Parasitology Commons^™

Hemidiaphragmatic Segmental Zoster Paresis, Terrence Sanvictores, Johnson Ukken

School of Medicine Faculty Research

The reactivation of latent varicella-zoster virus within infected neurons can lead to common clinical manifestations, including rash, acute neuritis, post-herpetic neuralgia, herpes zoster ophthalmicus, and Ramsay–Hunt syndrome. Segmental zoster paresis is an unusual neurologic complication of shingles that is defined by focal asymmetric motor weakness in the myotome corresponding to skin lesions of the dermatome. This case is a presentation of a patient who developed chronic hypoxia and severe atelectasis attributed to right-sided phrenic nerve paralysis secondary to herpes zoster infection.

Epidemiology And Ultrasonographic Observations Of Urogenital Schistosomiasis Related Urinary Tract Morbidity In Itilima District, Simiyu Region, Tanzania, Coletha Yohana, Bruno A. Nyundo, Jared S. Bakuza, Peter F. Rambau, Safari M. Kinung’Hi

Tanzania Journal of Science

Chronic infection of urogenital schistosomiasis in humans is a major cause of urinary tract morbidity in endemic areas. However, information on the prevalence of schistosomiasisrelated urinary tract morbidity is lacking in most endemic countries including Tanzania. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of schistosomiasis-related urinary tract morbidity in schoolchildren and adults in Itilima District. Urine samples from 682 residents were examined for Schistosoma haematobium infection using urine filtration technique. Urinary tract morbidity was examined by ultrasound. The prevalence of S. haematobium infection was 16.4% (112/682) and varied significantly between villages (range 3.2% to 29.5%, χ2 = 48.467, p < 0.001). There was no significant variation of S. haematobium infection between male and female (8.3 % vs 8.1%, χ2 = 0.679, p = 0.410). Majority (93.8%) had light infections (

Repurposing Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitors For The Discovery Of Novel Antiplasmodial Compounds, Ritam Bhowmik

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Malaria remains a major global health burden with over 282 million cases annually and rising resistance to artemisinin-based combination therapies. Plasmodium falciparum, the most lethal malaria parasite species in humans, relies on tightly regulated cell cycle progression during replication within red blood cells. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are central regulators of eukaryotic cell division and transcription, and several CDK-like enzymes in P. falciparum, including Pfmrk and PfPK6, are essential for parasite growth and structurally distinct from human kinases. This study evaluated whether commercially available human CDK inhibitors (CDKIs) targeting cancer pathways could be repurposed as novel antimalarial compounds. A library of …

Prevalence Of Dengue Infection In Bangladesh: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Md. Estiar Rahman, Abdullah Al-Taiar, May Salama, Michele A. Kekeh, Ahmed N. Albatineh

Epidemiology, Biostatistics, & Environmental Health Faculty Publications

Objective: 

To estimate the pooled prevalence of dengue infection in Bangladesh.

Methods:

Literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, and Hinari between December 2024 and April 2025, supplemented by references searching. The Joanna Briggs Institute checklist was used for evaluating study quality. A random effects meta-analysis of proportion, including subgroup analyses, was performed with R software (version 4.5.1).

Results:

Out of 2 087 records, 28 studies were included. The pooled prevalence of confirmed dengue infection among clinically suspected patients was 49.3% (95% Cl 36.1-62.6), with a significant high heterogeneity (I²=99.2%, τ²=1.81, P< 0.001). Stratified analysis showed a pooled prevalence of 47.9% (95% Cl 34.0-62.2, I2=99.1%, …

Early Intervention In Helminth Infections: Investigating Albendazole’S Effects On C. Elegans Egg Hatch Rate And Health, Giselle Domingo Diaz

Student Scholar Symposium

Over 1.5 billion of the poorest people are infected with soil-transmitted helminths (STH) such as whipworm, hookworm, and Ascaris which have devastating effects on human growth, nutrition, and cognition, perpetuating the cycle of poverty. The World Health Organization only approves four anthelmintic drugs to treat STH for mass drug administration (MDA), with Albendazole being the drug of choice. Due to these drugs only having two mechanisms of action, resistance to these drugs has been reported over the years. We aim to better understand STH susceptibility to drugs at multiple points in their life stage. Previously, the effects of Albendazole and …

Host, Microbiome, And Parasite: How Apicomplexan Microorganisms Interact With Gut Microbiota, Senia Bu, Andrew T. Ozga

Mako: NSU Undergraduate Student Journal

The gut microbiome, a complex ecosystem of microorganisms residing in the human gastrointestinal tract, plays a crucial role in maintaining overall health. It functions in immune system regulation, digestion, and protection against pathogens. Apicomplexan parasites, such as Toxoplasma gondii, Plasmodium spp., and Cryptosporidium spp., are major pathogens that can significantly disrupt the gut microbiota, leading to alterations in microbial composition and function. This review explores the bidirectional interactions between Apicomplexan parasites and the gut microbiome, focusing on how these parasites influence microbial diversity, immune responses, and host metabolism. It examines the mechanisms by which infection-induced inflammation, altered …

Spatially Resolved Transcriptomic Profiles Of Placental Cell Populations In Placental Malaria, Corina A. Mong

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Malaria remains a prevalent infectious disease that continues to cause disease-related morbidity and mortality. Despite preventative efforts, malarial pregnancies still cause birth complications, therefore emphasizing the necessity to study these adverse outcomes in malarial pregnancy. Malaria in pregnancy can lead to placental malaria (PM), which is the presence and accumulation of Plasmodium-infected red blood cells in the placental intervillous space (IVS). Even after treatment, past PM (presence of hemozoin crystals from the parasite in the placenta) can cause a chronic inflammatory response. We predicted that the activation states of the maternal monocytes and fetal macrophages differ within the placenta and …

Schistosoma Mansoni Infection Causes Consistent Changes To The Fecal Bacterial Microbiota Of Mice Across And Within Sites, Mariam A. Mhanna, David T. Gauthier, Lisa M. Shollenberger

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Eggs of Schistosoma mansoni are produced by adult female worms in mesenteries of infected hosts. Eggs can cross the intestinal barrier and form granulomas in the tissue or breach and exit the host through fecal excretion. These interactions may affect the host microbiome assemblages. Given the potential for schistosomal alteration of host gut microbiome and subsequent effects on the fecal bacterial composition, it is important to conduct controlled microbiome studies on model animals. While pursuing these studies, it is important to take into account the different conditions in which microbiome studies are conducted and their consequent impacts on variability and …

Rwanda's Natural Remedies: A Fresh Look At The Fight Against Malaria, Leandre Nsabimana Ndisanze

Pomona Senior Theses

Malaria remains one of the most devastating parasitic diseases globally, disproportionately affecting sub-Saharan Africa, where Rwanda continues to face high transmission rates and rising resistance to conventional interventions. Despite decades of control efforts, the emergence of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum and insecticide-resistant Anopheles mosquitoes threatens to reverse recent gains. This research responds to the urgent need for sustainable and culturally relevant alternatives by exploring the therapeutic potential of Rwandan traditional medicinal plants. These indigenous remedies, long used by local healers, offer an underexplored reservoir of bioactive compounds that may provide the basis for novel antimalarial drugs.

The central hypothesis of this …

Lupin Root Diseases - Diagnosis And Management, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Grains and other field crops factsheets

Root, hypocotyl and stem base diseases can be significant problems in lupin crops, reducing stand density, plant vigour and yield. Root disease is present in nearly all narrow leafed lupin (Lupinus angustifolius) paddocks but in the majority of paddocks has only a small impact on crop development. However, in paddocks where high levels of root rot occurs, plant establishment, seedling vigour and crop yield can be significantly affected.

When a root disease is present in a crop very little can be done to manage it in that cropping season. It is therefore vital that the cause is correctly identified to …

Fatal Disseminated Toxoplasmosis In Captive Red Kangaroo (Macropus Rufus) And Parma Wallaby (Macropus Parma): Pathological And Immunohistochemical Investigations, Sawang Kesdangsakonwut

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

Abstract

Toxoplasmosis is a protozoan zoonosis caused by Toxoplasma gondii. Marsupials are considered a susceptible intermediate host. T. gondii is mainly transmitted to intermediate hosts via the fecal-oral route. A captive red kangaroo was diagnosed with disseminated toxoplasmosis based on clinicopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) investigations. Two years later, a five-year-old Parma wallaby was kept in the same area as the red kangaroo and showed clinical signs of depression, withdrawal from the troop, and weakness. The wallaby died within two days after showing the clinical signs. Pathological findings in this wallaby were compatible with disseminated toxoplasmosis. Tachyzoites and tissue cysts …

The Role Of Southern Red-Backed Voles, Myodes Gapperi, And Peromyscus Mice In The Enzootic Maintenance Of Lyme Disease Spirochetes In North Dakota, Usa, Michael W. Dougherty, Nathan M. Russart, Robert A. Gaultney, Emily Marie Gisi, Haley M. Cooper, Lindsey R. Kallis, Catherine A. Brissette, Jefferson A. Vaughan

Biology Faculty Publications

Lyme disease has expanded into the Great Plains of the USA. To investigate local enzootic transmission, small mammals were trapped in two forested tracts in northeastern North Dakota during 2012 and 2013. Peromyscus mice and southern red-backed voles, Myodes gapperi, comprised over 90% of all mammals captured. One site was dominated by Peromyscus (79% of 100 mammals captured). At the other site, M. gapperi (59% of 107 mammals captured) was more abundant than Peromyscus (36%). Immature stages of two tick species parasitized small mammals: Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes scapularis. Larval I. scapularis ectoparasitism was significantly higher on Peromyscus (81% …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology: Master Bibliography, Sue Ann Gardner

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Master bibliography for the open educational resource/open access textbook Concepts in Animal Parasitology, Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors, published by Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States, 2024. This includes the references from literature cited and suggested supplemental reading.

One Year Follow Up Of A Cross-Sectional Study Of Hookworm Infection And Response To Deworming In Beposo, Ghana, Taylor Clarkson

Capstone Experience: Master of Public Health

Hookworms are soil-transmitted helminths that infect over 500 million people worldwide, primarily those in low-income countries. Infection with hookworm can cause anemia, malnutrition, and stunted physical and cognitive development. Deworming campaigns have attempted to combat hookworm infections in endemic areas for decades. However, there is growing variability in the effectiveness of deworming drugs, and post-treatment reinfections are abundant. There are significant gaps in our understanding of critical host-parasite factors that mediate hookworm infection, reinfection, and response to deworming treatment in endemic communities. A five-year prospective study was undertaken to better understand drivers of hookworm infection in rural Ghana and thus …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 61: Transversotrematidae Witenberg, 1944 (Family): Ectoparasitic Trematodes [Platyhelminthes], Scott C. Cutmore, Thomas H. Cribb

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the family Transversotrematidae Witemberg, 1944, a small but biologically significant group of plagiorchiid digenean trematodes (flukes), including discussion of identification, general morphology, life cycles, host range, and the significance of their evolutionary position and biology.

Chapter 61 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott C. Cutmore and Thomas H. Cribb. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap061

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 62: Hirudinea (Subclass): Parasitic Leeches, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the parasitic leeches, subclass Hirudinea, including discussion of leeches as parasites, vectors, and hosts, their general morphology, reproduction, zoogeography, classification, phylogeny, medical uses, and preparation of specimens.

Chapter 62 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap062

High Prevalence Of Trypanosoma Cruzi Infection In Raccoons (Procyon Lotor) And Associated Risk To Humans In Central Illinois, Esther Onuselogu

Masters Theses

Chagas disease, caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, remains a neglected tropical disease and a growing health threat in the United States. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) often coexist with humans in urban and suburban areas and serve as reservoir hosts for T. cruzi. While T. cruzi is rare in humans and domestic animals in the U.S., it is common in wildlife species, particularly raccoons and Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana). This study aimed to assess the prevalence of T. cruzi infection in the raccoon population of Central Illinois and evaluate the risk of transmission to humans. …

Distribution Of Tick Species On Free-Ranging Ungulates In Northern New England, Karisa Graham

Honors Theses and Capstones

In Northern New England, ungulates are often parasitized by ticks, which is one of the leading causes for the decline in population. Ungulates are a good host for ticks, specifically deer ticks and winter ticks, and these ticks cause many tick-borne diseases in humans as well. The purpose of this study was to assess passive sampling from harvested animals as a means of tick surveillance in Vermont and New Hampshire. Ticks were collected from deer and moose and mapped throughout the two states by ArcGIS to visualize the trends in distribution. Relative abundance was greater in southeastern Vermont, with no …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 39: Haplosplanchnata Olson Et Al., 2003 (Suborder): Two Hosts With Half The Guts [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Plagiorchiida], Daniel C. Huston

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the suborder Haplosplanchnata Olson et al., 2003, a small, but distinct lineage within the Plagiorchiida. Includes a discussion of the methods of identification, general morphological characteristics, taxonomy, and life cycles.

Chapter 39 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Daniel C. Huston. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap039

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 47: Summary Of The Digenea (Subclass): Insights And Lessons From A Prominent Parasitologist [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea], Robin M. Overstreet

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the digenean trematodes (subclass Digenea) including insights and lessons from a prominent parasitologist, Robin M. Overstreet. Includes discussion of general morphology, biology, preparation methods, phylogeny, classification, life cycles, host-digenean relationships, effects on host behavior, hyperparasitism, ecology, digeneans as indicators, and literature on the digeneans.

Chapter 47 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Robin M. Overstreet. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap047

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 60: Monogenea Van Beneden, 1858 (Class) [Platyhelminthes], Griselda Pulido-Flores

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the class Monogenea van Beneden, 1858, mainly ectoparasites of the skin, fins, gills, and urinary bladder of fishes, amphibians, and some reptiles. Includes discussion of their classification (both historical and current), general morphology, life cycles, and taxonomy.

Chapter 60 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Griselda Pulido-Flores. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap060

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 64: Phthiraptera (Order): Lice [Arthropoda], Lajos Rózsa, Haylee J. Weaver

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of lice, order Phthiraptera, including discussion of their general morphology, feeding, host range, host distribution, life cycle, macroecology, transmission, effects on hosts and role as vectors, host defenses, conservation, evolutionary origins, phylogeny, lice nuclear genome, taxonomy, and medical implications including their control.

Chapter 64 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lajos Rózsa and Haylee J. Weaver. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap064

Assessing The Value And Knowledge Gains From An Online Tick Identification And Tick-Borne Disease Management Course For The Southeastern United States, Catherine A. Lippi, Holly D. Gaff, Alexis L. White, Sadie J. Ryan

Biological Sciences Faculty Publications

Background

Tick-borne diseases are a growing public health threat in the United States. Despite the prevalence and rising burden of tick-borne diseases, there are major gaps in baseline knowledge and surveillance efforts for tick vectors, even among vector control districts and public health agencies. To address this issue, an online tick training course (OTTC) was developed through the Southeastern Center of Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases (SECOEVBD) to provide a comprehensive knowledge base on ticks, tick-borne diseases, and their management.

Methods

The OTTC consisted of training modules covering topics including tick biology, tick identification, tick-borne diseases, and public health, personal tick …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 07: Biostatistics For Parasitologists: A Painless Introduction [Parascript Approaches], Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, Lajos Rózsa

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Covers biostatistics for parasitologists and includes discussion of taking samples, frequency distribution of host individuals across infection classes, sample size, prevalence, mean intesity, median intensity, stochasic equality of intensities, abundance, crowding, levels of aggregation, parasite sex ratio, parasite species richness, interactions between parasite species, and the tool Quantitative Parasitology on the Web (QPweb).

Chapter 7 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on biostatistics for parasitologists by Jenő Reiczigel, Marco Marozzi, Fábián Ibolya, and Lajos Rózsa. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap007

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 58: Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808 (Phylum), Scott Monks

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the phylum Acanthocephala Rudolphi, 1808, also called the thorny-headed or spiny-headed worms, including discussion of their general morphology, life cycles, classification, and phylogenetic relationships.

Chapter 58 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Scott Monks. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap058

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 34: Introduction To Diplostomida Olson Et Al., 2003 (Order) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Digenea, Diplostomida], Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, Rafael Toledo

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An introduction to the trematode (fluke) order Diplostomida Olson et al., 2003, one of the two main lineages from which subclass Digenea have diversified. Includes a discussion of Diplostomida systematics, general morphology, and human pathogenesis, including schistosomiasis.

Chapter 34 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Lucrecia Acosta Soto, Bernard Fried, and Rafael Toledo. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap034

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 52: Oxyurida (Order): Pinworms [Nemata, Secernentea], Haylee J. Weaver

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the pinworms, order Oxyurida, discussing their key features, life history, ecology, health effects on hosts, systematics, taxonomy, and including summaries of the main groups.

Chapter 52 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology, by Haylee J. Weaver. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap052

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Part 5: Ectoparasites, Griselda Pulido-Flores, Scott C. Cutmore, Thomas H. Cribb, Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa, Sebastian Kvist, Marcela Lareschi, Lajos Rózsa, Haylee J. Weaver, Sue Ann Gardner, Darci Moraes Barros-Battesti, Valeria Castilho Onofrio, Filipe Dantas-Torres

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Part V: Ectoparasites, chapters 60–67, pages 732–841, in Concepts in Animal Parasitology. 2024. Scott L. Gardner and Sue Ann Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States; part V doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap075

Platyhelminthes

Chapter 60: Monogenea van Beneden, 1858 (Class) by Griselda Pulido-Flores, pages 733–742

Chapter 61: Transversotrematidae Witenberg, 1944 (Family): Ectoparasitic Trematodes by Scott C. Cutmore and Thomas H. Cribb, pages 743–746

Hirudinea

Chapter 62: Hirudinea (Subclass): Parasitic Leeches by Alejandro Oceguera-Figueroa and Sebastian Kvist, pages 747–755

Arthropoda

Chapter 63: Siphonaptera Latreille, 1825 (Order): Fleas by Marcela Lareschi, pages 756–770

Chapter 64: Phthiraptera (Order): Lice by Lajos Rózsa and Haylee …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 33: Aspidogastrea (Subclass) [Platyhelminthes, Trematoda, Aspidogastrea], Klaus Rohde

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

An overview of the trematode (fluke) subclass Aspidogastrea, a very small group of trematodes with around 80 species, none of them of economic importance, but are of great interest because of their unique structure, their simple life cycles (which may well be the most primitive or ancestral one among the trematodes, and the extraordinarily complex sensory/nervous systems found in some species. Includes a desciption of their general morphology, life cycles, taxonomy and phylogeny, infection process, localization in the host, and ecological infection dynamics.

Chapter 33 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology by Klaus Rohde. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. …

Concepts In Animal Parasitology, Chapter 19: Echinococcus (Genus) [Platyhelminthes, Cestoda, Eucestoda], Akira Ito, Scott L. Gardner

Concepts in Animal Parasitology

Discusses the cestode (tapeworm) genus Echinococcus, several species of which infect humans, including their general morphology, taxonomy, systematics, life cycles, host range, and medical and veterinary importance.

Chapter 19 in Concepts in Animal Parasitology on the family Proteocephalidae La Rue, 1911 by Tomáš Scholz and Roman Kuchta. 2024. S. L. Gardner and S. A. Gardner, editors. Zea Books, Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. doi: 10.32873/unl.dc.ciap019