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Helminths and helminthic diseases

Subject Editor
Martin Walker, Royal Veterinary College and Imperial College London, UK

Associate Editors

Martha Betson, University of Surrey, UK
Friederike Ebner, Technische Universität München, Germany
Carlos Graeff Teixeira, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil
Poppy Lamberton, University of Glasgow, UK
Scott Lawton, Scotland's Rural College, UK
Joaquin Prada, University of Surrey, UK

The Helminths and helminthic disease section publishes articles relating to parasitic Platyhelminthes, Nematoda and Acanthocephala including host-parasite relationships, epidemiology and disease, molecular taxonomy and phylogenetics, life-cycles and intermediate hosts, population genetics and community ecology.

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  1. Infections by gastrointestinal nematodes cause significant economic losses and disease in both humans and animals worldwide. The discovery of novel anthelmintic drugs is crucial for maintaining control of thes...

    Authors: Elora Valderas-García, Cécile Häberli, María Álvarez-Bardón, Nerea Escala, Verónica Castilla-Gómez de Agüero, Jennifer de la Vega, Esther del Olmo, Rafael Balaña-Fouce, Jennifer Keiser and María Martínez-Valladares
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:243
  2. Control and elimination of the liver fluke (Opisthorchis viverrini) is a primary preventive strategy against cholangiocarcinoma in Southeast Asia. A sensitive parasitological diagnostic method is required to faci...

    Authors: Kulthida Y. Kopolrat, Seri Singthong, Narong Khuntikeo, Watcharin Loilome, Chanika Worasith, Chutima Homwong, Chompunoot Wangboon, Patiwat Yasaka, Chatanun Eamudomkarn, Opal Pitaksakulrat, Krisnakorn Tonkhamhak, Arunee Paeyo, Thomas Crellen, Jiraporn Sithithaworn and Paiboon Sithithaworn
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:234
  3. Onchocerciasis control using ivermectin alone has been achieved in some endemic savannah zones of Africa. In the forest regions, the co-endemicity with Loa loa has led to severe adverse events (SAEs) resulting in...

    Authors: Relindis Ekanya, Elisabeth Dibando Obie, Louise Hamill, Sophie Thorogood, Raphael Awah Abong, Abdel Jelil Njouendou, Andrew Amuam, Bertrand Lontum Ndzeshang, Desmond Akumtoh Nkimbeng, Jerome Fru Cho, Mathias Eyong Esum, Peter Enyong, Joseph D. Turner, Mark J. Taylor and Samuel Wanji
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:219
  4. Raillietina species belong to the family Davaineidae, which parasitizes in a wide variety of mammals and birds, causing stunted growth, lethargy, emaciation, and digestive tract obstruction. However, only a limit...

    Authors: Merga Daba Tuli, Hongyi Li, Xi Pan, Song Li, Junqiong Zhai, Yajiang Wu, Wu Chen, Wanyi Huang, Yaoyu Feng, Lihua Xiao and Dongjuan Yuan
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:204
  5. Integrated transmission assessment surveys (iTAS) have been recommended for evaluation of the transmission of both lymphatic filariasis (LF) and onchocerciasis as the prevalence of both diseases moves toward t...

    Authors: Ifeoma N. Anagbogu, Yisa A. Saka, Olabanji Ahmed Surakat, Chukwu Okoronkwo, Emmanuel Davies, Philip Oyale, Uwem Friday Ekpo, Uche V. Amazigo, Kira Barbre, Micheal Igbe, Audrey Nyior, Solomon M Jacob, Uduak Gideon Nteun and Zaiyanatu Abubakar Umar
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:201
  6. The WHO has established a control strategy for Strongyloides stercoralis in school-aged children as well as targets and to maintain control programs for Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura and hookworms. Fo...

    Authors: Pedro Emanuel Fleitas, Sebastián Dario Kehl, Walter Lopez, Marina Travacio, Elvia Nieves, José Fernando Gil, Rubén Oscar Cimino and Alejandro Javier Krolewiecki
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:197
  7. Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a neglected tropical disease (NTD). In 2000 the World Health Organization (WHO) established the Global Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (GPELF). A key component of this ...

    Authors: Hugo C. Turner, Eric A. Ottesen and Mark H. Bradley
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:181
  8. Several studies have described the effects of human tumor necrosis factor alpha (hTNF-α) on Schistosoma mansoni. hTNF-α affects the worm’s development, metabolism, egg-laying, gene expression and protein phosphor...

    Authors: Ednilson Hilário Lopes-Junior, Claudio Romero Bertevello, Gilbert de Oliveira Silveira, Camila Banca Guedes, Gratchela Dutra Rodrigues, Viviane Sousa Ribeiro, Murilo Sena Amaral, Cristina Takami Kanamura, Pedro Luiz Silva Pinto, Rodrigo Ferreira Krüger, Sergio Verjovski-Almeida and Katia Cristina Oliveira
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:176
  9. Dipilidiosis is a parasitic disease caused by the tapeworm Dipylidium caninum. Fleas and, less frequently, lice act as an intermediate host, and their ingestion is required for infection to occur. While the disea...

    Authors: Julieta Rousseau, Andry Castro, Teresa Novo and Carla Maia
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:131
  10. The activation of immune response driven by the eggs of Schistosoma japonicum and the subsequent secretions is the culprit behind granulomatous inflammation and liver fibrosis. Evidence suggests that PKCλ/ι parti...

    Authors: Congjin Mei, Yingying Yang, Panpan Dong, Lijun Song, Yonghua Zhou, Yongliang Xu and Chuanxin Yu
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:154
  11. The population of wild felids is large and stable in Romania with many carnivore habitats being protected. Felids can be infected with a wide variety of cardio-pulmonary nematodes and can act as reservoirs of ...

    Authors: Georgiana Deak, Angela Monica Ionică, Raul Alexandru Pop, Andrei Daniel Mihalca and Călin Mircea Gherman
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:153
  12. Taenia solium typically affects resource-poor communities where pigs are allowed to roam freely, and sanitation and hygiene levels are suboptimal. Sustainable, long-term strategies are urgently needed to control ...

    Authors: Inge Van Damme, Ian Pray, Kabemba E. Mwape, Chiara Trevisan, Fien Coudenys, Chishimba Mubanga, Chembesofu Mwelwa, Victor Vaernewyck, Pierre Dorny, Seth E. O’Neal and Sarah Gabriël
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:150
  13. Strongyloidiasis, a nematode infection which is mainly caused by Strongyloides stercoralis in humans, can lead to a fatal syndrome in immunocompromised individuals. Its diagnosis is challenging due to the absence...

    Authors: Francesca Tamarozzi, Silvia Stefania Longoni, Cristina Mazzi, Eleonora Rizzi, Rahmah Noordin and Dora Buonfrate
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:142
  14. Gastrointestinal (GI) helminth infections cause significant morbidity in both humans and animals worldwide. Specific and sensitive diagnosis is central to the surveillance of such infections and to determine t...

    Authors: Marina Papaiakovou, D. Timothy J. Littlewood, Stephen R. Doyle, Robin B. Gasser and Cinzia Cantacessi
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:118
  15. This study aimed to fill a gap of knowledge by providing a quantitative measure of molecularly identified species and genotypes belonging to Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.) causing human cystic echinoco...

    Authors: Adriano Casulli, Alessandro Massolo, Urmas Saarma, Gérald Umhang, Federica Santolamazza and Azzurra Santoro
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:109
  16. Most cystic echinococcosis cases in Southern Brazil are caused by Echinococcus granulosus and Echinococcus ortleppi. Proteomic studies of helminths have increased our knowledge about the molecular survival strate...

    Authors: Guilherme Brzoskowski dos Santos, Edileuza Danieli da Silva, Eduardo Shigueo Kitano, Maria Eduarda Battistella, Karina Mariante Monteiro, Jeferson Camargo de Lima, Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira, Solange Maria de Toledo Serrano and Arnaldo Zaha
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:99
  17. Human echinococcosis is affected by natural environmental factors, and its prevalence shows a distinct geographical distribution. Western China has the highest endemicity of human echinococcosis worldwide, but...

    Authors: Jie Yin, Xiaoxu Wu, Chenlu Li, Jiatong Han and Hongxu Xiang
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:47
  18. Angiostrongylus cantonensis L5, parasitizing human cerebrospinal fluid, causes eosinophilic meningitis, which is attributed to tissue inflammatory responses caused primarily by the high percentage of eosinophils....

    Authors: Wei-Wei Sun, Xiu-Mei Yan, Ai-Jun Qiao, Yuan-Jiao Zhang, Ling Yang, Hui-Cong Huang, Hong-Fei Shi and Bao-Long Yan
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:46
  19. Baylisascaris procyonis is a nematode parasite of the raccoon (Procyon lotor), and it can be responsible for a severe form of larva migrans in humans. This parasite has been reported from many countries all over ...

    Authors: Andrea Lombardo, Giuseppina Brocherel, Carla Donnini, Gianluca Fichi, Alessia Mariacher, Elena Lavinia Diaconu, Virginia Carfora, Antonio Battisti, Nadia Cappai, Luca Mattioli and Claudio De Liberato
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:24
  20. Despite the limited knowledge regarding the effects of deworming medication (DM) on nutritional indicators in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), deworming programmes continue to be implemented in resource-limited count...

    Authors: Andy Bauleni, Fentanesh N. Tiruneh, Tisungane E. Mwenyenkulu, Owen Nkoka, Gowokani C. Chirwa, Steve Gowelo, Michael G. Chipeta and Peter A. M. Ntenda
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:7
  21. There is ample evidence demonstrating a reverse relationship between helminth infection and immune-mediated diseases. Accordingly, several studies have shown that Echinococcus granulosus infection and hydatid cys...

    Authors: Sara Ghabdian, Sima Parande Shirvan, Mohsen Maleki and Hassan Borji
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:16
  22. Annual mass drug administration with praziquantel has reduced schistosomiasis transmission in some highly endemic areas, but areas with persistent high endemicity have been identified across sub-Saharan Africa...

    Authors: Suzan C. M. Trienekens, Christina L. Faust, Fred Besigye, Lucy Pickering, Edridah M. Tukahebwa, Janet Seeley and Poppy H. L. Lamberton
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2022 15:15
  23. Gastrointestinal nematodes are ubiquitous for both domestic and wild ungulates and have varying consequences for health and fitness. They exist as complex communities of multiple co-infecting species, and we h...

    Authors: Camille Beaumelle, Elizabeth M. Redman, Jill de Rijke, Janneke Wit, Slimania Benabed, François Debias, Jeanne Duhayer, Sylvia Pardonnet, Marie-Thérèse Poirel, Gilles Capron, Stéphane Chabot, Benjamin Rey, Glenn Yannic, John S. Gilleard and Gilles Bourgoin
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:594
  24. Echinococcus multilocularis is the causative agent of human hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE). AE can cause damage to several organs, primarily the liver, and have severe outcomes, such as hepatic failure and ...

    Authors: Deping Cao, Emad Shamsan, Bofan Jiang, Haining Fan, Yaogang Zhang and Mustafa Abdo Saif Dehwah
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:593
  25. Cysticercosis is a zoonotic neglected tropical disease (NTD) that affects humans and pigs following the ingestion of Taenia solium eggs. Human cysticercosis poses a substantial public health burden in endemic cou...

    Authors: Erika Galipó, Matthew A. Dixon, Claudio Fronterrè, Zulma M. Cucunubá, Maria-Gloria Basáñez, Kim Stevens, Astrid Carolina Flórez Sánchez and Martin Walker
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:590
  26. Nematodes are presumably the most abundant Metazoa on Earth, and can even be found in some of the most hostile environments of our planet. Various types of hypobiosis evolved to adapt their life cycles to such...

    Authors: Lieke E. Vlaar, Andre Bertran, Mehran Rahimi, Lemeng Dong, Jan E. Kammenga, Johannes Helder, Aska Goverse and Harro J. Bouwmeester
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:554
  27. Despite high black fly densities in persisting onchocerciasis foci in Cameroon, no vector control has ever been carried out to complement Community-Directed Treatment with Ivermectin (CDTI). As a prelude to co...

    Authors: André Domche, Hugues C. Nana-Djeunga, Linda Djune Yemeli, Cédric Lenou Nanga, Michel Boussinesq, Flobert Njiokou, Sébastien Pion and Joseph Kamgno
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:546
  28. Necator americanus is one of the major etiological agents of human ancylostomiasis. Historically, the epidemiology of ancylostomiasis in Henan Province of central China and the molecular characteristics of N. ame...

    Authors: Fang Fang Xu, Yu Fei Niu, Wen Qing Chen, Sha Sha Liu, Jing Ru Li, Peng Jiang, Zhong Quan Wang, Jing Cui and Xi Zhang
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:537
  29. Intestinal parasites (IPs) are widely distributed worldwide and are one of the major contributors to gastrointestinal disease. Their prevalence is associated with poor access to water, sanitation and hygiene (...

    Authors: Ernesto Candela, Carolina Goizueta, M. Victoria Periago and Carla Muñoz-Antoli
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:510
  30. There is an urgent need for an extensive evaluation of benzimidazole efficacy in humans. In veterinary science, benzimidazole resistance has been mainly associated with three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (S...

    Authors: Javier Gandasegui, Berta Grau-Pujol, María Cambra-Pelleja, Valdemiro Escola, Maria Antonietta Demontis, Anelsio Cossa, José Carlos Jamine, Rafael Balaña-Fouce, Lisette van Lieshout, José Muñoz and María Martínez-Valladares
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:490
  31. The present clinical field trial was conducted to assess the efficacy of a broad-spectrum parasiticide spot-on formulation containing eprinomectin (Broadline®) against Thelazia callipaeda eyeworm in naturally inf...

    Authors: Stefania Zanet, Simone Morelli, Angela Di Cesare, Stefano Bò, Donato Traversa, Wilfried Lebon, Frederic Beugnet, Giulia Simonato and Ezio Ferroglio
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:477
  32. Various stimuli, including Clonorchis sinensis infection, can cause liver fibrosis. Liver fibrosis is characterized by the activation of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) with massive production of extracellular matr...

    Authors: Qian-Yang Zhou, Hui-Min Yang, Ji-Xin Liu, Na Xu, Jing Li, Li-Ping Shen, Yu-Zhao Zhang, Stephane Koda, Bei-Bei Zhang, Qian Yu, Jia-Xu Chen, Kui-Yang Zheng and Chao Yan
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:472
  33. Harnessing helminth-based immunoregulation is a novel therapeutic strategy for many immune dysfunction disorders, including inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). We previously identified a small molecule peptide...

    Authors: Wenqi Shan, Wenzhe Zhang, Fei Xue, Yongbin Ma, Liyang Dong, Ting Wang, Yu Zheng, Dingqi Feng, Ming Chang, Guoyue Yuan and Xuefeng Wang
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:455
  34. Tapeworm infections are among the tropical neglected parasitic diseases endemically occurring in Ethiopia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at estimating the pooled prevalence and distribution of Tae...

    Authors: Nigus Abebe Shumuye, John Asekhaen Ohiolei, Mebrahtu Berhe Gebremedhin, Hong-Bin Yan, Li Li, Wen-Hui Li, Nian-Zhang Zhang, Bao-Quan Fu and Wan-Zhong Jia
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:447
  35. Manipulative parasites are thought to liberate molecules in their external environment, acting as manipulation factors with biological functions implicated in their host’s physiological and behavioural alterat...

    Authors: Chloé Suzanne Berger, Jérôme Laroche, Halim Maaroufi, Hélène Martin, Kyung-Mee Moon, Christian R. Landry, Leonard J. Foster and Nadia Aubin-Horth
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:436
  36. Anaplasma platys is a tick-borne bacterium which infects blood platelets of dogs, causing canine cyclic thrombocytopenia. The disease is distributed worldwide, particularly in the tropics and subtropics, but info...

    Authors: Abdelfattah Selim, Hamdan Almohammed, Abdelhamed Abdelhady, Abdulaziz Alouffi and Fahdah Ayed Alshammari
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:429
  37. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato affecting livestock, particularly sheep and goats. However, often this parasitosis is ...

    Authors: Antonio Bosco, Leucio Camara Alves, Paola Cociancic, Alessandra Amadesi, Paola Pepe, Maria Elena Morgoglione, Maria Paola Maurelli, Edyniesky Ferrer-Miranda, Kleber Régis Santoro, Rafael Antonio Nascimento Ramos, Laura Rinaldi and Giuseppe Cringoli
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:421
  38. The diagnosis of strongyloidiasis is challenging. Serological tests are acknowledged to have high sensitivity, but issues due to cross-reactions with other parasites, native parasite antigen supply and intrins...

    Authors: Francesca Tamarozzi, Silvia Stefania Longoni, Cristina Mazzi, Sofia Pettene, Antonio Montresor, Siddhartha Mahanty, Zeno Bisoffi and Dora Buonfrate
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:412
  39. The tropical disease onchocerciasis (river blindness), caused by Onchocerca volvulus filarial nematodes, is targeted for elimination by mass treatment with nematocidal and antimicrobial drugs. Diagnosis of O. vol...

    Authors: Vera Wewer, Helga Peisker, Katharina Gutbrod, Mazen Al-Bahra, Dirk Menche, Ngongeh Glory Amambo, Fanny F. Fombad, Abdel Jelil Njouendou, Kenneth Pfarr, Samuel Wanji, Achim Hoerauf and Peter Dörmann
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:397
  40. Schistosomiasis a neglected tropical disease  endemic in Brazil. It is caused by the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, which is transmitted by snails of the genus Biomphalaria. Among measures used to control and eli...

    Authors: Silvia Gonçalves Mesquita, Floria Gabriela dos Santos Neves, Ronaldo Guilherme Carvalho Scholte, Omar dos Santos Carvalho, Cristina Toscano Fonseca and Roberta Lima Caldeira
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:388
  41. Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a zoonotic parasitic nematode described for the first time in 1971 by Pedro Morera and Rodolfo Céspedes in Costa Rica. This parasite causes an infection known as abdominal angiost...

    Authors: Alicia Rojas, Arnaldo Maldonado-Junior, Javier Mora, Alessandra Morassutti, Rubens Rodriguez, Alberto Solano-Barquero, Anamariela Tijerino, Marianela Vargas and Carlos Graeff-Teixeira
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:374
  42. Freshwater fauna of the Middle East encompass elements shared with three continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe—and the Middle East is, therefore, considered a historical geographic crossroad between these three ...

    Authors: Michal Benovics, Farshad Nejat, Asghar Abdoli and Andrea Šimková
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:372
  43. The cryopreservation of filarial nematodes has been studied for nearly 70 years. Largely, these studies examined the effectiveness of cryopreservation methods by using the post-thaw survival of microfilariae (...

    Authors: Erich W. Zinser, Tom L. McTier, Nicole S. Kernell and Debra J. Woods
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:367
  44. Trichinella spiralis ranks seventh in the risk posed by foodborne parasites. It causes most human cases of trichinellosis and is the most frequent cause of Trichinella outbreaks on pig farms and in wild boar, wor...

    Authors: Ewa Bilska-Zajac, Daniele Tonanzi, Edoardo Pozio, Miroslaw Rozycki, Tomasz Cencek, Peter C. Thompson, Benjamin M. Rosenthal and Giuseppe La Rosa
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:359
  45. Zoonotic diseases are a serious threat to both public health and animal conservation. Most non-human primates (NHP) are facing the threat of forest loss and fragmentation and are increasingly living in closer ...

    Authors: C. Sirima, C. Bizet, H. Hamou, B. Červená, T. Lemarcis, A. Esteban, M. Peeters, E. Mpoudi Ngole, I. M. Mombo, F. Liégeois, K. J. Petrželková, M. Boussinesq and S. Locatelli
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:354