List of Titles

A molecular survey of tick-borne pathogens from ticks collected in Central Queensland

- Chalada, Melissa, Stenos, John, Vincent, Gemma, Barker, Dayana, Bradbury, Richard

Authors: Chalada, Melissa , Stenos, John , Vincent, Gemma , Barker, Dayana , Bradbury, Richard
Date: 2018
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Vector-borne and zoonotic diseases Vol. 18, no. 3 (2018), p. 151-163
Full Text: false
Reviewed:
Description: Central Queensland (CQ) is a large and isolated, low population density, remote tropical region of Australia with a varied environment. The region has a diverse fauna and several species of ticks that feed upon that fauna. This study examined 518 individual ticks: 177 Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick), 123 Haemaphysalis bancrofti (wallaby tick), 102 Rhipicephalus australis (Australian cattle tick), 47 Amblyomma triguttatum (ornate kangaroo tick), 57 Ixodes holocyclus (paralysis tick), 9 Bothriocroton tachyglossi (CQ short-beaked echidna tick), and 3 Ornithodoros capensis (seabird soft tick). Tick midguts were pooled by common host or environment and screened for four genera of tick-borne zoonoses by PCR and sequencing. The study examined a total of 157 midgut pools of which 3 contained DNA of Coxiella burnetii, 13 Rickettsia gravesii, 1 Rickettsia felis, and 4 other Rickettsia spp. No Borrelia spp. or Babesia spp. DNA were recovered.

Hookworm Infection in Oceania

- Bradbury, Richard, Traub, Rebecca

Authors: Bradbury, Richard , Traub, Rebecca
Date: 2016
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Neglected Tropical Diseases - Oceania Chapter 2 p. 33-68
Full Text: false
Reviewed:
Description: Hookworm disease and its associated morbidities continue to be a major public health problem in many tropical and subtropical nations and remain endemic throughout the Oceania region. Three species of hookworm cause patent infection in humans in this region: Necator americanus, Ancylostoma duodenale and Ancylostoma ceylanicum. Historical hookworm infection rates of up to 90 % throughout many parts of Oceania have significantly declined; however, the disease remains a major problem requiring ongoing public health intervention. The effectiveness of such interventions is evident in northern Australia, where once widespread hookworm disease is now limited to a few remaining endemic foci of isolated communities in the far north of the country. Outside of Australia, there is limited data available in the literature on hookworm prevalence, but a few recent (since 2000) studies have found hookworm prevalence rates of between 3 and 23 %. Infections with A. caninum, leading to eosinophilic enteritis, and sporadic cases cutaneous larva migrans caused by dermal migration of animal hookworm larva are also reported from several regions. This chapter provides a comprehensive review of both the historical and current literature on species of hookworms infecting humans and the geographical prevalence and distribution of hookworm disease in the Oceania region.

HTLV-I and strongyloides in Australia : the worm lurking beneath

- Gordon, Catherine, Shield, Jennifer, Bradbury, Richard, Muhi, Stephen, Page, Wendy

Authors: Gordon, Catherine , Shield, Jennifer , Bradbury, Richard , Muhi, Stephen , Page, Wendy
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Advances in Parasitology p. 119-201
Full Text: false
Reviewed:
Description: Strongyloidiasis and HTLV-I (human T-lymphotropic virus-1) are important infections that are endemic in many countries around the world with an estimated 370 million infected with Strongyloides stercoralis alone, and 5–10 million with HTVL-I. Co-infections with these pathogens are associated with significant morbidity and can be fatal. HTLV-I infects T-cells thus causing dysregulation of the immune system which has been linked to dissemination and hyperinfection of S. stercoralis leading to bacterial sepsis which can result in death. Both of these pathogens are endemic in Australia primarily in remote communities in Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia. Other cases in Australia have occurred in immigrants and refugees, returned travellers, and Australian Defence Force personnel. HTLV-I infection is lifelong with no known cure. Strongyloidiasis is a long-term chronic disease that can remain latent for decades, as shown by infections diagnosed in prisoners of war from World War II and the Vietnam War testing positive decades after they returned from these conflicts. This review aims to shed light on concomitant infections of HTLV-I with S. stercoralis primarily in Australia but in the global context as well. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Richard Bradbury" is provided in this record**

Quick View

Parasitic infection surveillance in Mississippi delta children

- Bradbury, Richard, Arguello, Irene, Lane, Meredith, Cooley, Gretchen, Handali, Sukwan

Authors: Bradbury, Richard , Arguello, Irene , Lane, Meredith , Cooley, Gretchen , Handali, Sukwan
Date: 2020
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Vol. 103, no. 3 (2020), p. 1150-1153
Full Text:
Reviewed:
Description: Some recent studies suggest ongoing transmission of parasitic diseases in the American South; however, surveys in Mississippi children are lacking. We enrolled 166 children (median age 8 years, range 4–13 years) from the Mississippi Delta region and carried out multi-parallel real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Necator americanus, Ascaris lumbricoides, and Strongyloides stercoralis on their stool samples. Dried blood spots were obtained for multiplex serology antibody detection. Of 166 children, all reported having flushable toilets, 11% had soil exposure, and 34% had a pet dog or cat. None had prior diagnosis or treatment of parasitic disease. Multi-parallel real-time PCRs were negative on the 89 stool DNA extracts available for testing. Dried blood spot testing of all 166 children determined the seroprevalence of IgG antibodies to Toxocara spp. (3.6%), Cryptosporidium (2.4%), S. stercoralis, Fasciola hepatica, and Giardia duodenalis (all 0%). In conclusion, parasitic infections and exposure were scarce in this population. Larger studies of at-risk populations are needed. © 2020 by The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. ***Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Richard Bradbury ” is provided in this record***
Description: This work was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (RSB), the Blakeslee Fund for Genetics Research at Smith College (N. P. and S. A. W.), and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, the University of Mississippi Medical Center). R. B. reports a patent WO2019060840 “Removing Interfering Host NucleicAcids for Molecular Parasite Detection” with royalties paid to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This trial was observational and is exempt from registration at clinicaltrials.gov Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions of this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention/the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. This work was presented at the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Conference: Poster 522, October 28–November 1, New Orleans, LA

Quick View

Sensitive universal detection of blood parasites by selective pathogen-DNA enrichment and deep amplicon sequencing

- Flaherty, Briana, Barratt, Joel, Lane, Meredith, Talundzic, Eldin, Bradbury, Richard

Authors: Flaherty, Briana , Barratt, Joel , Lane, Meredith , Talundzic, Eldin , Bradbury, Richard
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Microbiome Vol. 9, no. 1 (2021), p.
Full Text:
Reviewed:
Description: Background: Targeted amplicon deep sequencing (TADS) has enabled characterization of diverse bacterial communities, yet the application of TADS to communities of parasites has been relatively slow to advance. The greatest obstacle to this has been the genetic diversity of parasitic agents, which include helminths, protozoa, arthropods, and some acanthocephalans. Meanwhile, universal amplification of conserved loci from all parasites without amplifying host DNA has proven challenging. Pan-eukaryotic PCRs preferentially amplify the more abundant host DNA, obscuring parasite-derived reads following TADS. Flaherty et al. (2018) described a pan-parasitic TADS method involving amplification of eukaryotic 18S rDNA regions possessing restriction sites only in vertebrates. Using this method, host DNA in total DNA extracts could be selectively digested prior to PCR using restriction enzymes, thereby increasing the number of parasite-derived reads obtained following NGS. This approach showed promise though was only as sensitive as conventional PCR. Results: Here, we expand on this work by designing a second set of pan-eukaryotic primers flanking the priming sites already described, enabling nested PCR amplification of the established 18S rDNA target. This nested approach facilitated introduction of a second restriction digestion between the first and second PCR, reducing the proportional mass of amplifiable host-derived DNA while increasing the number of PCR amplification cycles. We applied this method to blood specimens containing Babesia, Plasmodium, various kinetoplastids, and filarial nematodes and confirmed its limit of detection (LOD) to be approximately 10-fold lower than previously described, falling within the range of most qPCR methods. Conclusions: The assay detects and differentiates the major malaria parasites of humans, along with several other clinically important blood parasites. This represents an important step towards a TADS-based universal parasite diagnostic (UPDx) test with a sufficient LOD for routine applications. [MediaObject not available: see fulltext.]. © 2021, The Author(s).

Quick View

Strongyloides fuelleborni kellyi in New Guinea : neglected, ignored and unexplored

- Bradbury, Richard

Authors: Bradbury, Richard
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article
Relation: Microbiology Australia Vol. 42, no. 4 (2021), p. 169-172
Full Text:
Reviewed:
Description: Strongyloidiasis remains endemic throughout the Island of New Guinea. While many infections are caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, a second human-infecting Strongyloides species, Strongyloides fuelleborni kellyi, is also present. S. f. kellyi infections are most common in infants and young children, and those with high-intensity infections might develop a potentially fatal protein-losing enteropathy, swollen belly syndrome. Surprisingly little work has been performed on S. f. kellyi. Unlike S. stercoralis, S. f. kellyi is passed in faeces as eggs rather than rhabditiform larvae. There is no specific diagnostic test. This review summarises what is currently known about the biology, epidemiology, and clinical impact of S. f. kellyi infections. Features that might be used to differentiate S. f. kellyi from hookworm and S. stercoralis are also discussed. S. f. kellyi remains a neglected, ignored, and unexplored human helminth infection, worthy of further research. © 2021 Journal Compilation

Strongyloides genotyping: a review of methods and application in public health and population genetics

- Bradbury, Richard, Pafčo, Barbora, Nosková, Eva, Hasegawa, Hideo

Authors: Bradbury, Richard , Pafčo, Barbora , Nosková, Eva , Hasegawa, Hideo
Date: 2021
Type: Text , Journal article , Review
Relation: International Journal for Parasitology Vol. 51, no. 13-14 (2021), p. 1153-1166
Full Text: false
Reviewed:
Description: Strongyloidiasis represents a major medical and veterinary helminthic disease. Human infection is caused by Strongyloides stercoralis, Strongyloides fuelleborni fuelleborni and Strongyloides fuelleborni kellyi, with S. stercoralis accounting for the majority of cases. Strongyloides f. fuelleborni likely represents a zoonosis acquired from non-human primates (NHPs), while no animal reservoir for S. f. kellyi infection has been found. Whether S. stercoralis represents a zoonosis acquired from dogs and cats remains unanswered. Over the past two decades various tools have been applied to genotype Strongyloides spp. The most commonly sequenced markers have been the hyper-variable regions I and IV of the 18S rRNA gene and selected portions of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene. These markers have been sequenced and compared in Strongyloides from multiple hosts and geographical regions. More recently, a machine learning algorithm multi-locus sequence typing approach has been applied using these markers, while others have applied whole genome sequencing. Genotyping of Strongyloides from dogs, cats, NHPs and humans has identified that S. stercoralis likely originated in dogs and adapted to human hosts. It has also been demonstrated that S. stercoralis is distinct from S. f. fuelleborni and S. f. kellyi. Two distinct genetic clades of S. stercoralis exist, one restricted to dogs and another infecting humans, NHPs, dogs and cats. Genotyping of S. f. fuelleborni has identified two separate clades, one associated with African isolates and another Indochinese peninsular clade. This review summarises the history and development of genotyping tools for Strongyloides spp. It describes the findings of major studies to date in the context of the epidemiology and evolutionary biology of these helminths, with a specific focus on human-infecting species. © 2021 Australian Society for Parasitology

Quick View

The forgotten exotic tapeworms : a review of uncommon zoonotic cyclophyllidea

- Sapp, Sarah, Bradbury, Richard

Authors: Sapp, Sarah , Bradbury, Richard
Date: 2020
Type: Text , Journal article , Review
Relation: Parasitology Vol. 147, no. 5 (2020), p. 533-558
Full Text:
Reviewed:
Description: As training in helminthology has declined in the medical microbiology curriculum, many rare species of zoonotic cestodes have fallen into obscurity. Even among specialist practitioners, knowledge of human intestinal cestode infections is often limited to three genera, Taenia, Hymenolepis and Dibothriocephalus. However, five genera of uncommonly encountered zoonotic Cyclophyllidea (Bertiella, Dipylidium, Raillietina, Inermicapsifer and Mesocestoides) may also cause patent intestinal infections in humans worldwide. Due to the limited availability of summarized and taxonomically accurate data, such cases may present a diagnostic dilemma to clinicians and laboratories alike. In this review, historical literature on these cestodes is synthesized and knowledge gaps are highlighted. Clinically relevant taxonomy, nomenclature, life cycles, morphology of human-infecting species are discussed and clarified, along with the clinical presentation, diagnostic features and molecular advances, where available. Due to the limited awareness of these agents and identifying features, it is difficult to assess the true incidence of these 'forgotten' cestodiases as clinical misidentifications are likely to occur. Also, the taxonomic status of many of the human-infecting species of these tapeworms is unclear, hampering accurate species identification. Further studies combining molecular data and morphological observations are necessary to resolve these long-standing taxonomic issues and to elucidate other unknown aspects of transmission and ecology. Copyright © The Author(s), US Government, 2020.

Toxocara seroprevalence in the USA and its impact for individuals and society

- Bradbury, Richard, Hobbs, Charlotte

Authors: Bradbury, Richard , Hobbs, Charlotte
Date: 2020
Type: Text , Book chapter
Relation: Advances in Parasitology p. 317-339
Full Text: false
Reviewed:
Description: Toxocara species are intestinal helminths of dogs and cats, the larval stages of which may infect humans and cause severe neural, ocular and visceral larva migrans disease. Such cases of severe overt disease represent only a small fraction of the of the US population who have been exposed and infected with Toxocara, subsequently developing IgG antibodies to the larvae. The true impact of exposure to Toxocara in this large group of Americans remains uncertain. Toxocara antibody positivity is associated with poverty, but other specific risk factors have been identified, including sex, age, rural residence, region of residence, race and exposure to pets. This seropositive status has also been associated with several childhood diseases, including asthma and epilepsy, increased serum lead levels, and poor neurocognitive function. Three large-scale NHANES studies have provided comprehensive datasets, while several smaller studies have explored specific disease associations. Each seroprevalence study must be interpreted in consideration of the sensitivity and specificity of the individual serological methods employed. This chapter summarizes all historical Toxocara prevalence data from dogs, cats and soil in the United States. It then carefully examines all previous human Toxocara seroprevalence surveys performed in the United States. Data from these surveys is assimilated, compared and discussed to determine the validity of findings and to accurately identify risk factors for Toxocara seropositivity. The validity of associations of exposure to Toxocara larvae and childhood diseases such as asthma and epilepsy and effects neurocognitive function within the American context are also explored. © 2020 Elsevier Ltd

Showing items 1 - 10 of 10