Journal of Parasitology最新文献

{"title":"SYNONYMIZATION OF PLACOBDELLA PICTA (VERRILL, 1872) (HIRUDINEA: GLOSSIPHONIIDAE) WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW SPECIES REVEALED BY MOLECULAR SPECIES DELIMITATION.","authors":"Anna J Phillips, Dennis J Richardson, Charlotte I Hammond, Brett C Gonzalez, Eric A Lazo-Wasem, William E Moser","doi":"10.1645/24-89","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-89","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Species of Placobdella have been the frequent subject of revisionary and alpha-taxonomy in the past 2 decades. Recent molecular analyses introduced uncertainty about the taxonomic status of several broadly distributed and morphologically variable Placobdella species, including Placobdella picta (Verrill 1872), compounded by incomplete original descriptions reliant upon characters that are no longer unique in comparison to modern congeners. We assessed specimens of P. picta to identify any distinct phylogenetic entities that align with our morphological observations of the type series and novel topotype specimens. Using mitochondrial COI and ND1 and nuclear 18S rDNA with Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference, we evaluated species boundaries using species delimitation analyses (ABGD, mPTP, bPTP, and GMYC) and molecular phylogenetics. Our analyses revealed 2 species entities equivalent to 2 non-reciprocal monophyletic clades. Morphological examinations revealed the lectotype was determined to be Placobdella ornata (Verrill 1872), and paralectotypes are other leech species or were poorly preserved and unidentifiable. Due to the problems with the type series, P. picta is now considered a junior synonym of P. ornata. Based on our results, we describe 2 new species: Placobdella unimaculata n. sp. from Connecticut and Placobdella desseri n. sp. from Algonquin Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"111 1","pages":"48-63"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143399348","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":"HELMINTH EGGS FROM PACHYCROCUTA BREVIROSTRIS (CARNIVORA, HYAENIDAE) COPROLITES FROM TAURIDA CAVE (EARLY PLEISTOCENE, CRIMEA).","authors":"Tatiana N Sivkova, Daniyar R Khantemirov, Dmitriy O Gimranov, Alexander V Lavrov","doi":"10.1645/24-50","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-50","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Twenty-seven Pachycrocuta brevirostris coprolites from Taurida Cave (Early Pleistocene) were studied. Eggs of parasitic worms were found in 6 of them (22.2%). Eggs of Trematoda species were identified among them, as were eggs of Taenia, Toxocara, and Capillaria. Toxocara eggs were the most common; they were found in 15% of the coprolites. This is the earliest evidence of P. brevirostris infection by these groups of helminths.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"111 1","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142950598","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":"DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SPECIES OF GYRINICOLA YAMAGUTI, 1938, FROM THE MONTEZUMA FROG, RANA MONTEZUMAE, IN THE TRANSITION ZONE BETWEEN THE NEARCTIC AND NEOTROPICS.","authors":"Matthew A Walker, Rogelio Aguilar-Aguilar, Virginia León-Règagnon, F Agustín Jiménez","doi":"10.1645/24-83","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-83","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The present work includes the description of Gyrinicola pilyolcatzin n. sp. (Nematoda: Oxyurida) collected from the large intestine of tadpoles of the Montezuma frog, Rana montezumae. Nuclear DNA and mitochondrial DNA generated via a combination of Sanger and Next Generation shotgun sequencing were used to reconstruct the species in a phylogenetic context, by including the other 4 recognized species in the genus present in North America, namely, Gyrinicola batrachiensis, Gyrinicola armatus, Gyrinicola gulabrevioris, and Gyrinicola moohsia. The distinctiveness of the species was supported by an analysis of branching patterns using Bayesian Poisson tree processes. We used morphometric evidence to enumerate the diagnostic characters that define members of this unique clade within the genus. The species shares a common ancestor with G. gulabrevioris and G. moohsia; yet it is meristically similar to G. armatus. This is the first species of the genus described in Mexico and the fifth species described in the Nearctic, as it is present in the Transvolcanic Axis of Mexico, which acts as a transition zone between the Nearctic and the Neotropics. A dichotomous key to the species in the Nearctic is offered.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"111 1","pages":"26-40"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143023897","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":"EXPLORING DIFFERENTIAL GENE EXPRESSION PROFILES OF DERO (ALLODERO) HYLAE IN THEIR PARASITIC AND FREE-LIVING FORMS.","authors":"Claire Bonham, Ashley Roguski, Gabriel J Langford, Jason Macrander","doi":"10.1645/23-18","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-18","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Parasitism is ubiquitous, yet little is known about the evolutionary mechanisms that lead to a parasitic lifestyle. Facultative parasites can switch between free-living and parasitic lifestyles, which may provide an opportunity for researchers to study the genetic mechanisms underlying a transition to parasitism. The oligochaete Dero (Allodero) hylae is a facultative parasite commonly found within the ureter of various anuran species, such as the Cuban tree frog (Osteopilus septentrionalis). The Dero hylae worm passes into the frog's cloaca, where it then infects the ureter. In the ureter, the worm loses its free-living characteristics such as hair setae, dorsal setae, a digestive tract, and fossa with gills as it transitions to a parasitic lifestyle. The parasite may be expelled from its host during urination, and when this occurs the worm will reacquire its free-living characteristics. The focus of this study was to compare the differential gene expression profiles observed when this rapid morphological change takes place. Specimens of D. hylae were extracted from wild Cuban tree frogs and either flash-frozen to capture the parasitic RNA gene expression profile or cultured for 2 wk and allowed to metamorphose to their free-living stage and then flash-frozen. The extracted RNA was used for de novo transcriptome assembly, and we conducted a differential gene expression analysis using an RNA Tag-Seq approach for both the free-living and parasitic life forms. Based on these results, we identified 213 differentially expressed transcripts between the 2 developmental forms, with 190 of these up-regulated in the free-living life form. Although over half of the differential genes recovered did not result in any significant BLAST hits, many of these genes did provide insight into which molecular signals are potentially used after the parasite transforms into the free-living form. This analysis provides significant insight into differentially expressed transcripts associated with the drastic morphological changes observed in this rare case of oligochaete parasitism by D. hylae encompassing both free-living and parasitic forms.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"690-696"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142864365","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 EFFECTS OF TECHNICAL STEPS USED IN EXISTING SANITATION HELMINTH TEST METHODS ON ASCARIS SUUM EGG RECOVERY FROM PIG FECES.","authors":"D Naidoo, C E Archer","doi":"10.1645/22-59","DOIUrl":"10.1645/22-59","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Many technical aspects are associated with helminth egg isolation and enumeration that affect how efficiently eggs are recovered from samples. This study investigated Ascaris egg recoverability when samples were washed with or without pressure, and from different sample types (water, effluent, ventilated improved pit latrine [VIP], urine diversion dry toilet [UDDT], dried, fatty, and septic tank sludges, and soil) when processed with water, ammonium bicarbonate, and 7X®. We also looked at egg recovery after flotation with zinc sulfate, magnesium sulfate, and sodium nitrate at specific gravities of 1.18, 1.2, and 1.3, at respective centrifugation speeds and times after washing (1,050 and 1,512 g for 5, 10, and 15 min) and after flotation (672 and 1,050 g for 5, 10, and 15 min). We found that samples should be washed under pressure to ensure full dissociation of eggs from the sample matrix and then centrifuged at 1,512 g for 10 min. For sludge samples (or samples with high-fat content), 7X produced the best egg recovery and clearest samples for microscopic analysis, while soil and soil-containing (UDDT sludge) samples were best processed with ammonium bicarbonate. Flotation was optimal with zinc sulfate at a specific gravity of 1.3 after centrifugation at 672 g for 15 min.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"717-724"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142864460","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":"HOST TRAITS EXPLAIN MORE VARIATION IN OCCUPANCY OF GENERALISTS THAN SPECIALISTS DUE TO STRONG HOST PREFERENCES AMONG GENERALISTS.","authors":"Emily M Beasley","doi":"10.1645/23-51","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-51","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The range of hosts a parasite can successfully occupy is partially determined by the niche breadth, that is, the set of environmental conditions necessary to maintain a stable population. Niche breadth is often quantified using host specificity, which encompasses the number of host species a parasite can exploit and the parasite's distribution among its hosts. Parasites with a wider niche breadth can potentially occupy more host species and are often more evenly distributed among hosts than parasites with a narrower niche breadth. However, parasites interact with potential hosts within the context of a geographic locality and the set of environmental characteristics associated with it. The extent to which environmental filters associated with host individuals and the geographic context explain variation in occupancy of parasites, and the extent to which variation in occupancy is associated with host range and specificity, is poorly understood. Using data from small mammals and ectoparasites in Vermont, I used a multiscale, multispecies occupancy model (MSOM) to (1) estimate ectoparasite occupancy at 10 geographic sites and on individual hosts within each site, (2) quantify the variation in occupancy explained by the site and host levels of the model using Bayesian R2, and (3) evaluate associations between explained variation and host range of ectoparasites. For ectoparasites collected from at least 4 different host species, I calculated structural specificity to determine the distribution of these parasites across the hosts, and β-specificity to evaluate changes in host use across habitats. Host range was significantly associated with host-level Bayesian R2: generalist parasites had more variation in occupancy explained by host-level covariates than specialist parasites. This result may be explained by differences in structural specificity: many generalists disproportionally occurred on a single-host species, suggesting that host characteristics act as habitat filters for these parasites. There were no significant associations between site-level Bayesian R2 and host specificity. However, some generalists demonstrated high β-specificity, suggesting these parasites may \"switch\" hosts, depending on host availability. These results highlight that the terms specialist and generalist are context dependent and may not accurately describe the niche breadth of parasite taxa. Understanding variation in host specificity as it pertains to potential habitat filters may be important for predicting which parasites can bypass host filters and \"jump\" to a novel host, which has implications for the surveillance and management of vector-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"577-589"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142647403","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":"SPATIO-TEMPORAL VARIATION OF PROCHRISTIANELLA SP. (CESTODA: TRYPANORHYNCHA) IN THE HOST OCTOPUS MAYA (CEPHALOPODA: OCTOPODA) AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE REPRODUCTION.","authors":"Sergio Guillén-Hernández, Harold Villegas-Hernández, Raúl E Díaz-Gamboa, Dawrin Pech-Puch","doi":"10.1645/23-90","DOIUrl":"10.1645/23-90","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Although harvest of Octopus maya (Mexican four-eyed octopus) is one of the most important fisheries in the Yucatan Peninsula, little is known about the parasites of these cephalopods and how they affect host physiological processes. We analyzed the spatio-temporal variation of infection of O. maya by the cestode larva Prochristianella sp. (found in the anterior salivary glands) and its relationship with the gonad development stages (GDSs) of the host. From August 2009 to May 2010, 439 specimens of O. maya were caught in 2 localities on the northern coast of the Yucatán Peninsula: Dzilam de Bravo (n = 239) and Ria Lagartos (n = 200). The mantle length, eviscerated body weight, reproductive complex weight, and gonad weight were recorded in each specimen. Portions of each gonad were used to identify the GDS based on histology for each individual to determine the periodicity of the reproductive cycle and the monthly variation in the reproductive complex weight. Temporal variation in the monthly mean abundance of cestodes but not in prevalence was evident. A permutational multivariate analysis of variance indicated that variation in the mean abundance of Prochristianella sp. was affected by host GDS, month of sampling, host sex, and sampling locality; however, the first-order interactions indicated that the most were important variables were GDS, month, and host sex. General linear model analyses also indicated that the size, reproductive status, and sex of the hosts were significantly related to the abundance of cestodes. Temporal variation was evident in the monthly mean abundance of Prochristianella sp. but not in its prevalence; the number of parasites increased in octopuses from September to December. Regarding the GDS, the mean abundance of the parasite increased as gonads developed, and gonad development was related to water temperature and time, which are linked to season and the upwelling that occurs in spring and summer. In the oral cavity of octopuses, variations in cestode abundance related to host sex, size, and reproductive status can have major implications for the production of saliva, an essential secretion for food acquisition and defense in this host, and could affect octopus reproduction and recruitment of this food resource so important for the Yucatán Peninsula.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"670-678"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142807455","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 RAPID DIAGNOSTIC PCR ASSAY FOR THE DETECTION OF SCHISTOSOMA MANSONI IN THEIR SNAIL VECTORS.","authors":"Tom Pennance, Yvonne Lam, Nathaniel Bigot, Joshua Trapp, Johannie M Spaan, George Ogara, Fredrick Rawago, Kennedy Andiego, Boaz Mulonga, Meredith Odhiambo, Martin W Mutuku, Eric S Loker, Maurice R Odiere, Michelle L Steinauer","doi":"10.1645/24-44","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-44","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Accurate detection of schistosome infections in snails is vital for epidemiologic and laboratory studies. Traditional microscopy methods to detect schistosomes in snails are hindered by long prepatent periods and snail survivorship, leading to inaccurate assessment of infections. A rapid, multiplexed PCR assay targeting Biomphalaria sudanica or Biomphalaria glabrata (internal control) and Schistosoma mansoni DNA is described. The method takes less than 90 min starting from extracted snail DNA and is successful at amplifying schistosome DNA in snail tissue as soon as 30 min following exposure. Accurate measures of schistosome infection success in snails (compatibility) are possible by 4-7 days postexposure.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"684-689"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12175291/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142864704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"HEPATOZOON RUFI N. SP. (APICOMPLEXA: HEPATOZOIDAE) OF BOBCATS (LYNX RUFUS) FROM MISSISSIPPI.","authors":"J P Dubey, Aditya Gupta, Larissa S de Araujo, Oliver C H Kwok, B M Rosenthal","doi":"10.1645/24-52","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-52","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Hepatozoon sp. stages were detected in histological sections of the muscles of 11 of 25 bobcats (Lynx rufus). Parasites were detected from the myocardium of 11, tongues of 4, and limb muscles of 5 of these animals, which had been hunted in Mississippi in 2017. The intensity of infection was highest in the heart. Only asexual stages (meronts) were detected. Three types of meronts (types 1, 2, and 3) were detected, based on structure and mode of division. Additionally, individual zoites were found in leukocytes in the blood vessels of the myocardium, but the stage was not identified. Based on genomic DNA characterized from paraffin-embedded myocardium sections from 1 bobcat using 18S rRNA gene, the Hepatozoon species from the bobcat was related to but distinct from other Hepatozoon spp. of felids. This is the first description of the development of Hepatozoon in the muscles of bobcats. A new name, Hepatozoon rufi, is proposed for this parasite in bobcats.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"607-618"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142647401","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":"ECHINOCOCCUS MULTILOCULARIS IN NEW YORK WILDLIFE: DISTRIBUTION AND GENETIC DIVERSITY OF AN EMERGING PATHOGEN.","authors":"Corinne L Conlon, Julia P Brigandi, Jacqueline L Frair, Corinne Michaud-LeBlanc, Krysten L Schuler, Manigandan Lejeune, Christopher M Whipps","doi":"10.1645/24-54","DOIUrl":"10.1645/24-54","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Abstract: </strong>Echinococcus is a genus of cestode parasites of paramount veterinary and medical importance globally. Two species, Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato and Echinococcus multilocularis, are endemic to North America and are the etiologic agents of cystic echinococcosis and alveolar echinococcosis, respectively. North America is currently experiencing an epidemiological shift in the state of transmission, distribution, and prevalence of E. multilocularis, following the introduction of the European variant of the parasite. The rapid expansion of the parasite into the northeastern United States has resulted in novel detections of spillover to humans, indicating the need for active surveillance to direct public health education and disease control measures. Our surveillance of the parasite in definitive hosts in New York State from 2019 to 2023 yielded 8 detections of the parasite, for a sample prevalence of 8.3% (8/96). Phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial markers confirmed that all New York isolates belong to the European lineage and group in a well-supported clade with E. multilocularis isolates described from Slovakia and Poland. Investigation of the highly polymorphic EmsB microsatellite marker revealed several E. multilocularis genotypes circulating in New York, including 1 that is distinct from European isolates detected in western North America. These data are consistent with 1 or more unique introductions from Europe rather than a spread from western regions of Canada and the United States, where other European variants are found. Echinococcus multilocularis appears to have a complex epidemiology in North America that warrants further detailed surveillance to evaluate the risks for zoonotic transmission.</p>","PeriodicalId":16659,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Parasitology","volume":"110 6","pages":"697-708"},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142864706","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}