Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41701773›Full record

ArticlePLoS neglected tropical diseases2026

Distribution of nematophagous fungi and soil-transmitted helminths in outdoor built environments across Latin America.

Rojelio Mejia, Eva Mereles Aranda, Leticia Ojeda, Sandra Ocampos Benedetti, Janitzio J Guzman, Barton Slatko, Cristina Almazan, Melisa Diaz-Fernandez, Ruben Cimino, Marisa Juarez and 22 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

32 authors.

Rojelio MejiaDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4134-4558
Eva Mereles ArandaCentro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Paraguay.
Leticia OjedaCentro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Paraguay.
Sandra Ocampos BenedettiCentro de Investigaciones Medicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Nacional Del Este, Paraguay.
Janitzio J GuzmanDepartment of Medicine - Infectious Diseases, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Barton SlatkoDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Cristina AlmazanUniversidad Nacional de Salta, Facultad Regional Orán, Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales (IIET-CONICET), Orán, Salta, Argentina.
Melisa Diaz-FernandezUniversidad Nacional de Salta, Facultad Regional Orán, Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales (IIET-CONICET), Orán, Salta, Argentina.
Ruben CiminoUniversidad Nacional de Salta, Facultad Regional Orán, Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales (IIET-CONICET), Orán, Salta, Argentina.
Marisa JuarezUniversidad Nacional de Salta, Facultad Regional Orán, Instituto de Investigaciones de Enfermedades Tropicales (IIET-CONICET), Orán, Salta, Argentina.
Natalia Montellano DuranCentro de Investigación en Biotecnología (BIOCEN), Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Estefania Lorena Mansilla FloresIngeniería en Biotecnología, Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Paola Andrea VargasCentro de Investigación en Biotecnología (BIOCEN), Universidad Católica Boliviana San Pablo, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
Amandeep KaurDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Nestor L UzcateguiDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Lucia Estela MejiaDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Katherine Elizabeth KeeganDepartment of Pediatrics - Tropical Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America.
Emilio Rey MejiaRobert Turner College and Career High School, Pearland, Texas, United States of America.
Chiara Cássia Oliveira AmorimDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Stefan M GeigerDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Ricardo T FujiwaraDepartamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
Luz Marina Llangarí-ArizoEscuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Ecuador.
Andrea LopezEscuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Ecuador.
Natalia Romero-SandovalEscuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Ecuador.
Irene GuadalupeIESS Hospital, Puyo, Pastaza Province, Ecuador.
Liliana E Villanueva-LizamaLaboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México.
Julio Vladimir Cruz-ChanLaboratorio de Parasitología, Centro de Investigaciones Regionales "Dr. Hideyo Noguchi", Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, Mérida, México.
Maritza Dalí Camones RiveraFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Huánuco, Peru.
Eddyson Montalvo SabinoInstituto de Investigación en Enfermedades Tropicales, Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza, Amazonas, Perú.
Carlos PinedaFacultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Hermilio Valdizán, Huánuco, Peru.
Eric J WetzelDepartment of Biology, and Global Health Initiative, Wabash College, Crawfordsville, Indiana, United States of America.
Philip J CooperEscuela de Medicina, Universidad Internacional del Ecuador UIDE, Ecuador.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSoil-transmitted helminths (STHs) are among the most common global parasitic infections, represent a significant worldwide public health burden, and remain a source of considerable morbidity in Latin America. Nematophagous fungi (NF), such as Arthrobotrys oligospora, naturally inhabit many soil types and are known for their ability to trap and kill nematodes using specialized hyphal structures or secreted enzymes and metabolites. As they prey on different developmental stages of helminths in soil, they may represent an ecological factor influencing helminth persistence and transmission dynamics.

methodsUsing an in vitro test, Toxocara cati eggs were exposed to A. oligospora. By using a flotation, filtration, and bead-beating disruption technique, parasite and fungal DNA were collected and detected by multi-parallel real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). Similar methods were used to extract DNA from soil samples outside built environments across seven Latin American countries, including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, and Peru.

resultsIn vitro testing showed a 40.1% reduction in viable eggs in the presence of A. oligospora, as determined by qPCR (P = 0.0212). Comparing the impact of A. oligospora on T. cati over 14 days revealed a decrease in T. cati DNA concentration compared to control groups (P = 0.0039). Using qPCR to detect A. oligospora, there was a 62.4% decrease in the mean A. oligospora DNA at 14 days. The co-occurrence of NF and STH was evaluated in 805 soil samples from seven Latin American countries representing distinct geoclimatic settings. We observed a significant reduction in helminth abundance (P < 0.05), including Ascaris, Strongyloides, Toxocara, and any helminth. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: The ubiquitous presence of A. oligospora in soils and inverse association with STH parasite detection suggest a potential role in environmental helminth transmission patterns.

Indexed as

AscomycotaHelminthiasisHelminthsSoilSoil MicrobiologyToxocaraAnimalsDNA, FungalHumansLatin AmericaReal-Time Polymerase Chain ReactionDNA, FungalSoil

Identifiers

PMID41701773
PMCPMC12923129

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.