Parasitology最新文献

{"title":"<i>Sinistroporomonorchis bolini</i> n. sp. (Trematoda: Monorchiidae) from the Ocellated killifish, <i>Floridichthys polyommus</i> (Cyprinodontidae) in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico based on an integrative taxonomy analysis.","authors":"Leopoldo Andrade-Gómez, Juan F Espínola-Novelo, Brenda Solórzano-García, Gerardo Pérez-Ponce de León","doi":"10.1017/S0031182025000010","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182025000010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Members of <i>Sinistroporomonorchis</i> Wee, Cutmore, Pérez-del-Olmo & Cribb, 2020 represent a small group of trematodes belonging to the Monorchiidae Odhner, 1911 with 5 species described from mugilid hosts. Specimens consistent with the generic concept of <i>Sinistroporomonorchis</i> were obtained from <i>Floridichthys polyommus</i> (Cyprinodontidae); most of them were juveniles from 4 localities within the Yucatán Peninsula. After a detailed morphological examination including scanning electron microscopy images and a principal component analysis, the specimens collected represented a new species, <i>Sinistroporomonorchis bolini</i> n. sp. The new species can be differentiated by the presence of an overall large pharynx including the proportion of pharynx width to oral sucker width, a uterus arranged in 2 main lateral fields, and by presenting robust caeca. In addition, sequences of the 28S of large subunit of nuclear ribosomal RNA and <i>cox</i>1 of the mitochondrial DNA were obtained. Phylogenetic trees inferred from each dataset, placed all the specimens in a monophyletic clade, confirming that the isolates belonged to the same species. The new species is the sixth described for the genus <i>Sinistroporomonorchis</i>, the fifth described from the Yucatán Peninsula and the first described from a non-mugilid host.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"106-114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088916/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143009906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Exploring South Africa's hidden marine parasite diversity: two new marine <i>Ergasilus</i> species (Copepoda: Cyclopoida: Ergasilidae) from the Evileye blaasop, <i>Amblyrhynchote honckenii</i> (Bloch).","authors":"Linda van der Spuy, Rodrigo B Narciso, Kerry A Hadfield, Victor Wepener, Nico J Smit","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001550","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001550","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Marine parasites remain understudied in South Africa with little information available on their diversity and the effects these parasites may have on their hosts. This is especially true for parasitic copepods within the family Ergasilidae. Among the 4 genera known in Africa, <i>Ergasilus</i> Nordmann, 1832 is the most speciose with 19 reported species. However, this represents only 12% (19/163) of the global diversity. Furthermore, only 5 known African species are reported from marine environments, and only 1 is reported from the South African coastline. Given the rich biodiversity along this coastline, a high marine parasite diversity could be expected from these shores. As a case study, the Evileye blaasop, <i>Amblyrhynchote honckenii</i> (Bloch), a marine and brackish fish species, was screened for parasites along the South African coastline. This resulted in the discovery of 2 species of <i>Ergasilus</i> new to science (<i>Ergasilus arenalbus</i> n. sp. and <i>Ergasilus chintensis</i> n. sp.), which makes them the second and third ergasilid species reported for tetraodontid pufferfishes worldwide. Although genetically distinct, the 2 newly described species clustered in the same subclade within the Ergasilidae based on 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA and COI mtDNA phylogenies. The newly described species differ morphologically from each other, and their respective congeners based on the size and armature of the antenna; body segmentation; and general ornamentation throughout the entire body. The addition of these 2 new species from a single host species indicates that South Africa's marine fishes contain most probably a hidden parasitic copepod diversity that is worth exploring.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"30-50"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088925/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of the recombinant protein <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 for the serological diagnosis of imported urogenital schistosomiasis and comparison with commercially available tests.","authors":"María Pilar Luzón-García, Laura Navarro, Esther Rodríguez, Manuel Jesús Soriano-Pérez, José Vázquez-Villegas, María Isabel Cabeza-Barrera, Alex Loukas, Nerea Castillo-Fernández, María Jesús Perteguer, Javier Sotillo, Joaquín Salas-Coronas","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001574","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001574","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Different agencies have emphasized the need to evaluate current serological methods for screening patients with suspected urogenital schistosomiasis. However, there is still a lack of evidence regarding the most appropriate methods for this purpose. Here we assessed the diagnostic efficacy of a newly developed serological technique that utilizes the recombinant protein <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2, applied to the urine and serum of migrants suspected of having urogenital schistosomiasis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of an in-house enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using the recombinant protein <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 were analysed and compared with other commercial serological methods. Due to the limitations of microscopy as a perfect reference method, a latent class analysis (LCA) and composite reference standard (CRS) approach was used to determine the sensitivity and specificity of each test. According to the LCA model, the commercial tests NovaLisa^® and immunochromatography test (ICT) immunoglobulin G-immunoglobulin M (IgG-IgM) presented the highest sensitivity (100%), whereas the <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 serum ELISA test had 79.2%. The <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 urine and serum ELISA tests had the highest specificities among the serological methods (87.5 and 75%, respectively). CRS modelling showed that the ICT IgG-IgM, NovaLisa^® and <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 serum tests led in sensitivity at 97.1, 88.6 and 71.4%, respectively, with all tests except that the ICT IgG-IgM test having a specificity >90%. <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 has been validated as a screening tool for patients suspected of having urogenital schistosomiasis. Although commercial serological tests have shown higher sensitivities, <i>Sh</i>-TSP-2 could be valuable for confirming results from tests with lower specificity. Nevertheless, further studies with larger patient cohorts are necessary to fully verify its potential.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"72-81"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088922/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143009343","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and diversity of <i>Aphanomyces astaci</i> in cambarid crayfish of Pennsylvania: where native and introduced hosts meet.","authors":"Adam Petrusek, Michaela Mojžišová, Adéla Mikešová, Radka Piálková, David A Lieb","doi":"10.1017/S0031182025000022","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182025000022","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The crayfish plague pathogen <i>Aphanomyces astaci</i> (Oomycota: Saprolegniales) is native to North America but expanded with its crayfish hosts to other regions. In most of its invaded range, <i>A. astaci</i> haplotypes are associated with specific American crayfish, probably due to introduction bottlenecks, but haplotype diversity is higher and clear host-specific associations are lacking in its native range. However, little is known about the infection rate and load of this pathogen in North America. We investigated the distribution, prevalence and genetic variation of <i>A. astaci</i> in Pennsylvania (eastern USA), where multiple native and introduced crayfish species (family Cambaridae) occur. We used <i>A. astaci</i>-specific quantitative PCR to screen 533 individuals representing 8 crayfish species (2 <i>Cambarus</i> and 6 <i>Faxonius</i>) from 49 sites. <i>Faxonius limosus</i>, an American species first introduced to Europe and carrier of <i>A. astaci</i> genotype group E, was of particular interest. We confirmed <i>A. astaci</i> infections in 76% of sites in all but 1 host taxon, with the pathogen infection rate and load comparable to established populations of North American crayfish studied in Europe and Japan. Despite the absence of highly infected hosts, we genotyped <i>A. astaci</i> from 14 sites. We only detected 2 mitochondrial haplotypes, but nuclear markers indicated the presence of at least 4 distinct pathogen genotypes, none documented from invaded areas in Europe or Asia. Genotype group E was not detected in <i>F. limosus</i>, possibly due to limited spatial distribution of the original strain. Our results highlight both benefits and limitations of combining multiple pathogen genotyping methods.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"92-105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088921/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143024347","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Size, spines, and primes: the drivers of collar spine numbers among echinostome trematodes.","authors":"Bronwen Presswell, Priscila M Salloum, Jerusha Bennett, Katherine E Buschang, Robert Poulin","doi":"10.1017/S0031182025000046","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182025000046","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"123-131"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088915/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143047563","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Epidemiology and transmission patterns of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp., and <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> within a One Health framework in rural areas of Eastern Algeria.","authors":"Sadiya Maxamhud, Nassiba Reghaissia, AbdElKarim Laatamna, Eleni Gentekaki, Anastasios D Tsaousis","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001616","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001616","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Gastrointestinal infections constitute a significant global health concern, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, caused by various pathogens. Among these, <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp. and <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> are noteworthy due to their zoonotic potential. In Algeria, molecular epidemiological data on cryptosporidiosis and giardiasis are limited. To fill this gap, the present study aimed to examine the transmission dynamics of <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp., and <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> in various households. A total of 216 samples were collected from the rural Guelma and Souk Ahras provinces, located in the eastern part of Algeria. These included human and animal faeces, as well as water and soil samples. DNA was extracted, followed by nested PCR targeting the <i>SSU</i> rRNA gene to detect <i>Cryptosporidium</i> spp., while the <i>gp60</i> gene was amplified for subtyping. Detection of <i>G. duodenalis</i> was performed by qPCR targeting the <i>SSU</i> rRNA gene, followed by amplification of <i>tpi</i>, <i>bg</i> and <i>gdh</i> genes for genotyping and subtyping. Several <i>Cryptosporidium</i> species, including <i>C. bovis, C. ryanae, C. andersoni</i> and <i>C. parvum</i>, were identified in human, animal and environmental samples. The zoonotic <i>C. parvum</i> subtype IIaA17G2R1 was detected in human, animal and soil samples. <i>Giardia duodenalis</i> assemblage B was detected in a human sample, while assemblage E was found in cattle and sheep. The current investigation underscores the importance of the One Health approach in addressing issues related to intestinal parasites, highlighting the need for improved surveillance and control measures in rural settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"51-60"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12088920/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142847150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Genome-wide association study analysis of single nucleotide variants in <i>L. infantum</i> associated with IL-6 inflammatory response in visceral leishmaniasis.","authors":"Amanda Miranda da Silva, Kátia Silene Sousa Carvalho, Caio Andrey Bezerra Januário, Raquel Gomes de Sena Carneiro Caldas, Bianka Lopes da Silva Paulino, Débora Cavalcante Braz, Dorcas Lamounier Costa, Gabriel da Luz Wallau, Wilson Jose da Silva Junior, Carlos Henrique Nery Costa","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001598","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001598","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Elevated levels of IL-6 in plasma are associated with the severity of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The clinical manifestations of VL vary among patients, influenced by host factors and the virulence of the <i>Leishmania infantum</i> parasite. Considering that severe VL may result from an exaggerated inflammatory response, this study investigated whether IL-6 could serve as a biomarker to identify pro-inflammatory virulence factors. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) analysis on <i>L. infantum</i> isolates from patients with VL, whose IL-6 concentrations were measured. The analysis revealed that the relationship between IL-6 levels and clinical outcomes (survival <i>vs</i> mortality) had an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.67 (95% CI 0.52–0.81). A cut-off of 391.7 pg mL⁻¹ for IL-6 was established to conduct a logistic regression analysis. We identified 10 029 single nucleotide variants (SNVs) across 62 genomes, resulting in 6,948 SNVs after filtering, of which 6,341 are located in protein-coding regions. The association analysis with PLINK identified 722 variants, of which 35 showed significant associations, with odds ratios ≥3.3, primarily in coding regions. These findings demonstrate that IL-6 levels tended to be associated with the fatal outcome of VL and highlight 35 novel genetic variants that could serve as potential biomarkers for prognosis. Further research into the biological role of these variants may lead to new therapeutic targets and improve the clinical management of VL, especially in identifying high-risk patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"1-9"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142818847","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Repurposing statins for the treatment of larval cestodiases: <i>in silico</i> evaluation of statin-HMG-CoA reductase interactions and assessment of statin effects on a cestode model.","authors":"Marina Monteiro Guedes, Jeferson Camargo de Lima, Jéssica Andrade Paes, María Del Pilar Cevasco Contreras, Ana María Celentano, Arnaldo Zaha, Karina Mariante Monteiro, Mara Cecilia Rosenzvit, Henrique Bunselmeyer Ferreira","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001586","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001586","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cestodiases, like echinococcoses and cysticercoses, represent a global health problem. Currently available anthelmintics, as benzimidazoles and praziquantel, have limited effectiveness against these cestodiases, creating a demand for the identification of new and more effective drugs. Here, the potential of statins (simvastatin and fluvastatin), for repositioning as novel anthelmintic is explored. Statins are inhibitors of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, a main enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, which is vital for the synthesis of non-steroidal isoprenoids and the maintenance of normal cell functioning. A survey for HMG-CoA reductase encoding genes showed that they are present in a single copy in the genomes of parasitic helminths and their mammal hosts. Sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses showed 20–95% overall identities among ortholog HMG-CoA reductases, with special conservation of their catalytic domains. The HMG-CoA reductase 3D-structure was predicted for orthologs from 3 cestodes of medical importance (<i>Echinococcus multilocularis</i>, <i>Echinococcus granulosus</i> sensu lato, and <i>Taenia solium</i>), and from a model cestode species (<i>Mesocestoides corti</i>). Molecular docking between cestode HMG-CoA reductase orthologs with simvastatin demonstrated that the Arg, Ser, Lys, and Glu residues in conserved positions of the active site interact with this drug, similarly to the interactions predicted for the human reference ortholog enzyme. Furthermore, <i>in vitro</i> assays demonstrated that simvastatin produced a significant reduction of <i>M. corti</i> viability, being able to reduce 100% of parasite viability at 150 μm. Fluvastatin was also assessed showing a lower, although significant anthelmintic effect. The predicted overall structures and interactions together with <i>in vitro</i> assays suggest that cestodes HMG-CoA reductases are inhibited by simvastatin, being a potential therapeutic target for the repurposing of simvastatin as anthelmintic drug. Furthermore, these results pave the way for the <i>in vivo</i> evaluation of the potential effects of simvastatin on cestode larvae.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"1-11"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142818849","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"<i>Aonchotheca annulosa</i> and <i>Aonchotheca murissylvatici</i>, which is which? A reappraisal of the gastrointestinal <i>Aonchotheca</i> (Nematoda: Capillariidae) species common in wood mice and bank voles.","authors":"Jerzy M Behnke, Joseph A Jackson","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001471","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001471","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wood mice (<i>Apodemus sylvaticus</i>) and bank voles (<i>Myodes glareolus</i>) are often employed as natural study models in infectious disease ecology. Yet the identities of some elements of their parasite fauna have been subject to long-standing confusion. One instance of this relates to 2 nominal species of the capillariid nematode genus <i>Aonchotheca</i>: <i>Aonchotheca annulosa</i> (Dujardin, 1845) and <i>A. murissylvatici</i> (Diesing, 1851). Through literature review, analysis of recorded host- and site-specificity and tracing of taxonomic precedence, it is possible to confirm that <i>A. annulosa</i> is a valid species with a spicule c. 1000 microns long, a small intestinal site of infection and a wide host range centred in murine rodents (with <i>A. sylvaticus</i> the most common host). On the other hand, tracing the provenance of <i>A. murissylavtici</i> through to the works of the early naturalists reveals it is best assigned as a <i>nomen nudum</i> (lacking sufficient establishing description) or a junior synonym of <i>A. annulosa</i> and does not have precedence for the other <i>Aonchotheca</i> morphotype commonly found in Eurasian rodents. The first description consonant with this other morphotype, which has a short spicule (200–250 microns in length) and occurs primarily in the stomach of bank voles and other cricetids, was as <i>Capillaria halli</i> by Kalantarian in 1924. We thus recommend the suppression of <i>A. murissyvatici</i> in favour of <i>Aonchotheca halli</i> (Kalantarian, 1924) for this gastric-specialist short-spicule morphotype, particularly as the use of the <i>A. murissylvatici</i> name and its variants has previously been associated with substantial inconsistency and misidentification with <i>A. annulosa</i>.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"1497-1507"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12052420/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142625496","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Distribution and evidence of co-infection of the two microsporidian parasites <i>Astathelohania contejeani</i> and <i>Nosema austropotamobii</i> in <i>Austropotamobius pallipes</i> complex in Northern and Central Italy.","authors":"Gianluca Fea, Daniela Ghia, Andrea Basso, Valentina Paolini, Roberto Sacchi, Tobia Pretto","doi":"10.1017/S0031182024001525","DOIUrl":"10.1017/S0031182024001525","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><i>Austropotamobius pallipes</i> complex is an endangered freshwater crayfish species in Europe and the assessment of the health status of its wild populations is essential for conservation purposes. The two microsporidia <i>Astathelohania contejeani</i> and <i>Nosema austropotamobii</i> have been reported to cause in <i>A. pallipes</i> complex a chronic parasitic infection, known as ‘porcelain disease’, which reduces population fitness and leads the host to death. Due to the similar macroscopic signs produced, molecular biology analyses are required to unambiguously distinguish between these microsporidia. Focusing on <i>A. pallipes</i> complex populations located in Northern and Central Italy, the present study provides an evaluation of prevalence and distribution of <i>A. contejeani</i> and <i>N. austropotamobii</i>, and investigates the variables affecting the probability of detecting infected specimens during a survey (e.g. sex, crayfish density, longitude). Microsporidia were identified in 12 populations among the 42 monitored from 2011 to 2017, with an average prevalence of 3.12% for <i>A. contejeani</i> and 3.60% for <i>N. austropotamobii</i>, the latter being reported in a wider area than previously documented (from Lombardy to Liguria Regions). Notably, crayfish co-infected by both microsporidia were also detected in 4 populations. Moreover, it was observed that the probability of detecting a crayfish with a microsporidian infection significantly increased eastwards in the studied area, especially for <i>N. austropotamobii</i>. Our distribution map for microsporidiosis, combined with molecular screening, will be useful for planning breeding and translocation efforts for <i>A. pallipes</i> complex populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":19967,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology","volume":" ","pages":"1587-1596"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12038494/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142682422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}