Little is known of the prevalence and genetic identity of Giardia duodenalis in sheep in Algeria. The present study aimed at characterizing G. duodenalis in lambs up to 6 months of age in Djelfa, Algeria. A total of 346 fecal specimens were collected from 28 farms and screened for G. duodenalis cysts by zinc sulfate flotation microscopy, and positive specimens were confirmed using a direct immunofluorescence

Significant advances have occurred in the area of high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (SEM), especially related to methodologies that allow the observation of intracellular structures that are exposed either by successive abrasion with a gallium ion beam or by sectioning in epoxy-embedded cells. Images of series of successively exposed surfaces can then be rendered into 3D models. Here, we

Entomopathogenic fungi of the genus Beauveria and Metarhizium play an important role in controlling the population of arthropods. However, the data on their effectiveness against ticks focus mainly on species that do not occur in Europe. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of entomopathogenic fungi against two of the most important tick species in Europe: Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor

In the current study, Myxobolus episquamalis Egusa, Maeno & Sorimachi, 1990 (Myxozoa: Bivalvulida) is reported from the Lebranche mullet Mugil liza Valenciennes, 1836 in the estuarine region of the Maricá Lagoon, State of the Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. To date, this myxozoan species was reported in mullets from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Oceania. The characteristics of M. episquamalis previously

Anisakid nematode larvae occur frequently in the liver of Atlantic cod, but merely few infection data from cod in waters around Greenland exist. The present study reports the occurrence of third-stage anisakid larvae in the livers of 200 Atlantic cod caught on fishing grounds along the West coast of Greenland (fjord systems of Maniitsoq) in May, June, August and September 2017. Classical and molecular

Balantioides coli (syn. Balantidium coli) is an important zoonotic but usually neglected protozoa infecting human and a great number of animals, and the pig was considered to be the most important natural host and reservoir. However, no information about the infection of B. coli in pigs in northwestern China was available. In the present study, the prevalence and genetic diversity of B. coli in pigs

The field strain of Haemonchus contortus has a long history of anthelmintic resistance. To understand this phenomenon, the benzimidazole resistance profile was characterized from the Malaysian field-resistant strain by integrating phenotypic, genotypic and proteomic approaches. The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) demonstrated that benzimidazole resistance was at a critical level in the studied

The genetic structure of natural populations offers insight into the complexities of their dynamics, information that can be relevant to vector control strategies. Microsatellites are useful neutral markers to investigate the genetic structure and gene flow in Triatoma infestans, one of the main vectors of Chagas disease in South America. Recently, a heterogeneous pyrethroid-resistant hotspot was found

Equine piroplasmosis (EP) is an infectious, tick-borne disease caused by the hemoprotozoan parasites, Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, and a recently reported new species, T. haneyi. Infections by these apicomplexan parasites limit performance and cause economic losses for the horse industry. Equine piroplasmosis is widespread in the northern regions of Nigeria, where an increasing portion of the animal

Recent studies have described Spirocerca lupi-like nematodes in the stomach of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in Europe. A phylogenetic analysis of those specimens using mitochondrial DNA and their morphological reexamination allowed their characterization as a different species, Spirocerca vulpis. Between the years of 2010 and 2017, roundworms were collected from seven red foxes of northeastern Portugal

Intestinal parasitic infections (IPIs) can be a severe threat to immunocompromised patients. This is particularly true for those undergoing chemotherapy and hemodialysis. The present research is aimed at identifying intestinal parasites that might be present in immunocompromised patients. In this cross-sectional study 1040 stool samples were collected from March to September 2017. Six hundred and forty-one

The hypersaline lagoons located in evaporation basins or salars (salt flats) in the Atacama Desert are extreme environments harbouring a specialised biota able to survive harsh conditions for life. The knowledge of the parasitic biodiversity of these extreme habitats is still scarce despite their functional importance in regulating relevant non-economic services like habitats of waterbirds. The present

The global challenge to the treatment of malaria is mainly the occurrence of resistance of malaria parasites to conventionally used antimalarials. Artesunate, a semisynthetic artemisinin compound, and other artemisinin derivatives are currently used in combination with selected active antimalarial drugs in order to prevent or delay the emergence of resistance to artemisinin derivatives. Several methods

Spirocerca vulpis is a parasitic nematode of red foxes associated with gastric nodule formation. Since its description in 2018, this species has been reported in red foxes from Spain, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy, and Portugal. We present here the analysis of uncharacterized nematodes obtained from gastric nodules of a red fox from Switzerland in 1999. The specimens were identified as S. vulpis based

The first case of feline ocular Thelazia callipaeda infection and two new canine imported infections in West Germany are here described. The three animals had a history of recent travel to/from other countries. The young adult cat imported from Spain presented an intermittent unilateral ocular discharge. During in-depth ophthalmic examination, a single alive nematode was removed from the conjunctival

Coccidian parasites possess complex life cycles involving asexual proliferation followed by sexual development leading to the production of oocysts. Coccidian oocysts are persistent stages which are secreted by the feces and transmitted from host to host guaranteeing life cycle progression and disease transmission. The robust bilayered oocyst wall is formed from the contents of two organelles, the

The parasite-vector interaction of Chagas disease is still poorly understood and the understanding of this relationship can help in the development of new strategies to control Trypanosoma cruzi transmission, which is the etiological agent of this disease. Considering the need to know if T. cruzi can cause some pathology in the reproductive system of the Chagas disease vectors, we investigated the

Amebiasis is a worldwide parasitic zoonosis, with symptoms of abdominal discomfort, indigestion, diarrhea, and even death. However, limited information about the prevalence of Entamoeba spp. in experimental nonhuman primates (NHPs) in southwestern China is available. The objective of the current study was to investigate the frequency and species identity of Entamoeba to evaluate potential zoonotic

Echinostomes are a diverse group of digenetic trematodes that are difficult to classify by predominantly traditional techniques and contain many cryptic species. Application of contemporary genetic/molecular markers can provide an alternative choice for comprehensive classification or systematic analysis. In this study, we successfully characterized the intron 5 of domain 1 of the taurocyamine kinase

The cattle tick Rhipicephalus microplus has a large impact on cattle production due to its bloodsucking habit and transmission of pathogens that cause babesiosis and anaplasmosis. Application of acaricides constitutes the major control method but is often accompanied by serious drawbacks, including environmental contamination and an increase in acaricide resistance by ticks. The recent development

Zygocotyle lunata inhabits the caecum of birds and mammals from the American continent. This amphistome parasite is easily maintained in the laboratory and serves as a model organism in life-cycle studies, but it has seldom been studied using molecular data. Neither the position of Z. lunata in the superfamily Paramphistomoidea nor the monophyly of the Zygocotylidae has been evaluated with molecular

Human cercarial dermatitis is a parasitic disease that causes an allergic reaction in the skin (swimmer’s itch) as a consequence of contact with cercariae of bird schistosomes present in water, mainly of the genus Trichobilharzia Skrjabin et Zakarow, 1920. The main objective of the study was to confirm the presence of the zoonotic disease agent following reports of human infections in recreational

This study investigated the role of PI3K/Akt signaling pathway on host cell apoptosis in the early infection of Eimeria tenella. Chicken cecal epithelial cells were treated with apoptosis-inducer Actinomycin D (Act D) or PI3K/Akt signaling pathway inhibitor LY294002 and then infected with E. tenella. Results demonstrated that the E. tenella-infected group had less apoptosis 4–8 h after the infection

The molecular prevalence and genotypes of Giardia duodenalis in cattle were investigated. A total of 450 fecal samples were collected from cattle in three provinces of Central Anatolia from August 2017 to July 2019. Genomic DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and used in molecular analysis carried out by nested PCR analyses of the β-giardin (bg) gene of G. duodenalis. Positive samples were further

Strongylida are gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) of greatest importance in small ruminants throughout the world. Differences in resistance and resilience to GIN among goat breeds were reported. This study aims to investigate the mechanism underlying the breed-associated differences using a cosmopolitan (Alpine, AB) and an autochthonous (Nera di Verzasca, NV) goat breed. At first, fifteen goats from

Opisthorchis felineus is a trematode flatworm that parasitises mammals, including humans, and is mainly spread throughout Eastern Europe and Western Siberia. The main drug used in treatment of opisthorchiasis and other trematode and cestode infestations is praziquantel (PZQ). We provide a possible explanation of PZQ-mediated tegument disruption. The idea is that the nature of tegument disruption is

Toxocara canis is a common parasite of dogs and can cause zoonotic toxocariasis in humans. As a part of control programs for this agent, optimized hygiene including chemical disinfection is considered essential in the prevention and control of zoonotic toxocariasis in humans. However, commonly used disinfectants at present mostly fail to inhibit the embryogenesis and viability of T. canis eggs. To

Theileria species, with a broad geographic distribution, infect a wide range of both domestic and wild animals and are transmitted by ixodid ticks. Currently, there is no comprehensive report regarding the distribution of Theileria spp. in the eastern Tibetan Plateau, especially in Ganze Tibetan autonomous prefecture (153,700 km2) and Ngawa Tibetan and Qiang autonomous prefecture (84,242 km2) of Sichuan

Sex-biassed and age-biassed parasite infections are common in nature, including ectoparasites-vertebrate host systems. We investigated the effect of Amur Falcons’ sex, age and body size on the abundance of their lice at a migratory stopover site, where the falcons’ habitat use and behaviour are more homogeneous across sex and age categories than during the breeding season. We sampled Amur Falcons in

The genus Plasmodium (Plasmodiidae) ranks among the most widespread intracellular protozoan parasites affecting a wide range of mammals, birds, and reptiles. Little information is available about lizard malaria parasites in South America, and the pathological features of the resulting parasitoses remain unknown or poorly understood. To partially fill in these gaps, we conducted blood smear analysis

In the present work, we reported for the first time the microbiome from Phyllocaulis soleiformis and Biomphalaria glabrata assessed using high-throughput DNA sequencing pre- and post-infection with the helminth parasite Angiostrongylus cantonensis. B. glabrata and P. soleiformis were experimentally infected with A. cantonensis. Fecal DNAs from control and infected groups were extracted and subjected

Besnoitia besnoiti is an important obligate intracellular parasite of cattle which primarily infects host endothelial cells of blood vessels during the acute phase of infection. Similar to the closely related parasite Toxoplasma gondii, B. besnoiti has fast proliferating properties leading to rapid host cell lysis within 24–30 h p.i. in vitro. Some apicomplexan parasites were demonstrated to modulate

A collection of nematodes from the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle (National Museum of Natural History), Paris, France, was studied. The nematodes had previously been collected from a range of marine fish hosts. The aim of this study was to investigate the identity of these nematodes. Detailed body measurements of the nematodes were taken via light microscopy and where possible first and second

The present study aimed to evaluate biological parameters of Rhipicephalus microplus in the non-parasitic phase in both field and laboratory conditions. It also aimed to assess correlations between duration (in days) of these parameters and climatic variables (humidity, rainfall, and soil temperature) and to estimate the annual number of generations of R. microplus in a tropical region. The non-parasitic

It is known that the current treatment for toxoplasmosis causes side effects. Thus, it is essential to develop new therapies with reduced adverse effects while concurrently maintaining broad coverage and prophylactic therapy. Melatonin is a hormone that participates in the circadian cycle in vertebrates and has antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and antitumoral functions. In addition, it has been shown

In Uganda, the role of ticks in zoonotic disease transmission is not well described, partly, due to limited available information on tick diversity. This study aimed to identify the tick species that infest cattle. Between September and November 2017, ticks (n = 4362) were collected from 5 districts across Uganda (Kasese, Hoima, Gulu, Soroti, and Moroto) and identified morphologically at Uganda Virus

Human trichinellosis is acquired by eating raw or undercooked meats carrying muscle larvae of Trichinella spp. Toll-like receptors (TLRs) are essential components of the innate immune system. However, little is known about the potential application of TLR agonists for immunotherapy against Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection. Here, we evaluated the effects of four TLR agonists (i.e., TLR3

The treatment against visceral leishmaniasis (VL) presents problems, mainly related to the toxicity and/or high cost of the drugs. In this context, a prophylactic vaccination is urgently required. In the present study, a Leishmania protein called LiHyE, which was suggested recently as an antigenic marker for canine and human VL, was evaluated regarding its immunogenicity and protective efficacy in

Members of the genus Sphaeromyxa Thélohan, 1892 have been reported from a wide variety of fish species worldwide. In the present study, specimens of rusty blenny, Parablennius sanguinolentus, collected from Sinop on the Turkish Black Sea coast were investigated for myxosporean parasites by using both conventional and molecular methods. Sphaeromyxa sevastopoli Naidenova 1970 was the only myxosporean

Blood samples from 72 Ameiva ameiva lizards from Central Amazonian upland forests were collected, and thin smears of 40 (55.5%) animals were positive for gamonts of Hepatozoon with a mean level of intensity of infection of 14 parasites/2000 blood erythrocytes (0.73%). The gametocytes were found attached with host cells’ nuclei, and their dimensions were 14.28 ± 1.05 μm in length and 4.50 ± 0.80 μm

Blastocystis is of public health concern due to its global distribution in diverse animals including humans. Here, fecal specimens sampled from human and nonhuman primates were examined for Blastocystis by PCR and sequence analysis of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. Among age cohorts, the parasite was positive only for three of 126 (2.4%) adults admitted to a hospital in Harbin, Heilongjiang

Lycorine is an Amaryllidaceae alkaloid that presents anti-Trichomonas vaginalis activity. T. vaginalis causes trichomoniasis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted infection. The modulation of T. vaginalis purinergic signaling through the ectonucleotidases, nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase), and ecto-5′-nucleotidase represents new targets for combating the parasite. With

We report a case of severe congenital toxoplasmosis that involved an atypical T. gondii genotype in a newborn baby from Alagoas state in Northeastern Brazil. A pregnant woman presented IgM and IgG anti-T. gondii antibodies, as detected by the chemiluminescence immunoassay on the second trimester of pregnancy. A mouse bioassay was performed using umbilical cord blood and one isolate was obtained. The

In this work, we compare and evaluate the efficiency of fosfatriclaben with three commercial fasciolicides in experimentally infected sheep. Fosfatriclaben is a novel prodrug derived from triclabendazole; it is highly water-soluble with excellent aqueous stability at pH 7, properties that make it ideal for developing intramuscular pharmaceutical compositions in the form of solutions. In order to compare

Here, we provide the first mass molecular screening of medically important mosquitoes for Bartonella species using multiple genetic markers. We examined a total of 72,115 mosquito specimens, morphologically attributed to Aedes vexans (61,050 individuals), Culex pipiens (10,484 individuals) and species of the Anopheles maculipennis complex (581 individuals) for Bartonella spp. The initial screening

Leishmaniasis is a neglected tropical disease with no effective vaccines to date. Globally, it affects around 14 million people living in undeveloped and developing countries. Leishmania, which is the causative eukaryotic organism, possesses unique enzymes and pathways that deviates from its mammalian hosts. The control strategy against leishmaniasis currently depends on chemotherapeutic methods. But

Several Cryptosporidium species that infect reptiles, especially squamates, are well described, but there is limited data about Cryptosporidium species infecting crocodilians. In this study, we assess the occurrence of intestinal parasites using traditional microscopic examination and describe the prevalence and Cryptosporidium species in the captive-bred Chinese alligators (Alligator sinensis) in

Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is the major tick vector of Theileria parva, an apicomplexan protozoan parasite that causes the most economically important and lethal disease of cattle in East and central Africa. The African cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer) is the major wildlife host of T. parva from southern Uganda and Kenya to southern Africa. We show herein that R. appendiculatus appears to be absent

Philornis flies Meinert (Diptera: Muscidae) have been documented parasitizing over 250 bird species, some of which are endemic species threatened with extinction. Philornis parasitism is hypothesized to affect nestlings disproportionately more than adult birds because limited mobility and exposed skin of nestlings increase their vulnerability to parasitism. We used a comprehensive literature review

Schistosoma is the causative agent of schistosomiasis, a common infectious disease distributed worldwide. Our previous phosphoproteomic analysis suggested that glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3), a conserved protein kinase in eukaryotes, is likely involved in protein phosphorylation of Schistosoma japonicum. Here, we aimed to identify the interacting partners of S. japonicum GSK3β (SjGSK3β) and to evaluate

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a vector-borne zoonotic eyeworm able to infect a broad spectrum of carnivores. Here, we describe the first case of bilateral infection by T. callipaeda in the eyes of an adult female Iberian wolf (Canis lupus signatus) in central Spain. Nematodes collected were morphologically identified (n = 42), and two specimens were molecularly characterized. At the

The first study reporting the morphological characterization of Sarcocystis sybillensis was performed in 1983; however, without any molecular analysis. Sarcocystis nipponi has been recently described as a species synonymic to S. sybillensis. We reconfirmed the presence of S. sybillensis in Japanese sika deer (Cervus nippon) captured in its native territory; and performed its molecular and phylogenetic

Cryptosporidium is one of the most common causes of diarrhoea around the world. Successful management and prevention of this infectious disease requires knowledge of the diversity of species and subtypes causing human disease. We use sequence data from 2598 human faecal samples collected during an 11-year period (2009–2019) to better understand the impact of different species and subtypes on public

Coccidian parasites of fish have received considerably less attention than their terrestrial counterparts, and within piscine hosts, most studies have focused on freshwater fish. The present study aimed to describe oocyst morphology, phylogenetic affinities, and the impacts of coccidian parasites infecting the internal organs of a commercially valuable marine fish, the blue whiting (Micromesistius

Acanthamoeba castellanii is a free-living amoeba which can cause a blinding keratitis and fatal granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. The treatment of Acanthamoeba infections is challenging due to formation of cyst. Quinazolinones are medicinally important scaffold against parasitic diseases. A library of nineteen new 3-aryl-6,7-dimethoxyquinazolin-4(3H)-one derivatives was synthesized to evaluate their

In the intermediate hosts, tachyzoites of T. gondii predominate in the acute stage while bradyzoites persist inside tissue cysts with the potential for reactivation. The two stages exhibit different metabolic and antigenic characters. The present study aimed to investigate temporal expression of Toxoplasma SAG1 and BAG1 genes in the brain tissue and the coincident parasitological and histopathological

Members of the myxosporean genus Kudoa are defined as having a myxospore with four or more shell valves (SVs) and a corresponding number of polar capsules (PCs). Here, we employed integrated taxonomic approaches to four kudoid isolates from Acentrogobius chlorostigmatoides and Konosirus punctatus from the South China Sea, off Guangdong, Pentanemus quinquarius from the Southeast Atlantic Ocean, off

Diplostomum ardeae Dubois, 1969 has seldom been reported since its description from the great blue heron (Ardea herodias L., 1758) in the USA. Sequences obtained in this study from the barcode region of cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) in diplostomids from black-crowned night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax (L., 1758)) in Puerto Rico matched data from D. ardeae from A. herodias in the type region. We also