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Pathogens
Special Issues
Opportunistic and Rare Parasitic Infections
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Opportunistic and Rare Parasitic Infections

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2025 | Viewed by 3365

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jacob Lorenzo-Morales

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Departamento de Obstetricia, Ginecología, Pediatría, Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Toxicología, Medicina Legal y Forense y Parasitología, Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avda. Astrofísico F. Sánchez, 2, 38206 La Laguna, Spain
Interests: free living Amoebae; therapeutics; emerging parasitic protozoa; diagnosis; natural compounds; synthetic compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria Wesołowska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biology and Medical Parasitology, Wrocław Medical University, J. Mikulicza-Radeckiego 9, 50-345 Wrocław, Poland
Interests: microsporidia; evolutionary parasitology; dirofilaria; medical malacology; parasitology; medical parasitology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The European Multicolloquium of Parasitology (EMOP) 2024 is holding a session on opportunistic and rare parasitic infections. It is clear that awareness of these parasitic agents needs to be increased. Pathogens such as free-living Amoebae, Pneumocystis, Blastocystis and other parasitic agents are almost unknown agents which are yet to be fully understood.

Considering that this session will help to further develop the knowledge of these pathogens, we kindly invite you to submit your scientific work and/or reviews to this Special Issue.

It is important to explore advances in the diagnosis and treatment of the pathologies caused by these pathogens, as well as epidemiological data that demonstrate their importance worldwide. No less important is the description of the pathogenicity mechanisms that allow the search for more affective therapeutic targets.

Dr. Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
Dr. Maria Wesołowska
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • pathogens
  • free-living Amoebae
  • Pneumocystis
  • Blastocystis
  • rare parasitic agents
  • diagnostics
  • therapy
  • epidemiology
  • emerging pathogens

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 2802 KiB  
Article
Potentially Pathogenic Free-Living Amoebae Isolated from Soil Samples from Warsaw Parks and Squares
by Edyta Beata Hendiger-Rizo, Magdalena Chmielewska-Jeznach, Katarzyna Poreda, Aitor Rizo Liendo, Anna Koryszewska-Bagińska, Gabriela Olędzka and Marcin Padzik
Pathogens 2024, 13(10), 895; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13100895 - 12 Oct 2024
Viewed by 644
Abstract
Free-living amoebae (FLA) are prevalent in diverse environments, representing various genera and species with different pathogenicity. FLA-induced infections, such as the highly fatal amoebic encephalitis, with a mortality rate of 99%, primarily affect immunocompromised individuals while others such as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and [...] Read more.
Free-living amoebae (FLA) are prevalent in diverse environments, representing various genera and species with different pathogenicity. FLA-induced infections, such as the highly fatal amoebic encephalitis, with a mortality rate of 99%, primarily affect immunocompromised individuals while others such as Acanthamoeba keratitis (AK) and cutaneous amebiasis may affect immunocompetent individuals. Despite the prevalence of FLA, there is a lack of standardized guidelines for their detection near human habitats. To date, no studies on the isolation and identification of FLA in environmental soil samples in Warsaw have been published. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of amoebae in soil samples collected from Warsaw parks and squares frequented by humans. The isolated protozoa were genotyped. Additionally, their pathogenic potential was determined through thermophilicity tests. A total of 23 soil samples were seeded on non-nutrient agar plates (NNA) at 26 °C and monitored daily for FLA presence. From the total of 23 samples, 18 were positive for FLA growth in NNA and PCR (78.2%). Acanthamoeba spp. was the most frequently isolated genus, with a total of 13 positive samples (13/18; 72.2%), and the T4 genotype being the most common. Moreover, Platyamoeba placida (3/18; 16.7%), Stenamoeba berchidia (1/18; 5.6%) and Allovahlkampfia sp. (1/18; 5.6%), also potentially pathogenic amoebae, were isolated. To our knowledge, this is the first report of FLA presence and characterization in the Warsaw area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Opportunistic and Rare Parasitic Infections)
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13 pages, 6148 KiB  
Article
In Vivo Evaluation of Sepigel-Based Meglumine Antimoniate and Amphotericin B for Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Treatment
by Atteneri López-Arencibia, Carlos J. Bethencourt-Estrella, Diana Berenguer, Angélica Domínguez-de-Barros, M. Magdalena Alcover, Marcella Sessa, Lyda Halbaut, Roser Fisa, Ana Cristina Calpena-Campmany, A. Elizabeth Córdoba-Lanús, Jacob Lorenzo-Morales, Cristina Riera and José E. Piñero
Pathogens 2024, 13(8), 712; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13080712 - 22 Aug 2024
Viewed by 881
Abstract
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) poses a significant public health concern in endemic regions due to its increasing prevalence and substantial impact on affected individuals. This disease is primarily caused by the Leishmania protozoa, which are transmitted through insect bites, and it manifests as a [...] Read more.
Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) poses a significant public health concern in endemic regions due to its increasing prevalence and substantial impact on affected individuals. This disease is primarily caused by the Leishmania protozoa, which are transmitted through insect bites, and it manifests as a range of symptoms, from self-healing lesions to severe disfigurement. Current treatments, which often involve the parenteral administration of antimonials, face challenges such as poor compliance and adverse effects. This study investigates the efficacy of topical formulations containing meglumine antimoniate (MA) and amphotericin B (AmB), using Sepigel as an excipient, for treating CL. In the in vivo study, BALB/c mice infected with L. amazonensis developed lesions at the injection site five weeks post-infection. Subsequently, the mice were divided into eight groups: untreated mice, mice treated orally with miltefosine, mice treated intraperitoneally with MA, and mice treated topically with 15%, 22.5%, and 30% MA-Sepigel, as well as those treated with AmB-Sepigel. Treatments were applied daily for two weeks, and the results revealed a significant reduction in lesion size and parasite burden following topical application, particularly with the AmB-Sepigel formulations and 30% MA-Sepigel. Additionally, Sepigel-based treatments demonstrated improved patient compliance and reduced toxicity compared to systemic therapies. These findings underscore the potential of Sepigel-based formulations as a promising alternative for CL treatment. They offer enhanced efficacy and tolerability, while reducing the systemic toxicity associated with conventional therapies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Opportunistic and Rare Parasitic Infections)
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12 pages, 2754 KiB  
Article
First Report of Acanthamoeba Genotype T4 from the Newly Formed Tajogaite Volcano Tephra (La Palma, Canary Islands)
by Patricia Pérez-Pérez, María Reyes-Batlle, Rubén L. Rodríguez-Expósito, Adolfo Perdomo-González, Ines Sifaoui, Francisco J. Díaz-Peña, Rodrigo Morchón, Sutherland K. Maciver, José E. Piñero and Jacob Lorenzo-Morales
Pathogens 2024, 13(8), 626; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens13080626 - 27 Jul 2024
Viewed by 1523
Abstract
The Tajogaite Volcano erupted on the western slope of the Cumbre Vieja mountain range on La Palma Island in the Canary Islands, Spain, in 2021. As one of the multiple consequences of this eruption, a layer of tephra was deposited, to a variable [...] Read more.
The Tajogaite Volcano erupted on the western slope of the Cumbre Vieja mountain range on La Palma Island in the Canary Islands, Spain, in 2021. As one of the multiple consequences of this eruption, a layer of tephra was deposited, to a variable extent, over a large part of the island. Tephra deposits affect all aspects of vegetation recovery, the water cycle, and the long-term availability of volcanic nutrients. Protozoa, including free-living amoeba (FLA), are known to be among the first microorganisms capable of colonizing harsh environments. In the present study, the presence of FLA has been evaluated in the Tajogaite Volcano deposits. Samples of the tephra were collected and incubated at 26 °C on 2% non-nutrient agar plates with a layer of heat-killed E. coli. Morphological features, as well as the DF3 region sequence of the 18S rDNA, confirmed the presence of a T4 genotype strain of Acanthamoeba. Thermotolerance and osmotolerance assays were used to evaluate the strain’s pathogenic potential. This strain was considered thermotolerant but poorly osmotolerant. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of Acanthamoeba being isolated from a recently erupted volcano. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Opportunistic and Rare Parasitic Infections)
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