Strongyloides stercoralis is an important soil-transmitted helminth occurring world-wide and affecting 30-100 million people. Because many cases are asymptomatic and sensitive diagnostic methods are lacking, S. stercoralis infection is frequently underdiagnosed. The increasing incidence of autoimmune and wasting diseases and increased use of immunosuppressive agents, as well as the increased use of immunosuppressants and cytotoxic drugs, have increased S. stercoralis infection and their mortality. This review provides information about S. stercoralis epidemiology, life cycle, aetiology, pathology, comorbidities, immunology, vaccines, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, control and makes some recommendations for future prevention and control of this important parasite.

Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) is a globally distributed food-borne parasite that can coexist with the host for a long time after infection. Trichinella-derived secretions can regulate the immune response and fibroblasts of the host, but the specific mechanisms involved are still unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of T. spiralis larvae-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) and their key miRNAs in the process of T. spiralis–host interaction. In this study, we found that the EVs of T. spiralis larvae, as well as miR-1-3p and let-7-5p, expressed in T. spiralis larvae-derived EVs, can promote the polarization of bone marrow macrophages to M2b type while inhibiting the activation of fibroblasts. These findings will contribute to further understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying T. spiralis–host interactions.

Recombinant protein Schistosoma japonicum-derived molecule attenuates dextran sulfate sodium-induced colitis by inhibiting miRNA-217-5p to alleviate apoptosis

Background: Sparganosis is a parasitic zoonosis caused by the plerocercoid larvae of the genus Spirometra. The sites affected by the plerocercoid infection include subcutaneous tissues, brain, eyes, the abdominal viscera, and urogenital organs. In clinical practice, due to the limited laboratory approaches for the specific detection of sparganum, breast Sparganosis was often initially suspected to be breast tumor. Case presentation: In the present report, a 65-year-old woman was admitted to the Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Guangzhou, China, because of a mass in her left breast. Breast ultrasonography showed multiple bands with low echo and uneven echo, and color doppler flow imaging showed no blood flow signal in the lesion. Therefore, the possibility of tumor was excluded and a preliminary diagnosis of Sparganosis was made. Subsequently, a lumpectomy was carried out and revealed a 30 cm worm. Then histopathological examination diagnosed this case was sparganosis and the worm was Sparganum proliferum. To further verify our diagnosis, the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COX1) gene was amplified by PCR, sequence analysis of PCR products made us sure that it was the Sparganum proliferum. Conclusion: We present Sparganosis could be preliminarily distinguished from breast tumor by ultrasonography, and then confirm Sparganosis by molecular biological methods, which provided a more efficient method for the detection of Sparganosis.