Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease (Sep 2024)
Molecular Testing of Environmental Samples as a Potential Source to Estimate Parasite Infection
- Rojelio Mejia,
- Barton Slatko,
- Cristina Almazan,
- Ruben Cimino,
- Alejandro Krolewiecki,
- Natalia Montellano Duran,
- Jacob Edwin Valera Aspetty,
- Paola Andrea Vargas,
- Chiara Cássia Oliveira Amorim,
- Stefan Michael Geiger,
- Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara,
- Juan David Ramirez,
- Luz Marina Llangarí-Arizo,
- Irene Guadalupe,
- Liliana E. Villanueva-Lizama,
- Julio Vladimir Cruz-Chan,
- María Leticia Ojeda,
- Eva Mereles Aranda,
- Sandra Ocampos Benedetti,
- Maritza Dalí Camones Rivera,
- Eddyson Montalvo Sabino,
- Carlos Pineda,
- Eric J. Wetzel,
- Philip J. Cooper
Affiliations
- Rojelio Mejia
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Barton Slatko
- National School of Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Cristina Almazan
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta 4400, Argentina
- Ruben Cimino
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta 4400, Argentina
- Alejandro Krolewiecki
- Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta 4400, Argentina
- Natalia Montellano Duran
- Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 537, Bolivia
- Jacob Edwin Valera Aspetty
- Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 537, Bolivia
- Paola Andrea Vargas
- Ingeniería en Biotecnología, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra 537, Bolivia
- Chiara Cássia Oliveira Amorim
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
- Stefan Michael Geiger
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
- Ricardo Toshio Fujiwara
- Departamento de Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31270-901, Brazil
- Juan David Ramirez
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá 110141, Colombia
- Luz Marina Llangarí-Arizo
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Quito 170411, Ecuador
- Irene Guadalupe
- IESS Hospital, Puyo 160101, Ecuador
- Liliana E. Villanueva-Lizama
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida 97000, Mexico
- Julio Vladimir Cruz-Chan
- Laboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales “Dr. Hideyo Noguchi”, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida 97000, Mexico
- María Leticia Ojeda
- Centro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Minga Guazu 7420, Paraguay
- Eva Mereles Aranda
- Centro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Minga Guazu 7420, Paraguay
- Sandra Ocampos Benedetti
- Centro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Minga Guazu 7420, Paraguay
- Maritza Dalí Camones Rivera
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Huánuco 10003, Peru
- Eddyson Montalvo Sabino
- Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza, Chachapoyas 01001, Peru
- Carlos Pineda
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Huánuco 10003, Peru
- Eric J. Wetzel
- Department of Biology, and Global Health Initiative, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, IN 47933, USA
- Philip J. Cooper
- Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Quito 170411, Ecuador
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/tropicalmed9100226
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 9,
no. 10
p. 226
Abstract
We discuss the potential usefulness of molecular testing of soil, dust, and water samples to detect medically important parasites, and where such testing could be used to supplement stool sampling in humans. A wide variety of parasites including protozoa and helminths, many of which are zoonotic, have an important infection reservoir in the environment. In some cases, this environmental period is essential for further parasite development. We describe the progress in implementing methods for the molecular detection of these parasites in soil across eight collaborating centers in Latin America and represent a variety of potential applications in improving our understanding of parasite epidemiology and mapping, surveillance, and control of these parasites. This methodology offers new opportunities for improving our understanding of a wide variety of parasites of public health importance and novel tools for their control.
Keywords