{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,21]],"date-time":"2026-10-21T08:51:25Z","timestamp":1792572685221,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"FapUNIFESP (SciELO)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,1]],"date-time":"2025-01-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1735689600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Mem. Inst. Oswaldo Cruz"],"abstract":"<jats:p> BACKGROUND  Despite insufficient parasitological and clinical evidence, infections attributed to a putative protozoan named \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d have been associated with gastrointestinal disease and treated with anti-parasitic drugs.  OBJECTIVES  This study aimed to clarify the nature of \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d and provide guidance for health and biomedical professionals encountering this structure in human stool, emphasising the importance of rigor and quality in biomedical research.  METHODS  Coprological analyses were employed to detect intestinal parasites, lipids, and \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d in 249 samples. Samples positive for \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d underwent staining with trichrome, acid-fast, and Sudan IV and contrasted with positive controls. Examination with polarised light microscopy and a fragility test using ethanol were conducted.  FINDINGS  Of the tested samples, 19.4%, 2.5% and 1.3% were positive for intestinal parasites, lipids, and \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d respectively. Following trichrome and acid-fast staining, few \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d structures remained intact and exhibited no discernible eukaryotic characteristics; Sudan IV stain, polarized light microscopy and fragility test approaches indicated a cholesterol-based content.  MAIN CONCLUSIONS  \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d is not a protozoan parasite; therefore, antiparasitic drugs are unwarranted. This structure should be identified as lipid-based material and investigated for possible malabsorption syndrome. Rigorous scientific standards were missed in related publications and peer review, contributing to the spread of this pseudoparasitism case.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1590\/0074-02760240144","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]],"date-time":"2025-05-02T11:03:11Z","timestamp":1746183791000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["Lessons from the \u201cUrbanorum spp.\u201d controversy: a supposed parasite and the need for scientific rigor and quality research in Latin America"],"prefix":"10.1590","volume":"120","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0301-4478","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Diego Fernando","family":"Echeverry","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad del Valle,  Colombia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Manuel Andr\u00e9s","family":"Sarria","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad del Valle,  Colombia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gloria In\u00e9s","family":"Palma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Universidad del Valle,  Colombia"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"530","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"14","DOI":"10.1177\/003591572601902204","article-title":"Pseudoparasites in the faeces of man","volume":"19","author":"Thomson J","year":"1926","journal-title":"J R Soc Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1128\/CMR.00025-17","article-title":"Laboratory diagnosis of parasites from the gastrointestinal tract","volume":"31","author":"Garcia LS","year":"2018","journal-title":"Clin Microbiol Rev"},{"key":"ref3","series-title":"Atlas of human parasitology","author":"Ash LR","year":"2007","edition":"5"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref4","first-page":"80","article-title":"Fecal microscopy artifacts mimicking ova and parasites","volume":"32","author":"Colmer-Hamood JA","year":"2001","journal-title":"Lab Med"},{"key":"ref5","article-title":"Practical guide to diagnostic parasitology","author":"Garcia LS","year":"2009","journal-title":"ASM Press"},{"key":"ref6","article-title":"Nuevo par\u00e1sito intestinal descubierto en Santander","year":"2013","journal-title":"Bucaramanga"},{"key":"ref7","series-title":"Parasitologia humana e veterin\u00e1ria","first-page":"45","volume-title":"Descri\u00e7\u00e3o de achados associados ao Urbanorum spp.: revis\u00e3o e relato de evid\u00eancias no norte do Piaui","author":"de Sousa JDL","year":"2021"},{"key":"ref8","first-page":"156","article-title":"Urbanorum spp en Hospital Regional Lambayeque","volume":"2","author":"Arriaga-Deza EV","year":"2016","journal-title":"Rev Exp Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref9","first-page":"1","article-title":"Urbanorum spp uma revis\u00e3o de literatura","volume":"5","author":"Giovanella MH","year":"2021","journal-title":"Acta Elit Salut"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"593","DOI":"10.17843\/rpmesp.2016.333.2351","article-title":"Urbanorum spp in Peru","volume":"33","author":"Villafuerte RIM","year":"2016","journal-title":"Rev Peru Med Exp Salud Publica"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"486","DOI":"10.12659\/AJCR.908653","article-title":"Urbanorum spp first report in Brazil","volume":"19","author":"de Aguiar RPS","year":"2018","journal-title":"Am J Case Rep"},{"issue":"42","key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"2157","DOI":"10.5712\/rbmfc15(42)2157","article-title":"Urbanorum spp Novo parasita no Brasil","volume":"15","author":"Kruger EMM","year":"2020","journal-title":"Rev Bras Med Fam Comunidade"},{"key":"ref13","first-page":"1","article-title":"A case of Urbanorum spp in a woman from an urban-marginal sector of Ecuador","volume":"24","author":"Peralta RDC","year":"2023","journal-title":"Am J Case Rep"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref14","first-page":"30","article-title":"Identificaci\u00f3n microsc\u00f3pica de un presunto protozoo Urbanorum spp en zona rural del Departamento de Bol\u00edvar, Colombia","volume":"2","author":"Rangel KLD","year":"2022","journal-title":"Magna Sci"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.25060\/residpediatr-2021.v11n1-128","article-title":"Urbanorum spp : first case report in pediatrics in Brazil","volume":"11","author":"Simes AD","year":"2021","journal-title":"Resid\u00eancia Pedi\u00e1trica"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref16","first-page":"3","article-title":"Rev Exp","volume":"3","year":"2017","journal-title":"Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref17","first-page":"5","article-title":"Es Urbanorum spp un par\u00e1sito?","volume":"44","author":"Rivero-Rodr\u00edguez Z","year":"2016","journal-title":"Kasmera"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.3897\/zookeys.1069.67403","article-title":"An annotated checklist of the eukaryotic parasites of humans, exclusive of fungi and algae","volume":"1069","author":"Mathison BA","year":"2021","journal-title":"Zookeys"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref19","first-page":"24","article-title":"Algunas evidencias morfol\u00f3gicas de la naturaleza vegetal de \"Urbanorum spp \" Rev la Fac","volume":"46","author":"Guzm\u00e1n C","year":"2023","journal-title":"Med"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref20","first-page":"316","article-title":"Posicionamento da Sociedade Brasileira de An\u00e1lises Cl\u00ednicas (SBAC) sobre o reporte da estrutura denominada \"Urbanorum spp \" em amostras de fezes - 2021","volume":"53","author":"Poloni JAT","year":"2021","journal-title":"Braz J Clin Anal"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"69","DOI":"10.22354\/24223794.1169","article-title":"Urbanorum a case of scientific negligence","volume":"28","author":"Silva-Ramos CR","year":"2024","journal-title":"Infectio"},{"key":"ref22","article-title":"The evolution of Koch's postulates","author":"Cohen J","year":"2017","journal-title":"Amsterdam"},{"key":"ref23","series-title":"El diagn\u00f3stico directo en parasitolog\u00eda","author":"Carvajal H","year":"1995","edition":"1"},{"key":"ref24","series-title":"Parasites: a guide to laboratory procedures and identification. American Society of Clinical Pathologists","author":"Ash LR","year":"1987"},{"key":"ref25","article-title":"Analisis de orina","author":"Graff L","year":"2007","journal-title":"Panamericana E m\u00e9dica"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref26","first-page":"787","article-title":"Intestinal parasitoses and associated factors in a Brazilian city of German's descendants a population-based study","volume":"68","author":"Helena ETS","year":"2022","journal-title":"Ann Parasitol"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref27","first-page":"67","article-title":"Urbanorum spp \u00bfpar\u00e1sito o artefacto? Reporte del primer caso en Veracruz","volume":"14","author":"Bonilla-Rojas S","year":"2019","journal-title":"Rev Invest Cien Sal"},{"key":"ref28","article-title":"Prevalence of enteric parasitic diseases in children and teenagers attended by social services in Sorocaba - SP","author":"Renosto I","year":"2021","journal-title":"Uning\u00e1 J"},{"issue":"3","key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"35","DOI":"10.24265\/horizmed.2016.v16n3.06","article-title":"Parasitosis intestinal en preescolares y escolares atendidos en el centro m\u00e9dico EsSalud de Celendin, Cajamarca","volume":"16","year":"2016","journal-title":"Horiz Med"},{"issue":"10","key":"ref30","first-page":"30676","article-title":"First reports from Urbanorum spp, meeting in sus patient floes in a private Imperatriz laboratory during 2018","volume":"9","author":"Casarin JN","year":"2019","journal-title":"Int J Dev Res"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijppaw.2013.03.005","article-title":"Ten simple rules for describing a new (parasite) species","volume":"2","author":"Slapeta J","year":"2013","journal-title":"Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl"},{"issue":"6","key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e01902","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.01902-16","article-title":"Rigorous science a how-to guide","volume":"7","author":"Casadevall A","year":"2016","journal-title":"MBio"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e01256","DOI":"10.1128\/mBio.01256-16","article-title":"A framework for improving the quality of research in the biological sciences","volume":"7","author":"Casadevall A","year":"2016","journal-title":"MBio"},{"issue":"5","key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e00286","DOI":"10.1128\/jcm.00286-22","article-title":"Medical parasitology taxonomy update, June 2020-June 2022","volume":"61","author":"Mathison BA","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Clin Microbiol"},{"key":"ref35","article-title":"Disorders of epitelial transport, metabolisms, and digestion in the small intestine","author":"Dalal SR","year":"2022","journal-title":"Oxford"},{"issue":"1-2","key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1016\/j.mce.2012.06.007","article-title":"Regulation of cholesterol homeostasis","volume":"368","year":"2013","journal-title":"Mol Cell Endocrinol"},{"key":"ref37","series-title":"StatPearls","volume-title":"Malabsorption syndromes","author":"Zuvarox T","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"100368","DOI":"10.1016\/j.onehlt.2021.100368","article-title":"Drug resistant parasites and fungi from a one-health perspective a global concern that needs transdisciplinary stewardship programs","volume":"14","author":"Picot S","year":"2022","journal-title":"One Health"},{"issue":"2","key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106502","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijantimicag.2021.106502","article-title":"Effect of antibiotics on the human microbiome a systematic review","volume":"59","year":"2022","journal-title":"Int J Antimicrob Agents"},{"issue":"1","key":"ref40","first-page":"31","article-title":"A worm in the toilet bowl What does it tell us about the challenges in the identification of supposed human parasites in practical parasitology?","volume":"69","author":"Pinto HA","year":"2023","journal-title":"Ann Parasitol"},{"issue":"5","key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"770","DOI":"10.1093\/humrep\/dey056","article-title":"Protect us from poor-quality medical research","volume":"33","author":"Ioannidis JPA","year":"2018","journal-title":"Hum Reprod"},{"issue":"4","key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"607","DOI":"10.1177\/0192623320920209","article-title":"Predatory journals What they are and how to avoid them","volume":"48","author":"Elmore SA","year":"2020","journal-title":"Toxicol Pathol"}],"container-title":["Mem\u00f3rias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"http:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?script=sci_pdf&pid=S0074-02762025000101122&tlng=en","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,5,2]],"date-time":"2025-05-02T11:03:19Z","timestamp":1746183799000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"http:\/\/www.scielo.br\/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0074-02762025000101122&tlng=en"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"references-count":42,"alternative-id":["S0074-02762025000101122"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1590\/0074-02760240144","relation":{},"ISSN":["1678-8060","0074-0276"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1678-8060","type":"electronic"},{"value":"0074-0276","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2025]]},"article-number":"e240144"}}