Incidencia de la criptosporidiosis en pacientes afectos de gastroenteritis. Resultados de un año y medio de estudio

Tesi de Llicenciatura per a la obtenció del Grau de Farmàcia. Facultat de Farmàcia. Universitat de Barcelona. Director: Montserrat Portús Vinyeta . 1986

Biogeography of Anisakis (Anisakidae) and Hysterothylacium (Rhaphidascarididae) nematode species in consumed fish

Podeu consultar el llibre complet a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/128014The presence of ascaridoid nematodes in commonly consumed fish constitutes an important health risk for humans as well as an economic problem for fisheries. Here, information is provided on the taxonomic status of the representative “anisakid-related” species of the families Anisakidae and Raphidascarididae. These parasites have a worldwide marine geographical distribution, mainly related to the presence of the vertebrate hosts involved in their life cycle. Morphological and molecular methods currently used for specific characterization of larval and adult nematode specimens are analysed and discussed. This study is focused on the taxonomy and parasite-host distribution of species of the genera Anisakis and Hysterothylacium from the North-East Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea regions

Leishmaniosis in Rodents Caused by Leishmania infantum: A Review of Studies in the Mediterranean Area

Leishmaniosis infection begins when a phlebotomine sand fly vector inoculates pathogenic protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania into a mammalian host. In the case of Leishmania infantum, the domestic dog is considered to be the main parasite reservoir, and canine leishmaniosis (CanL) has a high mortality rate in untreated dogs. Hundreds of cases of human leishmaniosis (HL) are reported in the world each year, the incidence in Europe being relatively low. Leishmaniosis control is primarily focused on the dog, combining methods that prevent sand fly bites and boost host resistance to infection. However, these measures are only partially effective and new solutions need to be found. One of the main factors limiting CanL and HL control is the existence of a sylvatic Leishmania transmission cycle that interacts with the domestic cycle maintained by dogs. It is suspected that the main reservoir of infection in wildlife are rodents, whose expansion and rapid population growth worldwide is increasing the risk of human and zoonotic pathogen transfer. The aim of this review is therefore to analyze reports in the literature that may shed light on the potential role of rodents in the leishmaniosis transmission cycle in the Mediterranean area. Following the general methodology recommended for reviews, six databases (Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus and Web of Science) were explored for the period January 1995 to December 2020. The results extracted from 39 publications that met the established inclusion criteria were analyzed. It was found that 23 species of rodents have been studied in nine countries of the Mediterranean basin. Of the 3,643 specimens studied, 302 tested positive for L. infantum infection by serology, microscopy and/or molecular techniques

Estimation of the number of Anisakis larvae in commercial fish using a descriptive model based on real-time PCR

BACKGROUND: Seafood parasitation by Anisakis (Anisakidae) larvae has been reported in most of the oceans and seas worldwide.The presence of these nematodes in commonly consumed fish represents a potential hazard for consumers as they can provoke gastrointestinal symptoms and allergic reactions. In the present work, the capacity of a SYBR Green qPCR protocol to quantify Anisakis larvae in commercial fish was evaluated using experimentally spiked samples with different numbers (0-50) of A. simplex third-stage larvae (L3). To verify the agreement of the obtained results, 25 naturally infected fish specimens of Atlantic blue whiting underwent a parallel visual inspection. RESULTS: The logarithmic behavior of the Cq data obtained from the experimentally spiked samples allowed the development of a descriptive mathematical model that correlates the Cq value with the number of Anisakis larvae (R2 = 0.9908, CV = 2.37%). In the commercial blue whiting specimens there was a high correlation between the results of the molecular technique and the visual inspection (R2 = 0.9912); the Bland-Altman analysis showed that 94% of the differences were within the limits of agreement (−4.98 and 6.68), indicating the reliability of the descriptive mathematical model based on the SYBR Green qPCR technique. CONCLUSION: The descriptive function presented based on the SYBR Green qPCR assay is promising as a sensitive and accurate tool for measuring the Anisakis larval load in commercial fish, with a potential application not only in the food industry but also in prevention programs for public health

Anisakis and Hysterothylacium species in Mediterranean and North-East Atlantic fishes commonly consumed in Spain: Epidemiological, molecular and morphometric discriminant analysis

The consumption of raw fish parasitized with larval ascaridoid nematodes of the family Anisakidae can cause anisakiasis, provoking gastrointestinal and/or allergic symptomatology. The main causative agents in the Anisakis genus are the sibling species Anisakis simplex sensu stricto (s.s.) and A. pegreffii of the A. simplex sensu lato (s.l.) complex. Larvae of A. simplex (s.l.) are frequently detected in fish commonly consumed in Spain, as are larvae of the genus Hysterothylacium of the family Raphidascarididae, associated with allergic reactions but not considered pathogenic. Reported here are the results of an epidemiological survey of ascaridoid larvae in three commonly consumed fish species in Spain, horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus) (n = 52), blue whiting (Micromesistius poutassou) (n=93) and anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) (n=69), caught in the North-Eastern Atlantic, West Mediterranean and Adriatic Sea. The larvae found in the dissected fish were identified in the following order of abundance: A. simplex (s.l.) (n=2003), Hysterothylacium aduncum (n=422), H. fabri (n=180) and A. physeteris (n=15). Binomial regression analysis showed a correlation between A. simplex (s.l.) and Hysterothylacium larvae abundance and the host geographical location, the North-Eastern Atlantic being the area with the highest parasitation. Fish length and weight and Fulton's condition factor were correlated with A. simplex (s.l.) abundance only in horse mackerel. There was a significant presence of A. simplex (s.l.) and H. aduncum larvae in the musculature of North-Eastern Atlantic blue whiting, the most parasitized part being the anteroventral region, followed equally by the anterodorsal and central sections. The ITS rDNA of larvae of the sibling species A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii was identified by PCR-RFLP, and a binary logistic regression model was developed to study their morphometric differentiation. Anisakis simplex (s.s.) was detected in the North- Eastern Atlantic and A. pegreffii in all the areas studied. The morphometric analysis discriminated between the two species at the third and fourth larval stages (L3 and L4), the latter obtained by in vitro culture in RPMI-1640 medium. Two discriminant functions were obtained for the L3 and L4 larvae, the ventricle being a key parameter for specific differentiation in both stages, providing taxonomical criteria that could be used besides molecular identification. The present study reveals differences in the parasitation of the studied fish, including the distribution of larvae in the musculature, related to the host species and its geographical origin

First cases of gynandromorphism in Phlebotomus perniciosus Newstead, 1911 (Diptera, Psychodidae, Phlebotominae)

Two gynandromorphic specimens of Phlebotomus perniciosus Newstead, 1911 are described and illustrated for the first time The specimens were collected in the Northeast of the Iberian Peninsula (Spain)

Underestimation of Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Caused by Leishmania infantum in an Endemic Area of the Mediterranean Basin (Balearic Islands)

Leishmaniasis is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. In the Mediterranean basin, leishmaniasis is caused by Leishmania infantum and transmitted by bites of sandflies of the genus Phlebotomus, with the dog as the main reservoir host. The most common form is cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), although visceral cases also occur. The aim of this study was to assess the underestimation of CL in an endemic Mediterranean region. Thus, a retrospective study was performed on all CL cases diagnosed and treated in the Dermatology Service of Manacor Hospital (Majorca, Balearic Islands), and the data obtained were compared with those of local government epidemiological bulletins for the same period. The different clinical presentations were compiled, and data related to sex, age, and lesion type and number were analyzed. The results reveal a clear sub-notification, which indicates that the real incidence of human CL in this area is unknown. Keywords: Leishmania; cutaneous leishmaniasis; Majorca; subnotification of case

Assegurament de la qualitat a la unitat de laboratoris docents de la Facultat de Farmàcia: contribució a la millora de la docència pràctica

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524Un dels objectius de la Unitat de Laboratoris Docents (ULD) de la Facultat de Farmàcia de la Universitat de Barcelona és millorar les competències dels futurs graduats de la facultat mitjançant la formació addicional que es deriva de la implantació del sistema de gestió de la qualitat en els laboratoris docents. Aquesta formació transversal que es posa a l’abast dels estudiants pretén millorar els coneixements en qualitat, seguretat, salut i medi ambient mitjançant la gestió integrada dels laboratoris de pràctiques. Aquest sistema de gestió ha donat lloc al reconeixement per part de la European Foundation for Quality Management amb el segell “Compromís cap a l’excel•lència europea 200+” a l’any 2013. Dins d’aquest sistema i amb la finalitat d’assegurar i millorar contínuament la qualitat total a la ULD i contribuir així a la millora de la docència pràctica, es recullen i s’analitzen indicadors de percepció i de funcionament. Així, la informació que s’obté prové de diferents vessants: la percepció dels estudiants, professors i coordinadors de pràctiques i la informació provinent dels indicadors interns de la ULD. Totes aquestes dades estan interrelacionades i aporten informació complementària de manera que el resultat final esdevé més objectiu. Per exemple, els resultats de l’enquesta dels estudiants dels darrers 4 cursos acadèmics posen de manifest una mancança pel que fa a determinats coneixements sobre la segregació de residus que, tot i les diferents iniciatives per part de la ULD, encara no s’ha pogut solucionar. Aquesta mancança, a més, s’ha pogut confirmar amb el control que la ULD fa dels contenidors de residus dels laboratoris i coincideix amb la percepció dels coordinadors i dels professors. L’anàlisi dels indicadors, dona lloc a propostes de millora que sovint es poden posar en marxa en el marc d’un projecte d’innovació docent. Aquest ha estat el cas del projecte mediambiental que s’ha endegat recentment (2014PID-UB/049) i que té com a objectiu la millora del coneixement dels estudiants i dels professors del sistema de gestió de residus de la UB

Hybrid Genotype of Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii Identified in Third- and Fourth-Stage Larvae from Sympatric and Allopatric Spanish Marine Waters

The sibling species Anisakis simplex (s.s.) and Anisakis pegreffii are parasites of marine mammals and fish worldwide and the main causative agents of human anisakiasis. In sympatric areas, a hybrid genotype between the two species has been identified, mainly in third-stage larvae, but rarely in fourth-stage and adult forms. The aim of this study was to confirm the presence of hybrid genotypes in larvae parasitizing fish caught in sympatric and allopatric Spanish marine waters, the North-East Atlantic and West Mediterranean, respectively, and to study possible differences in the growth behaviour between genotypes. Of the 254 molecularly analysed larvae, 18 were identified as hybrids by PCR-RFLP analysis of the rDNA ITS region, 11 of which were subsequently confirmed by EF1 α-1 nDNA gene sequencing. These results therefore indicate an overestimation of hybrid genotypes when identification is based only on the ITS region. We also report the detection of a hybrid specimen in a host from the West Mediterranean, considered an allopatric zone. Additionally, fourth-stage larvae with a hybrid genotype were obtained in vitro for the first time, and no differences were observed in their growth behaviour compared to larvae with A. simplex (s.s.) and A. pegreffii genotypes

Anisakid Presence in the European Conger, Conger conger, from Spanish Mediterranean Waters

The European conger, Conger conger, is a benthic marine fish species with a geographicaldistribution extending through the northeastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Despite beingextensively distributed and widely appreciated by Spanish consumers, studies regarding parasitepresence in this fish are scarce. In the present work, a hundred and eight specimens from theMediterranean coast of northeastern Spain (Catalan waters) were surveyed for the presence ofnematode parasites. Several species were morphologically identified: third-stage larvae of Anisakistype I (sensu Berland, 1961) (n = 131), third-stage larvae of Anisakis type II (sensu Berland, 1961)(n = 18), third- and fourth-stage larvae and adults of Hysterothylacium spp. (n = 48), adults ofCucullanus sp. (n = 391), and adults of Cristitectus congeri (n = 69). Moreover, some fish and decapodespecies were also observed as part of the host’s diet, with the most detected preys being Micromesistiuspoutassou, Sardina pilchardus, Macropipus sp., and Goneplax rhomboides. This represents the first surveyof nematode parasites infecting C. conger from the northeastern Spanish Mediterranean waters.Among the parasite species detected, the presence of Anisakis species should be highlighted as theingestion of C. conger parasitized with these larvae could potentially lead to anisakiasis in consumers</p