Parasitology International最新文献

{"title":"Morpho-molecular identification of heartworms (Dirofilaria immitis) in domestic dogs in the Sucre canton, Ecuador","authors":"Sonia María Koppel Moreira ,&nbsp;Angel Virgilio Cedeño Moreira ,&nbsp;Camilo Alexander Mestanza Uquillas ,&nbsp;Carolina Fonseca Restrepo ,&nbsp;Victor Montes Zambrano ,&nbsp;Naga Raju Maddela","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103225","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103225","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Dirofilaria immitis</em>, the etiologic agent of heartworm disease in dogs, is a mosquito-borne nematode that primarily affects the cardiopulmonary system. The objective of this study was to morphologically and molecularly characterize the nematodes found in a naturally infected dog in the Sucre canton of Ecuador. It is a tropical coastal region with favorable conditions for vector proliferation, but with limited epidemiological information. The necropsy of the infected dog revealed adult nematodes located in the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries, exhibiting the sexual dimorphism characteristic of <em>D. immitis</em>. Parasites were molecularly analyzed using PCR amplification of the <em>cox1</em> and <em>18S rRNA</em> genes, followed by Sanger sequencing and phylogenetic comparison with reference strains from the NCBI/GenBank database. All isolates showed 100 % query coverage, with identities ranging from 99 to 100 % with known <em>D. immitis</em> strains. Phylogenetic trees constructed using the Maximum Likelihood and Neighbor-Joining methods positioned local isolates within well-supported <em>D. immitis</em> clades, indicating high genetic similarity with reference strains from Asia, Europe, and South America. This integrated diagnostic approach highlights the value of combining morphological and molecular tools for accurate parasite identification. Furthermore, the study provides essential reference data for veterinary surveillance programs on the Ecuadorian coast. This information supports the implementation of early diagnosis, control, and prevention strategies, contributing to improving the health of domestic dogs and reducing the risk of zoonotic transmission in vulnerable tropical ecosystems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103225"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840688","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":"Avian trichomonosis: An innovative approach in drug redirection with Ciprofloxacin, Norfloxacin, and Nitrofurantoin","authors":"Marjorie de Giacometi ,&nbsp;Yan Wahast Islabão ,&nbsp;Alexia Brauner de Mello ,&nbsp;Filipe Obelar Martins ,&nbsp;Melinda Gomes Victor ,&nbsp;Camila Belmonte Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103221","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103221","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trichomonas gallinae</em> is the protozoan that causes avian trichomonosis, a disease affecting the upper digestive tract of birds and leading to proliferative lesions<em>.</em> The 5-nitroimidazoles, especially metronidazole, are the only recommended treatment, but emerging resistance highlights the need for alternatives. Ciprofloxacin (CP) and norfloxacin (NOR) are fluoroquinolones, and nitrofurantoin (NF) is a nitrofuran; all of which show broad-spectrum activity against bacterial and parasitic infections. This study evaluated the <em>in vitro</em> antiparasitic activity of these antibiotics on <em>T. gallinae</em> trophozoites and determined the mean inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀), the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), and the mortality curve, in addition to demonstrating the morphological changes caused in the trophozoites. The antibiotics were tested at the following concentration ranges: 5–0.1 mg/mL (CP), 10–0.25 mg/mL (NOR), and 5–0.03 mg/mL (NF). Efficacy was observed at the highest concentrations (5 mg/mL for CP and NF; 10 mg/mL for NOR) after 24 h, with approximately 100 % inhibition of trophozoite growth. In the determination of IC₅₀ values, NF showed the lowest value (0.069 mg/mL), followed by CP (0.27 mg/mL) and NOR (0.71 mg/mL). The activity of antibiotics against <em>T. gallinae</em> began in the first hour of incubation, with over 98 % inhibition for NOR compared to approximately 65 % for CP and NF. After 12 h, inhibition of &gt;95 % was observed, reaching 100 % in 48 h for all antibiotics. These results demonstrated that CP, NOR, and NF were promising antibiotics for the <em>in vitro</em> treatment of avian trichomonosis. All tested antibiotics induced significant morphological changes in trophozoites, including flagellar internalization, vacuolization, and pseudocyst-like formations. <em>In silico</em> studies were carried out with relevant <em>Trichomonas</em> proteins which showed potential mechanistic pathways of CP and NOR.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103221"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145768799","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":"Cryptosporidium spp. in adult goats from family farms in northwestern Argentina: Prevalence and epidemiological insights","authors":"Carina Basset ,&nbsp;Kevin D. Steffen ,&nbsp;Lorena De Felice ,&nbsp;Bruno Fitte ,&nbsp;Paula L. Olaizola ,&nbsp;M. Laura Gos ,&nbsp;Juan M. Unzaga","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103222","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103222","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Cryptosporidium</em> infection in goats has been reported in several countries. However, information is scarce for South America, including Argentina. This study aimed to identify <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. infections in adult goats of 11 rural communities from Luracatao Valley (Argentina), and to evaluate associated risk factors through socio-productive surveys. Fecal samples were collected of 409 adult goats from 51 family farms. Oocysts compatible with <em>Cryptosporidium</em> spp. were detected in 0.48 % (2/409) of samples by microscopy. A total of 4.89 % (20/409) of goats and 36.36 % (4/11) of communities tested positive by nested PCR targeting <em>18S rRNA</em> gene fragments. The sequences were consistent with <em>C. ubiquitum</em> (<em>n</em> = 15), <em>C. xiaoi</em> (<em>n</em> = 3), and <em>C. parvum</em> (<em>n</em> = 2). 51 surveys were conducted with goat-raising families, providing contextual data on herd management, health practices, and environmental conditions. Multivariate analysis showed a significant protective association between antiparasitic treatment and <em>Cryptosporidium</em> infection (OR = 0.073; <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05). These findings provide valuable information to better understand cryptosporidiosis in family goat systems, a system that is often overlooked in public policy, despite goats being a significant source of livelihood for many families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103222"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145743732","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":"Collagen capsule and drug access do not explain ivermectin resistance of Trichinella spiralis muscle larvae","authors":"Sukhonthip Khueangchiangkhwang ,&nbsp;Yasuhisa Oida ,&nbsp;Asuka Taguchi ,&nbsp;Kiyoyuki Kitaichi ,&nbsp;Jun-ichi Takeda ,&nbsp;Fuminori Hyodo ,&nbsp;YIENDUER ,&nbsp;Ruofei Kan ,&nbsp;Sarawut Sonrit ,&nbsp;Zhiliang Wu ,&nbsp;Yoichi Maekawa","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103227","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103227","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trichinella</em> is a nematode that causes chronic infection via its larvae in muscle cells and remains a global health concern. Drug sensitivity, including to ivermectin (IVM), differs between intestinal adult worms (AW) and muscle larvae (ML): AW are susceptible, whereas ML are not. We tested whether the collagen capsule surrounding ML limits drug entry and thereby explains the poor efficacy of IVM. In mice infected with encapsulated <em>T. spiralis</em> or non-encapsulated <em>T. pseudospiralis</em>, IVM treatment at the ML stage did not reduce ML burdens. In vivo pharmacokinetic analyses detected IVM within ML, regardless of presence or absence of the collagen capsule. These results indicate that the collagen capsule and limited drug access do not account for the ineffectiveness of IVM against ML. Intrinsic, stage-specific factors within ML likely underlie this resistance and warrant further investigation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103227"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850756","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":"Evaluating the efficacy of Glucantime and determinants of treatment success in cutaneous leishmaniasis: A retrospective study","authors":"Sahar Jamshidi ,&nbsp;Qasem Asgari ,&nbsp;Laleh Mahmoudi","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Cutaneous leishmaniasis</em> (CL) is a major public health issue in endemic regions such as Shiraz, Iran. Glucantime (meglumine antimoniate), a pentavalent antimonial remains the first-line treatment. However, its efficacy varies depending on the route of administration and patient-specific factors. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of Glucantime and identify predictors of treatment success among patients with CL.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>This retrospective cross-sectional study, included 70 patients diagnosed with CL in 2024 at a major referral centre. Diagnosis was confirmed via PCR-based molecular detection and direct microscopic parasitological examination. Patients were treated with Glucantime, administered either intradermally or intramuscularly, based on standardized protocols. Demographic data, lesion characteristics, and treatment outcomes were recorded. Treatment success was defined as ≥50 % reduction in lesion size and resolution of symptoms at four months. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square tests, with significance set at <em>p</em> &lt; 0.05.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Among the 70 patients (mean age of 32.6 ± 19 years; 53 % female), the overall treatment success rate was 65.7 %. Females demonstrated a significantly higher response rate than males (78.8 % vs. 54.1 %, <em>p</em> = 0.03). Intradermal administration yielded significantly better outcomes (91.4 %) compared to intramuscular injections (40 %, <em>p</em> &lt; 0.001). No statistically significant associations were observed with age, lesion size, number, or morphology, although smaller lesions and blister-type lesions tended to respond better.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Glucantime showed moderate clinical effectiveness for CL treatment, with intradermal administration demonstrating superior outcomes compared to intramuscular delivery. Although intradermal therapy should be prioritized for suitable lesions, the moderate overall efficacy highlights the need for alternative or adjunctive treatments. Findings should be interpreted with appropriate caution and further prospective studies are warranted to confirm these results and refine treatment protocols.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103229"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145892831","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":"Tick-borne pathogens in Ghana: Emerging threat to animal and human health","authors":"Seth Offei Addo ,&nbsp;Margaret Addo ,&nbsp;Christopher Nii Laryea Tawiah-Mensah ,&nbsp;Richard Odoi-Teye Malm ,&nbsp;Jane Ansah-Owusu ,&nbsp;Stacy Amoah ,&nbsp;Millie-Cindy Aba Aude Koffi ,&nbsp;Selma Nurudeen Salley ,&nbsp;Patrick Kwasi Obuam ,&nbsp;Danielle Ladzekpo ,&nbsp;Samuel K. Dadzie","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2026.103230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2026.103230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ticks continue to spread worldwide transmitting pathogens that affect animal production and human health. With the transboundary movement of herdsmen and their livestock through the borders into Ghana, there is likely to be the introduction of new tick species and their associated pathogens. This review provides information on the distribution of livestock ticks and tick-borne pathogens, emphasising the threat to both human and animal health. A search was done using terms about tick-borne pathogens and livestock ticks in Ghana from Google Scholar, PubMed and Scopus. This review examined information from 47 published papers on ticks and tick-borne pathogens infecting livestock and humans. <em>Amblyomma variegatum</em> is the predominant tick species mostly infesting cattle. However, recent studies have reported the presence of other species such as <em>Rhipicephalus microplus</em>, <em>Hyalomma marginatum</em>, <em>Hyalomma dromedarii</em> and <em>Rhipicephalus turanicus</em>. Diverse pathogens of zoonotic and veterinary importance such as Crimean Congo Haemorrhagic Fever Virus (CCHFV), <em>Rickettsia africae</em>, <em>Coxiella burnetii</em> and <em>Anaplasma capra</em> have been detected in ticks, livestock and abattoir workers. There is an increasing risk of tick-borne pathogen infections in the human and animal populations. The implementation of control methods aimed at efficiently managing tick populations and halting the spread of zoonotic tick-borne pathogens is urgently needed.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103230"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145905835","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":"Effects of rivastigmine on the pathogenesis of the experimental trypanosomiasis","authors":"Letícia Farto de Rossi ,&nbsp;Bárbara Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Henrique Frediani ,&nbsp;Agnaldo Bruno Chies ,&nbsp;Alessandre Hataka ,&nbsp;Marcelo Ruiz ,&nbsp;Wilson Baleotti ,&nbsp;Eduardo Antonio Donadi ,&nbsp;Luciamáre Perinetti Alves Martins","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103202","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103202","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inflammation is important mechanism in Chagas disease (CD) pathogenesis. Considering that CD treatment presents a limited efficacy and anticholinesterase drugs may have antiinflamamtory properties, they could be used as a therapeutic option. We decided evaluate the action of rivastigmine on the anti-inflammatory cholinergic pathway during the course of CD. For this, 120 “Swiss” mice were divided into three groups: 30, 60 and 180 days, and subdivided into four subgroups: Uninfected/untreated (CTRL); uninfected/treated with rivastigmine (RIV); infected/treated (INF + RIV) and infected/untreated (INF). The INF + RIV and INF groups were intraperitoneally inoculated with 5 × 10⁴ trypomastigote forms of <em>Trypanosoma cruzi</em> QM2 strain<em>.</em> Parasitemia, histopathological, GSH, FRAP, TBARS tissue, BChE, AChE and <em>in silico</em> analysis were determined. We observed a decrease in parasitemia and mortality in the animals of the INF + RIV group. The increase in GSH in the INF + RIV and INF groups indicated oxidative damage in the acute phase, nevertheless no significant difference was observed in FRAP, tissue and histopathological TBARS between the infected and control groups. An increase in BChE activity was observed in the INF + RIV and INF groups in all periods studied, yet, the AChE activity was lower in the INF and INF + RIV groups only at 60 days post-infection. <em>In silico</em> analysis revealed that AChE exerts a catalytic role on ACh through the catalytic triad (Ser²⁰⁰; HIS⁴⁴⁰; Glu³²⁷), rivastigmine being associated with the His⁴⁴⁰ binding site. Rivastigmine reduced parasitemia and mortality <em>in vivo</em> in the acute phase of infection, suggesting a potential modulatory role on the non-neuronal cholinergic pathway, although further studies are required to understand it.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103202"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145637509","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":"Recombinant small myristoylated protein-3 and synthetic peptide as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for tegumentary leishmaniasis","authors":"Maíza M. Rodrigues ,&nbsp;Raquel S.B. Câmara ,&nbsp;Camila S. Freitas ,&nbsp;Daniela P. Lage ,&nbsp;Ana L. Silva ,&nbsp;Mariana M. Cardoso ,&nbsp;Nathália C. Galvani ,&nbsp;Dóris M. Abrão ,&nbsp;Breno L. Pimenta ,&nbsp;Bárbara P.N. Assis ,&nbsp;Ana T. Chaves ,&nbsp;Grasiele S.V. Tavares ,&nbsp;João A. Oliveira-da-Silva ,&nbsp;Unaí Tupinambás ,&nbsp;Manoel O. da Costa Rocha ,&nbsp;Myron Christodoulides ,&nbsp;Ricardo A. Machado-de-Ávila ,&nbsp;Denise U. Gonçalves ,&nbsp;Isabela A.G. Pereira ,&nbsp;Eduardo A.F. Coelho","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103213","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103213","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The diagnosis of tegumentary leishmaniasis (TL) remains challenging, primarily due to the variable sensitivity and specificity of current laboratory tests. Moreover, most diagnostic methods rely on invasive blood collection and require laboratory infrastructure, limiting their accessibility. In this study, the <em>Leishmania</em> small myristoylated protein-3 (SMP-3) was evaluated as a potential diagnostic antigen for TL using both urine and serum samples. A total of 175 paired samples were analyzed, including 55 from TL patients, 45 from healthy individuals, and 75 from patients with cross-reactive diseases. The diagnostic performance of recombinant SMP-3 (rSMP-3), a predicted B-cell epitope from the SMP-3 sequence, and a soluble <em>Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis</em> antigen extract (SLA) were assessed using ELISA experiments. In urine-based ELISA, rSMP-3 demonstrated excellent diagnostic accuracy, with sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and kappa coefficient all reaching 100 %. The synthetic peptide yielded sensitivity of 87.3 %, specificity of 100 %, PPV of 1.0, NPV of 0.95, and a kappa of 0.89. In comparison, SLA showed lower performance with values of 76.6 % sensitivity, 93.3 % specificity, 0.84 PPV, 0.90 NPV, and 0.73 kappa coefficient. For serum-based ELISA, rSMP-3 also exhibited high diagnostic performance, with sensitivity of 90.9 %, specificity of 100 %, PPV of 1.0, NPV of 0.96, and a kappa of 0.93. The synthetic peptide reached 94.6 % sensitivity, 96.7 % specificity, 0.96 PPV, 0.95 NPV, and a kappa of 0.91. SLA again showed inferior results, with sensitivity of 50.9 %, specificity of 94.2 %, PPV of 0.94, NPV of 0.92, and a kappa coefficient of 0.50. Furthermore, a significant decline in SMP-3-specific IgG levels was observed six months post-treatment in TL patients, indicating its potential utility as a prognostic marker. When compared to a commercial diagnostic kit, SMP-3 demonstrated satisfactory performance. In conclusion, SMP-3 is a promising antigen for the non-invasive diagnosis and monitoring of TL and warrants further investigation as a diagnostic and prognostic tool for this neglected tropical disease.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103213"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145661673","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":"Corrigendum to “Parasite diversity in painted frogs inhabiting desert oases in southern Tunisia” [Parasitology International, volume 111C (2026), 103195]","authors":"J. Dhib ,&nbsp;M. Comas ,&nbsp;H. Kacem ,&nbsp;A. Hammouda ,&nbsp;J. Harl ,&nbsp;H.P. Fuehrer ,&nbsp;J. Garrido-Bautista ,&nbsp;G. Moreno-Rueda ,&nbsp;S. Selmi","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103223","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103223","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103223"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145782495","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":"Sleeping with the enemy II: Expanding the ecological, molecular, and epidemiological knowledge of the tropical fowl mite, Ornithonyssus bursa (Berlese, 1888)","authors":"Ricardo Bassini-Silva ,&nbsp;Luís Fernando da Cruz ,&nbsp;Julia Takatsu Carvalho ,&nbsp;Victor de Souza Mello-Oliveira ,&nbsp;Isabella Pereira Pesenato ,&nbsp;Ana Cláudia Calchi ,&nbsp;Ana Carolina Castro-Santiago ,&nbsp;Lívia de Oliveira Andrade ,&nbsp;Gabriela da Silva Zampim ,&nbsp;Rafael de Oliveira Bonaldo ,&nbsp;Luiz Fernando Denadai Miranda ,&nbsp;Maria Eduarda Borges Seixas Subutzki ,&nbsp;Raul Fávero Perrone ,&nbsp;Rosiléia Marinho de Quadros ,&nbsp;Tatiana Evelyn Hayama Ueno ,&nbsp;Estevam Guilherme Lux Hoppe ,&nbsp;Marcos Rogério André ,&nbsp;José Maurício Barbanti Duarte ,&nbsp;Cristiane dos Santos Cruz Piveta ,&nbsp;Marcelo Bahia Labruna ,&nbsp;Fernando de Castro Jacinavicius","doi":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103226","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.parint.2025.103226","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ornithonyssus bursa</em> (Berlese), the tropical fowl mite from the family Macronyssidae, is a hematophagous ectoparasite of birds with increasing importance in human and animal health. This study reports new cases of human parasitism associated with <em>O. bursa</em> in Brazil, involving direct contact with avian hosts or their nests. These cases include new geographic records in the states of São Paulo and Santa Catarina, and new associations with bird species, including the first known record in <em>Amazona aestiva</em> (Psittaciformes). Molecular analysis was performed on individual mites to characterize the species and investigate associated microorganisms. This study provides the first partial sequence of the <em>cox1</em> gene for <em>O. bursa</em> and the first phylogenetic analysis for the family using this marker. Additionally, we report the first detection of <em>Ehrlichia</em> and <em>Wolbachia</em> in Brazilian specimens. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 16S rRNA sequences placed the <em>Ehrlichia</em> haplotype close to strains previously detected in <em>Haemaphysalis</em> spp. ticks and the <em>Wolbachia</em> haplotype within supergroup E. These findings expand our understanding of the ecological and microbial diversity of <em>O. bursa</em>, highlighting its public health relevance, and emphasize the need for further studies on its vector potential and evolutionary relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19983,"journal":{"name":"Parasitology International","volume":"112 ","pages":"Article 103226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145840689","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}