Katarzyna Góralska

Presence of Toxocara spp. eggs in children's recreation areas with varying degrees of access for animals

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE The contamination, seasonal and vertical distributions of Toxocara eggs in childrens recreation areas were estimated with respect to their accessibility to domestic and stray animals. MATERIALS AND METHODS During autumn 2011 and spring 2012, a total 88 composite samples of soil/sand (300g each) were taken twice, from 2 depths, from 11 sandpits and 11 play areas situated in the city of Łódź, Poland. From the collected material, 528 samples (20g) were tested using the flotation method. Half the sample sites were secured from access to dogs and cats, while the other half were not. RESULTS The difference in the numbers of positive samples from sandpits and playing areas was significant (c 2 = 13.72, p = 0.0002). The highest rate of contamination was observed in poorly-secured play areas (15.8% of positive samples and 1.2 eggs/100 g of soil/sand). The average density of Toxocara eggs in secured play areas was 6 times less than that found in unsecured areas, while secured sandpits were 3 times less contaminated than those unsecured. The contamination rate was similar in autumn 2011 and spring 2012 (6.4% and 6.8%, respectively). An inverse relationship between the sand/soil depth and number of recovered Toxocara eggs was observed. Additionally, other intestinal helminth eggs (Ancylostomidae, Ascaris spp., and Trichuris spp.) and oocysts of Isospora spp. were also detected from soil samples collected from playing fields. CONCLUSIONS The number of Toxocara eggs recovered decreased following fence construction around the examined childrens play areas, but it did not sufficiently prevent the contamination by eggs. These data indicate the necessity for educational programmes which should be implemented for the protection of the local child population from zoonotic infection.

In vitro evaluation of the ovistatic and ovicidal effect of the cosmopolitan filamentous fungi isolated from soil on Ascaris suum eggs

The ovicidal activity of seven fungal strains: Acremonium alabamense, Alternaria chlamydospora, Cladosporium herbarum, Fusarium solani, Paecilomyces variotii, Paecilomyces viridis and Penicillium verruculosum isolated from urban soil samples from Poland was determined in vitro. The fungal mycelium was co-cultured with Ascaris suum eggs on plates with 2% water-agar for 28 days. Eggs exposed and unexposed (control) to fungal mycelium were observed weekly by light microscopy and the percentage of malformed eggs were determined. The eggs were classified according to following parameters: type 1 - biochemical and physiological effect without morphological damage to the eggshell; type 2 - lytic effect with morphological alteration of the eggshell and embryo; type 3 - lytic effect with morphological alteration of eggshell and embryo with hyphal penetration and internal egg colonization. All examined species of fungi extended embryogenesis, but the retardation of embryonic development was varied and depended on the species. A. alabamense, A. chlamydospora and P. verruculosum exhibited very high inhibitory activity on A. suum egg development. The fungus-exposed eggs revealed morphological alternations in all stages of embryogenesis. Isolates of F. solani, P. variotii and P. viridis showed hyphal penetration and internal colonization of A. suum eggs (type 3 effect). No appressoria were produced and simple hyphal penetrations were most commonly observed. A. alabamense and P. verruculosum demonstrated morphological destruction, with eggshell destruction. The remaining fungi showed type 1 effect. The results demonstrated that examined strains of F. solani, P. variotii and P. viridis may be considered to be potential limiting factors of parasitic geohelminth populations.

Parasites and fungi as risk factors for human and animal health.

Recent literature data suggests that parasitic and fungal diseases, which pose a threat to both human and animal health, remain a clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic problem. Attention is increasingly paid to the role played by natural microbiota in maintaining homeostasis in humans. A particular emphasis is placed on the possibility of manipulating the human microbiota (permanent, transient, pathogenic) and macrobiota (e.g., Trichuris suis) to support the treatment of selected diseases such as Crohns disease, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Emphasis is placed on important medical species whose infections not only impair health but can also be life threatening, such as Plasmodium falciparum, Echinococcus multilocularis and Baylisascaris procyonis, which expand into areas which have so far been uninhabited. This article also presents the epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment of opportunistic parasitoses imported from the tropics, which spread across large groups of people through human-to-human transmission (Enterobius vermicularis, Sarcoptes scabiei). It also discusses the problem of environmentally-conditioned parasitoses, particularly their etiological factors associated with food contaminated with invasive forms (Trichinella sp., Toxoplasma gondii). The analysis also concerns the presence of developmental forms of geohelminths (Toxocara sp.) and ectoparasites (ticks), which are vectors of serious human diseases (Lyme borreliosis, anaplasmosis, babesiosis), in the environment. Mycological topics contains rare cases of mycoses environmentally conditioned (CNS aspergillosis) and transmissions of these pathogens in a population of hospitalized individuals, as well as seeking new methods used to treat mycoses.

Human Mycobiota-Selected Ontocenoses of Students of Natural Science andMedicine

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of yeast-like fungi and yeasts on the mucous membranes of a group of students of Natural Sciences and Medicine. Materials and methods: The study involved 156 students of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology (FB&B) and 37 students of the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FMS). Material samples were collected with sterile cotton swab from the nose, mouth and throat. The identification of fungi was carried out by the evaluation of macrocultures and microcultures on Nickerson agar and biochemical features. Results: Yeast-like fungi and yeast were isolated from 41.97% of the subjects (81 people). The fungal colonization of the mucous membrane was observed in 59 students of the Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology (37.82%) and 22 students (56.46%) of the Faculty of Medical Sciences. The obtained fungi were classified into 31 taxonomic units. The predominant species were Candida dubliniensis and Lachancea thermotolerans (syn. Kluyveromyces thermotolerans). 14 species with defined status of BSL were recorded. Conclusions: Yeast and yeast-like fungi were more frequent among students of Biology and Biotechnology, than students of Medical Sciences. In students of FB&B greater taxonomic diversity of fungi was found than in students of FMS. The species diversity and prevalence of fungi observed in students of the Life Sciences are determined not only by lifestyle, but mainly by the possibility and frequency of contact with a variety of reservoirs and sources of potentially pathogenic fungi. The occurrence in human ontocenoses of 14 species classified to 1st and 2nd class of Biosafety Level is also very important.

Clinical cases of parasitoses and fungal infections important from medical point of view

Most important infectious diseases which pose a risk to human health and life are associated with parasites transmitted by a variety of arthropod vectors, or from animal to man. Some of these (malaria, toxoplasmosis, leishmaniosis, dirofilariosis, alveococcosis, cystic echinococcosis) still represent a serious public health problem in many regions in the world. This review describes the epidemiological and clinical aspects of important parasitoses and fungal infections from a medical point of view. It should be emphasized that the development of invasive disease depends on both host (susceptibility/resistance) and parasite factors (pathogenicity/virulence); an immunocompromised state can favour opportunistic parasitic infections: toxoplasmosis, cryptosporidiosis, giardiosis, cyclosporidiosis, blastocystosis and strongyloidosis. This article highlights the role of free-living amoebae in the pathogenesis and transmission of human diseases, the high pathogenicity of Echinococcus multilocularis, and the growing importance of ticks as a reservoir and vector for numerous dangerous pathogens (e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Babesia microti). It also discusses the diagnostic problems of toxoplasmosis including cross-reactions in serological tests and reviews the search for new drugs and vaccines against toxoplasmosis. Attention is increasingly paid to the role played by the human microbiome in maintaining homeostasis and in the development of fungal infections. This review also presents the most common human superficial fungal infections and the role of Candida albicans infection in the pathogenesis of irritable bowel syndrome.