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Open research questions in Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment

224 gap statements mined from Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 699 papers on the topic — drawn mostly from each paper's own stated research gap, future-work, challenge and limitation notes, and its abstract. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one.

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What the literature leaves open

  • Limited efficacy of antifilarial drugs against adult worms. Emergence of drug resistance. Difficulty in capturing pharmacologically relevant effects of drugs using conventional in vitro assays. Need for a better understanding of the effects of antifilarial drugs on parasites.

    Deep phenotypic profiling uncovers cryptic effects of antifilarial drugs · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited funding and workforce for post-validation surveillance. Operational challenges, such as supply chain issues and technical capacity. Need for clear guidance on operationalising sustainable post-validation surveillance.

    Global Lymphatic Filariasis Post-Validation Surveillance Activities in 2025: A Scoping Review · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited leadership understanding of lymphatic filariasis and surveillance options. Inconsistent technical and financial support. Lack of context-appropriate operational guidance. Limited field-ready diagnostics.

    Enablers of Post-Validation Surveillance for Lymphatic Filariasis in the Pacific Islands: A Nominal Group Technique and Expert Elicitation · 2026 · DOI

  • One of the challenges is that nearly half of the cases remain undiagnosed despite protocolized evaluation. Another challenge is the variability in reference values among different authors.

    Imported Eosinophilia in Migrants from Endemic Areas in Spain · 2026 · DOI

  • Despite protocolized evaluation, nearly half of the cases remain undiagnosed. The most frequent etiologies were filariasis, strongyloidiasis, and schistosomiasis, with African patients having the highest probability of diagnosis.

    Imported Eosinophilia in Migrants from Endemic Areas in Spain · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of clinical awareness and fragmented care pathways. The need for comprehensive, multidisciplinary approaches in patients from endemic regions who may harbor multiple co-infections.

    How Imported Pathology Becomes Overlooked as Resources Increase: An Example of a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited pre-existing research infrastructure in resource-limited settings. Community research fatigue and limited awareness of clinical trials. Need for trained healthcare professionals in LF management and clinical research.

    Establishing a filarial clinical research platform in a resource-limited setting: Lessons and experiences from Tanzania · 2026 · DOI

  • The sensitivity of ELISA is considered to be less than 100%, which may lead to false negative results and underestimation of prevalence. The study had a limited number of dogs aged over 15 years, leading to less certainty in the predictions for older ages.

    New Insights into the Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in Hungary · 2025 · DOI

  • The need for updated information on the distribution of D. immitis and A. vasorum in Central and Southern Italy. The lack of knowledge on the associations between positivity for D. immitis and/or A. vasorum and potential risk factors.

    Current Enzooticity of Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus vasorum in Central and Southern Italy · 2025 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for further research on the species status of some nominal species in the group. The paper also identifies a gap in the understanding of the relationship between chromosomal reorganization and speciation in the group.

    Rare Chromosomal Uniformity in Black Flies of the Simulium striatum Species Group (Diptera: Simuliidae) · 2025 · DOI

  • The paper highlights the need for further research on the correlates of protective immunity.

    Unraveling the Dynamics of Human Filarial Infections: Immunological Responses, Host Manifestations, and Pathogen Biology · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited information on the factors impacting rural female farmers' access to and utilization of boots while farming. Lack of understanding of the cultural, economic, and ergonomic factors affecting rural farmers' use of protective footwear. Need for gender-sensitive interventions to prevent podoconiosis.

    “We all think boots are meant for men”: A community-based participatory assessment of rural women’s barriers to preventing podoconiosis in Rwanda · 2024 · DOI

  • Resource and capacity limitations, including limited surgical supplies and unavailability of health staff. Limited knowledge of the condition among persons affected and healthcare providers. Stigma and social exclusion, which can exacerbate mental distress and disrupt healthcare seeking behaviors.

    Addressing the Syndemic Relationship between Lymphatic Filariasis and Mental Distress in Malawi: The Potential of Enhanced Self-Care · 2024 · DOI

  • The need to evaluate the effectiveness of triple-drug MDA in reducing Ag prevalence. The lack of understanding of the impact of MDA on Ag prevalence in different age groups.

    Epidemiology of Lymphatic Filariasis Antigen and Microfilaria in Samoa, 2019: 7–9 Months Post Triple-Drug Mass Drug Administration · 2024 · DOI

  • The study highlights the need for further research on the immune response to mineral stimulation in podoconiosis patients. The study notes the challenge of recruiting participants from endemic areas.

    Differences in Cytokine Expression at Baseline and in Response to Mineral Stimulation by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Podoconiosis Cases and Healthy Control Individuals · 2024 · DOI

  • The study did not find significant differences in mRNA expression of the cytokine genes assayed. The study had a relatively small sample size of 56 podoconiosis patients and 44 endemic healthy controls. The study only measured the response to a limited number of minerals (kaolinite, chlorite, and beryllium sulfate).

    Differences in Cytokine Expression at Baseline and in Response to Mineral Stimulation by Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Podoconiosis Cases and Healthy Control Individuals · 2024 · DOI

  • The prevalence of D. immitis in Hungary was previously reported as 11.3%, but the current study finds a higher prevalence of 17.0%. The study identifies age and spending time outdoors as main risk factors for D. immitis infection.

    New Insights into the Prevalence of Dirofilaria immitis in Hungary · 2025 · DOI

  • It describes a single case, - species-level identification of the causative organism was not possible on cytology, - a nocturnal peripheral smear for microfilaraemia was not performed, - comparative literature on breast filariasis remains limited to isolated case reports, restricting broader epidemiological…

    Dancing Worms in the Breast: A Rare Case of Filariasis Diagnosed by the ‘Filarial Dance Sign’ on Ultrasonography with Cytological Confirmation · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited awareness of the requirements for post-validation surveillance, - limited domestic resources and small, over-burdened national workforce capacity, - cost, resource, and logistical barriers to conducting post-validation…

    Barriers and Facilitators to Implementing Post-Validation Surveillance of Lymphatic Filariasis in Pacific Island Countries and Territories: A Conceptual Framework Developed from Qualitative Data · 2026 · DOI

  • Limited workforce capacity, - Resource constraints, - Competing health priorities, - Incomplete or outdated data on past LF…

    Integrated Approaches to Surveillance of Lymphatic Filariasis and Other Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Islands · 2026 · DOI

  • Establishing a revitalised regional mechanism to reinvigorate a coordinated regional approach to eliminating LF, - Exploring novel multiplex bead assay serological analysis methods, - Prioritising and commissioning operational…

    Integrated Approaches to Surveillance of Lymphatic Filariasis and Other Infectious Diseases in the Pacific Islands · 2026 · DOI

  • Exploring alternative diagnostic methods, - Developing context-specific guidance for PVS…

    Enablers of Post-Validation Surveillance for Lymphatic Filariasis in the Pacific Islands: A Nominal Group Technique and Expert Elicitation · 2026 · DOI

  • Conducting future investigations to examine the role of succinate on SARS-CoV-2-associated cardiac fibrosis, - Future studies will aim to elucidate specific cell populations through single-cell transcriptomics, cell-specific markers and conditional knockout…

    Gut commensal bacterium Bacteroides vulgatus exacerbates helminth-induced cardiac fibrosis through succinate accumulation · 2025 · DOI

  • Limited resources allocated for mental healthcare in Malawi, - Prioritisation of emergency surgeries, limited surgical supplies, and unavailability of health staff, - The study only considered the clustering of health conditions as a result of social and economic…

    Addressing the Syndemic Relationship between Lymphatic Filariasis and Mental Distress in Malawi: The Potential of Enhanced Self-Care · 2024 · DOI

  • Investigation of the link between urbanization and lower levels of transmission, - Analysis of the effectiveness of multiple rounds of MDA, - Exploration of social or environmental factors contributing to lower levels…

    Epidemiology of Lymphatic Filariasis Antigen and Microfilaria in Samoa, 2019: 7–9 Months Post Triple-Drug Mass Drug Administration · 2024 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment

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Open questions raised by papers listed on this page include: (1) The lack of clinical awareness and fragmented care pathways (“How Imported Pathology Becomes Overlooked as Resources Increase: An Example of…”, 2026); (2) The lack of knowledge on the associations between positivity for D. immitis and/or A. vasorum and potential risk factors (“Current Enzooticity of Dirofilaria immitis and Angiostrongylus vasorum in…”, 2025); (3) Lack of understanding of the cultural, economic, and ergonomic factors affecting rural farmers' use of protective footwear (““We all think boots are meant for men”: A community-based participatory…”, 2024); (4) The lack of understanding of the impact of MDA on Ag prevalence in different age groups (“Epidemiology of Lymphatic Filariasis Antigen and Microfilaria in Samoa, 2019:…”, 2024). 224 gap statements have been mined from Parasitic Diseases Research and Treatment papers in our 4.5M-paper local library, which holds 699 papers on the topic; the gaps come from whichever of those papers state one. They are mostly the research gaps the authors state and the papers' abstracts, plus future-work, limitations and challenges passages. The ones listed below are a selection still marked open; each names the study that raised it, with a DOI link where the paper has one, so you can read the original claim in context.

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