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Helminths and helminthic diseases

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

Associate Editors

Martha Betson, PhD, MA, MSc, FHEA, University of Surrey, UK
Carlos Graeff Teixeira, PhD, Federal University of Espirito Santo, Brazil
Scott Lawton, PhD, Scotland's Rural College, UK
Barbora Pafčo, PhD, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Joaquin Prada, PhD, 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. Echinococcosis is a severe zoonotic parasitic disease which severely affects the health of the hosts. The diagnosis of echinococcosis depends mainly on imaging examination. However, the patient is often in the...

    Authors: Mingxing Zhu, Xiancai Du, Hongxia Xu, Songhao Yang, Chan Wang, Yazhou Zhu, Tingrui Zhang and Wei Zhao
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:324
    Content type: Research Published on:

  2. The impact of semiannual mass drug administration (MDA) with albendazole (ALB; 400 mg) alone on lymphatic filariasis (LF) and soil-transmitted helminth (STH) infections was assessed during two trials conducted...

    Authors: Jérémy T. Campillo, Naomi P. Awaca-Uvon, Jean-Paul Tambwe, Godefroy Kuyangisa-Simuna, Johnny Vlaminck, Gary J. Weil, Michel Boussinesq, Cédric B. Chesnais and Sébastien D. S. Pion
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:310
    Content type: Research Published on:

  3. Metastrongyloid parasites Angiostrongylus vasorum and Crenosoma vulpis infect wild and domestic canids and are important pathogens in dogs. Recent studies indicate that gastropod intermediate hosts infected with ...

    Authors: William Robbins, Gary Conboy, Spencer Greenwood and Roland Schaper
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:307
    Content type: Research Published on:

  4. Drugs currently used for controlling onchocerciasis and lymphatic filariasis (LF) are mainly microfilaricidal, with minimal or no effect on the adult worms. For efficient management of these diseases, it is ne...

    Authors: Melanie Abongwa, Moses Samje, Godfred A. Ayimele, Smith B. Babiaka, Christina Bulman, Judy Sakanari, Nick J. Koszewski, Saurabh Verma, Jesse Goff, Fidelis Cho-Ngwa, Richard J. Martin and Alan P. Robertson
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:305
    Content type: Research Published on:

  6. Plant-derived cysteine proteinases of the papain family (CPs) attack nematodes by digesting the cuticle, leading to rupture and death of the worm. The nematode cuticle is composed of collagens and cuticlins, b...

    Authors: Victor S. Njom, Tim Winks, Oumu Diallo, Ann Lowe, Jerzy Behnke, Mark J. Dickman, Ian Duce, Iain Johnstone and David J. Buttle
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:302
    Content type: Research Published on:

  7. Trichinellosis is a foodborne disease caused by several Trichinella species around the world. In Chile, the domestic cycle was fairly well-studied in previous decades, but has been neglected in recent years. The ...

    Authors: Carlos Landaeta-Aqueveque, Salvador Ayala, Denis Poblete-Toledo and Mauricio Canals
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:282
    Content type: Short report Published on:

  8. Hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation plays a pivotal role in hepatic inflammation and liver fibrosis. TLR4 pathway activation has been reported to be involved in mice liver fibrosis induced by hepatitis viru...

    Authors: Lan Chen, Xiaofang Ji, Manni Wang, Xiaoyan Liao, Cuiying Liang, Juanjuan Tang, Zhencheng Wen, Ferrandon Dominique and Zi Li
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:279
    Content type: Research Published on:

  9. The liver fluke Fasciola gigantica secretes excretory-secretory proteins during infection to mediate its interaction with the host. In this study, we investigated the immunomodulatory effects of a recombinant teg...

    Authors: Muhammad Ehsan, Rui-Si Hu, Jun-Ling Hou, Hany M. Elsheikha, Xiao-Dong Li, Pan-Hong Liang and Xing-Quan Zhu
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:276
    Content type: Research Published on:

  10. The blood flukes of genus Schistosoma are the causative agent of schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that infects more than 200 million people worldwide. Proteases of schistosomes are involved in critical steps ...

    Authors: Lenka Ulrychová, Pavel Ostašov, Marta Chanová, Michael Mareš, Martin Horn and Jan Dvořák
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:274
    Content type: Research Published on:

  11. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a parasitic zoonosis caused by infection with the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus (s.l.). This study investigated the prevalence and potential risk factors associated with hu...

    Authors: Leonardo Uchiumi, Guillermo Mujica, Daniel Araya, Juan Carlos Salvitti, Mariano Sobrino, Sergio Moguillansky, Alejandro Solari, Patricia Blanco, Fabiana Barrera, Janete Lamunier, Marcos Arezo, Marcos Seleiman, Zaida E. Yadon, Francesca Tamarozzi, Adriano Casulli and Edmundo Larrieu
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:262
    Content type: Research Published on:

  13. Toxocariasis, caused by a nematode species of the genus Toxocara, has been described as one of the most prevalent zoonotic helminthiases worldwide. Human transmission may occur by ingesting Toxocara spp. larvae f...

    Authors: Paula Andreia Fabris Giudice, Susana Angélica Zevallos Lescano, William Henry Roldan Gonzáles, Rogério Giuffrida, Fernanda Nobre Bandeira, Louise Bach Kmetiuk, Andrea Pires dos Santos, Alexander Welker Biondo and Vamilton Alvares Santarém
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:250
    Content type: Research Published on:

  14. Wolbachia is an obligate intracellular maternally transmitted, gram-negative bacterium which forms a spectrum of endosymbiotic relationships from parasitism to obligatory mutualism in a wide range of arthropods a...

    Authors: Ranju Ravindran Santhakumari Manoj, Maria Stefania Latrofa, Sara Epis and Domenico Otranto
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:245
    Content type: Review Published on:

  15. Genetic markers are employed widely in molecular studies, and their utility depends on the degree of sequence variation, which dictates the type of application for which they are suited. Consequently, the suit...

    Authors: Abigail Hui En Chan, Kittipong Chaisiri, Sompob Saralamba, Serge Morand and Urusa Thaenkham
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:233
    Content type: Research Published on:

  16. There are more than 300 species of capillariids that parasitize various vertebrate groups worldwide. Species identification is hindered because of the few taxonomically informative structures available, making...

    Authors: Victor Hugo Borba, Coralie Martin, José Roberto Machado-Silva, Samanta C. C. Xavier, Flávio L. de Mello and Alena Mayo Iñiguez
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:230
    Content type: Research Published on:

  17. Dirofilariosis is a vector-borne parasitosis caused by filarial nematodes of the genus Dirofilaria. In humans, who represent accidental hosts, dirofilariosis is mostly caused by Dirofilaria repens and Dirofilaria...

    Authors: Katharina Riebenbauer, Philipp B. Weber, Julia Walochnik, Franz Karlhofer, Stefan Winkler, Sonja Dorfer, Herbert Auer, Julia Valencak, Martin Laimer and Alessandra Handisurya
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:227
    Content type: Research Published on:

  18. The current studies compared ProHeart® 12, Heartgard® Plus and Interceptor® Plus for preventive efficacy against JYD-34, a macrocyclic lactone (ML)-resistant strain of Dirofilaria immitis in dogs.

    Authors: Tom L. McTier, Susan Holzmer, Kristina Kryda, Sean Mahabir, John W. McCall, Jami Trombley and Steven J. Maeder
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:226
    Content type: Research Published on:

  19. Schistosomiasis is a chronic parasitic disease that affects millions of people’s health worldwide. Because of the increasing drug resistance to praziquantel (PZQ), which is the primary drug for schistosomiasis...

    Authors: Gongming Li, Qingqing Guo, Chao Feng, Huan Chen, Wenjiao Zhao, Shu Li, Yang Hong and Dequn Sun
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:225
    Content type: Research Published on:

  20. Schsistosomiasis is endemic in sub-Saharan Africa. It is transmitted by intermediate host snails such as Bulinus and Biomphalaria. An understanding of the abundance and distribution of snail vectors is important ...

    Authors: Tawanda Manyangadze, Moses John Chimbari, Owen Rubaba, White Soko and Samson Mukaratirwa
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:222
    Content type: Research Published on:

  21. The systematic of several marine diphyllobothriid tapeworms of pinnipeds has been revised in recent years. However, 20 species of Diphyllobothrium from phocids and otariids are still recognized as incertae sedis....

    Authors: Jesús S. Hernández-Orts, Tetiana A. Kuzmina, Luis A. Gomez-Puerta and Roman Kuchta
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:219
    Content type: Research Published on:

  22. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) has a worldwide distribution and is especially prevalent in North African countries. With a mean annual surgical incidence (ASI) of CE of 12.7 per 100,000 inhabitants, Tunisia is one...

    Authors: Selim M’rad, Raja Chaâbane-Banaoues, Massaouda Ghrab, Hamouda Babba and Myriam Oudni-M’rad
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:216
    Content type: Research Published on:

  23. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato  (s.l.). The treatment of CE mainly relies on the use of benzimidazoles, which can commonly cause adverse s...

    Authors: Mohammad Reza Shiee, Eshrat Beigom Kia, Farzaneh Zahabiun, Mahmood Naderi, Elahe Motevaseli, Shahram Nekoeian, Majid Fasihi Harandi and Ahmad Reza Dehpour
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:197
    Content type: Research Published on:

  24. Current data about Pseudaliidae show contrasting patterns of host specificity between congeneric species. We investigated how both contact and compatibility between hosts and parasites contributed to the patte...

    Authors: Rachel Pool, Clara Romero-Rubira, Juan Antonio Raga, Mercedes Fernández and Francisco Javier Aznar
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:196
    Content type: Research Published on:

  25. Schistosomiasis remains a major public health concern in sub-Saharan Africa. Although schistosomiasis is well documented in school-aged children in Burkina Faso, prevalence data among preschool-aged children (...

    Authors: Mamoudou Cisse, Ibrahim Sangare, Arthur D. Djibougou, Marc C. Tahita, Souleymane Gnissi, Jonathan K. W. Bassinga, Salifou Konda and Abdoulaye H. Diallo
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:185
    Content type: Research Published on:

  26. Cystic echinococcosis (CE) affects predominantly young patients in highly endemic areas. Improved serological methods are needed for the follow-up of CE cases, especially given the high rates of post-surgical ...

    Authors: Eya Ben Salah, Coralie Barrera, Sana Mosbahi, Bruno Gottstein, Mar Siles-Lucas, Samia Belhassen, Abdellatif Nouri, Hamouda BABBA, Laurence Millon and Wahiba Sakly
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:180
    Content type: Research Published on:

  27. Ascaris lumbricoides is the most common causative agent of soil-transmitted helminth infections worldwide, with an estimated 450 million people infected with this nematode globally. It is suggested that helminths...

    Authors: Norashikin Mohd-Shaharuddin, Yvonne Ai Lian Lim, Romano Ngui and Sheila Nathan
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:176
    Content type: Research Published on:

  28. An accurate test for the diagnosis and post-treatment follow-up of patients with schistosomiasis is needed. We assessed the performance of different laboratory parameters, including the up-converting reporter ...

    Authors: Francesca Tamarozzi, Tamara Ursini, Pytsje T. Hoekstra, Ronaldo Silva, Cecilia Costa, Federico Gobbi, Gerardo B. Monteiro, Leonardo Motta, Govert J. van Dam, Paul L. Corstjens, Lisette van Lieshout and Dora Buonfrate
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:149
    Content type: Research Published on:

  29. Species of Trichinella are globally important foodborne parasites infecting a number of domestic and wild vertebrates, including humans. Free-ranging carnivores can act as sentinel species for detection of Trichi...

    Authors: Rajnish Sharma, N. Jane Harms, Piia M. Kukka, Thomas S. Jung, Sarah E. Parker, Sasha Ross, Peter Thompson, Benjamin Rosenthal, Eric P. Hoberg and Emily J. Jenkins
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:146
    Content type: Research Published on:

  30. Capillaria aerophila and Capillaria boehmi parasitize the respiratory system of wild and domestic carnivores. Capillaria aerophila inhabits the trachea and bronchi of dogs and cats, while C. boehmi affects the na...

    Authors: Angela Di Cesare, Simone Morelli, Giulia Morganti, Giulia Simonato, Fabrizia Veronesi, Mariasole Colombo, Michele Berlanda, Wilfried Lebon, Matilde Gallo, Frederic Beugnet and Donato Traversa
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:143
    Content type: Research Published on:

  31. Blood parasites have been the subject of much research, with numerous reports of the presence of microfilariae in the peripheral blood (circulating microfilariae) of birds belonging to many orders. Current lim...

    Authors: Rasa Binkienė, Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas, Rasa Bernotienė and Gediminas Valkiūnas
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:137
    Content type: Research Published on:

  32. In March 2017, Togo was declared the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem, but post-validation surveillance has been lacking. In some areas of the co...

    Authors: Monique Ameyo Dorkenoo, Martin Kouame Tchankoni, Degninou Yehadji, Kossi Yakpa, Mawèké Tchalim, Efoe Sossou, Rachel Bronzan and Didier Koumavi Ekouevi
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:134
    Content type: Research Published on:

  33. Schistosomiasis is a highly prevalent parasitic disease that can lead to adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes. To our knowledge, there has been no systematic review and meta-analysis of schistosomiasis duri...

    Authors: Ishag Adam, Nadiah A. ALhabardi, Osama Al-Wutayd and Ammar H. Khamis
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:133
    Content type: Review Published on:

  34. Dirofilaria repens is a filarioid nematode transmitted by mosquitoes. Adult D. repens are typically localized in the subcutaneous tissue of the host, but other, atypical localizations have also been reported. The...

    Authors: Georgiana Deak, Angela Monica Ionică, Izabela Szasz, Marian Taulescu and Andrei Daniel Mihalca
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:125
    Content type: Short report Published on:

  35. Onchocerciasis (river blindness) and lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) are two human neglected tropical diseases that cause major disabilities. Mass administration of drugs targeting the microfilarial stage...

    Authors: Christina A. Bulman, Laura Chappell, Emma Gunderson, Ian Vogel, Brenda Beerntsen, Barton E. Slatko, William Sullivan and Judy A. Sakanari
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:118
    Content type: Short report Published on:

  36. Flooding is considered to be one of the most important factors contributing to the rebound of Oncomelania hupensis, a small tropical freshwater snail and the only intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum, in en...

    Authors: Jing-Bo Xue, Xin-Yi Wang, Li-Juan Zhang, Yu-Wan Hao, Zhe Chen, Dan-Dan Lin, Jing Xu, Shang Xia and Shi-Zhu Li
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:116
    Content type: Research Published on:

  37. Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus (sensu stricto), is a life-threatening but neglected zoonosis. Glycolytic enzymes are crucial molecules for the survival and devel...

    Authors: Qi Xin, Miaomiao Yuan, Wei Lv, Huanping Li, Xiaoxia Song, Jun Lu and Tao Jing
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:105
    Content type: Research Published on:

  39. Benzimidazole (BZ) anthelmintics are widely used to control infections with parasitic nematodes, but BZ resistance is an emerging threat among several nematode species infecting humans and animals. In Sudan, B...

    Authors: Khalid M. Mohammedsalih, Jürgen Krücken, Ahmed Bashar, Fathel-Rahman Juma, Abdalhakaim A. H. Abdalmalaik, Amna Khalafalla, Adam Abakar, Gerald Coles and Georg von Samson-Himmelstjerna
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:101
    Content type: Research Published on:

  40. Ethiopia has set the ambitious national targets of eliminating soil-transmitted helminths (STH) and schistosomiasis (SCH) as public health problems by 2020, and breaking their transmission by 2025. This system...

    Authors: Rosie Maddren, Anna Phillips, Alison Ower, Toby Landeryou, Birhan Mengistu, Ufaysa Anjulo, Ewnetu Firdawek, Nebiyu Negussu and Roy Anderson
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:97
    Content type: Review Published on:

    The Correction to this article has been published in Parasites & Vectors 2023 16:203

  41. Although Toxocara spp. infection has a worldwide distribution, to our knowledge, no data from birth cohorts have been reported in published studies on the potential for congenital transmission and determinants of...

    Authors: Aida Y. Oviedo-Vera, Irina Chis Ster, Martha E. Chico, Marcia B. Silva, Luis F. Salazar-Garcés, Neuza M. Alcantara-Neves and Philip J. Cooper
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:95
    Content type: Short report Published on:

  43. Taenia spp. are responsible for a substantial health and economic burden in affected populations. Knowledge of the fate of the eggs of Taenia spp. in the environment and of other factors facilitating the transmis...

    Authors: Famke Jansen, Pierre Dorny, Sarah Gabriël, Veronique Dermauw, Maria Vang Johansen and Chiara Trevisan
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:88
    Content type: Review Published on:

  44. Myanmar commenced a lymphatic filariasis (LF) elimination programme in 2000. Whilst the country has made considerable progress since then, a number of districts have demonstrated persistent transmission after ...

    Authors: Benjamin F. R. Dickson, Patricia M. Graves, Ni Ni Aye, Thet Wai Nwe, Tint Wai, San San Win, Myint Shwe, Janet Douglass, Peter Wood, Kinley Wangdi and William J. McBride
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:72
    Content type: Research Published on:

  45. Schistosomes are trematode worms that dwell in their definitive host’s blood vessels, where females lay eggs that need to be discharged into the environment with host excreta to maintain their life-cycle. Both...

    Authors: Jean Pierre Kambala Mukendi, Risa Nakamura, Satoshi Uematsu and Shinjiro Hamano
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:70
    Content type: Research Published on:

  46. The DeWorm3 project is an ongoing cluster-randomised trial assessing the feasibility of interrupting the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) through mass drug administration (MDA) using study site...

    Authors: James E. Truscott, Robert J. Hardwick, Marleen Werkman, Puthupalayam Kaliappan Saravanakumar, Malathi Manuel, Sitara S. R. Ajjampur, Kristjana H. Ásbjörnsdóttir, Kalua Khumbo, Stefan Witek-McManus, James Simwanza, Gilles Cottrell, Parfait Houngbégnon, Moudachirou Ibikounlé, Judd L. Walson and Roy M. Anderson
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:67
    Content type: Research Published on:

  47. The rapid growth of Qatar in the last two decades has been associated with an enormous expansion of building programs in its cities and in the provision of new service industries. This in turn has attracted a ...

    Authors: Nadin Younes, Jerzy M. Behnke, Ahmed Ismail and Marawan A. Abu-Madi
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:63
    Content type: Research Published on:

  48. Soil-transmitted helminthiases are important neglected tropical diseases that result in a notably high number of disability-adjusted life years worldwide. Characterizing the interactions between the human inte...

    Authors: Hongliang Chen, Matteo Mozzicafreddo, Elisa Pierella, Vanessa Carletti, Angela Piersanti, Said M. Ali, Shaali M. Ame, Chunfeng Wang and Cristina Miceli
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:62
    Content type: Research Published on:

  50. The Eucotylidae Cohn, 1904 (Superfamily: Microphalloidea), is a family of digeneans parasitic in kidneys of birds as adults. The group is characterized by the high level of morphological similarities among gen...

    Authors: Suleman, Nehaz Muhammad, Mian Sayed Khan, Vasyl V. Tkach, Hanif Ullah, Muhammad Ehsan, Jun Ma and Xing-Quan Zhu
    Citation: Parasites & Vectors 2021 14:48
    Content type: Research Published on:

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