The Control of Zoonotic Soil-Transmitted Helminthoses Using Saprophytic Fungi

oleh: Cándido Viña, María Isabel Silva, Antonio Miguel Palomero, Mathilde Voinot, María Vilá, José Ángel Hernández, Adolfo Paz-Silva, Rita Sánchez-Andrade, Cristiana Filipa Cazapal-Monteiro, María Sol Arias

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2020-12-01

Deskripsi

Soil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are parasites transmitted through contact with soil contaminated with their infective eggs/larvae. People are infected by exposure to human-specific species or animal species (zoonotic agents). Fecal samples containing eggs of <i>Ascaris suum</i> or <i>Lemurostrongylus</i> sp. were sprayed with spores of the soil saprophytic filamentous fungi <i>Clonostachys rosea</i> (CR) and <i>Trichoderma atrobrunneum</i> (TA). The antagonistic effect was assessed by estimating the viability of eggs and their developmental rate. Compared to the controls (unexposed to fungi), the viability of the eggs of <i>A. suum</i> was halved in CR and decreased by two thirds in TA, while the viability of the eggs of <i>Lemurostrongylus</i> sp. was reduced by one quarter and one third in CR and TA treatments, respectively. The Soil Contamination Index (SCI), defined as the viable eggs that attained the infective stage, reached the highest percentages for <i>A. suum</i> in the controls after four weeks (66%), with 21% in CL and 11% in TA. For <i>Lemurostrongylus</i> sp., the values were 80%, 49%, and 41% for control, CR and TA treatments, respectively. We concluded that spreading spores of <i>C. rosea</i> or <i>T. atrobrunneum</i> directly onto the feces of animal species represents a sustainable approach under a One Health context to potentially reduce the risk of zoonotic STHs in humans.