Amanda Ash

Introduction
Taenia solium places substantial burden on communities in low and middle-income countries, where neurocysticercosis is a leading cause of preventable epilepsy. Current diagnostic tests for T. solium are not suited for low resource settings or perform poorly. Several risk-assessment tools have been developed to support countries in identifying areas for further T. solium investigation and intervention. These tools are based on risk, rather than disease data, and have yet to be validated against biological results.

Methods
Two national quantitative risk-assessment tools (LISA and MCDA), two local semi-quantitative tools (rapid and in-depth), and a local qualitative tool (workshop) had their performance assessed against biological T. solium taeniasis data from 28 villages. The final risk category, risk score and individual components of each tool were assessed independently against village T. solium status by logistic regression.

Results
T. solium positive villages had higher odds of being high-risk villages for all tools, however, this was only significant for the LISA and workshop tools. For the LISA tool, the median risk score was also significantly greater in positive villages. A unit increase in LISA risk score led to a significant increase in the odds of a village being positive for T. solium. Other tools that calculated risk scores also showed similar results, however, were not statistically significant. All positive villages were hotspots for unimproved toilets by the LISA tool. The open defaecation component of the local rapid tool was the only component of any tool to demonstrate a significant relationship with positive T. solium villages.

Conclusions
This first biological validation of T. solium risk-assessment tools demonstrates that there are multiple tools that should be considered for further development. Supporting endemic countries to implement recently developed risk-assessment tools is consistent with the World Health Organization's goal of intensified control of T. solium in hyperendemic areas.

Cryptosporidium species are an important cause of diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Many countries reported declines in cryptosporidiosis incidence during COVID-19 restrictions, followed by marked increases post-COVID. A similar pattern has been observed in Australia, with record-high case numbers reported across multiple states in 2024–2025, including Western Australia (WA), where an outbreak occurred in 2025. Between 1st January – 30th June 2025, WA reported a statewide total of 1110 human cryptosporidiosis cases, which is substantially higher than the previous years. In the present study, a subset of WA cases from 2025 was investigated using contact tracing and molecular typing and compared with subtypes circulating in 2023 and 2024. Sequence analysis of the 18S rRNA and gp60 loci identified three Cryptosporidium species: C. hominis (91.5 %, 108/118), C. parvum (6.8 %, 8/118), and C. meleagridis (1.7 %, 2/118), comprising 13 distinct subtypes, over the three years. Notably, a previously rare C. hominis subtype, IeA11G3T3, emerged in 2023 and by 2025 had become the dominant subtype (92.1 %, 70/76) of samples typed. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) of a representative subset of IeA11G3T3 isolates (n = 13) showed that all sequences were identical, except for one isolate from 2024, which contained three insertions: an 18-bp repeat in the cp-47 gene and both a 12-bp and a 6-bp repeat in the dz-hrgp gene. The C. hominis IeA11G3T3 subtype has also recently emerged as a dominant subtype in several other countries, although the factors driving its emergence remain unclear.

Mosquitoes (Culicidae) are the most important vectors of human and animal diseases globally, making them valuable tools for the molecular surveillance of blood-borne pathogens. By screening mosquito populations, we can evaluate local disease prevalence and ascertain which vector species are involved in local transmission cycles. This study presents the first targeted mosquito-based surveillance of blood parasites in Western Australia. Over a 2-year surveillance program in Perth, Western Australia, 3,288 mosquitoes from 12 species across 5 genera were collected and screened in 461 pools. Parasite prevalence and diversity were evaluated using polymerase chain reaction screening of the Haemosporida cytochrome b gene region, and the Dirofilaria 12S rDNA gene region. Haemosporida were detected in 3.9% of mosquito pools, with 72.2% of positives found in Culex species pools. Avian Haemosporida comprised 83.3% of the total detections. Known avian Haemosporida lineages detected included 1 Haemoproteus (H. zosteropis) and 2 Plasmodium (BELL01 and MYNA02). Three novel lineages, Plasmodium CULPER01-03, were identified. Plasmodium falciparum was identified in 2 pools, and no Dirofilaria were detected. These findings indicate that Perth harbors a diverse range of avian Haemosporida, which may be regionally specific, as all lineages detected have only been identified in the Oceania region. The predominance of positive detections in the Culex pipiens species complex supports their role as the primary vectors of avian Plasmodium. This study highlights the utility of mosquito surveillance for monitoring blood-borne parasites and contributes new insight into parasite diversity and vector associations in Australia.

Background
Neurocysticercosis (NCC), caused by the larval stage of Taenia solium, is a leading preventable cause of epilepsy in children, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), where inadequate sanitation practices and limited veterinary control strategies persist. A missing link in the One Health response to NCC has been the absence of communication between neurospecialists and the other partners in control strategies. This narrative review explores how integrating neurological expertise into One Health strategies can enhance the prevention and control of NCC-associated epilepsy in children across the region.

Methods
We reviewed literature from PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, Google Scholar, Embase, Web of Science, Global Health, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and the African Index Medicus, including peer-reviewed articles and organizational reports published between 2013 and March 2025.

Findings and Conclusion
Out of 1,509 records screened, 28 studies met the inclusion criteria, focusing on neuroparasitosis-associated epilepsy in children across SSA. These included research on disease burden and care challenges (n = 10), pathogenesis (n = 8), One Health control strategies (n = 4), and implementation barriers and solutions (n = 6). NCC remains a major contributor to pediatric epilepsy and associated disability in SSA. A One Health approach informed by direct input from neuro-specialists and better recording of infectious causes of epilepsy can assist teams to implement key strategies, including community education, improved sanitation, food safety measures, pig vaccination, and mass drug administration. Strengthening intersectoral collaboration and healthcare access is critical to reducing NCC burden and improving neurological outcomes for affected children.

Introduction
Neurocysticercosis due to Taenia solium is the leading cause of epilepsy in low and middle-income countries yet remains under investigated in Lao PDR (Laos). People shedding T. solium eggs or proglottids from the adult tapeworm are the source of infection for those with cysticercosis.

Methods
A matched case–control study of T. solium taeniasis was conducted in northern Laos. Cases were identified by rrnS PCR and sequencing. Risk factor data were collected by standardised questionnaire. Conditional logistic regression assessed the significance of risk factors.

Results
Eighteen cases and 36 controls participated in the study. Only raw pork and undercooked grilled pork were significant risk factors (p < 0.05), however, fermented pork was very close to being significant (p = 0.05). Income, food insecurity, education, being a household head and the number of household members were clearly not significant (p ≥ 0.20).

Conclusions
Raw and undercooked pork have different sources in northern Laos. Raw pork is almost only consumed from wild pigs that are opportunistically caught, whereas undercooked pork is consumed throughout the year from wild, local and commercial pigs. Food safety activities must consider these differences in supply chains.

Cattle infected with Cryptosporidium can shed large quantities of the environmentally resistant oocysts, which can cause significant diarrhoeal disease, particularly in neonatal calves and in susceptible human populations worldwide. More than ten species of Cryptosporidium have been reported in cattle; however, C. parvum dominates in young calves in many countries, with C. ryanae, C. bovis and C. andersoni prevalent in older animals. Cryptosporidium hominis and C. parvum are the main species infecting humans. In most countries, zoonotic cryptosporidiosis is primarily caused by C. parvum IIa subtypes, which also dominates in calves, but in China, C. parvum infections in cattle are exclusively caused by IId subtypes. Outbreak investigations and molecular epidemiological studies support calves as a major source of zoonotic cryptosporidiosis. The zoonotic significance of increasing reports of C. hominis in cattle requires further investigation. Epidemiological investigations designed to better understand the sources and transmission dynamics using improved typing tools are required before better control strategies can be implemented.

Sparganosis is a neglected food- and water-borne zoonotic disease caused by members of the tapeworm genus Spirometra. More than 1600 human cases have been reported in the literature, primarily in Korea and China; however, the clinical significance of sparganosis is likely underestimated. The control of this disease is challenging in endemic regions because of the complexity of its lifecycle and the involvement of many animal host species, and treatment of clinical disease in humans and animals with selected drugs (e.g., mebendazole and/or praziquantel), even at elevated doses, is often ineffective, such that novel interventions are needed. It is anticipated that the use of molecular technologies should allow the identification of new intervention targets in crucial biological processes and/or pathways of Spirometra spp. While some draft genomes of Spirometra have been produced, their assemblies are incomplete. Here, we employed an advanced DNA sequencing–informatic approach to assemble and annotate the first high-quality genome of an isolate of Spirometra from Australia, with chromosome-level contiguity and a curated gene set. This improved genome provides a useful resource to support fundamental and applied molecular investigations of Spirometra species and should assist in the design of new tools for the intervention against sparganosis of companion animals (including dogs and cats) and humans.

Escherichia coli recovered from dogs with clinical conditions such as urinary tract infections are often used to assess populations for resistance to critically important antimicrobials (CIAs). Despite the potential importance of such strains, the number of organisms scrutinised is very small and no information is obtained from the preponderance of normal, healthy dogs. Commensal E. coli are a valuable alternative, but little is gained if the number of isolates also remains small. In this work we demonstrate novel technology reliant on laboratory robots to examine the CIA resistance status of millions of commensal E. coli in the faeces of 86 healthy companion dogs. Fluoroquinolone-resistant isolates also underwent phenotypic resistance testing to detect multi-class resistant strains, and multi-locus sequence types and antimicrobial resistance genes identified with whole genome sequencing. Ciprofloxacin resistance was detected in isolates from five (5.8 %) of the healthy dogs, with a high ratio of ciprofloxacin-resistant E. coli to total E. coli being found in three of these animals. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the five isolates identified four resistance profiles, with all isolates having multi-class phenotypic resistance to between three and six antimicrobial classes. Genomic analysis confirmed the presence of genes encoding multi-class resistance, with four isolates being resistant to multiple classes. The five isolates belonged to sequence types ST1193 (n = 3) and ST354 (n = 2). All five isolates possessed multiple mutations within the quinolone resistance-determining regions. The predominant sequence type ST1193 is an emerging multidrug resistant E. coli strain harbouring fluoroquinolone resistance, which previously primarily has been detected in clinical samples from dogs. The current study demonstrates the power of robotics for delivering a multi-staged approach based on mass screening to achieve sensitivity and specificity achieved with detailed phenotypic and genotypic characterisation. Based on this experience, future studies can be expanded to yield a much richer understanding of antimicrobial resistance in canines.

Background
Faecal microscopy is the mainstay of soil-transmitted helminth diagnosis and commonly completed on formalin-fixed samples when resources are insufficient to analyse fresh samples. This study assessed the diagnostic sensitivity of microscopic techniques using formalin-fixed samples.

Methods
Formalin-fixed faecal samples from 574 individuals were tested by the formalin-ethyl acetate concentration technique (FECT), Malachite smear, McMaster and McMaster2 methods. Agreement between tests was assessed by Kappa. Bayesian latent class models and a composite reference standard estimated the diagnostic sensitivity of each test.

Results
Moderate-to-good agreement between tests was observed for A. lumbricoides. Agreement was poorer for hookworm and Trichuris trichiura. The FECT (72.70%, credible interval [CrI]: 68.92–76.56%) and McMaster2 method (67.93%, 95% CrIs: 62.41–73.31%) had the highest sensitivities for A. lumbricoides. For hookworm, the McMaster2 method (70.56%, 95% CrIs: 64.10–76.96%) was more sensitive than all other tests. For T. trichiura, the McMaster (90.10%, 95% CrIs: 83.29–94.67%) and McMaster2 (89.3%, 95% CrIs: 82.28–94.52%) methods were the most sensitive.

Conclusions
The McMaster2 method is a viable alternative to FECT and provides important information on the intensity of infection. The effect of formalin-fixation on test performance may not be as great as previously assumed. This study reports formalin-fixed sensitivities similar to previous estimates using fresh samples.

From 2020 to 2022, systematic investigation of wildlife mortalities on Dirk Hartog Island, Western Australia was initiated to inform wildlife disease risk analyses for translocation purposes. As part of this monitoring, in November 2020, a sandy inland mouse (Pseudomys hermannsburgensis) was found deceased with multiple comorbidities. Gross necropsy, histopathology and ancillary molecular testing identified several novel host-parasite associations. Sarcoptes scabiei was identified via molecular methods in association with consistent cutaneous pathology, representing the first known detection of this parasite in an Australian native rodent. A putative novel virus belonging to the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae was also identified, representing the first known detection of a herpesvirus (Orthoherpesviridae) from this species, although it was not clearly associated with other disease processes. A heavy burden of the cestode Hymenolepis microstoma was also present in the gastrointestinal tract, representing a new host record for this species, whilst a pancreatic adenocarcinoma was also found. Beyond the novelty of these host records, these findings contribute to important health baselines of rodent populations on Dirk Hartog Island and highlight the value of investigating mortalities and implementing health surveillance as part of ecological monitoring and wildlife translocation projects.