Journal of Parasitology最新文献

{"title":"EDUCATION, PARASITE EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY, AND MUSEUMS: PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS.","authors":"Sarah A Orlofske, Robert C Jadin","doi":"10.1645/24-68","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/24-68","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Museum collections are indispensable for understanding biodiversity including parasites, hosts, and their interactions. Technological advances have revolutionized modern museum practices, changing the skills future scientists need to engage with museums and utilize their resources to address global environmental and health challenges. Concurrently, museum specimens and digital resources are becoming more accessible and relevant to formal classroom education, fostering the development of critical thinking, data analysis, and problem-solving skills among students. Parasitology collections offer unique insights into host-parasite dynamics and support training in systematic classification and diagnostic methods, counteracting the decline in organismal biology courses and expertise. In this review, we explore the evolving role of museums in parasitology education, highlighting current resources available and identifying areas for further development. We begin by uncovering the historical connections between early parasitology collections and teaching, where instructors collected specimens for educational purposes and students gained hands-on training and expertise in diagnosis and identification through creating their own collections. We describe how modern parasitology collections embody aspects of the extended specimen concept by incorporating comprehensive information about hosts and interactions along with parasite specimens. We outline the need for specialized education and training in museum methods for undergraduate students in parasitology. This includes planning and designing field collections with the extended specimen concept in mind, as well as preserving, curating, databasing, digitizing, and georeferencing specimens. We identify the positive impact of museum resources on enhancing educational opportunities, including Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). As more parasite specimens and collections become accessible through digitization, instructors can integrate virtual specimen images, data, inquiry-based teaching modules, CUREs, and mentored curatorial or research experiences in their classrooms and laboratories. We suggest that museum-based teaching materials can address knowledge gaps in biodiversity literacy, quantitative skills, and critical thinking, ultimately preparing students for future careers in parasitology and related fields such as conservation biology, ecology, natural resources, and veterinary and human medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"100-108"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146197789","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"COLLECTION AND EXAMINATION OF SMALL-BODIED, FRESHWATER FISH FOR HELMINTH PARASITES.","authors":"Brandon Ruehle, Seth H Bromagen","doi":"10.1645/24-119","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-119","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Small-bodied, freshwater fish are often used in parasitological studies because they host a variety of parasites. As a result, it is important to have an accessible resource for the collection, housing, and examination of helminth parasites. Fish may be collected using passive (e.g., minnow traps or fyke nets) or active (e.g., seine netting or electrofishing) sampling methods depending on the species and water body being sampled. It is best to keep fish alive (e.g., in aquaria) until immediately prior to euthanasia for dissection. Using an overdose of anesthetic is the preferred method of sacrificing hosts as it limits distress and tissue damage. During dissections, the host should be separated into sections, e.g., the head, eviscerated body, and internal organs, to ensure accurate accounting of infection sites. If monogeneans are of interest the body surface and gills should be thoroughly examined. Natural history collections are also a source of small-bodied fish hosts that can be used to describe historical host-parasite interactions and changes in parasite communities. However, using natural history collections presents issues that require careful consideration, including what specimens are available, where the specimens are housed, obtaining permission from curators, and performing examinations on preserved specimens. Providing an easily accessible resource for recovering helminth parasites from small-bodied fish will allow researchers without backgrounds in parasitology to undertake quality parasitological studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"74-83"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146197827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"THE RETTENMEYER ARMY ANT GUEST COLLECTION: A MULTIFACETED RESOURCE FOR INVESTIGATING THE FUNDAMENTAL NATURE OF THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN ARMY ANTS AND THEIR \"GUESTS\".","authors":"J N Caira, J E O'Donnell, E Barbeau, B Goffinet, G Goemans","doi":"10.1645/24-73","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/24-73","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Less well known in the parasitological community than in the entomological community are the wonderfully complex systems of army ants and the multitude of taxa that associate with them, collectively termed guests. Guests include vertebrates such as antbirds, but also a diversity of arthropods such as beetles, flies, wasps, millipedes, thysanurans, and collembolans. In addition, a wide variety of mites live on the bodies of army ants and appear to have become modified in form to conform with a particular site on their ant host. The nature of the relationships between army ants and many of their guest taxa remains to be definitively determined. Nonetheless, relationships involving commensalism, mutualism, parasitism, parasitoidism, and phoresy have all been described. The Carl W. and Marian E. Rettenmeyer Army Ant Guest Collection (AAGC) is largely the result of 55 yr of fieldwork (from 1951 to 2004) by the Rettenmeyers in the jungles of Central and South America. It was donated to the Biodiversity Research Collection at the University of Connecticut in 2016 and has since been stabilized and almost fully digitized. This multifaceted resource includes specimens of army ants and their guests housed in 7,310 vials and 278 jars of ethanol, 5,500 microscope slides of guests, and 108 Cornell-style drawers of pinned specimens. We estimate that it includes over 2,000,000 specimens representing 40 species of army ants and their numerous species of guests and prey. Ancillary material includes data from, and images of, 6,246 Kodachrome slides and 9,500 field cards that provide detailed observations on the members of these systems in the field. An online database consisting of 4 modules (i.e., Specimens, Colonies, Kodachromes, and Field Cards) provides digital access to these materials. Because of its interconnected and detailed nature, the AAGC can serve as an unprecedented resource not only for expanding understanding of multiple aspects of the associations between army ants and their guests, but also for helping to inform fundamental questions about the evolution of interspecific interactions and, of primary interest to this audience, parasitism and parasitoidism.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"84-99"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146197770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"THE POTENTIAL LONG-TERM INFECTIVITY OF OXYSPIRURA PETROWI EGGS TO INSECT INTERMEDIATE HOSTS OVER DIFFERENT SEASONS.","authors":"Hannah N Suber, Ronald J Kendall","doi":"10.1645/25-53","DOIUrl":"10.1645/25-53","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Oxyspirura (O.) petrowi is a parasitic eyeworm that infects a wide range of avian hosts across North America at high prevalences, including species undergoing significant population declines. Despite growing concern over its ecological impact, the epidemiology of O. petrowi eggs remains poorly understood. This study is the first to assess the potential long-term infectivity of larvated O. petrowi eggs across seasonal exposure periods, aiming to identify environmental thresholds affecting larval survival. Eggs were placed in mesh bags with soil and placed in an outdoor plot where O. petrowi are naturally found. Bags were collected after 1, 3, and 6 mo, once over winter and once over summer. The eggs were extracted from the soil, and the total eggs recovered and the number of eggs that remained larvated were counted. Egg inactivity was calculated by comparing these numbers to control bags. Across both seasons, total egg recovery declined steadily over time, with 69.7% inactivation occurring over winter and 67.9% inactivation occurring over summer. A sharp drop in larvated eggs between 1- and 3-mo winter exposures corresponded with a cold snap, suggesting extreme cold may significantly impact egg infectivity. Conversely, summer exposures showed a more gradual decline in the number of eggs recovered, with high temperatures and natural membrane degradation likely the contributing factors. A near-consistent percentage of larvated eggs was recovered from each timeframe. Despite these declines, approximately one-third of eggs remained larvated after both seasons, indicating strong resilience and a persistent transmission risk. These findings underscore the resilience of O. petrowi and highlight the importance of integrated management strategies. Targeted interventions may be necessary to disrupt reinfection cycles and support the conservation of vulnerable host species.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"67-73"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146180781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EGG HATCHING, MIRACIDIAL MORPHOLOGY, AND PATHOLOGY OF CHIMAEROHEMECIDAE SP. (DIGENEA) INFECTING GILL OF SMOOTH BUTTERFLY RAYS, GYMNURA MICRURA, FROM MOBILE BAY, GULF OF AMERICA.","authors":"Micah B Warren, Steven P Ksepka, Stephen A Bullard","doi":"10.1645/25-48","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/25-48","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While searching for monocotylid (Monogenoidea) and blood fluke infections in smooth butterfly rays captured in Mobile Bay (north-central Gulf of America), we observed hatching blood fluke eggs (Chimaerohemecidae sp.) embedded in the gill epithelium. Eggs presented as large, nearly grossly visible, opaque white or slightly tan, and irregularly shaped oblong masses ∼3 mm in maximum length and having ∼172 eggs per mass. Wet-mounting allowed excision of live eggs, and examination with a compound microscope revealed that each egg had an actively gyrating and ciliated miracidium. Unhatched miracidia began rapidly extending and contracting their bodies, stretching the pliable (non-operculate) eggshell immediately before emerging from the egg, darting away, and swimming rapidly in a seemingly haphazard manner. The resulting 28S sequence (1,537 bp; OQ709103) of Chimaerohemecidae sp. claded with that of other chimaerohemecids and was most similar (87%) to that of another Gulf of America chimaerohemecid, Myliobaticola richardheardi Bullard and Jensen, 2008. The miracidium of Chimaerohemecidae sp. is morphologically unique among fish blood flukes by lacking eyespots and a stylet as well as by having only a single miracidium in each egg. Our pathology results revealed that infection (probably egg hatching) disrupted the overlying gill epithelium and contributed to crater-like lesions but that an inflammatory response and gill epithelial hyperplasia were lacking. This is the first published description of a chimaerohemecid egg and miracidium, the first elasmobranch gill pathology study involving a blood fluke, and the first observation of chimaerohemecid eggs hatching while embedded in the gill epithelium. The present study also contributes some egg and miracidial features that could eventually further diagnose and differentiate the accepted genera and families of fish blood flukes.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"56-66"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146156810","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"REVIEW OF PYRAGRAPHORUS (MONOGENOIDEA: PYRAGRAPHORIDAE) AND ITS POSITION IN THE ORDER MAZOCRAEIDEA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES FROM CARANGID FISHES IN AUSTRALIA.","authors":"Delane C Kritsky, Storm B Martin","doi":"10.1645/25-77","DOIUrl":"10.1645/25-77","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Two new species of Pyragraphorus Sproston, 1946 (Mazocraeidea: Pyragraphoridae) were collected from the gills of carangid fishes: Pyragraphorus rohdei n. sp. from Trachinotus baillonii (Lacépède) off Lizard Island, Queensland, Australia, and Pyragraphorus ningalooensis n. sp. from Trachinotus botla (Shaw) from Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia, Australia, during June 2022 and March 2023. Pyragraphorus was reviewed, its diagnosis emended, and the new species described and compared with their congeners, Pyragraphorus pyragraphorus (MacCallum and MacCallum, 1913) Sproston, 1946, and Pyragraphorus hollisae Euzet and Ktari, 1970. The identification of specimens reported by Young as P. pyragraphorus from T. botla in Moreton Bay, Queensland, was corrected to P. ningalooensis. A phylogenetic hypothesis was reconstructed, on the basis of an analysis of partial 28S rDNA, including novel molecular data from the new species and from new collections of Heteromicrocotyloides megaspinosus Barton, Beaufrère, Justine, and Whittington, 2009, and Heteromicrocotyloides mirabilis Rohde, 1977 (both Heteromicrocotylidae) from Turrum fulvoguttatum (Forsskål), together with available comparable data for 76 other species representing 18 families of the order Mazocraeidea. The novel hypothesis indicated that the Pyragraphoridae and Heteromicrocotylidae, both characterized, in part, by species possessing fire-tongs-like haptoral clamps, originated independently in a larger, highly supported clade of the order that included species of the Heteraxinidae and the Microcotylidae. The Heteromicrocotylidae was found to be polyphyletic by Heterapta heterapta Unnithan, 1961, occurring independently of the 2 species of Heteromicrocotyloides. In addition, the Microcotylidae was recovered paraphyletic to the Pyragraphoridae and the Heteraxinidae was paraphyletic to the Heteromicrocotylidae. Other instances of para- and polyphyly among the familial and subfamilial taxa within the Mazocraeidea were suggested, but no family-group taxonomic changes were proposed.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"37-55"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146105919","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NEW GENUS AND SPECIES OF LIOLOPIDAE ODHNER, 1912 (PLATYHELMINTHES: DIGENEA) INFECTING NILE CROCODILE, CROCODYLUS NILOTICUS (LAURENTI, 1768) (CROCODILIA: CROCODYLIDAE) IN THE KAVANGO RIVER, NAMIBIA.","authors":"Haley R Dutton, Francois J Jacobs, Piet C Beytell, Edward C Netherlands, Louis H DuPreez, Stephen A Bullard","doi":"10.1645/25-36","DOIUrl":"10.1645/25-36","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The intestine of a large adult (male) Nile crocodile, Crocodylus niloticus (Laurenti, 1768) (Crocodilia: Crocodylidae) from a site (18°08'24.5''S, 21°40'58.4''E) on the Kavango River (Namibia) was infected by Ngubuvangandu francoisjacobsi Dutton and Bullard n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Liolopidae). The new genus and species differs from all other liolopids by the combination of having a linguiform body that is ∼3 times longer than wide, a weakly muscular ventral sucker (with pre- and post-ventral sucker distances equal), lobed testes that nearly span the intercecal space and that occupy the posterior one-third of the body, a posterior testis that occupies the space between the tips of the posterior ceca, an ovary abutting the anterior testis, a vitellarium that extends anterior to the ventral sucker (not reaching cecal bifurcation), and a uterus that traverses the intercecal space immediately anterior to the anterior testis. We herein reassign two previously named crocodilian liolopids formerly of Dracovermis Brooks and Overstreet, 1978 to the new genus: Ngubuvangandu brayii (Baylis, 1940) Dutton and Bullard, 2024 (infecting the west African slender snouted crocodile, Mecistops cataphractus Cuvier, 1825 in the Congo River) and Ngubuvangandu rudolphii (Tubangui and Masilungan, 1936) Dutton and Bullard, 2024 (infecting the saltwater crocodile, Crocodylus porosus Schneider, 1801 in the Philippines). The phylogenetic analysis recovered the new genus sister to Liolope Cohn, 1902. That clade was sister to Harmotrema Nicoll, 1914, with Dracovermis sister to the clade and Paraharmotrema Dutton and Bullard, 2022, sister to all liolopids analyzed. This result demonstrates that the crocodilian liolopids are paraphyletic, rejecting the notion that natural groups of liolopids can be defined by the definitive host they infect (i.e., no evidence of phylogenetic host specificity of liolopid genera/lineages). This is the first liolopid described from the Nile crocodile and only the second liolopid species described from an African crocodilian.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"21-27"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146064389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"EFFECT OF FOUR DIFFERENT PRESERVATIVES ON AUTOFLUORENCE AND PEANUT AGGLUTIN LECTIN BINDING CHARACTERISTICS OF HAEMONCHUS EGGS.","authors":"Somaya Saleh, Ibrahim Abbas, Moustafa Al-Araby, Yara Al-Kappany, Michael Ben Hildreth, Salah Abu-Elwafa","doi":"10.1645/25-66","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1645/25-66","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Haemonchus contortus is the most economically important trichostrongyle nematode infecting various ruminants. Fecal egg counts are used to measure the intensity of trichostrongyle infections, but egg morphology alone can't differentiate Haemonchus eggs from the other less pathogenic trichostrongyle genera also infecting ruminants. The lectin, peanut agglutinin (PNA), binds selectively to Haemonchus eggs and has become a useful tool for diagnosing Haemonchus infections during fecal egg counts. Unfortunately, this binding is not stable when eggs are stored either within fecal samples or when isolated from them; it completely disappears after 72 hr. Refrigeration or freezing doesn't improve its stability. The present study compared the PNA-binding intensities for Haemonchus eggs stored for 30 days in four different chemical preservatives with those of freshly isolated eggs. The four preservatives included neutral buffered formalin, sodium azide, povidone iodine, or 100% methanol. Rhodamine-conjugated PNA and a TRITC/rhodamine epifluorescence filter system were used for the study. Based upon PCR results, the egg sample used was primarily infected with H. contorus but also contained smaller amounts of Trichostrongylus (T.) axei. All of the eggs stored in each of the four preservatives were easily recognized as trichostrongyle eggs, exhibited some minor changes in morula size, and showed an increase in morula autofluorescence compared to unpreserved eggs. The extremely high autofluorescence for methanol-preserved eggs limits its applicability for any diagnostic protocols involving rhodamine and Haemonchus eggs. Autofluorescence intensities were similar among eggs stored in the other three preservatives. Specific PNA-rhodamine staining of Haemonchus eggs could be easily detected above the autofluorescence when neutral buffered formalin, sodium azide, or povidone iodine was used as the storage solution. This specific staining was highest for buffered formalin and lowest for povidone iodine. Haemonchus-positive eggs were defined as having PNA fluorescence intensity above their mean autofluorescence intensity (low specificity) or as having an intensity more than 20% higher than their autofluorescence (high specificity). The low and high specificity Haemonchus to Trichostrongylus ratios for eggs stored in buffered formalin and sodium azide were similar to those determined for unpreserved fresh eggs. This ratio was also similar for povidone iodine based on the low specificity criteria, but lower than the controls based on the high specificity criteria. These results suggest that neutral buffered formalin and sodium azide are the most appropriate preservatives based on the PNA staining results; however, other factors should also be considered when selecting a preservation solution for PNA-rhodamine studies involving Haemonchus eggs.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"28-36"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146064310","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A NEW SPECIES OF TRICHOLEIPERIA (NEMATA: TRICHOSTRONGYLOIDEA: MOLINEIDAE) FROM LAMPRONYCTERIS BRACHYOTIS (CHIROPTERA: PHYLLOSTOMIDAE) IN COLOMBIA.","authors":"Kevin Liévano-Romero, Miguel E Rodríguez-Posada, Scott L Gardner","doi":"10.1645/25-21","DOIUrl":"10.1645/25-21","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Tricholeiperia albae n. sp. is described from the small intestine of the yellow-throated big-eared bat, Lampronycteris brachyotis (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Morphologic comparisons and a review of nematode parasites of neotropical bats indicate that this represents an undescribed species. Herein, we describe this species as new and show that this is a novel bat-parasite association. More than 50 species of bats have been reported from the Apure-Villavicencio dry forests ecoregion, but little is known of the parasite fauna. Continued exploration of new localities in Colombia underscores the need for trained researchers in parasite sampling and preservation. This work is enabling new collaborations using interdisciplinary approaches to understand symbiotic relationships in representative Colombian ecosystems, including those that were inaccessible before the Colombia peace agreement.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"12-20"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145952330","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"MOLECULAR IDENTIFICATION OF TWO SPECIES OF TREMATODE PARASITES OF AMERICAN MANATEES (TRICHECHUS MANATUS) AND THEIR POSSIBLE ROLE AS BIO-INDICATORS OF HOST DISTRIBUTION AND DIET.","authors":"Carla I Rivera-Pérez, Susana Caballero, Dalila Caicedo-Herrera, Francisco De La Rosa, Martine de Wit, Bert Rivera-Marchand, Louisa Shobhini Ponnampalam, Antonio A Mignucci-Giannoni","doi":"10.1645/24-7","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Sirenians comprise manatees and dugongs, which host various parasites that cause little or no pathology. Parasitological studies have recommended using Chiorchis spp. as bio-indicators of population distribution. American manatees (Trichechus manatus) live in varied environments (marine, estuarine, fluvial, and lake). However, their relationship to their environment and feeding habits, and thus how it relates to their internal parasites, has yet to be studied. We sought to identify Chiorchis spp. through molecular analysis in manatees from different areas of the Caribbean. A ribosomal RNA 18S gene (18S rRNA) of trematodes collected from 31 carcasses of manatees from Puerto Rico, Florida, the Dominican Republic, and Colombia was amplified using previously published primers. Seventy-seven samples were sequenced, and a phylogenetic reconstruction was made with 437 bp of the 18S rRNA sequences using representative samples of each geographic location. The phylogenetic analysis revealed strongly supported clades with a posterior probability of 0.98 for Chiorchis groschafti and 1.0 for Chiorchis fabaceus. These findings indicate a divergence between trematode species found in freshwater versus those in marine environments. We found that C. groschafti and Solenorchis travassosi infect only manatees and dugongs, respectively, in marine environments where they feed primarily on seagrasses. In contrast, C. fabaceus infects manatees living in freshwater environments where they feed primarily on freshwater aquatic vegetation. Some manatees in Florida were infected with both species, indicative of their movement from marine to freshwater environments and their combined diet of seagrasses and freshwater vegetation. This study documents how these trematodes serve as ecological bio-indicators of the host's habitat distribution and bio-markers of the sirenian type of herbivorous diet.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"112 1","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":1.1,"publicationDate":"2026-01-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145917872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}