A5066287316- Parasites and Host Interactions
- Parasitic Infections and Diagnostics
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Helminth infection and control
- Zoonotic diseases and public health
- Child Nutrition and Water Access
- Global Maternal and Child Health
- Marine and environmental studies
- Virology and Viral Diseases
- Animal Genetics and Reproduction
- Clostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research
- Gut microbiota and health
- Immune cells in cancer
- Autophagy in Disease and Therapy
University of Cambridge
2021-2024
Natural History Museum
2018-2024
Smith College
2016-2024
Imperial College London
2020-2021
St Mary's Hospital
2021
London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research
2020-2021
Medscape
2018
National Institutes of Health
2018
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
2018
Northampton Community College
2018
Background The soil transmitted helminths are a group of parasitic worms responsible for extensive morbidity in many the world’s most economically depressed locations. With growing emphasis on disease mapping and eradication, availability accurate cost-effective diagnostic measures is paramount importance to global control elimination efforts. While real-time PCR-based molecular detection assays have shown great promise, date, these utilized sub-optimal targets. By performing next-generation...
Helminth and protozoan infections affect more than 1 billion children globally. Improving water quality, sanitation, handwashing, nutrition could be sustainable control strategies for parasite mass drug administration, while providing other quality of life benefits.We enrolled geographic clusters pregnant women in rural western Kenya into a cluster-randomized controlled trial (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01704105) that tested 6 interventions: treatment, improved handwashing with soap, combined...
Molecular-based surveys have indicated that Ancylostoma ceylanicum, a zoonotic hookworm, is likely the second most prevalent hookworm species infecting humans in Asia. Most current PCR-based diagnostic options for detection of target Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) regions ribosomal gene cluster. These possess considerable degree conservation among this genus and can lead to misidentification or require additional labor accurate species-level determination. We developed novel, real-time...
Background Proper collection and storage of fecal samples is necessary to guarantee the subsequent reliability DNA-based soil-transmitted helminth diagnostic procedures. Previous research has examined various methods preserve for microscopic analysis or determination overall DNA yields obtained following extraction. However, only limited focused on preservation in stool stored at ambient temperature maintained a cold chain extended periods time. Methodology Quantitative real-time PCR was...
Abstract Background The most commonly used diagnostic tool for soil-transmitted helminths (STH) is the Kato-Katz (KK) thick smear technique. However, numerous studies have suggested that sensitivity of KK can be problematic, especially in low prevalence and intensity settings. An emerging alternative quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Methods In this study, both qPCR were conducted on stool samples from 648 participants an STH epidemiology study delta region Myanmar June 2016....
Autophagy is a major intracellular pathway for the degradation and recycling of long-lived proteins, mature ribosomes even entire organelles. The best studied autophagic marker LC3B it believed that only amount LC3B-II correlates with membranes. Whether LC3A processing, aside to LC3B, valuable endogenous 'autophagic flux' far less clear. specificity rabbit polyclonal antibodies was tested against commercial available human recombinant proteins LC3B. In order measure in mouse liver, lung,...
Abstract Background Helminth-associated changes in gut microbiota composition have been hypothesised to contribute the immune-suppressive properties of parasitic worms. Multiple sclerosis is an immune-mediated autoimmune disease central nervous system whose pathophysiology has linked imbalances microbial communities. Results In present study, we investigated, for first time, qualitative and quantitative faecal bacterial human volunteers with remitting multiple (RMS) prior following...
New approaches are urgently needed to enrich rare or low-abundant DNA in complex samples. Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) inhabit heterogeneous environments, including the gastrointestinal tract of their host as adults and excreted eggs larvae faeces, complicating our understanding biology use genetic tools for species monitoring population tracking. We have developed a hybridisation capture approach mitochondrial genome sequences two STH species, roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides whipworm...
Abstract Background Japan is one of the few countries believed to have eliminated soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). In 1949, national prevalence Ascaris lumbricoides was 62.9%, which decreased 0.6% in 1973 due improvements infrastructure, socioeconomic status, and implementation STH control measures. The Parasitosis Prevention Law ended 1994 population-level screening ceased Japan; therefore, current transmission status not well characterized. Sporadic cases infections continue be reported,...
Abstract Background Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are intestinal parasites estimated to infect over 1.5 billion people. Current treatment programmes aimed at morbidity control through school-based deworming (targeting school-aged children, SAC) and treating women of reproductive age (WRA), as these two groups believed record the highest morbidity. More recently, however, potential for interrupting transmission by entire communities has been receiving greater emphasis feasibility such now...
The strategy of pooling stool specimens has been extensively used in the field parasitology order to facilitate screening large numbers samples whilst minimizing prohibitive cost single sample analysis. aim this study was develop a standardized reproducible protocol for samples, validated between two different laboratories, without jeopardizing sensitivity quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays employed detection soil-transmitted helminths (STHs). Two distinct experimental...
Abstract During 2012–2015, US-bound refugees living in Myanmar–Thailand border camps (n = 1,839) were surveyed for hookworm infection and treatment response by using quantitative PCR. Samples collected at 3 time points: after each of 2 treatments with albendazole resettlement the United States. Baseline prevalence Necator americanus was 25.4%, Ancylostoma duodenale 0%, ceylanicum (a zoonosis) 5.4%. Compared N. prevalence, A. peaked younger age groups, blood eosinophil concentrations during...
The identification of gastrointestinal helminth infections humans and livestock almost exclusively relies on the detection eggs or larvae in faeces, followed by manual counting morphological characterisation to differentiate species using microscopy-based techniques. However, molecular approaches based quantification parasite DNA are becoming more prevalent, increasing sensitivity, specificity throughput diagnostic assays. High-throughput sequencing, from single PCR targets through analysis...
Prevalence is a common epidemiological measure for assessing soil-transmitted helminth burden and forms the basis much public-health decision-making. Standard diagnostic techniques are based on egg detection in stool samples through microscopy these known to have poor sensitivity individuals with low infection intensity, leading prevalence populations. PCR offer very high sensitivities even at prevalence, but greater cost each test terms of equipment needed technician time training. Pooling...
Abstract Background. Helminth and protozoan infections affect >1 billion children globally. Improved water, sanitation, handwashing, nutrition could be more sustainable control strategies for parasite than mass drug administration (MDA), while providing other quality of life benefits. Methods Findings. We enrolled geographic clusters pregnant women into a cluster-randomized controlled trial that tested six interventions: disinfecting drinking water(W), improved sanitation(S), handwashing...
Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are intestinal pathogens affecting over a billion people worldwide. STH control relies on microsopy-based diagnostics to monitor parasite prevalence and enable post-treatment surveillance, however, molecular rapidly being developed due increased sensitivity, particularly in low-STH-prevalence settings. The genetic diversity of its potential impact remains unclear. Using low-coverage genome sequencing, we assessed the presence STHs worm, faecal purified egg...
Abstract Due to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, microscopy has seen extensive field-use as the diagnostic standard for detection of soil-transmitted helminths (STH) in stool samples. However, sensitivity microscopy-based is inadequate reduced-transmission settings where worm burden oftentimes low. Equally problematic, eggs closely related species have indistinguishable morphologies, leading misidentification. In light these shortcomings, purpose this study was demonstrate...