Parasites, Hosts and Diseases

"Dirofilaria repens"

Original Article

Finding Wolbachia in Filarial larvae and Culicidae Mosquitoes in Upper Egypt Governorate: Ahmed K. Dyab, Lamia A. Galal, Abeer E. Mahmoud, Yasser Mokhtar; Korean J Parasitol 2016;54(3):265-272.
Published online June 30, 2016; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2016.54.3.265

Abstract
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Wolbachia is an obligatory intracellular endosymbiotic bacterium, present in over 20% of all insects altering insect reproductive capabilities and in a wide range of filarial worms which is essential for worm survival and reproduction. In Egypt, no available data were found about Wolbachia searching for it in either mosquitoes or filarial worms. Thus, we aimed to identify the possible concurrent presence of Wolbachia within different mosquitoes and filarial parasites, in Assiut Governorate, Egypt using multiplex PCR. Initially, 6 pools were detected positive for Wolbachia by single PCR. The simultaneous detection of Wolbachia and filarial parasites (Wuchereria bancrofti, Dirofilaria immitis, and Dirofilaria repens) by multiplex PCR was spotted in 5 out of 6 pools, with an overall estimated rate of infection (ERI) of 0.24%. Unexpectedly, the highest ERI (0.53%) was for Anopheles pharoensis with related Wolbachia and W. bancrofti, followed by Aedes (0.42%) and Culex (0.26%). We also observed that Wolbachia altered Culex spp. as a primary vector for W. bancrofti to be replaced by Anopheles sp. Wolbachia within filaria-infected mosquitoes in our locality gives a hope to use bacteria as a new control trend simultaneously targeting the vector and filarial parasites.

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Scientific Reports.2022;[Epub] CrossRef
Wolbachia infection in West Nile Virus vectors of northwest Iran
Faramarz Bozorg-Omid, Mohammad Ali Oshaghi, Mozaffar Vahedi, Fateh Karimian, Seyyed Javad Seyyed-Zadeh, Ali Reza Chavshin
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Elena Shaikevich, Anna Bogacheva, Ludmila Ganushkina
Parasite.2019; 26: 2. CrossRef

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Case Report

A Rare Human Case of Dirofilaria repens Infection in the Subcutaneous Posterior Thorax with Molecular Identification: Tran Anh Le, Thuat Thang Vi, Khac Luc Nguyen, Thanh Hoa Le; Korean J Parasitol 2015;53(3):329-333.
Published online June 30, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.3.329

Abstract
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The emergence of dirofilarial infections in Asia including Vietnam is a clinically significant threat to the community. We here report a rare case of subcutaneous Dirofilaria repens infection on the posterior thoracic wall in a young woman presenting a painful, itchy, and palpable nodule. The adult worm was identified by mitochondrial cox1 and nuclear ITS-2 sequence determination. The diagnosis was additionally confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing of the endosymbiont Wolbachia pipientis commonly co-existing with D. repens. This is a rare case of subcutaneous human infection on the posterior thoracic region caused by D. repens.

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Two cases of ectopic dirofilariasis by Dirofilaria immitis in subconjunctival and subcutaneous tissues in dogs
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PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.2016; 10(10): e0005028. CrossRef
Development and Application of a Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) Approach for the Rapid Detection of Dirofilaria repens from Biological Samples
Donato Antonio Raele, Nicola Pugliese, Domenico Galante, Laura Maria Latorre, Maria Assunta Cafiero, John Pius Dalton
PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.2016; 10(6): e0004789. CrossRef

10,439 View
114 Download
9 Web of Science
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Original Article

Xenomonitoring of Different Filarial Nematodes Using Single and Multiplex PCR in Mosquitoes from Assiut Governorate, Egypt: Ahmed Kamal Dyab, Lamia Ahmed Galal, Abeer El-Sayed Mahmoud, Yasser Mokhtar; Korean J Parasitol 2015;53(1):77-83.
Published online February 27, 2015; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2015.53.1.77

Abstract
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Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria immitis, and Dirofilaria repens are filarial nematodes transmitted by mosquitoes belonging to Culex, Aedes, and Anopheles genera. Screening by vector dissection is a tiresome technique. We aimed to screen filarial parasites in their vectors by single and multiplex PCR and evaluate the usefulness of multiplex PCR as a rapid xenomonitoring and simultaneous differentiation tool, in area where 3 filarial parasites are coexisting. Female mosquitoes were collected from 7 localities in Assiut Governorate, were microscopically identified and divided into pools according to their species and collection site. Detection of W. bancrofti, D. immitis, and D. repens using single PCR was reached followed by multiplex PCR. Usefulness of multiplex PCR was evaluated by testing mosquito pools to know which genera and species are used by filarial parasites as a vector. An overall estimated rate of infection (ERI) in mosquitoes was 0.6%; the highest was Culex spp. (0.47%). W. bancrofti, D. immitis, and D. repens could be simultaneously and differentially detected in infected vectors by using multiplex PCR. Out of 100 mosquito pools, 8 were positive for W. bancrofti (ERI of 0.33%) and 3 pools each were positive for D. immitis and D. repens (ERI 0.12%). The technique showed 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity. El-Nikhila, El-Matiaa villages, and Sahel Seleem district in Assiut Governorate, Egypt are still endemic foci for filarial parasites. Multiplex PCR offers a reliable procedure for molecular xenomonitoring of filariasis within their respective vectors in endemic areas. Therefore, it is recommended for evaluation of mosquito infection after lymphatic filariasis eradication programs.

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Bioorganic Chemistry.2023; 130: 106258. CrossRef
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Mary M. Cameron, Anita Ramesh
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.2021; 376(1818): 20190816. CrossRef
Bancroftian Filariasis Still Endemic in Some Foci in Sohag Governorate, Upper Egypt
Refaat MA Khalifa, Amal M Ahmed, Mohamed AA Taha, Nasr Eldeen MM Ali, Haitham KA Abd El Samea, Dabbu Jaijyan
Journal of Parasite Research.2019; 1(1): 1. CrossRef
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Parasites & Vectors.2018;[Epub] CrossRef
Finding Wolbachia in Filarial larvae and Culicidae Mosquitoes in Upper Egypt Governorate
Ahmed K. Dyab, Lamia A. Galal, Abeer E. Mahmoud, Yasser Mokhtar
The Korean Journal of Parasitology.2016; 54(3): 265. CrossRef
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Parasites & Vectors.2015;[Epub] CrossRef

10,836 View
163 Download
13 Web of Science
Crossref

Case Report

Dirofilaria repens in Vietnam: Detection of 10 Eye and Subcutaneous Tissue Infection Cases Identified by Morphology and Molecular Methods: Nguyen Van De, Thanh Hoa Le, Jong-Yil Chai; Korean J Parasitol 2012;50(2):137-141.
Published online May 24, 2012; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3347/kjp.2012.50.2.137

Abstract
PDF

From 2006 to 2010, hospitals in Hanoi treated 10 human patients for dirofilariasis. The worms were collected from parasitic places, and identification of the species was completed by morphology and molecular methods. Ten parasites were recovered either from the conjunctiva (n=9) or subcutaneous tissue (n=1). The parasites were 4.0-12.5 cm in length and 0.5-0.6 mm in width. Morphological observations suggested all parasites as Dirofilaria repens. Three of the 10 parasites (1 from subcutaneous tissue and 2 from eyes) were used for molecular confirmation of the species identification. A portion of the mitochondrial cox1 (461 bp) was amplified and sequenced. Nucleotide and amino acid homologies were 95% and 99-100%, respectively, when compared with D. repens (Italian origin, GenBank AJ271614; DQ358814). This is the first report of eye dirofilariasis and the second report of subcutaneous tissue dirofilariasis due to D. repens in Vietnam.

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