Parasitology

Parasitology was founded as a discipline in 1946 by Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Lupaşcu, corresponding member of the Romanian Academy, who coordinated the activity of the discipline until 1952. He was followed by Prof. Dr. Mihai Elias (1952-1986), Prof. Dr. Ioan Iacobiciu (1986-2011), Prof. Dr. Tudor Rares Olariu (2011 and present).

Together with Prof. Dr. Tudor Rares Olariu are working Assoc. Prof. Rodica Lighezan, Assist.Prof. Livius Tirnea, Assist.Prof. Maria Alina Lupu, Assist.Prof. Ana Paduraru and laboratory Chemist Camelia Balutescu.

At Discipline of Parasitology also activated Assoc. Prof. Cristina Petrescu, Assist. Prof. Margareta Pucă, Assist. Prof. Rodica Vasiliu, Assist. Prof. Raul Neghina, Assist. Prof. Crenguţa Calma and Assist. Prof. PhD. Student Ionuț Dragoș Căpraru.

The following auxiliary and laboratory staff also activated at the discipline: Ecaterina Marina, Roland Schlebusch, Iosefina Landgraf and Diana Ojoga.

Members of the discipline teach: (a) courses and practicals of General and Tropical Parasitology for students in Romanian, English and French sections (second year General Medicine); (b) courses and practicals of General Parasitology (first year – College of General Health Care for the sections in Timișoara, Lugoj and Deva; first year – Nutrition); (c) courses of Parasitology (year I Balneophysiokinetotherapy); (d) courses and practicals of Tropical Parasitology (second year – Master). Parasitology and Virology courses were also taught to second year students at the Faculty of Pharmacy.

During courses and practicals, the morphobiological, clinical, diagnostic, epidemiological and prophylactic aspects of the main parasitic diseases are presented. Particular attention is given to parasitic pathology in immunocompromised individuals as well as to new methods of immunodiagnosis in parasitic diseases.

The scientific activity is focused on the study of parasitic diseases widely spread in Eastern Europe: intestinal infections with protozoans and helminths, toxoplasmosis, hydatidosis and trichinellosis. Studies performed at the discipline have been published in international peer-review journals.

The SARS-CoV-2 infection (which started in December 2019 in Wuhan, China) spread rapidly worldwide. On March 11, 2020, it was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO Director-General’s opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID19 -March 2020). In this context, Discipline of Parasitology coordinated studies aimed to evaluate the prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infection and the dynamic of the immune response to COVID-19 vaccination. The results of these studies have been published in prestigious international journals and presented by Prof. Univ. Tudor Rareș Olariu during the online conference organized by WHO and ECDC (“Joint ECDC and WHO / Europe online meeting on COVID-19 sero-epidemiological studies”), on February 17, 2022.

Representative scientific papers published in international peer review journals

• Olariu TR, Lighezan R, Ursoniu S, Craciun AC, Mihu AG, Lupu MA. High SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in blood donors from Romania after the third COVID-19 pandemic wave. Infect Dis (Lond). 2022 Jul;54(7):534-537. doi: 10.1080/23744235.2022.2036811. Epub 2022 Feb 11. PMID: 35147060.
• Pavel R, Ursoniu S, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Trichinellosis in Hospitalized Children and Adults from Western Romania: A 11-Year Retrospective Study. Life (Basel). 2023 Apr 8;13(4):969. doi: 10.3390/life13040969. PMID: 37109498; PMCID: PMC10146625.
• Dragomir A, Lupu MA, Lighezan R, Paduraru AA, Olariu TR. Toxoplasma gondiiInfection in Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases from Western Romania: A Case-Control Study. Life (Basel). 2023 Jul 17;13(7):1575. doi: 10.3390/life13071575. PMID: 37511950; PMCID: PMC10382031.
• Dărăbuș G, Lupu MA, Mederle N, Dărăbuș RG, Imre K, Mederle O, Imre M, Paduraru AA, Morariu S, Olariu TR. Epidemiology of CryptosporidiumInfection in Romania: A Review. Microorganisms. 2023 Jul 12;11(7):1793. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms11071793. PMID: 37512965; PMCID: PMC10384979.
• Paduraru AA, Lupu MA, Lighezan R, Pavel R, Cretu OM, Olariu TR. Seroprevalence of Anti-Echinococcus granulosusAntibodies and Risk Factors for Infection in Blood Donors from Western Romania. Life (Basel). 2023 Mar 24;13(4):871. doi: 10.3390/life13040871. PMID: 
• Lupu MA, Lighezan R, Paduraru AA, Dragomir A, Pavel R, Grada S, Mihu AG, Ursoniu S, Olariu TR. Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondiiInfection in Blood Donors from Western Romania. Microorganisms. 2022 May 5;10(5):973. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms10050973. PMID: 35630416; PMCID: PMC9143041.
• Olariu TR, Craciun AC, Vlad DC, Dumitrascu V, Pop LL, Horhat F, Lupu MA. SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Children from Western Romania, March to June 2021. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2022 Apr;22(4):267-270. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2022.0003. Epub 2022 Apr 6. PMID: 35384727.
• Mihu AG, Micle O, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondiiin Females Aged 15-45 Years from Bihor County, Western Romania. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2022 Mar;22(3):195-198. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0052. Epub 2022 Feb 9. PMID: 35138942.
• Olariu TR, Lighezan R, Ursoniu S, Craciun AC, Paduraru AA, Lupu MA. Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies In 2115 blood donors from Romania.Clin Microbiol Infect. 2021 Jan 6: S1198-743X(20) 30787-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2020.12.027
• Olariu TR, Craciun AC, Vlad DC, Dumitrascu V, Marincu I, Lupu MA. SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence in Western Romania, March to June 2021. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Dec 26;58(1):35. doi: 10.3390/medicina58010035. PMID: 35056343; PMCID: PMC8781951.
• Olariu TR, Ursoniu S, Marincu I, Lupu MA. Dynamics of Antibody Response to BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine: A 7-Month Follow-Up Study. Medicina (Kaunas). 2021 Dec 5;57(12):1330. doi: 10.3390/medicina57121330. PMID: 34946275; PMCID: PMC8708569.
• Mihu AG, Micle O, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Females Aged 15-45 Years from Bihor County, Western Romania. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2022 Feb 9. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2021.0052. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35138942.
• Grada S, Mihu AG, Petrescu C, Suciu O, Marincu I, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Toxoplasma gondii Infection in Patients with Psychiatric Disorders from Western Romania. Medicina. 2022; 58(2):208. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina58020208
• Pavel R, Ursoniu S, Paduraru AA, Lighezan R, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Seroprevalence and Risk Factors of Trichinella spiralis Infection in Blood Donors from Western Romania. Medicina (Kaunas). 2022 Jan 15;58(1):128. doi: 10.3390/medicina58010128. PMID: 35056436; PMCID: PMC8780118.
• Lupu MA, Pavel R, Lazureanu VE, Popovici ED, Olariu TR. Trichinellosis in hospitalized patients from Western Romania: A retrospective study. Exp Ther Med. 2021 Aug;22(2):895. doi: 10.3892/etm.2021.10327. Epub 2021 Jun 18. PMID: 34194571; PMCID: PMC8237275.
• Guegan H, Stäjner T, Bobic B, Press C, Olariu RT, Olson K, Srbljanovic J, Montoya JG, Djurković-Djaković O, Robert-Gangneux F. Maternal anti- ToxoplasmaTreatment during Pregnancy is Associated with Reduced Sensitivity of Diagnostic Tests for Congenital Infection in the Neonate. J Clin Microbiol. 2020 Nov 18: JCM.01368-20. doi: 10.1128/JCM.01368-20
• Olariu TR,Ursoniu S, Hotea I, Dumitrascu V, Anastasiu D, Lupu MA, Seroprevalence and risk factors ofToxoplasma gondii infection in pregnant women from Western Romania. Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 20, 10, 763-767, 2020.
• Mihu AG, Balta C, Marti DT, Paduraru AA, Lupu MA, Olariu TR. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection among women of childbearing age in an endemic region of Romania, 2016-2018. Parasite. 2020;27:59. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2020057.
• Olariu TR, Blackburn BG, Press C, Talucod J, Remington JS, Montoya JG. Role of ToxoplasmaIgA as Part of a Reference Panel for the Diagnosis of Acute Toxoplasmosis during Pregnancy. J Clin Microbiol. 2019 Jan 30;57(2). pii: e01357-18.
• Căpraru ID, Lupu MA, Horhat F, Olariu TR. Toxoplasmosis Seroprevalence in Romanian Children.Vector Borne Zoonotic Dis. 2019 Nov;19(11):867-869.
• Olariu TR, Press C, Talucod J, Olson K, Montoya JG. Congenital toxoplasmosis in the United States: clinical and serologic findings in infants born to mothers treated during pregnancy. 2019;26:13. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2019013
• Pomares C, Devillard S, Holmes TH, Olariu TR, Press CJ, Ramirez R, Talucod J, Estran R, Su C, Dubey JP, Ajzenberg D, Montoya JG. Genetic Characterization of Toxoplasma gondii DNA Samples Isolated From Humans Living in North America: An Unexpected High Prevalence of Atypical Genotypes.J Infect Dis. 2018 Oct 20;218(11):1783-1791.
• Olariu TR, Petrescu C, Darabus G, Lighezan R, Mazilu O. Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Western Romania.Infect Dis (Lond). 2015 Aug;47(8):580-3.
• Dubey JP, Hotea I, Olariu TR, Jones JL, Dărăbuş G. Epidemiological review of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in Romania. 2014 Mar;141(3):311-25.
• Tirnea L, Minciu R, Olariu TR, Dumitrascu V, Neghina AM, Neghina R. A rare case of renal hydatidosis in a child with congenital solitary kidney.Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2014 Aug;7(8):671-2.
• Olariu TR, Remington JS, Montoya JG. Polymerase chain reaction in cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2014 Jun;33(6):566-70.
• Neghina R, Dumitrascu V, Neghina AM, Vlad DC, Petrica L, Vermesan D, Tirnea L, Mazilu O, Olariu TR. Epidemiology of ascariasis, enterobiasis and giardiasis in a Romanian western county (Timis), 1993-2006.Acta Trop. 2013 Jan;125(1):98-101.
• Neghina R, Nicola ED, Nita C, Musta V, Nicoara E, Olariu TR. Two cases of imported malaria in Western Romania, 2010-2011.Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2012 Apr;5(4):326-8.
• Olariu TR, Remington JS, McLeod R, Alam A, Montoya JG. Severe congenital toxoplasmosis in the United States: clinical and serologic findings in untreated infants.Pediatr Infect Dis J. 2011 Dec;30(12):1056-61.
• Olariu TR, Nicola ED, Petrescu C, Koreck A. Helical microorganisms in blood smears.Clin Infect Dis. 2011 Sep;53(5):468; 497-8.

Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases

In 2021, on the initiative of Prof. Dr. Tudor Rareș Olariu, the Center for Diagnosis and Study of Parasitic Diseases (the first parasitology center in Romania) was established.

(https://www.umft.ro/cercetare/centre-de-cercetare/cdsbp/).

International collaborations

            The discipline has been involved in several international collaborations with the Institute of Medical Microbiology of the University of Essen, Germany (Prof. Dr. Tudor Rareș Olariu, 1996) and the Discipline of Parasitology of the Faculties of Medicine and Pharmacy of Marseille, France (Prof. Dr. Tudor Rareș Olariu, 2002-2005). Prof. Dr. Tudor Rareș Olariu has initiated and strengthened international collaborations with Stanford and Santa Cruz Universities in California, as well as with the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health in the United States of America (2005-present). As a result of these collaborations, studies emerged and results presented at international conferences and published in prestigious journals in the United States and Europe.

International Conference on Parasitic Zoonoses, Timisoara, Romania

Starting with 2014, the discipline organizes, in collaboration with the discipline of Parasitology of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, the International Conference of Parasitic Zooses, a scientific event, organized periodically, once every 2 years, in Timișoara. The conference brings together experts, scientists, professors and students, and the program of the event is captivating and educational, generating discussions and inter-thematic debates related to the latest discoveries and best clinical practices in the field of parasitology. During the 3 editions held so far, world-famous personalities in the field of parasitology were present as speakers: Christelle Pomares – University of Nice Sophia Antipolis, Nice; Hervé Pelloux – University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA); Olgica Djurkovic Djakovic – Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade.

Further information can be found on the Conference website:

http://www.euroconftm.ro/home.html

Multidisciplinary scientific seminars

At the scientific seminars, organized at the headquarters of the Discipline of Parasitology in Eftimie Murgu Square no. 1, floor I, recent studies published in ISI journals are presented. At each seminar, in addition to the informative nature of these meetings, we would like to accomplish discussions, debates on the topic.

Find some photos in the photo gallery of this page!