Zoonotic helminths – why the challenge remains

Abstract

Helminth zoonoses remain a global problem to public health and the economy of many countries. Polymerase chain reaction-based techniques and sequencing have resolved many taxonomic issues and are now essential to understanding the epidemiology of helminth zoonotic infections and the ecology of the causative agents. This is clearly demonstrated from research on Echinococcus (echinococcosis) and Trichinella (trichinosis). Unfortunately, a variety of anthropogenic factors are worsening the problems caused by helminth zoonoses. These include cultural factors, urbanization and climate change. Wildlife plays an increasingly important role in the maintenance of many helminth zoonoses making surveillance and control increasingly difficult. The emergence or re-emergence of helminth zoonoses such as Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Toxocara, Dracunculus and Thelazia exacerbate an already discouraging scenario compounding the control of a group of long neglected diseases.

ParSCo: celebrating 10 years of a unique parasitology summer course

“…Furthermore, Prof. Alicia Rojas (Fig. 2 f) introduced an important area of parasitology, equally diverse and complex, which is helminthology, focusing on worm species that are of zoonotic concern [ 28 ]. Moreover, she discussed the main species of nematodes, trematodes and cestodes with an illustrative and practical approach.…”

Helminth-host-environment interactions: Looking down from the tip of the iceberg

“…The topic of how climate change is likely to impact helminth infections continues to be an important focus of research, and findings to date have been reviewed extensively (see, for example, Adekiya et al 2019;Rocklöv et al 2021;Marcogliese 2023;Thompson 2023). Over and above the direct impact of shifts in temperature and rainfall on geographical range of hosts and survival of freeliving stages (Marcogliese 2023), a more integrated approach to exploring the impacts of climate change is needed.…”

“…Is a One Health approach the way forward? Thompson (2023) has argued elegantly and persuasively for the critical importance of a One Health approach for advancing understanding, management, and control of zoonotic helminth infections. Based on the information collated in this review, it seems that we need the same sort of highly interdisciplinary approach that engages sociologists and behavioural scientists, environmental engineers and climate scientists, health practitioners and molecular biologists, microbiologists and bioinformaticians, wildlife biologists and limnologists, and mathematicians and ecologists, along with parasitologists if we are to unravel and repackage our conceptualization of host-helminth-environment interactions.…”

Helminth Communities of Common Fish Species in the Coastal Zone off Crimea: Species Composition, Diversity, and Structure

“…The helminth fish fauna is being recognized as an important field for parasitological research because of their major impact on the fish industry [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]. Several helminth species are known to affect the growth, reproduction, and survival of the hosts [ 6 , 7 ] and cause morbidity and mortality, thus reducing important fish stocks [ 8 , 9 ].…”

“…Several helminth species are known to affect the growth, reproduction, and survival of the hosts [ 6 , 7 ] and cause morbidity and mortality, thus reducing important fish stocks [ 8 , 9 ]. Some of these infections have zoonotic potential when humans consume raw or undercooked fish containing infective parasite larvae [ 3 , 5 , 10 , 11 ].…”