Annals of parasitology最新文献

Capelin Mallotus villosus, a representative of the Osmeridae, is a common species found in the North Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic Ocean. Being one of the main components of the diet of various fish species, it plays an important role in the circulation of different parasite species, including the nematodes of the Anisakidae. Capelin is also extensively caught and used for human food, and has become increasingly available to consumers in Poland. Thirty six capelin specimens, smoked fish bought at a store in Gdynia, were examined for the presence of Anisakidae. Ten specimens of nematode (Anisakis simplex, Contracaecum sp.) were found in eight fish. The overall prevalence for the fish was 22.2%, with a mean intensity of 1.3 (range 1-3). Despite its widespread acquisition and use, capelin has been the subject of few parasitological analyses. Our findings indicate that it is a typical host of Anisakidae nematodes, a species of great zoonotic importance. While dead nematode specimens found in smoked fish do not pose a direct threat to humans as parasites per se, they can cause food allergies. It seems, therefore, that fish intended for consumption should be the subject of constant parasitological monitoring, linked to food quality control.

Skrjabinodon castillensis is mentioned and illustrated here, based on specimens found in the large intestines of Liolaemus gracielae (Squamata: Liolaemidae) collected in San Juan province, Argentina. The species found is assigned to Skrjabinodon based lateral alae present in males. Lateral alae beginning midway between lips and nerve ring and ending just posterior to first pair of caudal papillae. In males, caudal alae absent, paired caudal papillae present. The species recorded in this study differs from all other species assigned to Skrjabinodon by morphology and number of tail filament spines. Skrjabinodon castillensis is the ninth species from the Neotropical realm and the only species of this genus known from Argentina.

Medicinal leeches are used for therapeutic purposes in the prevention and treatment of many diseases. Because they have a large amount of biologically active substances in their body. Each of these substances has many therapeutic effects. In natural conditions, they are mostly are fed of blood by wild animals. In laboratory conditions, the blood of domestic animals is mostly used.  Currently, medicinal leeches are mostly bred in laboratory conditions. Because there are very few of them in nature. They are listed in the Red Book. Scientists of various specialties are looking  for optimal conditions for their life and breeding. That became our research goal. To identify the influence of blood human, domestic animals (pigs and chickens) and small laboratory animals (rats) on the viability and behavior of medicinal leeches Hirudo verbana Carena, 1820 and Hirudo orientalis Utevsky & Trontelj, 2005. According to this, 8 groups of sexually mature animals were formed: 1 and 2 - human blood; 3, 4 - blood of a domestic pig; 5, 6 - blood of domestic chickens; 7, 8 - blood of a non-linear laboratory rat. As a result of the study, it was found that the blood of pigs and chickens is the most suitable for feeding the medical leech for normal life and behavior. Mortality of leeches was observed when feeding on rat and human blood. It should be noted that at the beginning of feeding animals with blood human. The percentage of cannibalism in animals increased.

Schistosomiasis is a common neglected helminthic disease in the tropics and sub-tropics particularly in sub-Saharan countries including Burkina Faso. It is the second world parasitic endemic disease after malaria. The two prevalent species infecting human in Burkina Faso are are Schistosoma haematobium and Schistosoma mansoni which cause respectively the urogenital schistosomiasis and the intestinal schistosomiasis. This review aimed at providing an historical perspective of research on schistosomiasis from 1960 to 2020 and shedding some light on the gaps in knowledge useful for the disease control and the elimination efforts in Burkina Faso. Formal systematic review was not followed for this review. Published studies on the schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso over the period from 1960 to 2020, were search in Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, EMBASE and the libraries of main universities in Burkina Faso namely: Joseph KI-ZERBO University and Nazi BONI University. The following key words used were: Schistosomiasis, Bilharzia, Bulinus, Biomphalaria, Upper-Volta and Burkina Faso. Over a period of 60 years, a total of 87 scientific research documents were identified. The original scientific research articles represent the majority of the scientific documents found (65.52%). Urinary schistosomiasis was the most common from the documentation. There has been a gradual decrease in the prevalence, more significantly since the implementation of the National Schistosomiasis Control Program (NSCP). The effectiveness of the NSCP could therefore contribute to the elimination of schistosomiasis in Burkina Faso.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), a live attenuated strain derived from an isolate of Mycobacterium bovis, is one of the childhood vaccinations widely used against tuberculosis (TB). In addition to its effects on mycobacterial diseases, the information has shown the protection effect of BCG in helminthic diseases. In the current review, the role of BCG vaccine in non-specific protection helminthic infection is reviewed. In human alveolar echinococcosis (AE), treatment with BCG enhances host's innate immune response against the parasite via the number and activation of monocytes. In cysticercosis, despite the enhancement of Th1-biased immune responses by coadministration of rcC1 plus BCG-DNA, the level of induced protection did not increase compared to immunization with rcC1 antigen alone. Also, pretreatment of mice with live BCG vaccine induced a high level of protection against subsequent parasite infection with Taenia taeniaeformis. The reduction of the parasite burden in mice infected with Mesocestoides corti that received two doses of BCG post-infection demonstrated the therapeutic effect of BCG. The protective potential of the schistosomula/BCG vaccine against Schistosoma japonicum in sheep study showed a reduction in the number of adult worms and mean faecal egg counts post-challenge. In trichinellosis, BCG can induce hyperplasia of the reticuloendothelial system and activation of macrophages in mice. Therefore, these data revealed that BCG vaccination can exert non-specific protective effects for the prevention of diseases other than tuberculosis. Medicinal doses of BCG may be considered a new approach to the treatment of helminth infections.