Gary J Weil

..This study employed various monitoring methods to assess the impact of repeated rounds of mass drug administration (MDA) on bancroftian filariasis in Papua New Guinea, which has the largest filariasis problem in the Pacific region...

..This new test holds great promise as a simple tool for diagnosis of onchocerciasis...

..We believe that real-time PCR has great potential as a tool for monitoring progress in large-scale filariasis elimination programs...

..bancrofti and Plasmodium spp. in human populations and for assessing the impact of interventions aimed at controlling or eliminating these diseases...

..Most filarial nematodes contain Wolbachia symbionts. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of doxycycline on gene expression in Wolbachia and adult female Brugia malayi...

..Radiation effects are especially interesting because irradiated L3 induce partial immunity to filarial infections. The underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for the efficacy of such vaccines are unkown...

..malayi; this should lead to improved understanding of reproduction in filarial nematodes. More generally, this approach holds great promise as a means of studying stage-specific or tissue-specific gene expression in parasitic nematodes...

..This study provides an improved description of the adaptations that accompany the transition from L3i to L3c and the special ability of L3ir to induce protective immunity...

..MDA is useful for whole genome amplification of filarial DNA from very small amounts of starting material. This technology will permit detailed studies of genetic diversity that were not previously feasible...

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..Thus, ISH provides a means to independently confirm differential expression of genes identified by other methods. In addition, localization patterns provide insight regarding the function of known or novel genes in the parasite...

..Neither NTZ nor TZ cleared adult worms or microfilariae in infected gerbils. These results show that NTZ and TZ have potent effects on B. malayi nematodes in vitro. However, they were not effective in vivo...

..Although a first draft genome sequence was released in 2007, very little is understood about transcription programs that govern developmental changes required for the parasite's development and survival in its mammalian and insect hosts...

..flexuosa lysate and stained specific worm tissues by immunohistology. Future studies will be required to determine the exact functions of Wolbachia-like peptides and proteins in O. flexuosa and to assess their roles in worm biology...

..Further studies of C. quiscali and other Wolbachia-free filarial species may help to clarify the reason(s) that some filarial species require Wolbachia but others do not...

..We have performed the first genome-wide analysis of gender-associated (GA) gene expression in a filarial nematode to improve understanding of key reproductive processes in these parasites...

..Comparisons between the mitochondrial genome sequences of Wolbachia-dependent and independent filarial worms may reveal differences indicative of altered mitochondrial function...

..It may also be a useful tool for use in LF endemic countries to monitor the progress of filariasis elimination programs and for post-MDA surveillance...

..The mechanisms behind this interdependence are not understood. Interestingly, a minority of filarial species examined to date are naturally Wolbachia-free...

..Surprisingly, immunohistology and in situ hybridization techniques have not been widely used to monitor Wolbachia distribution during the filarial life cycle...

..ISH results were consistent with RNAi data for C. elegans that linked the homologues of the B. malayi proteins to gamete production and embryogenesis...

..volvulus, whereas PCR and antigen testing are potentially more useful for diagnosis of infections in individuals and for monitoring the success of therapy...

..All atypical microfilariae were clustered into the Mansonella group and indistinguishable from M. ozzardi based on these DNA markers...

..This article reviews available diagnostic tests for filariasis and their potential use as tools for different phases of filariasis elimination programs...

..abstract:..

..Schistosoma mattheei is typically a parasite of bovids, but it can also infect humans. Schistosoma mattheei in baboons in Zambia may affect other wildlife species and humans that live in close proximity to baboons...

..These results demonstrate that P. kellicotti is common in Missouri crayfish. The gerbil model may be useful for research on the pathogenesis, immunology, and treatment of paragonimiasis...

..This paper is a brief overview of travel medicine with an emphasis on infectious disease risks for travelers to the tropics such as traveler's diarrhea, malaria, and vaccine preventable illnesses...

..While it is possible that antibiotics directly affect filarial L3, we believe it is more likely that the effects seen are indirect effects related to bacterial killing...

..These two complimentary techniques may be generally applicable to the study of gender-specific (and by analogy stage specific) gene expression in other nematodes...

..Most sera from infected jirds do not contain antibody to paramyosin. Additional studies are needed to determine whether paramyosin is actually protective in this filariasis model...

..In contrast, jirds injected with irradiated L3 did not develop microfilaremia or antibodies to wsp. Additional studies are needed to test the hypothesis that irradiation retards growth and development of filarial L3 by killing Wolbachia...

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..We also describe public health interventions that were undertaken to inform the general public and physicians about the disease and its mode of transmission...

..timori endemicity on Alor Island, Indonesia, where microfilaria-positive individuals had low densities after mass treatment. Thus, the Eclipse MGB real-time PCR assay is a sensitive means of detecting Brugia parasite DNA in human blood...

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..bancrofti infections are relatively common in endemic areas. Additional studies are needed to determine the clinical significance, prognosis, and optimal management of such infections...

..These effects are essentially the same as those observed in adult worms treated with doxycycline. These studies suggest that effects of irradiation on reproduction in Brugia malayi may be caused by effects of irradiation on Wolbachia...

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..Our results represent an important step toward improved understanding of the molecular biology of reproduction in filarial nematodes...

..This technique should facilitate drug and vaccine studies in this important experimental filariasis model...

..Parasite antigen levels were stable throughout the study in control animals. These preliminary results suggest that parasite antigen detection is useful as a means of noninvasively monitoring the efficacy of anti-filarial drug therapy...

..Physicians should consider the possibility that patients who present with cough, fever, hemoptysis, and eosinophilia may have paragonimiasis...

..Parasite antigen levels in jird sera were consistent with parasitological results in all treatment groups, but antigen clearance was incomplete in some cases after apparently successful treatment of mature and immature infections...

..These antigens may be useful as targets for improved diagnostic tests for onchocerciasis based on parasite antigen detection...

..However, the specificity of the test is too low for it to be useful as a screening test. Our results suggest that neither the antibody test nor the tuberculin test have much diagnostic utility in low prevalence settings like St. Louis...

..Multi-dose MDA (especially in the first year) might interrupt transmission with fewer cycles than single-dose treatment...

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..9% 6-7 months after treatment; similar reductions were observed for MF uptake, MF/mosquito, infectivity, and L3/mosquito. Thus, single-dose diethylcarbamazine had a major impact on MF ingestion and L3 production by mosquitoes...

..We conclude that MX is a powerful tool for monitoring the impact of MDA on filariasis endemicity and transmission...

..These results show that DEC/ALB is highly active against adult W. bancrofti. They also suggest that host responses to dying adult worms are important in the pathogenesis of filarial hydroceles...

..These findings have important implications regarding strategies for monitoring the effects of MDA in populations...

..Our results suggest that after five rounds of MDA filariasis is likely to have been eliminated in most endemic localities in Egypt...

..These results underscore the importance of compliance for LF elimination programs based on MDA and suggest that two ingested doses of MDA are as effective as five doses for reducing filariasis infection rates...

..While addressing these challenges is important, many key determinants of program success are already clearly understood; operationalizing these as soon as possible will greatly increase the potential for national program success...

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..Lessons learned in Egypt will benefit PELFs around the world. ..