Journal of Helminthology最新文献

{"title":"Evaluation of different amplification targets for the detection of <i>Necator americanus</i> by PCR in stool samples.","authors":"H Trosel, R Mujica, R N Incani, J Jesus, N Méndez, M J Perteguer, E Ferrer","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102442","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102442","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hookworm infection, caused by <i>Necator americanus and Ancylostoma duodenale</i>, is prevalent in areas with poor sanitation. Coprology is the gold standard for diagnosis, but it has low sensitivity in low parasite loads. The objective of this study was to evaluate four Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) targets for molecular diagnosis. Stool samples were collected from 180 residents of the rural community Tierra Blanca, Bolívar State, Venezuela, in which coproparasitological tests were performed. Four DNA extraction methods were standardized, and four PCR techniques were studied: NaITS1F/NaITS1R (ITS1), Na58/Na158R (ITS2), NA/NC2 (ITS2-28S) and NC1/NC2 (ITS2-28S) for <i>N. americanus</i>. Only two of these techniques could be standardized and evaluated, as amplification was not achieved with the other two. The two standardized techniques were applied to all samples, and diagnostic indices were obtained. The results showed that extraction with the Wizard kit was the most suitable due to the quality of the DNA obtained. Primer analysis revealed high identity, but with sequences mainly from Asia and Africa, since there are very few available from America. PCR-NaITS1F/NaITS1R (ITS1) demonstrated the best diagnostic indices, significantly surpassing coprology. PCR-Na58/Na158R (ITS2) showed lower sensitivity than coprology. Therefore, PCR-NaITS1F/NaITS1R (ITS1) is recommended for molecular diagnosis. The prevalence of <i>N. americanus</i> in the Tierra Blanca community was 20.6 % by coprology, 88.3 % by PCR-NaITS1F/NaITS1R (ITS1) and 94.4% by the combination of these techniques. The high prevalence of infections underscores the need for molecular techniques but these must be previously evaluated with samples from the regions where they will be used.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e142"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149182414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Description of <i>Sychnotylenchus golestanicus</i> sp. n. (Nematoda: Anguinoidea) from bark beetle-associated decaying wood in northern Iran.","authors":"M E Agh Atabai, F Aliramaji, E Shokoohi","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102399","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A new species of the genus <i>Sychnotylenchus</i>, <i>S. golestanicus</i> sp. n., is described and illustrated from northern Iran. The new species is characterised by a body length of 595-831 μm, a continuous lip region, a very slender stylet 7-10 μm long with small but distinct knobs, a lateral field with six to eight incisures, a heart-shaped median bulb with a refractive valve, and an excretory pore located at or anterior to the median bulb. The crustaformeria (eggshell-forming zone) consists of 16 cells arranged in 4 longitudinal rows of 4 large, rounded cells each, with the anterior part expanded and functioning as a spermatheca. Females have the vulva situated at 88.5-90.3% of body length, a post-vulval uterine sac measuring 1.4-2.2 times the vulval body diameter, and a short, broad tail with a truncate to slightly flattened terminus, usually showing a shallow terminal depression and lacking a mucro. Males possess smoothly curved spicules 16-21 μm long, a simple gubernaculum approximately one-third of the spicule length, and broad peloderan bursal alae. The new species is morphologically most similar to <i>S. hibisci</i>, but differs from the mentioned species by a combination of characters including the shape of the female tail, the number of lateral field incisures, the structure of the crustaformeria, the length of the post-vulval uterine sac, and the position of the excretory pore. Phylogenetic analysis based on 18S rDNA sequences placed <i>S. golestanicus</i> sp. n. within a well-supported clade (posterior probability = 1.00) comprising <i>S. hibisci</i> and other <i>Sychnotylenchus</i> species, supporting its placement within the genus <i>Sychnotylenchus.</i> The congruence between morphological and molecular evidence supports the recognition of <i>S. golestanicus</i> sp. n. as a distinct species. The present study also highlights the need for additional molecular markers and further integrative taxonomic studies, potentially including TEM investigations, to clarify the taxonomic significance of the crustaformeria and better resolve phylogenetic relationships within the Sychnotylenchinae.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e141"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149166432","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Human angiostrongyliasis: the past, present, and future.","authors":"E Rezaee, A Pouryousef, M Ghanimatdan, M S Bahreini","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102351","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human angiostrongyliasis is an emerging foodborne zoonosis caused predominantly by <i>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</i> and <i>Angiostrongylus costaricensis</i>, which produce distinct neurological and abdominal forms of disease, respectively. Human infection occurs primarily through ingestion of raw or undercooked gastropod intermediate hosts, paratenic hosts such as freshwater prawns and crabs, or fresh produce contaminated with infective third-stage larvae (L3). <i>A. cantonensis</i> is the principal cause of neuroangiostrongyliasis and eosinophilic meningitis, whereas <i>A. costaricensis</i> causes abdominal angiostrongyliasis, characterized by eosinophilic inflammation involving the intestinal wall and mesenteric vasculature. Although historically concentrated in tropical and subtropical regions, <i>A. cantonensis</i> has expanded its geographic range, while <i>A. costaricensis</i> remains predominantly distributed in Latin America. This changing epidemiology is influenced by climate and environmental change, host redistribution, globalisation, urbanisation, and dietary practices. Diagnosis remains challenging and requires integration of epidemiological exposure, clinical findings, and laboratory and imaging results. For neuroangiostrongyliasis, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) eosinophilia, serological testing, and molecular assays, including increasingly sensitive real-time PCR approaches, provide important diagnostic evidence, whereas abdominal angiostrongyliasis frequently requires imaging, histopathology, and, where available, molecular or serological confirmation. Treatment of neuroangiostrongyliasis remains centred on corticosteroids and management of intracranial pressure, while the role of albendazole has historically been controversial but is increasingly supported as adjunctive therapy when administered with corticosteroids. In abdominal angiostrongyliasis, surgical management remains an important component of diagnosis and treatment, particularly in patients with intestinal complications. Emerging molecular diagnostics, host-directed therapies, novel anthelmintic strategies, and improved surveillance approaches offer promising opportunities for future disease control. Continued progress will require an integrated One Health approach combining epidemiological surveillance, improved diagnostic capacity, evidence-based clinical management, food-safety education, and ecological monitoring of transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e140"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149168795","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological and molecular identification of <i>Kalicephalus</i> sp. in the Yucatan Neotropical rattlesnake <i>Crotalus tzabcan</i> in Yucatan, Mexico.","authors":"J A Panti-May, S M Panti-Dzib, A Servián","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102259","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102259","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Female nematodes were collected from the intestines of a road-killed Yucatan Neotropical rattlesnake, <i>Crotalus tzabcan</i>, in Yucatan, Mexico. Morphometric analysis of the nematode specimens allowed their identification to the genus <i>Kalicephalus.</i> However, the absence of male specimens prevented species-level identification. Notably, second- and third-stage larvae were observed in the reproductive tract of some <i>Kalicephalus</i> females. Additionally, the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene, and the 28S rRNA gene (28S) were amplified and sequenced. Pairwise genetic distances between the <i>Kalicephalus</i> sp. sequences from <i>C. tzabcan</i> and those of other <i>Kalicephalus</i> species were calculated for the three molecular markers. In the phylogenetic tree (ITS1) of Ancylostomatina, the sequences of <i>Kalicephalus</i> sp. were clustered with <i>Kalicephalus viperae</i> from Iran with high support. This study reports, for the first time, the genus <i>Kalicephalus</i> in <i>C. tzabcan</i>, and the presence of larvae in the reproductive tract of <i>Kalicephalus</i> females naturally parasitising a snake.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149169694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Fimbriarioides intermedia</i> and <i>F. lintoni</i> (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae): molecular phylogeny, species status, and transmission in Arctic coastal ecosystems.","authors":"A A Vinogradova, K V Regel, A I Solovyeva, A E Romanovich, K V Galaktionov","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102375","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102375","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cestodes of the genus <i>Fimbriarioides</i> (Hymenolepididae, Fimbriariinae) parasitise waterfowl and shorebirds in the Holarctic. Using molecular and morphological methods, we studied two <i>Fimbriarioides</i> spp. from sea ducks of the European North of Russia: the type species <i>F. intermedia</i> from eiders <i>Somateria mollissima</i> and <i>S. spectabilis</i> 1758 and a closely related species <i>F. lintoni</i> from a previously unrecognised host, Velvet Scoter <i>Melanitta fusca</i> 1758. Our analysis also involved metacestodes <i>Fimbriarioides</i> sp. from barnacles <i>Semibalanus balanoides</i> of the Barents Sea and the Sea of Okhotsk. Metacestodes from <i>S. balanoides</i> matched the adults of <i>F. intermedia</i> by the molecular markers. In the phylogenetic tree based on 28S rRNA and cox1 genes, isolates from the two <i>Fimbriarioides</i> spp. formed distinct monophyletic groups in a clade sister to <i>Fimbriaria</i> spp. In the 16S rRNA tree, <i>Fimbriaria</i> sp. was positioned as a sister clade to <i>F. intermedia</i>, probably due to the marker's limited resolution. We provided emended morphological descriptions of <i>F. intermedia</i> and <i>F. lintoni</i> and diagnostic characters for their discrimination. The haplotype network based on the 16S rRNA gene, which included the isolates from the Barents Sea, the Pechora Sea, the White Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk, indicated that <i>F. intermedia</i> has a trans-Arctic distribution and is represented by the same population in all these regions. This is due to the high vagility of its definitive hosts, sea ducks, which make long-distance migrations along the coasts of the northern Palaearctic seas, and the almost circumpolar distribution of its intermediate hosts, barnacles.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e139"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149127796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Helminths of the invasive <i>Podarcis muralis</i> (Laurenti, 1768) and native <i>P. tauricus</i> (Pallas, 1814) wall lizards from two localities in southern Ukraine.","authors":"R Svitin, Y Kuzmin, O Greben, O Lisitsyna, I Dmytriieva, O Nekrasova, O Marushchak, A Nechai, O Oskyrko, T Kuzmina","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102302","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102302","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Helminth communities of the invasive <i>Podarcis muralis</i> and the native <i>P. tauricus</i> were investigated in southern Ukraine based on newly collected material and historical data. A total of nine <i>P. muralis</i> and 20 <i>P. tauricus</i> specimens were examined. Two helminth species were recorded in each lizard host. In <i>P. muralis</i>, the nematode <i>Spauligodon saxicolae</i> and cystacanths of the acanthocephalan <i>Centrorhynchus globocaudatus</i> were found, while <i>S. saxicolae</i> and the cestode <i>Oochoristica tuberculata</i> were found in <i>P. tauricus.</i> Historical data from 116 <i>P. tauricus</i> collected between 1951 and 1990 revealed a total of nine helminth taxa, most of which occurred at low prevalence. The occurrence of <i>S. saxicolae</i> in both host species suggests that invasive and native lacertids in southern Ukraine may share part of the same local parasite pool. However, larger spatially replicated studies are required to evaluate parasite exchange and transmission dynamics.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e138"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110583","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphology and molecular characterisation of two new species of <i>Mymarothecioides</i> (Monopisthocotyla: Dactylogyridae) parasitising the gills of anostomid fishes from Brazil.","authors":"W B B Sousa, W T Hasuike, P O F Yamada, M F B G Diniz, B Scorsim, M Tavares-Dias, A V Oliveira, R M Takemoto, F H Yamada","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102405","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102405","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe two new species of Monopisthocotyla, <i>Mymarothecioides leporini</i> n. sp. and <i>Mymarothecioides paranaensis</i> n. sp., parasitising the gills of anostomid fishes from the Jaguaribe River and Paraná River basins, Brazil. These descriptions represent the first record of species of <i>Mymarothecioides</i> in hosts of the family Anostomidae. <i>Mymarothecioides leporini</i> n. sp. is distinguished by a male copulatory organ (MCO) with a spoon-shaped distal portion and a ventral bar with an ornamented anteromedial process. <i>Mymarothecioides paranaensis</i> n. sp. differs from its congeners by possessing a sclerotised, arcuate MCO with a rounded tip and a rectangular-shaped basal flap. Molecular analyses of Large Subunit ribosomal DNA (LSU rDNA) and Mitochondrial Region of Cytochrome <i>C</i> Oxidase subunit 1 (COI mtDNA) markers support the validity of both taxa, placing them as distinct molecular operational taxonomic units (MOTUs). High genetic distances (17.8%-18.7% for COI) confirmed the separation between the two new species. Additionally, this study provides the first molecular characterisation for the genus. These findings expand the known geographical distribution and host range of <i>Mymarothecioides</i>, contributing to the knowledge of dactylogyrid diversity in Neotropical freshwater systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e137"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110672","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular and morphological characterisation of the metacestode <i>Anthobothrium</i> sp. infecting <i>Loligo vulgaris</i> from Tunisian coasts.","authors":"S Achouri, I Hamdi, S Bahri","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102314","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102314","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cestode larvae of <i>Anthobothrium</i> sp. were collected from the caecum and stomach of the common squid <i>Loligo vulgaris</i> Lamarck, 1798 (Cephalopoda: Loliginidae) in Tunisian waters (Bay of Bizerte and Gulf of Tunis), with the highest prevalence recorded in the Gulf of Tunis (52.94%). These specimens were morphologically characterised and compared to previously described <i>Anthobothrium</i> larvae from other hosts. Molecular analysis using 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA), combined with phylogenetic reconstruction (maximum likelihood and pairwise distances), revealed that the sequences cluster with adult specimens from several elasmobranch species. These definitive hosts include <i>Carcharhinus obscurus</i> and <i>Carcharhinus limbatus</i>, which are common in Tunisian waters, thereby providing new insights into the potential life cycle of this parasite. <i>Loligo vulgaris</i> represents a new host record for <i>Anthobothrium</i> sp. larvae and appears to be its preferred cephalopod host in the Mediterranean. Finally, a comprehensive checklist of metacestodes recorded in <i>L. vulgaris</i> is provided.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e136"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110661","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Revisiting the diversity of freshwater fish trematode metacercariae in cenotes (sinkholes) of Yucatán: molecular characterisation and comments on their phylogenetic interrelationships.","authors":"C Mata-Marcano, L Andrade-Gómez, B Pérez-Órtega, G Pérez-Ponce de León","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X2610234X","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X2610234X","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The limestone soil of the Yucatán Peninsula is highly permeable, allowing fluvial waters to filter into the aquifer, resulting in the absence of rivers on the surface and the formation of underground reservoirs that, on some occasions, open to the surface, forming the so-called cenotes (or sinkholes). Information about the freshwater fish parasite diversity of cenotes in the Yucatán Peninsula is scarce. Only 50 cenotes of the approximately 9,000 occurring in the peninsula have been sampled to assess the fish parasite fauna. Available information predates the molecular era and is based on morphological assessments solely. Here, specimens of 7 fish species were sampled in 15 localities distributed along an area known as the 'Ring of Cenotes', a depression associated with the Chicxulub crater formed by the impact of a meteorite. Trematode metacercariae were collected, sorted by morphotype, and sequenced for the partial 28S rRNA and/or COI mtDNA genes. Twelve trematode metacercariae were identified, seven to species level and five to genus or family level, since they did not match any known sequenced species available in the BLAST search. Metacercariae corresponded to three families; Diplostomidae was the most diverse with eight taxa. The cichlid <i>Mayaheros urophthalmus</i> harboured the greatest number of taxa, with nine. Three species of <i>Clinostomum</i> were identified molecularly in what previous findings considered a single species on morphological grounds. The importance of continually expanding the genetic library of larval trematodes and establishing links between adults and larval forms to fully assess and understand trematode diversity is discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e135"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110647","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>In utero</i> egg counts in female <i>Haemonchus contortus</i> from experimentally infected lambs: implications for fertility estimates - CORRIGENDUM.","authors":"T A Kuzmina, Y Syrota, M Komáromyová, M Babják, A Königová, Z Váradyová, M Várady","doi":"10.1017/S0022149X26102296","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022149X26102296","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":15928,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Helminthology","volume":"100 ","pages":"e134"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2026-10-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149110588","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}