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Intestinal parasites are common in the Moroccan population. Enteroparasites in children from four schools in urban and rural areas of Tetouan (Morocco) were studied to treat these children and to design prevention and control programs. A total of 673 children were examined. The prevalence of parasitized children was 51%. The average number of enteroparasites was half in urban areas than in rural areas. Multiple parasitism appeared in 30% of the samples presenting two, three, or four parasites. The most prevalent parasite was Blastocystis hominis (64%). Giardia duodenalis was the most frequent pathogen, with an overall prevalence of 20% (24% in rural areas and 16% in urban areas). Other pathogenic enteroparasites were Cyclospora cayetanensis (5% in rural and urban areas), Iodamoeba butschlii, Hymenolepis spp., Trichuris trichiura and Enterobius vermicularis, with prevalence lower than 2%. In this work, G. duodenalis genotypes were molecularly characterized by a study of the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh) and 18S rRNA genes. This is the first study of molecular characterization of G. duodenalis in Moroccan children, and the sequence analysis revealed both Assemblage A (AII) and Assemblage B (BIII, BIV), with the predominance of Assemblage BIV (73%).

A superoxide dismutase excreted by promastigote forms of L. (Viannia) peruviana (SODe-Lp), L. (Viannia) brazilensis (SODe-Lb), and L. (L.) amazonensis (SODe-La) is tested to evaluate its potential value as a diagnostic tool of mucocutaneous and Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis. We used 45 sera with mucocutaneous leishmaniasis (SL) and 68 with Andean cutaneous leishmaniasis (ACL). SODe-Lp antigen was recognized by 94% of the serum from ACL patients, and the SODe-Lb antigen was recognized by 93% of the serum from SL patients. Meanwhile, the result for SL and ACL patients with SODe-La antigen was 69% and 43% and SODe-Li was 11% and 9%, respectively. This suggest that antibodies to SODe-Lp undergo further response in patients with ACL and the antibodies to SODe-Lb do so preferentially in patients with SL. The SODe ELISA may be useful in endemic areas for discriminative assays between patients with different forms of leishmaniases and those with other clinical conditions.

Objectives We report the in vivo trypanocidal activity of the bacteriocin AS-48 (lacking toxicity), which is produced by Enterococcus faecalis, against the flagellated protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi, the aetiological agent of Chagas’ disease. Methods We determined the in vivo activity of AS-48 against the T. cruzi Arequipa strain in BALB/c mice (in both acute and chronic phases of Chagas’ disease). We evaluated the parasitaemia, the reactivation of parasitaemia after immunosuppression and the nested parasites in the chronic phase by PCR in target tissues. Results AS-48 reduced the parasitaemia profile in acute infection and showed a noteworthy reduction in the parasitic load in chronic infection after immunosuppression according to the results obtained by PCR (double-checking to demonstrate cure). Conclusions AS-48 is a promising alternative that provides a step forward in the development of a new therapy against Chagas’ disease.