Background: Felids (domestic and wild cats) are important in the epidemiology of the parasite Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that can excrete the environmentally resistant oocysts. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global prevalence of T. gondii in species of the family Felidae. Methods: We searched seven databases (PubMed, Embase, Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus, Proquest and Web of Science) for studies reporting seroprevalence of T. gondii in felids from 1967 to 31 December 2017. A total of 217 published papers, containing 223 datasets were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis, comprised 59,517 domestic and 2733 wild cats from 1967 to 2017. Results: The pooled global T. gondii seroprevalence was estimated to be 35% (95% CI: 32–38%) and 59% (95% CI: 56–63%) in domestic cats and wild felids, respectively, using random effects model. The seroprevalence was higher in Australia and Africa where the T. gondii seropositivity in domestic cats was 52% (95% CI: 15–89%) and 51% (95% CI: 20–81%), respectively. The lowest seroprevalence was estimated in Asia 27% (95% CI: 24–30%). The seroprevalence values for T. gondii in wild felids were 74% (95% CI: 62–83%) in Africa, 67% (95% CI: 23–111%) in Asia, 67% (95% CI: 58–75%) in Europe and 66% (95% CI: 41–91%) in South America. Conclusions: Our study provides the global prevalence of T. gondii in species of the family Felidae and is a source of information to aid public health workers in developing prevention plans.

Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasitic flagellated protozoan, is one of the main non-viral sexually transmitted diseases worldwide. Treatment options for trichomoniasis are limited to nitroimidazole compounds. However, resistance to these drugs has been reported, which requires the development of new anti-Trichomonas agents that confer suitable efficacy and less toxicity. In the present work, we assessed the effectiveness of the liposomal system containing essential oils of Bunium persicum and Trachyspermum ammi against T. vaginalis in vitro. The chemical composition of B. persicum and T. ammi were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Liposomal vesicles were prepared with phosphatidylcholine) 70%) and cholesterol)30%) using the thin-film method. The essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi were loaded into the liposomes using the inactive loading method. Liposomal vesicles were made for two plants separately. Their physicochemical features were tested using Zeta-Sizer, AFM and SEM. The anti-Trichomonas activity was determined after 12 and 24 h of parasite cultures in TYI-S-33 medium. After 12 and 24 h of administration, the IC₅₀ of the B. persicum essential oil nano-liposomes induced 14.41 μg/mL and 45.19 μg/mL, respectively. The IC₅₀ of T. ammi essential oil nano-liposomes induced 8.08 μg/mL and 25.81 μg/mL, respectively. These data suggested that nano-liposomes of the essential oils of B. persicum and T. ammi may be a promising alternative to current treatments for Trichomonas infection.

Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato and Echinococcus multilocularis are responsible for serious health and economic implications for humans and animals. This study was designed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of global research on echinococcosis/hydatidosis included in the Web of Science Core Collection databases from 2000 to 2019. A total of 7066 relevant articles between 2000 and 2019 were identified. Most articles were published in 2015 (502 articles), 2017 (492 articles) and 2018 (493 articles), with the Veterinary Parasitology journal publishing the largest number of articles (237). Researchers from Xinjiang Medical University, China authored the most articles (388) in the field. Authors Craig, P.S. and Deplazes, P. were the most active in publishing143 and 126 hydatid cyst research papers, respectively. The most echinococcosis/hydatidosis publications originated from Turkey, China and Iran, with 1210, 708 and 531 articles, respectively. The highest levels of research collaboration were evident between China- England, China-France, England-France, China-Australia, and China-Japan. Also, the top researchers in this field had relatively extensive collaborations with each other. Our bibliometric analysis provides a picture of the scientific research into the echinococcosis/hydatidosis field. Further multi-national collaborative research efforts in this field should show promising progress in the future.