International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife最新文献

{"title":"Intestinal parasites infecting free-ranging primates in Colombia: Morphological and molecular evidence","authors":"Silvia Rondón ,&nbsp;Serena Cavallero ,&nbsp;Andrés Link ,&nbsp;Camila González ,&nbsp;Stefano D'Amelio","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101047","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101047","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intestinal protozoan and metazoan parasites of public health concern have been found infecting non-human primates (NHPs). Since zoonotic parasite transmission can be linked to ecosystem transformation due to close contact between human and NHPs, this study aimed to morphologically identify intestinal parasites infecting NHPs living in seven forest fragments in Colombia and to molecularly characterise selected parasite taxa of zoonotic interest (<em>Giardia</em> sp. and <em>Ascaris</em> sp.). Building on and updating previous parasite surveys on free-ranging platyrrhines, 212 faecal samples were collected from wild <em>Alouatta seniculus, Ateles hybridus, Aotus griseimembra, Cebus versicolor, Saimiri cassiquiarensis</em>, and <em>Sapajus apella</em>. Flotation and faecal smears were performed in order to identify parasites based on morphological characteristics. Samples microscopically classified as positive for <em>Giardia</em> sp. and <em>Ascaris</em> sp. were then processed for molecular characterisation. Amplification of the triosephosphate isomerase (TPI) and the 18S genes was done for <em>Giardia</em> sp., while for <em>Ascaris</em> sp. a PCR-RPLF of the entire ITS region was carried out. About 96% of the samples were positive for intestinal parasites, including: protozoans (<em>Blastocystis</em> sp., <em>Balantidium</em> sp., <em>Dientamoeba fragilis-</em>like, <em>Entamoeba</em> sp., <em>Giardia</em> sp., <em>Eimeria</em> sp.), nematodes (<em>Ascaris</em> sp., strongyliform larvae, <em>Trypanoxyuris</em> sp., Ancylostomatidae), trematodes (<em>Controrchis</em> sp., Trematoda), cestodes (<em>Hymenolepis</em> sp., Cestoda), and acanthocephalans. By microscopy, the prevalence of <em>Giardia</em> sp. and <em>Ascaris</em> sp. was 16.5% and 0.9%, respectively. Later on, <em>Giardia duodenalis</em> (Assemblages A and B) and <em>Ascaris lumbricoides</em> were identified through molecular techniques. This study provides new information of intestinal parasites infecting free-ranging NHPs exposed to anthropogenic disturbance. The finding of parasites with zoonotic potential suggests epidemiological implications in NHP conservation and human health, at the human-NHP interface.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101047"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387543","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":"First record of Angiostrongylus cantonensis infection in Diplothrix legata (Rodentia: Muridae) in Tokunoshima Island, Japan","authors":"Keita Sakashita ,&nbsp;Toshihiro Tokiwa ,&nbsp;Ryotaro Suzuki ,&nbsp;Taisei I ,&nbsp;Mariko Suzuki ,&nbsp;Asahi Itoi ,&nbsp;Masami Yamamoto ,&nbsp;Hisashi Yoshimura","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101046","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101046","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Ryukyu long-furred rat, <em>Diplothrix legata</em> (Rodentia: Muridae), is an endangered species endemic to the Tokunoshima, Amami-Oshima, and Okinawajima Islands, which are part of Japan's southwestern islands. During the pathological examination of a deceased wild individual from Tokunoshima Island, lymphoma and infection with three nonnative parasites, <em>Angiostrongylus cantonensis</em> (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae)<em>, Trichosomoides crassicauda</em> (Nematoda: Trichosomoididae)<em>,</em> and <em>Hydatigera taeniaeformis</em> (Cestoda: Taeniidae), were identified. Among these, <em>A. cantonensis</em> is a zoonotic species, with invasive rats as the final hosts and mollusks as intermediate hosts. Although the presence of <em>A. cantonensis</em> has been widely reported across the southwestern islands of Japan, this is the first record of this species on the Tokunoshima Island. With this study, <em>A. cantonensis</em> infection in wild <em>D. legata</em> is now confirmed in populations from all three islands where this species is found.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101046"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395549","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":"Hemogregarines in bufonid anurans from the Brazilian Amazon, with description a new species of Lankesterella (Apicomplexa: Lankesterellidae)","authors":"Tássio Alves-Coêlho ,&nbsp;Darlison Chagas-de-Souza ,&nbsp;Carolina Romeiro Fernandes Chagas ,&nbsp;Germán Alfredo Gutiérrez-Liberato ,&nbsp;Lívia Perles ,&nbsp;Amir Alabi ,&nbsp;Marcos Rogério André ,&nbsp;Lúcio André Viana","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101044","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101044","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Here we describe, in an unprecedented way for the Brazilian Amazon, one Apicomplexa species infecting an anuran in Pará, Brazil, using an integrative approach that includes taxonomy, providing morphology, morphometrics, and molecular data. Samples were collected between February 2021 and February 2022 in the community of Curupira, municipality of Santarém, and in the industrial area of Marabá, both in Pará state. Specimens of <em>Rhinella marina</em> and <em>Rhinella diptycha</em> were captured by hand during the active search, and blood samples were collected by cardiac puncture. One blood aliquot was used to prepare blood smears for microscopical analysis and another aliquot for further molecular analyses. Of the five <em>R. marina</em> caught, one (20%) presented parasites morphologically compatible with the parasites belonging to the genus <em>Hepatozoon</em>, while of the three <em>R. diptycha</em> caught, one (33.3%) presented parasites morphologically compatible with the parasites belong to the genera <em>Lankesterella</em> and <em>Hemolivia</em>. Based on molecular data of <em>18S</em> rDNA sequences, the <em>Hepatozoon</em> sequence obtained clustered with other parasite species recovered from Brazilian amphibians. The <em>Lankesterella</em> sp. sequence was placed in a sister clade of <em>Lankesterella</em> species described in birds and close to <em>L. minima</em>, described in amphibians. All attempts to amplify <em>Hemolivia</em> parasite DNA were unsuccessful. We described <em>Lankesterella oliviacatarinae</em> n. sp. and reported infection by <em>Hepatozoon</em> sp. and <em>Hemolivia</em> sp. in bufonids anurans from the Brazilian Amazon. This study increases knowledge of Brazilian anuran hemoparasites and confirms the importance of using an integrative approach for the taxonomy of these parasite groups.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101044"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143422674","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":"First identification of a patent pentastomid pulmonary (Raillietiella orientalis) infection in a captive Meller's chameleon (Trioceros melleri) in Germany","authors":"Paula Sapion-Miranda ,&nbsp;David Ebmer ,&nbsp;Edwin Kniha ,&nbsp;Julia Walochnik ,&nbsp;Saskia Dreyer ,&nbsp;Dominik Fischer ,&nbsp;Lisa Grund ,&nbsp;Anja Taubert ,&nbsp;Carlos Hermosilla ,&nbsp;Malek J. Hallinger","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101045","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101045","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A female, zoo-housed, adult Meller's giant one-horned chameleon (<em>Trioceros melleri</em>) showed clinical symptoms including halitosis, obstipation, dysecdysis and shed pentastomid eggs with the faeces. After a patent pentastomiasis was diagnosed, the chameleon's condition worsened after repeated ivermectin treatments, and the animal was euthanized due to animal welfare reasons. The necropsy revealed that the lungs were infected with 29 adult pentastomid specimens. Based on morphological and ultrastructural characteristics pentastomids were identified as <em>Raillietiella orientalis</em>. Additionally, this species identification was confirmed by DNA sequencing (18S rRNA).</div><div>Pentastomid-infected insects, such as cockroaches, might play an important role in the transmission of <em>R</em>. <em>orientalis</em> as suitable obligate intermediate hosts. Another crucial factor to be considered is the importation of wild caught individuals, providing a potential source for numerous emerging infectious disease transmissions and parasite spillovers.</div><div>This is the first report, to the best of our knowledge, on a patent pulmonary <em>R. orientalis</em> infection in a captive chameleon. We call for further investigations on neglected pentastomid infections in chameleons and lizards kept as pets to better understand implications of this new host record and its possible role in transmission of emerging pentastomiasis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101045"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143395548","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":"Integrative evidence reveals a new species of Hysterothylacium (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea), with the characterization of its complete mitochondrial genome","authors":"Hui-Xia Chen ,&nbsp;Hai-Xia Qiao ,&nbsp;Wen-Ting Zhao ,&nbsp;Xiao-Hong Gu ,&nbsp;Liang Li","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101042","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101042","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The genus <em>Hysterothylacium</em> (Ascaridida: Raphidascarididae) is among the commonest groups of parasitic nematodes occurring in the digestive tract of marine fishes. In the present study, a new species of <em>Hysterothylacium</em>, <em>H. hainanense</em> sp. n. collected from <em>Uranoscopus tosae</em> (Jordan &amp; Hubbs) and <em>U. japonicus</em> Houttuyn (Perciformes: Uranoscopidae) in the Chinese waters was described using integrative methods, including light and scanning electron microscopy, and ASAP and BI analyses based on the ITS sequence data. The complete mitochondrial genome of the new species was sequenced and annotated, which represents the first mitogenomic data for the genus <em>Hysterothylacium</em>, and also for the family Raphidascarididae. The mitogenome of <em>H. hainanense</em> sp. n. is 14059 bp in length, including 12 protein coding genes (missing <em>atp</em>8), 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and 2 non-coding regions, which has 67.0% of overall A + T content, and represents the lowest level of A + T content in the ascaridoid mitogenomes reported so far. Molecular phylogenetic results suggested a close affinity between <em>H. hainanense</em> sp. n. and <em>H. fabri</em> in the genus <em>Hysterothylacium</em>.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101042"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143320470","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":"Otodectes cynotis (Acari: Psoroptidae) infestations in Southern pudus (Pudu puda): In situ and ex situ data of an unexpected host-parasite record","authors":"Caroline Wilhelm ,&nbsp;Edwin Kniha ,&nbsp;Pamela Muñoz ,&nbsp;Ángelo Espinoza ,&nbsp;Laura Platner ,&nbsp;Saskia Dreyer ,&nbsp;Lisa Grund ,&nbsp;Zoë Tess Lara Lindhorst ,&nbsp;Ulrich Gärtner ,&nbsp;Julia Walochnik ,&nbsp;Anja Taubert ,&nbsp;Dominik Fischer ,&nbsp;Stephan Hering-Hagenbeck ,&nbsp;Carlos Hermosilla ,&nbsp;David Ebmer","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101043","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101043","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Otodectes cynotis</em> (Acari: Psoroptidae) constitutes an obligate, non-burrowing ectoparasite and causes otodectic mange primarily in domestic and wild carnivores. Only few studies have described this parasite in herbivore hosts so far. In the current study, we report <em>O. cynotis</em> infestations in Southern pudus (<em>Pudu puda</em>), categorized in the IUCN red list as near threatened. <em>Otodectes cynotis</em> was detected in free-ranging animals in Chile (<em>in situ</em>), as well as in zoo-housed pudus at the Zoo Wuppertal, Germany (<em>ex situ</em>). During clinical work, two free-ranging pudus temporarily rehabilitated at the Centro de Rehabilitación de Fauna Silvestre (CEREFAS), Valdivia, Chile, were observed with low to moderate yellowish-brown secretions and encrustations inside the pinna and external auditory canal accompanied by an inflammatory <em>Otitis externa</em>. Analysis via light microscopy exhibited the presence of mange mites, which were identified as <em>O. cynotis</em> via morphological characteristics and molecular analysis. At the Zoo Wuppertal, ear mites were detected in 15 pudus between 2015 and 2024, however, a definite species identification (<em>O. cynotis</em>) was carried out in 4 animals within the current study between 2023 and 2024. Some affected pudus showed bald spots around the ears and the head and exhibited headshaking behavior, whilst others were asymptomatic. In some cases, mites were found as a secondary finding when clinical examination under general anesthesia was performed for other reasons. To the best of our knowledge, this signifies the first report of <em>O. cynotis</em> infestations in pudus by combining morphological and molecular identification. We here present clinical <em>in situ</em> and <em>ex situ</em> data and show that zoological gardens and widlife rehabilitation centers play an important role in research and monitoring of neglected wildlife diseases.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101043"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143372347","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":"Zoonotic risks and conservation challenges: Gastrointestinal parasites in wild mammals of Chitwan National Park, Nepal","authors":"Babita Maharjan ,&nbsp;Payal Jain ,&nbsp;Narayan Prasad Koju","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Gastrointestinal parasites (GIPs) pose a significant threat to wildlife health and biodiversity, impacting reproductive activities, behavior, survival, and population dynamics. Identifying parasitic infections in wild animals can help to mitigate extinction risk and support conservation efforts. This study investigates the prevalence, diversity, and zoonotic risks of GIPs in six large wild mammals in Chitwan National Park, Nepal. Fresh fecal samples were collected between December 2022 and April 2023 and examined using direct wet mount and concentration methods. By analyzing 63 fecal samples: Royal Bengal Tiger (<em>Panthera tigris</em>) (n = 7), Asian elephant (<em>Elephus maximus</em>) (n = 9), One-horned rhinoceros (<em>Rhinoceros unicornis</em>) (n = 10), Sloth bear (<em>Melursus ursinus</em>) (n = 9), Spotted deer (<em>Axis axis</em>) (n = 25), and Rhesus Monkey (<em>Macaca mullata</em>) (n = 3), we identified 19 GIP types: 3 protozoan species (<em>Balantioides coli, Isospora</em> spp.<em>,</em> and coccidia) and 16 helminth species, revealing an 85.7% infection rate. Helminths had a higher prevalence (85.7%) than protozoans (22%). Among helminths, nematodes were the most prevalent (69.8%) followed by trematodes (38.0%) and cestodes (17.4%). Eleven types of nematodes, three types of cestodes, and two types of trematodes were recorded. Multiple infections were more common than single infections. The high prevalence of GIPs indicates a major health issue that could affect species survival and conservation efforts in Chitwan National Park, highlighting the need for proactive conservation and health monitoring strategies for conservation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101041"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143101092","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":"Gastrointestinal helminth infections and ectoparasitism in wild rodents along wildlife-human interfaces in Tanzania","authors":"Venance T. Msoffe ,&nbsp;Claus A. Thomas ,&nbsp;Alfan A. Rija ,&nbsp;Jahashi Nzalawahe ,&nbsp;Abdul S. Katakweba ,&nbsp;Gerald Misinzo ,&nbsp;Ladslaus L. Mnyone","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101040","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101040","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gastrointestinal parasites pose a significant threat to human and domestic animal health across Africa. Despite numerous studies on ectoparasitism and endoparasitism in small mammals across different regions of the continent, the ecological role of rodents in transmission dynamics of gastrointestinal helminths remains poorly understood. This study aimed to identify gastrointestinal helminths in rodents and evaluate the influence of host-related factors, ectoparasite infestations, and environmental variables on helminth prevalence at wildlife-human interfaces in Tanzania.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Gastrointestinal helminth eggs were quantified using the modified McMaster method on samples from captured rodents. Correlations between parasitological data, host scaled mass index (SMI), and ectoparasite intensity were analyzed. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) were employed to assess helminth occurrence in relation to host demographics, ectoparasite load, and environmental factors.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The overall prevalence of gastrointestinal helminths was 53.59%. Seven distinct helminth egg types were identified, representing two major taxa: nematodes and cestodes. Among the nematodes, eggs of <em>Trichuris</em> spp., <em>Strongyloides</em> spp., <em>Syphacia</em> spp., Capillariidae and Spirurida were identified. Cestode eggs present were <em>Hymenolepis</em>-like eggs and eggs of Anoplocephalidae. Whipworms (<em>Trichuris</em> spp.) exhibited the highest prevalence (23.2%), followed by threadworms (<em>Strongyloides</em> spp.) at 22.1%. Anoplocephalid eggs showed the lowest prevalence, at 0.56%. The occurrence of gastrointestinal helminths in rodents was significantly associated with increased SMI and ectoparasite (flea and mite) infestations, while also varying across rodent species and collection sites.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study highlights the presence of potentially zoonotic helminths, including capillariids and <em>Hymenolepis</em>-like species, in rodents at wildlife-human interfaces. Furthermore, it identifies associations between gastrointestinal helminth infections and host body condition, as well as the intensity of ectoparasite infestations. These findings underscore the importance of considering host and environmental factors in understanding helminth transmission dynamics and their potential impact on public and veterinary health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101040"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143097196","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":"A preliminary microscopic and molecular epidemiological survey of endoparasites within wild-caught and UK captive-bred reptiles: Assessing a potential parasitic disease public health risk?","authors":"Shea Murray ,&nbsp;Lucas J. Cunningham ,&nbsp;Paul Rowley ,&nbsp;Edouard Crittenden ,&nbsp;Nicholas R. Casewell ,&nbsp;E. James LaCourse ,&nbsp;J. Russell Stothard ,&nbsp;Alexandra Juhász","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the UK, exotic reptiles are increasingly popular as pets, and housed in zoological collections, whilst venomous snakes of medical importance have long been the focus of herpetological studies. As all reptiles can harbour protist and helminth parasites, some of these may carry tangible zoonotic risk. This study utilised traditional and molecular diagnostic techniques, including sedimentation-flotation, real-time polymerase chain reaction (rtPCR), and necropsy, to investigate endoparasite infections in captive-bred (CB) and wild-caught (WC) reptiles. Representative animals originated from pet shops, zoological and private collections as well as those housed in research herpetariums. Parasitic infections were detected in 21.1% (n = 109) of samples from 58 reptile species across 12 families. The most prevalent infections included nematodes (17.4%), cestodes (0.9%) and protists (3.7%). The nematodes, particularly strongylid (9.3%) and ascarid (5.6%) species, being the most common. Of particular interest, zoonotic genera, <em>Ophidascaris</em> and <em>Giardia</em> were identified. When possible, necropsy revealed latent infections, including prepatent stages of the hookworm <em>Kalicephalus</em> sp. and pentastomid larvae in <em>Echis ocellatus</em> snakes. These accounted for 55.6% of all parasitic infections. Real-time-PCR methods detected additional co-infection overlooked by microscopy, whilst necropsy provided additional insights. These findings highlight the need in the UK for better parasitic screening protocols to enhance captive reptile welfare, mitigate zoonotic risks and safeguard public health.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101039"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11787025/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082300","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":"Cuckoo eyes are an important identification cue for the Oriental reed warbler host","authors":"Hanlin Yan ,&nbsp;Longwu Wang ,&nbsp;Laikun Ma ,&nbsp;Wei Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.ijppaw.2025.101038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Successful recognition of parasites through effective identification cues can reduce the cost of anti-parasitic defenses by the host. Features on the front of the body such as the eyes may be important clues for the prey to perceive and recognize the parasite. In this study, we investigated whether the eyes of common cuckoos (<em>Cuculus canorus</em>), an obligate avian brood parasite, served as identification cues for its common host, the Oriental reed warbler (<em>Acrocephalus orientalis</em>). We displayed dummies of 3D printed common cuckoos and Oriental turtle doves (<em>Streptopelia orientalis</em>) with their eyes covered or not-covered near the nests of breeding Oriental reed warblers to test effect of the eyes on defense behaviors of the warblers towards these dummies. Oriental reed warblers significantly reduced attacks on the common cuckoos with eyes covered compared to those with eyes not-covered. However, there was no significant difference between the attacks on the Oriental turtle doves with not-covered eyes and those with covered eyes. Our results suggest that Oriental reed warblers use cuckoo eyes as an important discrimination cue. We explored for the first time the use of the cuckoo's eye as an important discriminative cue by Oriental reed warblers via visual manipulation of 3D printed cuckoos, which provides a new experimental validation of the host Oriental reed warbler's anti-parasite strategy in terms of visual cues. However, Future research should consider testing more cuckoo species and their hosts and further validating the identification cues of the eyes and other body parts in additional geographic populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":54278,"journal":{"name":"International Journal for Parasitology-Parasites and Wildlife","volume":"26 ","pages":"Article 101038"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11783116/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143082302","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}