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Open research questions in Parasites and Host Interactions

30 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 334 Parasites and Host Interactions papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Results: The diagnostic scope assessment (n=78 laboratories) indicated microscopy as the commonest technique for parasite identification (100%) and molecular diagnostics are sparsely available (3.

    Establishment of an External Quality Assessment Scheme for Clinical Parasitology Diagnostics in India: Four years of experience (2022-2025) · 2026 · DOI

  • These findings highlight associations between disease stage, socioeco- nomic context, and HRQL, which warrant further investigation in longitudinal or interventional studies to establish causal pathways.

    Assessing Health-Related Quality of life and socioeconomic impacts in low-endemic schistosomiasis: A study from Rural China · 2026 · DOI

  • The persistence of CCA positivity despite periodic PZQ administration suggests that chemotherapy alone is insufficient to interrupt transmission in this lacustrine sanctuary environment.

    Persistent intestinal schistosomiasis and progressive liver fibrosis in semi-captive chimpanzees: A 12-year epidemiological follow-up in Ngamba Island Chimpanzee Sanctuary, Lake Victoria, Uganda · 2026 · DOI

  • Parasite prevalence varied widely across Madagascar, with the highest rates observed for Ascaris lumbricoides (22·0%) and Trichuris trichiura (15·3%), followed by Hymenolepis nana (up to 10·5%), hookworm (up to 8·1%), Strongyloides (0·5%), and Schistosoma mansoni (0·5%).

    Prevalence of multiple human intestinal parasites across diverse environments in Madagascar · 2026 · DOI

  • The study had a few limitations that need to be acknowledged. As a cross-sectional study, it was unable to establish a direct temporal association between STH infections and its potentially associated factors. Prevalence and infection intensity of STHs were determined by the examination of only a single stool specimen from each study participant. This might not be enough to accommodate the day-to-day and inter-stool variation of egg output. Moreover, a single Kato-Katz thick smear was conducted on a single stool sample, which could affect the level prevalence of intensity. In addition, Wealth status categorization is not validated.

    Prevalence and intensity of soil-transmitted helminths infections and associated factors among households in Gorgora, Ethiopia · 2026 · DOI

  • With less helminth exposure contributing to downregulation, it is hypothesized that T2 responses may be triggered in genetically susceptible individuals and accelerated by Type 2 cytokines common to innate and adaptive cells, leading to unchecked T2 inflammation and atopic diseases at multiple barrier surfaces. We propose that IL4Ra blockade contributes to the downregulation of the common cytokines IL-4 and IL-13 across epithelial organs, perpetuating this conserved arm of the immune system, reducing unchecked T2 inflammation. Recent work has highlighted different disease trajectories in some patients that develop additional T2 comorbidities (158). Although targeting IL-4 and IL-13 pathways has been effective in treating T2 inflammatory conditions through- out the skin, the respiratory tract as well as the upper gastrointes- tinal tract, it is important to note that disease heterogeneity and differing endotypes may impact treatment responses. Further stud- ies are therefore necessary to deepen our understanding of type 2 inflammatory disease endotypes in the context of local tissues and environmental insults, and to help identify which pathways are most significant for each disease endotype.

    Restoring balance in atopic disorders: insights into type 2 immunity and chronic inflammation · 2026 · DOI

  • • Subsidize community FEC services, mobile diagnostic clinics, and farmer field schools with measurable uptake targets (e.g., % farms using TST within 3 years). • Implement farmer incentive schemes (certificates) for “AR-responsible” practices. • Track on-farm indicators (treatments/month, % animals TST- selected). • Adopt WOAH/FAO/WAAVP guidance into national action plans with timelines & KPIs (e.g., % farms in registry, % tested before treatment). • Strengthen veterinary medicines regulation and post- market surveillance (target reduction in counterfeit reports). • Invest in regional reference labs and trainings for qPCR/ddPCR; deploy sentinel networks. • Mandate routine reporting of treatment failures to national veterinary authorities. • Create interoperable regional AR databases (shared API, standardized sampling). • Joint procurement mechanisms to ensure quality and lower costs. • Regional training hubs and “AR rapid response” teams to investigate outbreaks. • Regional KPIs (e.g., countries with AR surveillance functioning).

    One Health Perspectives on Anthelmintic Resistance: Mechanisms, Surveillance Gaps and Control Strategies · 2026 · DOI

  • Good environmental sanitation, proper personal hygiene practices, mass drug administration (MDA) and follow-up programmes should be intensified to prevent and control infections. Schools should KIJER 3(2) 353 Kontagora International Journal of Educational Research (KIJER) Volume 3, Issue 2, March 2026 https://fuekjournals.org/index.php/kijer encourage frequent hand washing habits and mass chemotherapy should be adopted to reduce parasite burden and preventive measures should be upheld.

    Intestinal Parasitic Infections in Rural and Urban Areas of Niger State, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • More studies on Schistosoma should be embarked upon by other researchers to cover wider areas that might be affected 2. The knowledge about Schistosomiasis is low, hence the need to create awareness about the diseases by the health care workers 3. Mass drug administration of deworming agents is quite low; there is therefore need for the ministry of health to extend such programs to affected communities 4. Health education should be planned by community health workers to educate the community on preventive measures for the diseases 5. The streams in Biye community (Sabon Fegi) should be screened for the presence of snails vectors that transmit Schistosomiasis and eradicated. 242 African Journal of Medicine, Surgery and Public Health Research Tanko A. Nanret, Suchi K. Nanret, Orinya Alfred, Ejembi Joan, Olanrewaju Jimoh, Dimowo C. Palangutde, Ahmed S. Opaluwa, Abdulaziz M.

    Prevalence and Risk Factors of Schistosomiasis among School-Age Children and Adolescents in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • The study was limited to a few communities; some other endemic areas were not covered due to inadequate funds. 2.

    Prevalence and Risk Factors of Schistosomiasis among School-Age Children and Adolescents in Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria · 2026 · DOI

  • The study's spatial analysis identified persistent NTD hotspots in Eastern and North eastern Kenya counties but did not validate predictions against independent geospatial prevalence data from post-intervention surveillance; external validation of the Random Forest model (AUC = 0.703) using spatially-stratified test datasets from previously unmapped counties is needed.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • Although the study quantified variable importance of WASH factors in STH prediction using Random Forest, the integrated control strategies for overlapping transmission pathways of STH-LF-SCH co-endemicity have not been empirically validated; future work should test whether targeting improved sanitation and water access simultaneously reduces co-endemicity hotspots in Eastern and North eastern Kenya counties more effectively than single-disease MDA programs.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • The relatively low specificity across the Random Forest, GBM, and XGBoost models indicates misclassification of low-risk areas as high-risk for STH, SCH, and LF; future research should develop spatially-explicit threshold optimization methods or class-weighted machine learning approaches to reduce false positive predictions in Kenya's Central and Nairobi counties.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • The co-endemicity outcome variable combining multiple disease states into a single classification framework increases classification complexity and reduces predictive discrimination; future work should evaluate whether disease-specific classification models for individual STH, SCH, and LF prediction achieve higher Random Forest AUC values than the combined 0.703 AUC.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • Multiple environmental, climatic, socioeconomic, and behavioral factors influencing NTD transmission were not fully captured in the available dataset used for the machine learning models predicting STH, SCH, and LF co-endemicity, limiting the ecological validity of the Random Forest predictions.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • The dataset consisted of only 290 implementation units with a limited number of predictors, which constrains the Random Forest, GBM, and XGBoost models' ability to capture complex neglected tropical disease transmission dynamics for soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis co-endemicity prediction in Kenya.

    Advanced machine learning approaches for predicting neglected tropical disease co-endemicity in Kenya: A focus on soil-transmitted helminths, schistosomiasis, and lymphatic filariasis · 2026 · DOI

  • Intestinal parasitic infections should be investigated with proper diagnostic methods especially in children with PEM/GR and cutaneous symptoms in addition to gastrointestinal problems.

    Comparison of Intestinal Parasites in Native and Refugee Patients Admitted to a Territory Hospital in Turkey · 2022 · DOI

  • Schistosomiasis constitutes a public health problem in rural areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo, but local epidemiological data remain insufficient to guide interventions.

    ETUDE RETROSPECTIVE DESCRIPTIVE SUR LE PROFIL EPIDEMIOLOGIQUE, CLINIQUE ET THERAPEUTIQUE DE LA SCHISTOSOMIASE AU CENTRE DE SANTE LIMANGA DE LA PROVINCE DU MANIEMA EN REPUBLIQUE DEMOCRATIQUE DU CONGO · 2026 · DOI

  • Therefore, this unexpected find- ing needs further investigation into the mechanism of local metabolic adaptation at the parasite colonization site.

    1H NMR-based metabolomics reveals metabolic changes in porcine ingesta and serum during Ascaris suum infection · 2026 · DOI

  • Longitudinal data on reinfection and true incidence, which are critical for refining control strategies, are scarce from high-transmission foci like the Lango sub-region in Northern Uganda.

    Praziquantel efficacy and post-treatment reinfection and incidence of Schistosoma mansoni among school-aged children in Northern Uganda: a 24-week cohort study in a high transmission focus · 2026 · DOI

  • Hookworm infections continue to impose a substantial burden on human and animal health, but the early host responses that influence parasite establishment are not fully characterized.

    Immune and Iron Metabolism Responses During the Acute Phase of Experimental Hookworm Infection in the Ancylostoma ceylanicum-Hamster Model · 2026 · DOI

  • While there is a potential for pregnant animals to miscarry, the frequency of this risk in humans remains uncertain due to the low number of tularemia cases during pregnancy.

    Glandüler Tularemili Gebe Hastanın Azitromisinle Başarılı Tedavisi ve Literatür Taraması · 2025 · DOI

  • Some have argued that deworming alone is insufficient to improve child welfare outcomes since the nutritional deficiencies caused by infections must be corrected with food and/or micronutrients (Hall, Hewitt et al.

    PROTOCOL: Mass deworming for improving health and cognition of children in endemic helminth areas: a systematic review and individual participant data network meta‐analysis · 2018 · DOI

  • Debate has ensued about whether these conflicting results are due to the influence of variations in effect across individual-level characteristics such as whether children are infected or not and intensity of infection (Hotez, Molyneux et al.

    PROTOCOL: Mass deworming for improving health and cognition of children in endemic helminth areas: a systematic review and individual participant data network meta‐analysis · 2018 · DOI

  • These findings suggest that in addition to a reconsideration of mass deworming programmes in their current form, additional policy options need to be explored to improve child health and nutrition in worm‐endemic areas.

    Deworming and adjuvant interventions for improving the developmental health and well‐being of children in low‐ and middle‐income countries: a systematic review and network meta‐analysis · 2016 · DOI

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30 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 334 Parasites and Host Interactions papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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