Helminthologia最新文献

The systematic position of Quentinia mesovitellinica (Rêgo, 1967) (Cestoda, Cyclophyllidea) from the hystricomorph rodent Galea spixii (Wagler) (Caviidae) in Brazil is reevaluated based on published information. Quentinia mesovitellinica is generally thought to belong to the family Catenotaeniidae, being thus the only catenotaeniid cestode parasitizing hystricomorph rodents and also the only catenotaeniid in South America. However, the present study shows that Q. mesovitellinica differs fundamentally from Catenotaenia Janicki, 1904 sensu lato and other catenotaeniids with respect to several morphologic features, but shares these features with Monoecocestus Beddard, 1914 sensu Beveridge (1994), a genus in the family Anoplocephalidae sensu stricto (i.e. sensu Spasskii, 1951). However, Q. mesovitellinica is not assigned here to Monoecocestus, because the latter is a morphologically heterogeneous genus and will probably be split when subjected to a comprehensive phylogenetic and taxonomic analysis. Instead, Quentinia Spasskii, 1969 is considered a valid genus in the family Anoplocephalidae s. s. The morphologically closely related Monoecocestus eljefe Haverkost & Gardner, 2010 from Galea musteloides Meyen in Bolivia is assigned to Quentinia as Q. eljefe (Haverkost & Gardner, 2010) n. comb. An amended diagnosis is provided for Quentinia.

Oxyuriasis, caused by the nematode Enterobius vermicularis, is one of the cosmopolitan intestinal infections of humans. Aspiculuris tetraptera commonly infects mice and it is morphologically similar to E. vermicularis. Parasitic resistance reduces the efficiency of synthetic drugs and poses economic impacts on the dairy sector, thus necessitating novel anthelmintic agents. Olea europaea L. (Olive) is a bioactive plant with potent pharmacological activities. However, its effects on oxyurids are poorly known, and no studies are currently exploring olives' anthelmintic potential. In this study, we investigated the pharmacokinetic behaviors of O. europaea leaves extract (OLE) and its phenolic compound oleuropein in mice infected with A. tetraptera, in comparison with Albendazole (ABZ), a standard drug used to treat parasitic worms. Fecal flotation method was used to identify the infestation with A. tetraptera eggs by examining the stool samples from mice. Infected animals were divided into 7 groups. 250 mg/kg, 500 mg/kg, and 1000 mg/kg doses of OLE, 5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg doses of oleuropein, 10 mg/kg of ABZ and tap water were orally administered by gavage for 7 days during treatments. Drug efficacies and statistical differences between the treatments and controls were evaluated. Our results revealed 92.43 % efficacy of ABZ, similar to 92.19 % efficacy of 1000 mg/kg of OLE. At the same time, 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg concentrations of OLE remained 70.03 % and 63.18 % effective in reducing worm counts. Efficacy percentages of 5 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg of oleuropein were 9.27 % and 70.56 %, respectively. Statistical analysis of ABZ was significant compared to 1000 mg/kg of OLE, which was almost equal but insignificant. In general, our results confirm the anthelmintic potential of OLE and oleuropein against mice pinworms and open the way for targeted extraction of bioactive compounds from plants to optimize its use in human and veterinary medicine.

A species of predatory nematode, Mylonchulus sigmaturus Cobb, 1917, was recovered around the soil and roots of banana plants (Musa paradisiaca) from four different localities of Pakistan. The male of this species represents a new record from Pakistan. Morphological and morphometric data of the species have been contributed along with the molecular study. The phylogenetic analysis using 18S rDNA placed the Pakistani populations of M. sigmaturus with the same species in a clade with 100 posterior probabilities. The first input of 28S rDNA data placed Pakistani M. sigmaturus in a separate clade with 100 posterior probability support, however close with Prionchulus punctatus (Cobb, 1917) Andrássy, 1958 and Clarkus papillatus (Bastian, 1865) Jairajpuri, 1970.

This article reports the first occurrence of Rhytidodes gelatinosus (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1901 (Digenea: Rhytidodidae) in the olive-ridley turtle Lepidochelys olivacea (Testudines: Chelonidae), in an individual found in the State of Sergipe, Brazil. Although R. gelatinosus has already been described in other species of sea turtles in the world, this is the first report of this parasite in L. olivacea. We also present a list of hosts and locations where this helminth has already been identified.

Background: Intestinal parasitic infections in pregnant women have been associated with severe adverse outcomes such as anemia, low birth weight, and mother and fetus morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitic infection and its associated risk factors among pregnant women in Taiz, Yemen.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted between July 2022 and January 2023. Sociodemographic and other explanatory variables were obtained via face-to-face interviews using a structured questionnaire. The wet-mount and formol-ether concentration techniques were applied to identify the IPIs. Data were analyzed using SPSS, version 20, and p-values < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. An analysis of descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression was conducted. A p-value < 0.05 was deemed statistically significant. The study included a total of 393 pregnant women.

Results: Of the 393 pregnant women screened for intestinal parasites, 144 (36.6 %) had at least one parasite. The most common intestinal parasite was Giardia lamblia (12.2 %), followed by Ascaris lumbricoides (10.9 %), Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (7.4 %), Enterobius vermicularis (14.3 %), and Hymenolepis nana (1.8 %). Being a farmer (AOR = 2.7, 95% CI: 1.69-4.26, p = 0:003) and drinking from unsafe water wells, streams, rain, and dams (AOR = 2:6, 95% CI: 1.68-4.25, p ≤ 0:001) were significantly associated with IPIs.

Conclusion: Pregnant women in the study area still face a severe health burden due to intestinal parasitic infection. Therefore, it is recommended that health education should be improved, and safe tap water should be provided to pregnant women to reduce the incidence of IPIs.

Conservative treatment of human hydatidosis (cystic echinococcosis) with albendazole has improved significantly the prognosis of the disease. But its therapeutic effectiveness is 30 - 70 %. There is some evidence that the effectiveness of albendazole can be enhanced by praziquantel but there is no strict recommendation for the use of praziquantel as part of long-term drug therapy for hydatidosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the combination of albendazole and praziquantel in patients with hepatic and/or pulmonary hydatidosis. A total of 20 patients (aged 12 - 70 years old) were included in the study for a 5-year period. Fourteen patients (70 %) were with hepatic hydatidosis, 4 (20 %) with pulmonary and 2 (10 %) with hepatic and pulmonary hydatidosis. They were treated with albendazole (15 mg/kg/day) and praziquantel (40 mg/kg/weekly) for 2 - 9 one-month courses. The result of the therapy was followed using imaging (abdominal ultrasound, lung radiography, computed tomography) and serology. Seventeen (85 %) out of 20 patients showed evidence of response on imaging defined as improvement or cure of hydatid cysts. Seven (35 %) of the patients with multiple cystic echinococcosis took praziquantel once a week for 6 months. Only 3 patients (15 %) with multiple hydatidosis (2 with liver and 1 with pulmonary hydatidosis) failed to respond to the therapy with both drugs. No side effects have been reported by the patients. The combination of albendazole and praziquantel seems to be an option to improve the therapeutic effectiveness of the conservative treatment of cystic echinococcosis.

Fluorescent light-up aptamer (FLAP) systems are promising biosensing platforms that can be genetically encoded. Here, we describe how a single FLAP that works with specific organic ligands can detect multiple, structurally unique, non-fluorogenic, and reactive inorganic targets. We developed 4-O-functionalized benzylidene imidazolinones as pre-ligands with suppressed fluorescent binding interactions with the RNA aptamer Baby Spinach. Inorganic targets, hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) or hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂), can specifically convert these pre-ligands into the native benzylidene imidazolinones, and thus be detected with Baby Spinach. Adaptation of this approach to live cells opened a new opportunity for top-down construction of whole-cell sensors: Escherichia coli transformed with a Baby Spinach-encoding plasmid and incubated with pre-ligands generated fluorescence in response to exogenous H₂S or H₂O₂. Our approach eliminates the requirement of in vitro selection of a new aptamer sequence for molecular target detection, allows for the detection of short-lived targets, thereby advancing FLAP systems beyond their current capabilities. Leveraging the functional group reactivity of small molecules can lead to cell-based sensors for inorganic molecular targets, exploiting a new synergism between synthetic organic chemistry and synthetic biology.

The wild cat (Felis silvestris), spread in Romania from the Danube Delta to the mountain range is present in the Banat area, on the hunting ground that can be contaminated with different stage developmental forms of parasites, some of them having real zoonotic potential. The wild cat is an animal protected by the Romanian law of protection animals. Coprological samples from 88 wild cats from 16 hunting grounds, as well as the gastrointestinal tract collected from six wild cats cadavers and the molecular characterization of the cestodes identified in their intestines, allowed us to establish intestinal parasitic fauna. During coprological examination Isospora oocysts, tapeworm eggs, eggs of Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma spp. and Capillaria spp were found. At the same time, the form of genera Mesocestoides, Taenia, Toxocara/Toxascaris and Ancylostoma were identified at necropsy. Further polymerase chain reaction (PCR) identification revealed the species of Taenia taenieformis, and Mesocestoides litteratus, the latter providing a zoonotic potential. This study, the first in the western part of the country (Banat area, Timis County), provides information about the parasitic fauna of wild cats and underlines the importance of the human contamination risk.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are important nematode pests, causing huge economic losses on vegetable crops worldwide. A decline in the yield of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.) which was associated with RKNs was observed on an organic vegetable farm in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. Nematodes were extracted from galled plant roots and identified using molecular tools. PCR-based Sequence Characterised Amplified Region (SCAR) primers was used to confirm the specie of the RKN associated with the infected plants. Thereafter, a pot assay was conducted to determine the response of artificially infected Swiss chard plants to varying concentrations of bio-synthesized silver nanoparticle Ag-NP (1 μg/mL, 2 μg/mL, and 3 μg/mL) under controlled conditions. The results of the study showed that Swiss chard is highly susceptible to M. javanica with an egg-laying-female index of >5 in all infected plants. Significantly lower values (at P=0.05) in egg masses (EM), juveniles (J2s), and reproduction factor (RF) of nematodes were recorded on plants treated with 3 μg/mL, indicating a potential for nematode control. A negative correlation was also observed in the number of egg masses, J2s, and RF of the nematodes with increasing concentrations of the Ag-NP. This study confirms that Swiss chard is highly susceptible to M. javanica and demonstrates the potential nematicidal property of Ag-NP in controlling the nematode pest of Swiss chard.

The present study was conducted in the isolated desert town of Oranjemund in the far south of Namibia. It is an extremely arid region where no livestock husbandry is practiced and only animals adapted to the desert can be found. However, in and around the city, artificial irrigation maintains lush green patches of grass that attract wild animals, in particular oryx antelopes (Oryx gazella). In 2015 four oryx antelopes were euthanised due to poor conditions and a post-mortem examination was conducted. Two were found positive for cystic echinococcosis and 16 cysts were collected for molecular analyses. In addition, faecal samples from black-backed jackals (n=5) and domestic dogs (n=9), which were regularly observed to feed on oryx carcasses, were collected and taeniid eggs isolated. Parasite species identification of the cysts and eggs was done by amplifying and sequencing the mitochondrial nad1 gene. Both oryx antelopes were found infected with E. ortleppi and one co-infected with E. canadensis G6/7. Both Echinococcus species were able to develop fertile cysts in oryx, making oryx antelopes competent hosts for these parasites. Therefore, the analysis of faecal samples was of high interest and although the numbers were quite small, taeniid eggs were found in three out of five faecal samples of jackals and in all nine dog samples. However, species determination was only successful with two jackal and one dog sample. All three were positive for E. canadensis G6/7. The absence of E. ortleppi may be due to the low number of faecal samples examined. In our small study, we discovered a rather unique lifecycle of Echinococcus spp. between jackals and domestic dogs as definitive hosts and oryx antelopes as intermediate hosts. Here, the presence of E. canadensis G6/7 is of particular concern, as it is the second most important causative agent of CE in humans.