Julio Cesar Giraldo Forero

The workshop “Parasitic Zoonoses in the Context and Approach of One Health” was held within the framework of the International Congress of Neotropical Parasitology in 2024, an event that brought together multiple specialized symposia dedicated to the region’s health challenges. The purpose of the workshop was to strengthen the comprehensive understanding of parasitic zoonoses from the “One Health” paradigm, which recognizes the interdependence among human, animal, and environmental health as a single, dynamic, and deeply interconnected system. This article aims to disseminate an integrative disciplinary experience developed by the academic community under the One Health approach to parasitic zoonoses. The participation of specialists from Peru, Mexico, Colombia, Uruguay, and Brazil enriched the regional perspective and enabled the discussion of parasitological issues from diverse socio-ecological contexts of the Neotropics. The program was structured around five thematic axes: (1) conceptual foundations of the One Health approach; (2) parasitic zoonoses transmitted by companion animals and their relevance in urban environments; (3) parasitic zoonotic diseases of livestock importance; (4) parasitic ichthyozoonoses; and (5) parasites in aquaculture, where the main health challenges in production units were analyzed, along with transmission risks between farmed and wild environments, and the need to implement preventive strategies under the One Health framework to strengthen aquaculture sustainability. This last axis was reinforced through a specialized workshop led by Brazilian experts, providing updated knowledge on applied parasitology in Neotropical aquaculture systems. The development of the workshop was integrated with academic spaces of the congress, such as the II One Health Symposium, the V Neotropical Ichthyoparasitology Symposium, the II Leishmaniasis Symposium, the II Neotropical Chagas Disease Symposium, and the I Neotropical Plant Health Symposium, which allowed for deep interdisciplinary exchange by integrating perspectives from human, veterinary, environmental, agricultural, fisheries, and aquaculture parasitology. The outcomes of this academic experience highlight the urgency of strengthening local and regional capacities, promoting international collaboration, and consolidating coordinated strategies for surveillance, prevention, and control of parasitic zoonoses, particularly those associated with expanding productive systems such as aquaculture. Overall, the workshop reaffirms the value of the One Health approach as an essential tool for addressing emerging and persistent challenges that impact human, animal, and environmental health in the Neotropical region.

Coyaima is a town in the department of Tolima, Colombia, that was prioritized in a pilot program under Colombia’s National Plan for the Control of the Taeniasis/Cysticercosis Complex, focusing on this neglected health issue. The project engaged local indigenous communities, promoting education and outreach within the One Health framework. The study included 444 randomly selected volunteers, who filled a Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) survey on the taeniasis/cysticercosis complex. The baseline study found no Taenia spp. eggs via microscopy on 383 stool samples examined, and no T. solium DNA was detected on human stool and soil samples by Copro-qPCR. However, seroprevalence was 8.5% for human cysticercosis and 14% for porcine cysticercosis, as detected by in-house ELISA testing for T. solium. Moreover, 57.9% of participants who provided a stool sample were positive for at least one parasite. Following the sampling and characterization activities, local health workers implemented mass treatment with Niclosamide, based on evidence of ongoing transmission, high porcine seroprevalence, poor basic sanitation, and the presence of free-roaming pigs reported in the KAP survey. These findings provide scientific evidence to apply national public health policies for controlling taeniasis/cysticercosis complex in Coyaima.

La Diabetes Mellitus es una enfermedad metabólica crónica caracterizada por altos niveles de glucosa en sangre aumentando el riesgo a sufrir infecciones. A pesar de que se ha documentado un mayor riesgo de candidiasis oral en pacientes diabéticos por inmunosupresión, niveles elevados de glucosa en saliva y cambios en la microbiota, los estudios aún presentan resultados heterogéneos que denotan la necesidad de realizar esta revisión. El objetivo de esta revisión fue el de sintetizar la evidencia disponible para evaluar la asociación entre la candidiasis oral y la diabetes reportada y realizar un análisis sobre los factores de riesgo específicos, la eficacia en las intervenciones preventivas y terapéuticas de acuerdo a la evidencia. Los datos encontrados sugieren una estrecha relación entre la diabetes y las infecciones por Cándida debido a que la totalidad de los artículos revisados encontraron una mayor proporción de cepas aisladas desde pacientes diabéticos frente a pacientes no diabéticos.

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la seroprevalencia de Fasciola hepatica por medio de ELISA indirecto en ovinos y caprinos de Boavita (Boyacá, Colombia). Se realizó un estudio descriptivo de corte transversal con muestreo aleatorio simple. Se colectaron 297 muestras de sangre de ovinos y 337 de caprinos de diferentes grupos raciales y etarios. Los sueros fueron analizados mediante la técnica ELISA indirecta con el kit comercial ELISA BIO K 211 - Monoscreen AbELISA F. hepatica. Adicionalmente se realizó una encuesta epidemiológica. La seroprevalencia de F. hepatica fue de 67.34% (200/297) en ovinos y de 59.94% (202/337) en caprinos. Asimismo, la seroprevalencia fue mayor en los machos (ovinos: 77.78%. 21/27; caprinos: 63.89%, 23/36), en ovinos mayores de 3 años (83.33%, 50/60) y en caprinos menores de 1 año (69.77%, 60/86), así como en los de raza criolla (ovinos: 69.84%; caprinos: 61.79%). Los ovinos mayores de 3 años se determinaron como factor de riesgo, en tanto que en los caprinos las variables raza criolla y el pastoreo extensivo se identificaron como factores de riesgo. El estudio demuestra una alta seropositividad de la enfermedad en la zona.

Background and Aim: Bovine fasciolosis is a reemerging neglected disease with a worldwide distribution caused by the trematode Fasciola spp., which parasitize various hosts. Bovine fasciolosis is responsible for large economic losses in the bovine livestock sector. This study aimed to estimate the seroprevalence and risk factors of bovine fasciolosis in the municipalities of Colombia. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with simple random sampling conducted on 1140 cattle from the municipalities of Chiquinquir´, San Miguel de Sema, and Ubaté for a duration of 3 months. Serum samples were processed using the commercial Fasciola hepatica Antibody Test Kit IDEXX® Fasciolosis Verification (IDEXX, United States), which identified immunoglobulin G antibodies for gf2 antigen purified from Fasciola extracts. The f2 antigen is extremely immunogenic and highly specific for F. hepatica. An epidemiological survey was performed to record variables related to the sampled animals and herd management practices. Data were processed using the statistical program Epi Info® (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Atlanta, Georgia). The prevalence ratio was estimated to evaluate the association between fasciolosis and the hypothesized causal factors and the significance of this association using Pearson’s Chi-square test. Finally, a logistic regression model was developed. Results: The overall seroprevalence was 72.3%. The seroprevalence was 83.9% (323/385) in Chiquinquirá, 68.17% (257/377) in Ubaté, and 64.55% (244/378) in San Miguel de Sema. The seroprevalence was higher in male animals in Chiquinquirá and in female animals in San Miguel de Sema and Ubaté. Similarly, sex showed a statistically significant association with disease prevalence in Ubaté. The highest prevalence was found in cattle aged >2 years. The Holstein breed showed maximum seroprevalence in Chiquinquirá (p ≤ 0.05) and San Miguel de Sema, whereas crossbreed showed higher seroprevalence in Ubaté. Similarly, in Chiquinquirá, the association between the seroprevalence of fasciolosis and the presence of other species was statistically significant (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.9601–3.4944; p = 0.0448). In Ubaté, the disease presentation was also associated with pasture rental (95% CI: 0.4047–1.0023; p = 0.003) and attendance to livestock expositions (95% CI: 0.2313–1.0636; p = 0.044). However, in San Miguel de Sema, water from the stream showed a statistically significant association with disease presentation (95% CI: 0.5209–1.0985; p = 0.00649785). Female sex and diarrhea occurrence were considered risk factors for fasciolosis. Conclusion: A high seroprevalence of antibodies to Fasciola spp. was detected in cattle in the study municipalities, indicating a high parasite distribution in these areas. Female sex and diarrhea were established as risk factors associated with fasciolosis in Ubaté and San Miguel de Sema, respectively. Further, research is necessary to establish prevention and control programs against parasitosis. Keywords: bovine, fasciolosis, risk factors, seroprevalence.

La fasciolosis es una enfermedad de distribución mundial causada por el trematodo Fasciola hepática, que afecta bovinos, ovinos, caprinos y en ocasiones al ser humano, causando importantes pérdidas económicas y productivas. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar la seroprevalencia de F. hepatica en ovinos de Boavita, Boyacá, Colombia. Se realizó un estudio observacional y descriptivo de corte (transversal) con muestreo aleatorio simple, en donde el tamaño muestral fue de 297 ovinos. Los sueros fueron procesados con el kit comercial ELISA BIO K 211-Monoscreen AbELISA F. hepatica, siguiendo las instrucciones del fabricante. El análisis de los resultados se realizó con el programa estadístico Epi Info™. Se determinó una seroprevalencia general de 67.34 % en donde los machos, los ovinos mayores de 3 años y las ovejas de raza criolla presentaron la seroprevalencia más alta, con 77.78, 83.33 y 64.79% respectivamente. Se estableció asociación estadística significativa entre la seropositividad a F. hepatica y los ovinos de 1 a 3 años y los individuos mayores 3 años. Este grupo etario se estableció como factor de riesgo para la presentación de fasciolosis, mientras que las ovejas entre 1 y 3 años se consideraron como factor de protección. Las variables de manejo como pastoreo extensivo y de estaca también presentaron significancia estadística, siendo este último un factor de protección para la parasitosis. Nuestros hallazgos evidencian la diseminación de la infección por F. hepatica en ejemplares ovinos y confirman la importancia de los métodos serológicos para el diagnóstico de la enfermedad.

El objetivo del estudio fue establecer la prevalencia de Fasciola hepatica mediante análisis coprológico e identificar factores de riesgo asociados a la presentación del parásito en ovinos y caprinos del municipio de Boavita, Boyacá. El estudio fue observacional, descriptivo de corte transversal con muestreo aleatorio simple. Se tomaron muestras de materia fecal a 297 ovinos y 337 caprinos para identificar los huevos del parásito. La prevalencia general fue de 8.0% (51/634), siendo de 9.1% para ovejas y de 7.1% para cabras. La prevalencia en ovinos fue mayor en machos (14.8%) que en hembras (8.5%); asimismo, los ovinos menores a un año (9.3%) y de Criolla (11.1%) presentaron las prevalencias más altas. En las cabras, la prevalencia fue mayor en hembras (7.3%) que en machos (5.6%), y los menores a un año (10.5%) y de la raza Alpina (8%) presentaron las prevalencias más altas. No se encontró asociación estadística significativa entre hembras y machos. La raza Criolla se estableció como factor de riesgo para los ovinos.

Parasitic diseases are considered to be one of the most prevalent pathologies worldwide. They are characterized as one of the most critical sanitary problems in cattle, causing a decrease in the productive capacity of parasitized animals, which translates into economic losses. Intestinal parasitism in cattle is caused by protozoa and helminths, and its manifestation is generally multi-etiological. Clinical signs in gastrointestinal parasitism may vary depending on parasite load, parasite species, and host immunity. This research aimed to determine the prevalence of the main parasitic families affecting cattle in the central province of the department of Boyacá. A cross-sectional study with simple random sampling was carried out, where 716 fecal samples were taken and processed using a modified Ritchie technique. An overall prevalence of 95,6% was determined, and the most prevalent families were Trichostrongylidae, Eimeriidae, Taeniidae, and Trichuridae. The age showed no significant statistical association with most of the parasitic families, except for the Strongyloididae family. The breeds showed a correlation with the Trichostrongylidae, Eimeriidae, Strongylidae, Chabertiidae, and Taeniidae families. The results show the high prevalence of GIP (gastrointestinal parasites) in cattle of the central province of the department of Boyacá.

Medicina, salud, biomedicina, tratamiento, enfermedad

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of hepatic dystomatosis in cattle slaughtered in the Sogamoso slaughterhouse (Boyac??, Colombia), and to define the most effective diagnostic technique to establish the presence of the parasite. A sample size of 343 individuals was established considering the monthly slaughter rate of the plant. Stool, blood and bile samples were taken, and adult parasites were collected from the bile duct. The modified Ritchie technique was used in the coproparasitological examination, the bile content was analyzed by sedimentation and a standardized inhouse ELISA was implemented for serological diagnosis from adult Fasciola hepatica parasites. The results showed that 29.7% (102/343) of the individuals sampled were positive for the presence of F. hepatica in at least one of the techniques used. The post mortem evaluation presented the highest value (19.8%; 68/343), followed by the inhouse ELISA (13.7%; 47/343), detection of eggs in bile (117%; 40/343) and the coprological technique (7.3%; 25/343).