Helminthologia最新文献

Following the recovery of the metacercariae of a brachylaimid trematode from the rectum of the frog Amnirana galamensis from Ase in Delta State, Nigeria, we investigated the land snails in the locality to establish their roles in the life cycle of the parasite. Of the four land snails investigated from Ase (Limicolaria aurora, Archachatina marginata, A. papyracea, and Thapsia oscitans), and a Limicolaria sp. from Tombia (Bayelsa State), four harboured larval stages of the bracylaimid. Only L. aurora and the Limicolaria sp. harboured cercariogenous sporocysts and are therefore presumed to serve as the first intermediate hosts of the parasite. Metacercariae were recovered from the Limicolaria spp. and the Archachatina spp. and so serve as the second intermediate hosts. No larval brachylaimids were recovered from T. oscitans. Metacercariae from L. aurora and A. papyracea were cultured in vivo in 14 days old chicks of Gallus gallus domesticus. Parasites recovered from the experimental hosts 7, 14, 21 and 28 days post-infection, showed progressive development of the parasite with the full maturity attained by the 28^th day post-infection. Adult parasites recovered from the experimental birds and from free range chicken purchased from Ase and Tombia showed that the brachylaimid infecting these birds was Postharmostomum ntowi, a parasite previously reported in domestic chicken in Ghana. There is need to investigate the host range of the parasite in Nigeria as this trematode is also known to infect the Guinea fowl in Ghana.

Cooks have an important role in the dissemination and transmission of enteropathogenic microorganisms, including intestinal parasites such as Blastocystis sp. responsible for blastocystosis. Blastocystis is a unicellular, anaerobic, eukaryotic protist that colonizes the intestinal tract of many hosts. It is the most common parasite found in human stool. It can be the cause of acute digestive disorders which could lead to chronic syndromes such as irritable bowel syndrome. The aim of the present study is to determine the prevalence of this protozoan in cooks in the Fez-Meknes region. This is a retrospective descriptive analytical study carried out in the Parasitology-Mycology laboratory of the Moulay Ismail Military Hospital in Meknes. Out of a total of 200 parasitological examinations of cooks' stools, 88 (44 %) cases were positive for intestinal parasites. Blastocystis sp. is the most frequently encountered protozoan in our study. It represents 39.78 % of those infected. It is associated in 48.57 % of cases with another intestinal parasite. Dientamoeba fragilis (D. fragilis) is the most found in 31.43 % of co-infections, respectively followed by Entamoeba coli (E. coli) (8.57 %), Endolimax nana (E. nana) (5.71 %) and Pseudolimax boutschlii (P. boutschlii) (2.86 %). Our results showed a high prevalence of Blastocystis sp. in the kitchen staff population. These workers must be considered as reservoirs of this microorganism, and therefore a source of infection in those around them. Consequently, preventive measures are necessary, including raising awareness among this population in order to effectively fight against the infestation by this protozoan in particular and other parasites in general.

Gnathostomiasis in humans is acquired by consumption of any infected second intermediate host or paratenic host. This includes amphibians, snakes and poultry as well as fish. In this work we report for the first time in Mexico the presence of an AdvL₃ of Gnathostoma turgidum in the musculature of a wild fish (Gobiomorus dormitor, which also acts as intermediate host for the larvae of G. binucleatum and G. lamothei), from the Papaloapan River, Veracruz; previously, larvae of G. turgidum had only been recorded in amphibians in Mexico and in wild swamp eels from Tampa, Florida, USA. The larva found is extremely small (approximately 1,500 by 140 microns in length and width, respectively), and was obtained by artificial digestion with pepsin after examining the musculature against the light between two glass plates, a method by which it went unnoticed. Our finding of an AdvL₃ in this fish, together with a previous molecular phylogenetic analysis revealing that the five species involved in human infections do not nest in the same clade, suggest that all species in the genus are potentially zoonotic. In this context, we strongly recommend the identification of larvae extracted from human patients at specific level, in order to know the role played by the 3 species distributed in Mexico in human cases of gnathostomiasis.

This paper aims to describe the natural infection with Dirofilaria immitis in Nasua narica (white-nosed coati) from Yucatán, Mexico. Two carcasses of N. narica were collected on a highway that crosses through a dense forest with patches used for agriculture and livestock activities. We performed necropsies, and two female adult nematode parasites from the heart of one specimen were collected and preserved for their molecular identification using a conventional PCR directed at a fragment of the small subunit (18S) ribosomal RNA (18S-rRNA) gene. Bioinformatic analysis showed a similarity of 99 % with three sequences from D. immitis (two from Japan). Additionally, we performed a phylogenetic tree with the recovered sequence. All these analyses showed that D. immitis is present in N. narica from Mexico. The transmission of D. immitis toward populations of Nasua sp. may be due to indirect and accidental contact with domestic dogs or wild canids that share the same environment.

Echinococcosis disease shows clinical signs similar to many diseases. Hence we report cases that need to be confirmed using appropriate tests. A confirmatory study has been conducted to assess the accuracy of two cytopathological tests, with the histopathology test as the reference standard. The first cytopathological test evaluates the Ziehl Neelsen staining with an epifluorescence microscope (cytopath 1). The second cytopathological test uses the same staining followed by a transmitted light microscope examination (cytopath 2). Of a total of 2524 inspected pigs, 101 suspected cases of echinococcosis were detected, of which 67 were found positive with the two cytopathological tests and the histopathological one. The specificity of cytopath 1 (100 % [95 % CI 100 - 100]) and cytopath 2 (100 % [95 % CI 100;100]) were similar, as well as their respective positive predictive values: 100 % [95 % CI 100 - 100] vs. 100 % [95 % CI 100 - 100]. The sensitivity of cytopath 1 is 79.66 % [95 % CI 69.39 - 89.93], while cytopath 2 equals 66.10 % [95 % CI 54.02 - 78.18]. The difference in sensitivity of both tests was not significant. Negative predictive values found for cytopath 1, and cytopath 2 were 40 [95 % CI 18.53 - 61.47] and 28.57 [95 % CI 11.84 - 45.3], leading to the Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) Model estimate for an odds ratio of 1.4 [95 % CI 0.41 - 5.2], p = 0.06. Cytopath 1 and cytopath 2 are equivalent in terms of specificity (100 % [95 % CI 100 - 100] vs. 100 % [95 % CI 100;100]) and positive predictive value (100 % [95 % CI 100 - 100]. Cytopath 1 is more sensitive than cytopath 2 but not significant (79.66 % [ 95 % CI 69.39 - 89.93] vs. 66.10 % [95 % CI 54.02 - 78.18]). However, the negative predictive value of cytopath 1 is better than that of cytopath 2: 40 % [95 % CI 18.53 - 61.47] vs. 28.57 % [95 % CI 11.84 - 45.3].

Mullus barbatus and Mullus surmuletus (Perciformes, Mullidae) are a common marine teleost of great commercial importance in many coastal areas. We studied the communities of Digenea species in two congeneric Mullidae hosts collected on the Algerian coast in the southern Mediterranean. Five hundred and seven M. barbatus and one hundred and twenty-three M. surmuletus were examined. During this work, we collected six species of parasitic Digenea which are related to five different families: Hemiuridae represented by Lecithocladium excisum, Fellodistomidae by Proctoeces maculatus and which is reported only from M. surmuletus, Derogenidae by Derogenes latus, Monorchiidae by Proctotrema bacilliovatum and finally Opecoelidae represented by two species Opecoeloides furcatus and Poracanthium furcatum. A critical systematic study revealed an apparent overlap in morphometric data of the six Digenean species from two host fishes. Therefore, the two mullet species are likely to share the same parasite community, and the stenoxenic specificity of Digenean parasites is briefly argued. Prevalence values showed that in the midst of six hundred and thirty Mullidae, one hundred and ninety-six are parasitized (31.11 %). Statistical tests showed that the most parasitized fish hosts are M. surmuletus with a high prevalence value (47.15 %), and on the other hand, they proved that small fish are more parasitized than others. Also, the lack of homogeneity between the different parasites is reported. We also note that the use of factorial correspondence analysis (FCA) allowed us, for the first time to highlight the distribution of the parasite species identified in the two mullets according to the seasons.

This study was aimed to determine the prevalence of Toxocara canis/cati, Strongyloides stercoralis, Giardia spp., and Cryptosporidium spp., which occur and are potentially zoonotic to humans in domestic dogs and cats in Moscow (Russia). The fecal flotation method and larvae detection by microscopy of a direct feces smear were performed to detect Toxocara, Giardia spp., and Cryptosporidium spp. The total parasitic prevalence in dogs was as follows: Giardia spp.: 10.2 % (226/2208), Cryptosporidium spp.: 2.7 % (60/2208), T. canis: 2 % (45/2208), S. stercoralis larvae: 1.1 % (25/2208). The younger animals under were infected more than those over 12 months of age (p<0.001). The preva lence rates were along these lines: Giardia spp. (18.2 %), Cryptosporidium spp. (5.7 %), T.canis (3 %), S. stercoralis larvae (2.3 %). The overall prevalence in cats was as follows: Giardia spp. - 5.2 % (71/1350), Cryptosporidium spp. - 4.8 % (65/1350), T. cati - 4.1 % (56/1350). Similarly to dogs, the infection rates were higher in cats under 12 months of age Giardia spp. (8.2 %), Cryptosporidium spp. (8.6 %), T. cati (7.5 %. Analysis of combined infections in dogs revealed the following combinations: Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (35.5 %) larvae of S. stercoralis sp. and Giardia spp. (32.3 %), T.canis and Giardia spp. (22.6 %), T.canis and Cryptosporidium spp. (6.6 %), T.canis and S.stercoralis and (3.2 %), respectively. In cats, only two coinfections by Giardia spp. and Cryptosporidium spp. (58.3 %), and T.cati with Giardia spp. (41.7 %) were noticed. Further research is needed to study the spread of parasitic diseases in pet animals. The data will improve countermeasures to prevent these diseases' spread among animals and humans.

We describe a population of the acanthocephalan Corynosoma australe Johnston, 1937 (Polymorphidae) from a California sea lion Zalophus californianus (Lesson, 1828) in California using novel scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images, Energy Dispersive x-ray analysis (EDXA), and molecular analysis for the first time. The taxonomic history of C. australe is replete with accounts using only line drawings some of which proved erroneous. The distribution of ventral spines on the female trunk has been the primary distinction between C. australe and Corynosoma obtuscens Lincicome, 1943, its junior synonym; being continuous in the latter but discontinuous posteriorly in the former species. The distribution of ventral spines is invariably discontinuous in males. Our redescription and SEM images help to resolve this issue further validating the synonymy. Morphological variability has been documented between our California population and others from various host species in California, South Australia, South Shetlands, and the Argentinian coast. Our SEM images document features not previously detectable in line drawings, erroneously reported or missed in previous accounts. The EDXA spectra show high levels of calcium and phosphorous and low levels of sulfur characteristic of C. australe. EDXA for other species of Corynosoma Lühe, 1904 provide support for the diagnostic distinction of C. australe. EDXA spectra were shown to be species specific and have diagnostic value in the taxonomy of the Acanthocephala. Our molecular analysis used amplification of 18S of ribosomal DNA and cytochrome c oxidase 1 (Cox1) gene. Phylogenetic analyses for Cox1 gene revealed a close relationship between Corynosoma hannae Zdzitowiecki, 1984 and C. australe. The phylogenetic trees confirmed that the isolates belonged to C. australe. The haplotype network inferred by Cox1 with C. australe sequences revealed that haplotypes clearly separated from each other and formed clusters related to samples from the Northern Hemisphere (the USA and Mexico), and the second from the Southern Hemisphere (Argentina, Brazil and Peru).

There were two most found genera of plant parasitic nematodes from garlic plantation in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia which suffered losses due to bulb rot, Aphelenchoides and Helicotylenchus. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was conducted using a pair of universal nematode primer (D2A/D3B) to determine the Aphelenchoides and Helicotylenchus species from those host. Both genera were amplified at ~780 bp. The Blast-N results for the Aphelenchoides showed high identity to Aphelenchoides varicaudatus from Yunnan China (HQ283353) with 99.47 % identity, while the Helicotylenchus showed 95.22 % identity to Helicotylenchus erythrinae from Colombia (MT321739). From morphological and molecular data, we confirm that the Aphelenchoides species is A. varicaudatus. Based on female morphological character, Helicotylenchus species refers to H. erythrinae. Which is also supported by its nucleotide alignment which has same region character as H. erythrinae (MT321739). This is the first report of molecular characterization of H. erythrinae in Indonesia.

A cross-sectional survey of Schistosoma haematobium prevalence was conducted among senior primary school pupils of Siphofaneni area, Eswatini. This area is devoid of potable water, with a newly constructed Lubovane dam and an LUSIP irrigation scheme. The objective of the study was to investigate the distribution of urinary schistosomiasis among Siphofaneni senior primary school pupils. Using simple random sampling, 200 partcipants were enroled from four of six schools in the area. Ten millimetres (10 ml) of urine samples were obtained from each participant and examined for S. haematobium eggs. The intensity of the infection was estimated by calculating the total number of S. haematobium eggs present in 10 ml urine. Out of 200 participants, 45% (n = 91) were males, and 55% (n = 109) were females. The mean age for participants was 13 years, and almost half (47%, n = 94) were in Grade 5. Overall, the prevalence of S. haematobium infection was 16% (32/200). More than half (59%, 19/32) of the Schistosomiasis cases were from females. Positive and significant associations were observed between the number of eggs (χ²=170.9) and the presence of red blood cells (χ²=49.2) at p = 0.001. In conclusion, the prevalence of Schistosomiasis is high among pupils enrolled in Siphofaneni area primary schools that needs comprehensive treatment and education to prevent from S. haematobium infection.