The overall objective of the present study was to assess the zoonotic potential of O. bifurcum, in other words to assess the risk of transmission of the simian parasite to humans. Knowledge of the... Show moreThe overall objective of the present study was to assess the zoonotic potential of O. bifurcum, in other words to assess the risk of transmission of the simian parasite to humans. Knowledge of the zoonotic potential of O. bifurcum is central to controlling the infection in humans. The specific research aims were (1) to establish the presence of O. bifurcum in different species of non-human primates in two geographical areas outside of the endemic region in Ghana, (2) to determine whether there is any significant morphological variation between O. bifurcum from human and from different species of non-human primates, (3) to test the hypothesis that O. bifurcum from humans is genetically distinct from the parasite from nonhuman primates, and (4) to establish whether the hookworm Ancylostoma duodenale occurs in sympatry with O. bifurcum and impacts on human health in northern Ghana. Show less
In 1986, following the discovery that Oesophagostomum eggs are excreted by people living in northern Ghana and Togo, Polderman and Gigase concluded that Oesophagostomum worms are able to complete... Show moreIn 1986, following the discovery that Oesophagostomum eggs are excreted by people living in northern Ghana and Togo, Polderman and Gigase concluded that Oesophagostomum worms are able to complete their life cycle in humans, and that the helminth causes considerable disease in this area. There have been many cases of clinical oesophagostomiasis reported in the literature over the last century, but diagnosis has usually been based on a pathology specimen and clinical details have been sparse. We therefore amassed a cohort of 156 patients presenting to Nalerigu hospital in northern Ghana, and identified two distinct clinical presentations of the disease, Dapaong tumour and multinodular disease. Show less
Oesophagostomum spp. are common nematode parasites of sheep, goats, cattle, and also of monkeys. Infection with this parasite can cause serious gastro-intestinal symptoms, which may lead to death.... Show moreOesophagostomum spp. are common nematode parasites of sheep, goats, cattle, and also of monkeys. Infection with this parasite can cause serious gastro-intestinal symptoms, which may lead to death. Since the beginning of this century, the parasite has also been described in humans on several occasions. Human infection with Oesophagostomum has always been considered as a zoonosis, an accidental infection of man with an animal parasite. It was assumed that its life-cycle was not completed in this unsuitable host. Show less