Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports最新文献

{"title":"Development and field validation of an indirect ELISA for serosurveillance of Ornithodoros lahorensis exposure","authors":"Xiaolin Xu ,&nbsp;Xiangfen Yuan ,&nbsp;Huiyu Wang ,&nbsp;Ailixire Maimaiti ,&nbsp;Yufang Kong ,&nbsp;Jizhou Lv ,&nbsp;Shaoqiang Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101327","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101327","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div><em>Ornithodoros lahorensis</em> is the primary vector of numerous tick-borne diseases. Effective tick surveillance could facilitate the prevention of tick-borne diseases. Direct surveillance methods for tick bites are impractical, the development of an indirect approach to detect specific antibodies against tick salivary proteins in animal samples would provide a more convenient surveillance and diagnostic tool. Previous studies have confirmed that some salivary gland proteins can be used as detection markers for tick bites.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The recombinant BTSP protein of <em>O. lahorensis</em> (r<em>Ol</em>-BTSP) was expressed and purified. r<em>Ol</em>-BTSP was subjected to sequence alignment analysis, and validated as a serological detection target for <em>O. lahorensi</em> exposure by Western blot analysis. Then, a novel ELISA method for detecting <em>O. lahorensis</em> bites in sheep (S-iELISA) was developed by optimizing critical parameters, including antigen coating concentration, serum dilution. The sensitivity and specificity of the S-iELISA method were evaluated. And the S-iELISA were further applied to test 455 sheep serum samples from Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia in China.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Sequence homology analysis revealed that <em>Ol</em>-BTSP exhibited only 30.5 % amino acid identity with its homologs from both hard ticks and soft ticks. And the serum from mice bitten by <em>O. lahorensis</em> exhibited specific immunoreactivity with r<em>Ol</em>-BTSP, while the cross-species antibody tests showed no reactivity, confirming the diagnostic potential of <em>Ol</em>-BTSP for detecting <em>O. lahorensis</em> exposure. The developed S-iELISA exhibited excellent diagnostic accuracy, with a sensitivity of 93.3 % (95 % CI: 70.2–99.7 %) and a specificity of 96.7 % (95 % CI: 82.8–99.9 %) in validation studies. The seroprevalence rate of <em>O. lahorensis</em> exposure in serum samples collected from Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia were 10.45 % and 3.09 %, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The S-iELISA method established in this study was a reliable tool for detecting and monitoring <em>O. lahorensis</em> exposure in sheep. And the serological diagnostic method based on r<em>Ol</em>-BTSP showed great promise for enhancing the surveillance and management strategies for <em>O. lahorensis</em>-borne diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 101327"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144831564","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identification and DNA barcoding of Tabanid flies in the pasture area of sheep at Mannavanur, Palani Hills, Tamil Nadu, India","authors":"G. Nagarajan ,&nbsp;K. Kanagarajadurai ,&nbsp;K. Pachaiyappan ,&nbsp;Ghanshyam Yadav","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101326","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study was carried out to identify the tabanid flies creating annoyance to sheep in the grazing area of SRRC, Mannavanur by means of morphological keys and DNA barcoding targeting mitochondrial cytochrome <em>c</em> oxidase subunit I (COI) gene. Two different kinds of tabanid flies were caught from the pasture area by graziers during the months of May &amp; June 2021. With the help of Dept. of Agricultural Entomology, Centre for Plant Protection studies, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India and Zoological Survey of India, Kolkata, West Bengal, India, it was identified that <em>Haematopota nathani</em> (Cleg fly) and <em>Tabanus subcinerascens</em> (Horse fly) were the two dipteran tabanid flies causing annoyance and aching bite in sheep and shepherds. The total genomic DNA isolated from the flies were subjected to COI gene based PCR assay using the universal primer set and the resultant PCR amplified DNA fragments were cloned into <em>E.coli</em> based vector. The confirmed recombinant plasmids were subjected for gene sequencing protocol through outsourcing. Upon the BLAST analysis, the nucleotide sequences obtained from the flies identified by TNAU and ZSI, were having the highest identity with COI gene of <em>Haematopota sp</em> and <em>Tabanus</em> sp., respectively. The obtained nucleotide sequences were analysed using the standard bioinformatics tools. Small number of fly specimens and the analysis based on the partial nucleotide sequences of COI gene are the limitations. It was concluded that the documentation of <em>H. nathani</em> and <em>T. subcinerascens</em> as well as barcoding of both tabanid flies from Palani hills, Tamil Nadu, India, based on mitochondrial COI DNA marker had been carried out for the first time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 101326"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144827639","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence and diversity of parasites infecting pet birds in Guelma region (North-East Algeria)","authors":"Zerguine Karima ,&nbsp;Bourenane Imane ,&nbsp;Bendafer Nawel ,&nbsp;Bennacer Manel ,&nbsp;Lmouaci Roumaissa ,&nbsp;Fadel Leila ,&nbsp;Atoussi Sadek","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101324","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101324","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to investigate endoparasites and ectoparasites in 162 cage birds raised in Guelma province. Sampling was conducted on nine bird species from four families: <em>Serinuscanaria</em> (German red canary and Mosaic canaryvarieties), <em>Cardueliscarduelis</em> (European goldfinch), from the family of Fringillidae, <em>Nymphicus hollandicus</em> (Cockatiel lutino, Cockatiel) from the family of Cacatuidae, the passerine <em>Passer domesticus</em> (House sparrow), <em>Melopsittacus undulatus</em> (Budgerigar), <em>Psittacus erithacus</em> (African grey parrot), <em>Agapornis fischeri</em> (lovebird), <em>Poicephalusgulielmi</em> (Red fronted parrot), and <em>Poicephalus senegalus</em> (Senegal parrot) from the family of Psittacidae. The results revealed the presence of a single ectoparasite species, <em>Dermanyssus gallinae</em>, affecting 100 % of the birds in the Fringillidae family. Endoparasitesidentified belonged to the Nematoda and Protozoa phyla, including <em>Syngamus trachea</em>, <em>Strongyloïdes</em> sp., <em>Amidostomum</em> sp., <em>Ascaridia</em> sp., <em>Cooperia</em> sp., <em>Giardia</em> sp., <em>Entamoeba</em> sp., and <em>Isospora</em> sp. The highest rate of digestive parasite infection was observed in the Fringillidae family (86 %), while the lowest was found in the Psittacidae family (36 %). The most common intestinal parasites in cage birds in this region were protozoa, specifically <em>Isospora</em> oocysts (29/162) and <em>Entamoeba</em> cysts (26/162), as well as the nematode <em>Syngamus trachea</em> (20/162).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 101324"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144886629","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Anthelmintic resistance in gastrointestinal nematodes of cattle owned by smallholders in Southern Chile","authors":"D. Tapia-Escárate,&nbsp;J. Paredes,&nbsp;J. Sanhueza","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101320","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101320","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Helminth infections present a significant challenge to rural and indigenous smallholders. In a municipality of Los Lagos Region, Chile, ivermectin has been the preferred method of anthelmintic control in cattle, but its efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes after years of usage had not been evaluated. In the spring of 2021, 30 smallholder cattle farmers and 128 bovines were selected using a one stage cluster sampling. During the first visit, fecal samples were collected, and animals were treated with subcutaneous ivermectin (0.2 mg/kg). Samples were sent to the Parasitology Laboratory of the Universidad Católica de Temuco. Fourteen days after the first sampling, a second fecal sample was taken from the same animals. Fecal eggs count (FEC) was performed in a Whitlock universal chamber. Animals with initial FECs ≤100 eggs per gram (epg) were excluded from the FEC reduction test (FECRT). The classification of resistance, suspected resistance, or susceptibility was established based on the guidelines provided by Denwood et al. (2023) and the WAAVP (2023). Among the 128 animals sampled and treated in the first sampling, 61 (47.7 %) had FEC ≥100 epg, with 85.2 % being ≤18-month-old. Considering animals with initial FEC ≥100, the mean farm adjusted FECR percentage was 55.0 % (95 % CI 34.3 % - 87.9 %) and the treatment failed to reduce the egg count per gram by more than 95 % in 65.6 % of the animals sampled. Additionally, animals ≥18-month-old had 48 times higher odds of achieving a 95 % FECR percentage than animals &lt;6 month-old. This study provides evidence of gastrointestinal nematode's resistance to subcutaneous ivermectin treatment in smallholders' cattle in a municipality of Los Lagos region, Chile.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"64 ","pages":"Article 101320"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144714387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fascioloides magna infection in a captive impala (Aepyceros melampus) in Florida, USA","authors":"Braxton Sizemore ,&nbsp;An-Chi Cheng ,&nbsp;Heather D.S. Walden ,&nbsp;Kuttichantran Subramaniam ,&nbsp;Samantha M. Wisely ,&nbsp;Juan M. Campos Krauer","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101311","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101311","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Parasitic diseases are associated with diverse clinical signs, and veterinary professionals must be familiar with the presentations of infections in a variety of hosts. As human activity introduces new and exotic host species, expanding our understanding of pathogen effects in new species becomes integral to effective surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment. This article presents the expansion of the known host range of the American liver fluke, <em>Fascioloides magna</em>, with the infection of a farmed impala (<em>Aepyceros melampus</em>) in Marion County, Florida, USA. The gross and histopathological lesions observed are consistent with previous reports of dead-end host infections, particularly black striping across the peritoneum and abdominal viscera, a prominent pseudocyst on the visceral face of the liver, and hepatic fibrosis and biliary hyperplasia associated with tissue taken from that pseudocyst. While no whole or partial fluke was obtained from a field necropsy of the impala, amplification via cPCR and Sanger sequencing of the ITS2 region confirmed the presence of <em>Fascioloides magna</em> DNA in a frozen liver sample. This diagnostic approach was selected following the determination of an absence of fluke eggs in feces, as is characteristic of dead-end and aberrant host infections. While impala likely play little role in determining population-scale epidemiological and ecological dynamics of fluke infections, given their dead-end host status, this report serves as an important reference for managers and veterinary professionals hoping to preserve the health and welfare of exotic bovids that interface with native American cervids, the definitive hosts of <em>Fascioloides magna</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101311"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653722","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sarcocystis infections in bobcats (Lynx rufus) from Minnesota, USA","authors":"Jitender P. Dubey ,&nbsp;Aditya Gupta ,&nbsp;Benjamin M. Rosenthal ,&nbsp;Rafael Calero-Bernal ,&nbsp;Carolin Humpal ,&nbsp;Michelle Carstensen","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101319","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101319","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Species of <em>Sarcocystis</em> parasitize a wide range of vertebrate hosts, sometimes causing disease in humans and animals. Here, frozen muscles of 239 bobcats (<em>Lynx rufus</em>) from Minnesota were tested for <em>Sarcocystis</em> infections. After thawing, muscles were examined microscopically by compression preparations of unfixed muscles and histological sections of paraffin embedded tissues. Some sarcocysts were later characterized using electron microscopy and gene sequencing for comparison to other <em>Sarcocystis</em> species in the genus. In the first batch of 50 bobcats trapped in 2014–2015, only tongues were examined histologically and sarcocysts were found in 21 (42 %). In the second batch of 140 bobcats trapped in 2023–2024, tongues and limb muscles were examined by combined methods (histology and compression smears) detected infection in the muscles of 44 (31.4 %). In the third batch of 49 bobcats trapped in 2025, tongues, limb muscles and myocardium were examined histologically, and sarcocysts were found in histological sections of 15 tongues, 7 limb muscles and none in hearts. In two of these most heavily infected bobcats, myositis was found in limb muscles. Overall, sarcocysts were detected in 82 of 239 (34.3 %) bobcats. Based on the character of the sarcocyst walls by light microscopy, three morphologic types of sarcocysts were detected. With transmission electron microscopic examination, one of these sarcocyst types could not be distinguished from <em>Sarcocystis felis</em> (originally described from the bobcat) or <em>Sarcocystis caninum</em> (described from the domestic dog) in this study. Multilocus genotyping confirmed one of the <em>Sarcocystis</em> derived from bobcat tongue samples to be either <em>Sarcocystis arctica</em> or <em>Sarcocystis caninum</em>, with all three gene regions (<em>18S</em> rRNA, <em>28S</em> rRNA, and <em>cox1</em>) showing 98–100 % sequence identity to isolates of <em>S. arctica</em> or <em>S. caninum</em>; <em>S. felis</em> has not been molecularly characterized from the bobcat. Phylogenetic analysis also revealed the clustering of specimens under study with isolates of <em>S. arctica</em> and <em>S. caninum</em> with strong bootstrap support. Results of the study affirm that contrary to assumptions, muscular <em>Sarcocystis</em> infections in bobcats are common, <em>Sarcocystis</em> species may not be host specific in the carnivorous hosts, and some of them cause clinical disease in dogs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101319"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653720","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First occurrence of Megninia ginglymura (Acari: Analgidae) in laying hens in state of Pará, in the Amazon biome, Brazil","authors":"Magno Chagas Souza ,&nbsp;Ana Thereza Silva Mota ,&nbsp;Ana Caroline dos Santos Freitas ,&nbsp;Zeliane Lucena Cavalcante ,&nbsp;Jheniffer de Jesus Rodrigues Neves ,&nbsp;Darliane Evangelho Silva ,&nbsp;Wilton Pires da Cruz ,&nbsp;Noeli Juarez Ferla","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101318","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101318","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Megninia ginglymura</em> (Mégnin) (Acari: Analgidae) is a widely distributed feather mite species. In South America, ectoparasitism have been documented in laying hens in Venezuela and Brazil, with records in the latter country from the states of Ceará, Paraíba, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and Rio Grande do Sul. Between March and June 2024, were examined, monthly, feathers from Automated Vertical Climate System (AVC), Automated Vertical System (AVS) and Automated Californian System (SIG) in the northeastern region of the state of Pará, Brazil, in the Amazon biome. <em>Megninia ginglymura</em> were found on the feathers during the sampling period. Greater mite abundance was observed in abdomen, in the SIG and AVS, and in the cloaca, in AVC. Higher abundance of eggs was observed on the inner part of the wings, in the systems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101318"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632652","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First confirmation of Microthoracius mazzai (Anoplura) infestation in Vicugna pacos (Camelidae) in Germany","authors":"J. Fischer ,&nbsp;H. Wagner ,&nbsp;J. Schaupp ,&nbsp;H. Huemmelchen ,&nbsp;C. Hermosilla","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101317","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101317","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This case report details the identification and management of an autochthonous infestation of <em>Microthoracius mazzai</em>, in a herd of alpacas located in southern Germany. Notably, this is the first documented occurrence of <em>M. mazzai</em> in Germany, presented with clinical signs of skin irritation and anemia, suggesting to consider <em>M. mazzai</em> as a differential diagnosis in dermatological diseases in alpacas in Germany. Moreover, in the course of this study we described the morphology of the projecting proboscis of <em>M. mazzai</em> by scanning electron microscopy for the first time.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101317"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144633065","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First report of molecular prevalence, phylogeny and hematological impact of Isospora sp. in common quails (Coturnix coturnix)","authors":"Ardas Masood ,&nbsp;Muhammad Naeem ,&nbsp;Ghafoor Ahmad ,&nbsp;Muhammad Farooq ,&nbsp;Hira Muqaddas ,&nbsp;Mohammed Bourhia ,&nbsp;Samir Ibenmoussa ,&nbsp;Turki M. Dawoud ,&nbsp;Khalid Javed Iqbal ,&nbsp;Furhan Iqbal","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The present study investigates the molecular prevalence and phylogenetic characteristics of apicomplexan parasite, <em>Isospora</em> sp., in the blood samples of common quails (<em>Coturnix coturnix</em>) sampled from both wild (<em>n</em> = 237) and farmed (<em>n</em> = 230) populations across six districts (Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Lahore, Layyah and Multan) in Punjab, Pakistan, during 2022 to 2023. Additionally, effect of parasite was documented on the complete blood count (CBC) of the hosts. Out of 467 quails tested, 10 (2.1 %) exhibited amplification of the 18S rRNA gene for <em>Isospora</em> sp. BLAST analysis of generated sequences has confirmed the identity of recovered PCR products as <em>Isospora</em> sp. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pakistani isolate clustered with <em>Isospora</em> sp. reported from birds, reptiles and mammals in various countries globally. A risk factor analysis indicated that the parasites did not vary significantly when compared between wild and farmed birds. Overall <em>Isospora</em> sp. prevalence varied between the sampling sites but was not limited to a particular bird sex. Significant CBC variations were recorded in infected birds (both wild and farmed) as compared to uninfected ones. This study provides the first documentation of <em>Isospora</em> sp. infection in Pakistani quails, underscoring the need for detailed investigations across different regions to enhance our understanding on <em>Isospora</em> sp. infection rates, their transmission, and impact on the host birds.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101312"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144632651","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of oral afoxolaner (NexGard®) against natural infestations with Heterodoxus spiniger (Phthiraptera: Boopiidae) in dogs under field conditions","authors":"A.D. Mihalca ,&nbsp;S. Lolokote ,&nbsp;A. Moise ,&nbsp;D. Modrý ,&nbsp;F. Beugnet","doi":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Heterodoxus spiniger</em> is a chewing louse of a diverse range of hosts, primarily Carnivora. Domestic dogs are considered a major host, and infestations can lead to pruritus, hair loss, or seborrhea. In the context of absence of clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of isoxazolines against <em>H. spiniger</em>, the study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a single oral dose of afoxolaner (NexGard®, Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany) under field conditions for the treatment of natural infestations in dogs, and to compare it with a topical contact ectoparasiticide registered in Europe for the chewing lice <em>Trichodectes canis</em> (Frontline Combo®, Boehringer Ingelheim, Germany) based on fipronil and (<em>S</em>)-methoprene. The study was a field, blinded, positive-control, single-site clinical efficacy study that was performed around Mount Ng'iro, Kenya. Between 30th January and 4th February 2025, 36 dogs infested with <em>H. spiniger</em> were included in the study when brought by owners for a regular rabies vaccination. For each included animal one adult <em>H. spiniger</em> was identified microscopically and collected in absolute ethanol. After inclusion, each infested dog was randomly assigned to one of the two groups: group 1 (investigational group treated with NexGard®) group 2 (positive control group treated with Frontline Combo®). Clinical assessments were performed at inclusion (day 0), then at day 15 (±2) and day 30 (±2) when scoring and evaluation of the skin lesions and symptoms was done. A grading system was also applied for scoring the presence of <em>H. spiniger</em>. Overall, 36 dogs were included (16 in group 1 and 20 in group 2). Four dogs did not complete the study. On days 15 (±2) and 30 (±2), all 32 dogs (from the 2 study groups) scored 0 for lice (i.e. no nits, no alive lice). The primary outcome was the complete eradication of lice by day 30 (±2). During the duration of the study, no reinfestation due to the hatching of eggs was observed. After treatment, a statistically significant decrease in degree of hair loss, pruritus, scaling, and lice score was noticed in the two groups at days 15 (±2) and 30 (±2) compared to day 0. The results show a clinical efficacy of 100 % for oral afoxolaner (NexGard®) against <em>Heterodoxus spiniger</em>, as well as of the control product (Frontline Combo®).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":23600,"journal":{"name":"Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports","volume":"63 ","pages":"Article 101316"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144653721","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}