of vegetables, cucurbits and fruits: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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11
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Godde K, Hens SM. An epidemiological approach to the analysis of cribra orbitalia as an indicator of health status and mortality in medieval and post-medieval London under a model of parasitic infection. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2021; 174:631-645. [PMID: 33528042 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.24244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 01/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many individuals living in medieval and post-medieval London suffered issues with sanitation, food insecurity, infectious disease, and widespread exposure to parasites from a multitude of sources, causing increased risk of death for many inhabitants. We examine this stressful environment and its relationship with various demographic and temporal dimensions, using cribra orbitalia (CO) as an indicator of stress, to model an increased risk of dying under the expectations of our proposed parasitic model of infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS We analyze the relationship between CO and mortality across seven medieval and post-medieval cemeteries from London by the covariates of sex, status, and age-at-death. A survival analysis (Cox regression) and a binomial logit estimated hazard and odds ratios of dying with CO across age-at-death, sex, status, and time-period within single statistical models. In addition, we provide new Bayesian age-at-death estimates for post-medieval samples. RESULTS The models show the rate of CO decreased over time and age-at-death, regardless of sex or status; post-medieval individuals were ~72% less likely to die with lesions than their medieval counterparts. Further, individuals with CO had ~1% decrease in risk of dying with CO per year of age. DISCUSSION These results suggest increased mortality risk for those with lesions indicative of anemia (CO), and selective mortality of younger individuals during the medieval period. Despite sex-specific nutritional and occupational hazards, and status-based access to resources, the prevalence of CO was similar across sex and status, which suggests living with parasitic infection that caused anemia was an everyday reality for medieval and post-medieval Londoners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanya Godde
- Anthropology Program, University of La Verne, La Verne, California, USA
| | - Samantha M Hens
- Department of Anthropology, California State University, Sacramento, California, USA
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Flammer PG, Smith AL. Intestinal helminths as a biomolecular complex in archaeological research. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190570. [PMID: 33012232 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric helminths are common parasites in many parts of the world and in the past were much more widespread both geographically and socially. Many enteric helminths are relatively long-lived in the human host, often benign or of low pathogenicity while producing large numbers of environmentally resistant eggs voided in the faeces or found associated with individual remains (skeletons and mummies). The combination of helminth characters offers opportunities to the field of historical pathogen research that are quite different to that of some of the more intensively studied high impact pathogens. Historically, a wealth of studies has employed microscopic techniques to diagnose infection using the morphology of the helminth eggs. More recently, various ancient DNA (aDNA) approaches have been applied in the archaeoparasitological context and these are revolutionizing the field, allowing much more specific diagnosis as well as interrogating the epidemiology of helminths. These advances have enhanced the potential for the field to provide unique information on past populations including using diseases to consider many aspects of life (e.g. sanitation, hygiene, diet, culinary practices and other aspects of society). Here, we consider the impact of helminth archaeoparasitology and more specifically the impact and potential for application of aDNA technologies as a part of the archaeologists' toolkit. This article is part of the theme issue 'Insights into health and disease from ancient biomolecules'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Adrian L Smith
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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