Parasites & Vectors最新文献

{"title":"Climate-responsive vector control strategies for Aedes albopictus.","authors":"Jesús Bellver-Arnau, Laura Blanco-Sierra, Santi Escartin, Simone Mariani, Frederic Bartumeus","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06791-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06791-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The rise in mosquito-borne diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya, exacerbated by the ever-expanding habitats of Aedes albopictus, poses a significant public health risk. Even marginal improvements in vector control efficacy can be crucial in mitigating these risks.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this study, we employed a metapopulation model to simulate Ae. albopictus population dynamics and dispersal, optimizing the timing and spatial allocation of larvicidal treatments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Simulations revealed that larvicide treatments are most effective when applied preventively, early in the mosquito season, particularly under conditions of lower-than-average cumulative rainfall and, to a minor extent, colder-than-average temperatures, as these conditions limit larvae proliferation. We found that breeding site characteristics, particularly surface area and maximum water holding capacity, are critical in determining optimal treatment allocation in scarce-resource scenarios. However, a cost-effectiveness trade-off exists, as larger breeding sites offer more substantial reductions in mosquito populations but also demand higher larvicide dosages. Spatial factors such as breeding site distribution had minimal impact on treatment efficacy, possibly due to the high mobility range of adult mosquitoes compared with the size of the study area.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results highlight the superior efficiency of the optimized approach in comparison with routine vector control strategies, especially when resources are limited, offering a more effective use of larvicide in controlling mosquito populations. This study demonstrates that vector control strategies for Ae. albopictus can be significantly enhanced by considering climatic variables and breeding site characteristics in treatment planning. This research provides a framework for developing cost-effective and flexible mosquito control programs that can adapt to environmental conditions, potentially improving public health outcomes by reducing the transmission risk of mosquito-borne diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"168"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12067949/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144037297","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Using non-insecticidal traps indoors can complement insecticide-treated nets to target insecticide-resistant malaria vectors.","authors":"Romaric Akoton, Pierre Marie Sovegnon, Oswald Y Djihinto, Adandé A Medjigbodo, Romuald Agonhossou, Ayola Akim Adegnika, Gabriella Gibson, Rousseau Djouaka, Frances M Hawkes, Luc S Djogbénou","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06759-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06759-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) provide protection against malaria vectors through their insecticidal action and as a physical barrier. However, insecticide resistance in malaria vectors has diminished their efficacy, threatening future malaria control. To reinforce ITNs' effectiveness, evaluating non-insecticide-based tools in an integrated control approach is worthwhile. In the present study, a mosquito collection technique, the Host Decoy Trap (HDT), was coupled with standard ITNs as a complementary intervention, and its effectiveness against insecticide-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. was assessed in experimental huts.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>An HDT combined with either permethrin or deltamethrin-treated nets was tested against field-collected An. gambiae mosquitoes from Za-Kpota (Benin Republic) in experimental hut trials following WHO Phase II guidelines. Effectiveness was assessed in terms of mosquito mortality, blood feeding and exophily rates. Prior to hut trials, an insecticide susceptibility test was performed on field-collected An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes to screen for pyrethroid resistance.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significantly higher mortality rate was observed against both susceptible and field-collected An. gambiae s.l. mosquitoes when ITNs were used with HDT (ranging from 80.18 to 99.78%) compared to alone (2.44-100%). The combined use of treated nets with HDT resulted in a lower rate (ranging from 0 to 10.83%) of blood feeding compared to the treated nets alone (ranging from 0 to 16.93%). When treated nets were hung next to the HDT, they significantly limited the number of insecticide-resistant mosquitoes that exited experimental huts compared to the nets alone.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The use of HDT alongside ITNs has been demonstrated to significantly reduce the likelihood of vector-host contact by insecticide-resistant An. gambiae. A combination of HDT and treated nets reduced the number of live An. gambiae mosquitoes as well as the blood-feeding rate. Furthermore, it reduced the number of mosquitoes likely to leave the huts and enter the natural environment. Altogether, our findings highlight the potential of integrated approaches combining non-insecticidal trapping devices with ITNs when designing future integrated vector control strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"166"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12063245/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144009734","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The ecological niche and population history shape mosquito population genetics on a group of three Caribbean islands.","authors":"Pepijn Helleman, Maarten Schrama, Krijn B Trimbos, Marieta A H Braks, Francis Schaffner, Arjan Stroo, Roel M Wouters, Jordy G van der Beek","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06801-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06801-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>While studies on mosquito population genetics have primarily focused on medically relevant species, fewer have examined the genetic population structure of mosquitoes from a diverse range of species within a single geographical area. The limited comparison between native and non-native species, as well as ecologically divergent species from the same region, hampers our ability to generalise previously described patterns in mosquito population genetics. This study uses the mosquito fauna of the Caribbean islands of Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire as a case study to explore population genetic variation among both native and non-native mosquito species, as well as among native species occupying different ecological niches. We examine how genetic patterns relate to their population history and species-specific ecologies.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Mitochondrial COII sequences were obtained from 258 mosquito specimens belonging to six species, occurring on all three islands. Sequences were used in haplotype network analysis to assess the genetic variation between mosquito populations of each of the six ecologically diverse species, which vary in both their population history and ecological niche.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Both the genetic diversity and population genetic structure were found to differ strongly between sets of species, leading to a subdivision into three species groups: (1) non-native species with low genetic diversity across all three investigated islands, (2) locally native species with high genetic diversity and closely related haplotypes occurring on different islands and (3) locally native species with high genetic diversity and locally restricted haplotypes.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our results show that the population genetics of non-native and native species strongly differ, likely as a result of population history. Furthermore, the results suggest that mosquito species sharing the same area may display distinct population genetic structure, likely related to differences in their ecology and dispersal capacity. We suggest that addressing a broader range of species within a single area will benefit future research on mosquito population genetics to place observed patterns into a broader historical, ecological and evolutionary context.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"167"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12065371/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144030718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Habitat characterization and breeding preferences of mosquito larvae in northwestern Spain: abundance, diversity, and species composition.","authors":"Yasmina Martínez-Barciela, Alejandro Polina, Josefina Garrido","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06803-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06803-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Understanding how environmental variables determine the presence, abundance, and diversity of mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) in their larval habitats is crucial to establish appropriate preventive and control measures against these disease vectors. Although the autonomous community of Galicia (northwestern Spain) is an optimal area for the development of mosquitoes, little is known about their larval ecology.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was performed in 333 sampling points evenly distributed throughout Galicia. Different habitat characteristics (climatic zone, hydroregime, water body type, substrate, surface, depth, degree of insolation, environment type, and land use) and physicochemical parameters of the water (temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, salinity, and total dissolved solids) were recorded in each water body. Mosquitoes were collected using the standardized dipping technique between May and October in 2021 and 2022. The relationship between environmental variables with diversity, abundance, and species composition was assessed throughout the Kruskal-Wallis test (K-W), redundancy analysis (RDA), and generalized linear models (GLM). The affinity index between species that shared breeding sites was also analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 14 mosquito species belonging to the genus Culex (88.1%), Anopheles (7.5%), and Culiseta (4.4%) were identified, with Culex pipiens s.l. being the most abundant in the region (48.1%). The frequency, abundance, and diversity of mosquitoes varied significantly among climatic zones, hydroregime, water body types, substrates, and seasons according to the K-W results (P < 0.05). RDA indicated that water body type, temperature, pH, and the conductivity of the water accounted for the main part of the variation in species composition. GLM revealed that water conductivity, hydroregime, land use, and degree of insolation affect Cx. pipiens s.l. larval abundance. Many species shared breeding sites, but Cx. pipiens s.l. and Cx. torrentium had the highest affinity index (2.58). Both species are competent vectors of West Nile virus (WNV), so their wide presence in Galicia is of interest to public health.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Several environmental variables determine the diversity, abundance, and species composition of mosquitoes at breeding sites. The information presented in this study provides valuable insights into mosquito larval ecology, especially useful for the identification of epidemiological risk areas and the design of vector surveillance and control programs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"165"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12057168/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143999673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances in the study of extracellular vesicles of Naegleria fowleri and their role in contact-independent pathogenic mechanisms.","authors":"Ismael Castelan-Ramírez, Catalina Flores-Maldonado, Dolores Hernández-Martínez, Lizbeth Salazar-Villatoro, Alberto Daniel Saucedo-Campos, David Segura-Cobos, Adolfo René Méndez-Cruz, Maritza Omaña-Molina","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06786-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06786-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are spherical membrane particles released by prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. EVs produced by pathogenic organisms are known to play a role in host-pathogen interactions; however, despite some reports on Naegleria fowleri EVs, their potential role in inducing cytopathic effects remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated the role of N. fowleri EVs in contact-independent pathogenic mechanisms.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Extracellular vesicles were characterized via transmission electron microscopy, nanoparticle tracking analysis, SDS-PAGE, mass spectrometry, Western blotting, and zymography. EVs internalization by trophozoites and MDCK epithelial cells was also determined. Finally, mammalian cells were coincubated with EVs to evaluate haemolytic activity, epithelial paracellular ionic permeability alterations, and necrosis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Naegleria fowleri extracellular vesicles, ranging from 82.5 to 576.5 nm in size, were isolated, with a mean of 216.8 nm and a mode of 165.3 nm. Proteomic analysis identified 1006 proteins in the EVs, including leishmanolysin, a protein associated with pathogenic mechanisms such as adhesion and enzymatic processes. The proteolytic activity of EVs was found to be primarily due to serine protease. Furthermore, EVs were internalized by both trophozoites and MDCK cells. Additionally, EVs exhibited haemolytic activity in erythrocytes as well as increased ionic permeability and necrosis in MDCK cells 24 h postinteraction.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Naegleria fowleri EVs exhibit proteolytic and haemolytic activity and are internalized by trophozoites and MDCK epithelial cell monolayers, increasing the ionic permeability of the monolayer and inducing necrosis. Furthermore, these vesicles contain molecules associated with pathogenic processes such as leishmanolysin. Our results suggest that EVs facilitate paracellular invasion, migration, and damage caused by trophozoites and play a significant role in pathogenic processes as part of a contact-independent mechanism, which, in conjunction with a contact-dependent mechanism, enhances our understanding of the pathogenicity exhibited by this amphizoic amoeba during its invasion of target tissues.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"164"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-05-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12046931/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144008617","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial inference of Culex pipiens abundance and biting activity distribution in the Netherlands using citizen science.","authors":"Ayat Abourashed, Catuxa Cerecedo-Iglesias, Martha Dellar, John R B Palmer, Frederic Bartumeus","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06774-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06774-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The expanding geographical spread of mosquito-borne diseases (MBDs) has intensified the need for effective mosquito surveillance. Additional surveillance, particularly of species such as Culex pipiens, is essential as this species is a key vector of West Nile and Usutu viruses. Citizen science offers an innovative approach to monitoring Cx. pipiens populations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Our study utilized data from the Mosquito Alert mobile app to model the spatial distribution and abundance of Cx. pipiens and mosquito bites during the summer of 2021 in the Netherlands. Using generalized linear mixed models, climatic and non-climatic factors were analyzed to create two distribution models of adult Cx. pipiens and mosquito bites as outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Population density, income, and agricultural areas (P ≤ 0.007) were identified as key determinants for both models. Blackbird population density, precipitation, and the interaction between artificial surfaces and temperature were also covariates for the Culex model, whereas sand and tree coverage were determinants for the bite model. The study controlled for biases in sampling effort to ensure robust predictions, revealing higher Cx. pipiens abundance in the central eastern areas of the country and widespread mosquito biting activity across the Netherlands.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings underscore the importance of sociodemographic and environmental factors in mosquito distribution and biting dynamics, with citizen science emerging as a valuable tool for enhancing traditional surveillance. Future research integrating longer temporal datasets and human behavioral factors will further improve predictive accuracy and support more effective MBD prevention efforts.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"162"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12042346/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143973057","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insights into the biology of the rat lungworm, Angiostrongylus cantonensis.","authors":"Chasen D Griffin, Vanessa O Ezenwa, Robert H Cowie","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06790-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06790-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a parasitic nematode with a complex life cycle involving rats as definitive hosts and gastropods as intermediate hosts. The parasite can infect other organisms, including humans, in which it causes neuroangiostrongyliasis, a globally emerging but neglected disease. This primer reviews the biology of A. cantonensis including its life cycle and development in its natural, accidental, and paratenic hosts, as well as its expanding geographic distribution. It then considers recent advances in A. cantonensis research followed by exploring areas that are ripe for further investigation into this fascinating parasite.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"163"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12042383/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144030813","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of Simparica Trio® against induced infections of Ancylostoma braziliense and Ancylostoma ceylanicum in dogs.","authors":"Raj Packianathan, Andrew Hodge, Natalie Bruellke, Michael Pearce, Frans Selepe, Piyanan Taweethavonsawat, Thomas Geurden","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06758-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06758-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hookworm infections such as Ancylostoma braziliense and A. ceylanicum pose a significant threat to pets and are implicated in causing zoonotic diseases. Despite the availability of preventatives, compliance can be lacking. Increasing pet owner options and combining endo- and ectoparasite treatments might improve this compliance. In four separate studies, we investigated the efficacy of Simparica Trio® (Zoetis Inc., Parsippany, NJ, USA) containing minimum dosages of 1.2 mg/kg sarolaner, 24 µg/kg moxidectin and 5 mg/kg pyrantel against fourth- and fifth-stage larvae (L₄ and L₅, respectively) and adults of A. braziliense and adults of A. ceylanicum in dogs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Four negatively controlled, randomised and blinded laboratory studies were conducted against induced infections of A. braziliense and A. ceylanicum, with the interval between infection and treatment selected to evaluate efficacy against each targeted stage. Each treated dog received a single oral dose of Simparica Trio® at the recommended label dose. Necropsy was conducted for worm recovery on day 7 or 8 post-treatment.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>No treatment-related adverse events were recorded in any of the studies. No worms were recovered from any of the Simparica Trio®-treated dogs in all four studies, thus resulting in 100% efficacy (P ≤ 0.0005) of Simparica Trio® against all stages of A. braziliense and the adult stage of A. ceylanicum in dogs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Simparica Trio® containing sarolaner, moxidectin and pyrantel was highly effective against induced infections of L₄, L₅ and adult stages of A. braziliense and the adult stage of A. ceylanicum in dogs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"159"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12036228/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143992343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Feline vector-borne pathogens in Iran.","authors":"Alireza Sazmand, Mariaelisa Carbonara, Leili Moradi, Pardis Almasi, Shiva Saruei, Mozhdeh Moradi-Jam, Anahita Akhondi, Parmida Malekzadeh, Soheila Ghaharzade-Mahabadi, Amin Bakhshani, Omid Chashnigir, Baharak Akhtardanesh, Hamidreza Moosavian, Mohammad Ramezani, Darioush Shirani, Livia Perles, Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan, Zainab Sadeghi-Dehkordi, Reza Nabavi, Fateme Jalousian, Domenico Otranto","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06788-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06788-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Feline vector-borne pathogens (FeVBPs) are common in tropical and subtropical countries, mainly due to favorable climate conditions for arthropod perpetuation coupled with limited preventive measures. However, data regarding the actual burden of these infections among cats are still scarce compared with dogs. The present study aimed to provide an overview of the prevalence of FeVBPs infections in Iran.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From December 2018 to February 2023, a total of 848 cats of both sexes, different ages, and with outdoor lifestyle living in 7 provinces of Iran were blood sampled and molecularly screened for Hepatozoon spp., Babesia spp., Cytauxzoon spp., Dirofilaria spp., and Leishmania spp.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Overall, 5.4% of cats scored positive for at least one VBP, with Hepatozoon spp. being the most common (3.8%), followed by Leishmania spp. (2.5%) and Dirofilaria immitis (0.7%). The Hepatozoon-positive cats lived in localities from the eastern, western, and central-northern regions; most of them (n = 25) were infected by Hepatozoon felis, and the remaining (n = 3) by Hepatozoon canis. Leishmania spp.-infected cats were detected from the east, center, and west of the country, while D. immitis-positive animals lived in central-north areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>To our knowledge, this is the first large-scale molecular epidemiology study of vector-borne pathogens in cats in Iran. The circulation of several VBPs, including those with zoonotic potential (i.e., D. immitis and Leishmania spp.) highlights the importance of endo- and ectoparasite control measures in owned cats and suggests that controlling the population of feral animals (e.g., through spaying and neutering campaigns) would contribute to reducing the risk of transmission of VBPs.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"160"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039143/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144037298","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Acaricidal efficacy of fluralaner against Rhipicephalus microplus ticks under laboratory and field conditions in Brazil.","authors":"Daniel de Castro Rodrigues, Gabriel Webert Gomes, Francisca Leticia Vale, Ana Lúcia Coutinho Teixeira, Isabela Santos Silva, Haile Dean Figueiredo Chagas, Tom Strydom, Siddartha Torres, Rafael Paranhos de Mendonça, Fernando de Almeida Borges, Lívio Costa Junior, Lorena Lopes Ferreira, Welber Daniel Zanetti Lopes, Caio Monteiro","doi":"10.1186/s13071-025-06775-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s13071-025-06775-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The first isoxazoline-based acaricide (fluralaner) for the control of Rhipicephalus microplus was introduced onto the market in 2022, initially in Brazil, followed by other Latin American countries. Therefore, it is important to establish laboratory methods to monitor the susceptibility of populations of R. microplus to this molecule and to determine the relationship between the results of laboratory tests and those from field trials.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A larval immersion test (LIT) was performed on 18 populations of R. microplus. The lethal concentration 50 (concentration causing 50% mortality [LC50]) values were calculated to determine the resistance ratios (RRs) of the populations. The lethal concentration 99 (concentration causing 99% mortality [LC99]) values were calculated to determine the discriminating doses (DDs = 2 × LC99). The DDs were applied in tests with the POA (susceptible) and GYN (resistant) strains, as well as in tests with the population that presented the lowest LC50 value (population 14) and with the two populations that presented the highest LC50 value (populations 10 and 16). Finally, we performed field trials with the population that presented the lowest and two highest LC50 values.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In the LIT with fluralaner, the LC50 values ranged from 0.144 to 0.481 µg/mL for the 18 R. microplus populations. The mortality rate was 100% in the tests of the DDs in the five populations tested. In the field trials, the efficacy of fluralaner was similar for the three populations of R. microplus tested (populations 14, 10 and 16), with therapeutic efficacy (until day 21) of 100% and persistent efficacy (between days 28 and 42) > 95%.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We observed natural variability in the susceptibility of larvae from the different populations of R. microplus that had never been treated with this compound. Despite the observed variability in the in vitro results (LC50), a comparable efficacy of > 90% lasting until day 42 was observed in the field trials. Also, based on the results of the laboratory testing (LC50 and DD) and field trials, we can conclude that there was no resistance to fluralaner in the 18 studied tick populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":19793,"journal":{"name":"Parasites & Vectors","volume":"18 1","pages":"161"},"PeriodicalIF":3.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12039197/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144049544","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}