Helminthologia最新文献

{"title":"Visceral cysticercosis in a Kunekune sow: description and molecular identification of Taenia hydatigena","authors":"G. M. Giallombardo, F. R. Carvallo-Chaigneau, M. S. Todd, D. W. Brown, R. Ramirez-Barrios","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0017","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0017","url":null,"abstract":"Summary A 2-year-old Kunekune sow was submitted for necropsy following death after peritonitis and sepsis. In addition to peritonitis, numerous fluid-filled cysts were identified in the mesentery and hepatic parenchyma, which contained an approximately 1 cm metacestode (cysticercosis). Subsequent molecular characterization confirmed the presence of <jats:italic>Taenia hydatigena,</jats:italic> a non-zoonotic cestode species. To our knowledge, visceral cysticercosis caused by <jats:italic>T. hydatigena</jats:italic> has not been previously documented in Kunekune pigs. <jats:italic>Taenia solium</jats:italic> is a differential diagnosis of public health importance in cases of cysticercosis. Although <jats:italic>Taenia solium</jats:italic> is not commonly reported nor endemic in the United States, its zoonotic potential warrants consideration in the initial diagnostic assessment. Clinicians should be aware of the presence of <jats:italic>T. hydatigena</jats:italic> in its definitive and intermediate hosts.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"45 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141741450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular characterization of Bertiella studeri infecting a primate in South India","authors":"P. F. Sebasteena, C. K. Deepa, A. Varghese, K. G. Ajith Kumar, A. Joy, A. Iype, A. Rajappan, G. Chandy, R. Ravindran","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0015","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:italic>Bertiella</jats:italic> spp. is a mite-borne cestode parasite that inhabits the small intestine of wide range of mammals, including non-human primates. In the present study, the morphological and molecular analysis of <jats:italic>Bertiella studeri</jats:italic> recovered from the small intestine of a bonnet macaque (<jats:italic>Macaca radiata</jats:italic>) from Wayanad, Kerala (South India) was performed. Acetic alum carmine staining identified the cestode morphologically based on the characters like broader proglottids, which contain irregularly alternating genital pores, single set of reproductive organs, 280 testes and a tubular transverse uterus. Molecular characterization was done using 18SrRNA, ITS1-5.8S and COX1 genes. Phylogenetic trees were constructed using MEGA X based on the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method (Hasegawa-Kishino-Yano (HKY) model). Cytochrome oxidase I gene could detect the existence of genetic variation in the parasite from two different hosts viz., monkey (Kerala, Argentina, and Kenya) and human (Sri Lanka). A minimum spanning network of haplotypes was generated by the haplotype networking with the above sequences using the popARTv1.7. Haplotype analysis based on COX1 revealed that the parasite haplotype was different in each country with highest population frequency in Sri Lanka.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"62 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141741442","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identifying potential drug targets in the kinomes of two monogenean species","authors":"V. H. Caña-Bozada, C. Ovando-Vázquez, L. C. Flores-Méndez, J. M. Martínez-Brown, F. N. Morales-Serna","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0020","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0020","url":null,"abstract":"Summary Protein kinases are enzymes involved in essential biological processes such as signal transduction, transcription, metabolism, and the cell cycle. Human kinases are targets for several drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Therefore, the identification and classification of kinases in other organisms, including pathogenic parasites, is an interesting subject of study. Monogeneans are platyhelminths, mainly ectoparasites, capable of causing health problems in farmed fish. Although some genomes and transcriptomes are available for monogenean species, their full repertoire of kinases is unknown. The aim of this study was to identify and classify the putative kinases in the transcriptomes of two monogeneans, <jats:italic>Rhabdosynochus viridisi</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Scutogyrus longicornis</jats:italic>, and then to predict potential monogenean drug targets (MDTs) and selective inhibitor drugs using computational approaches. Monogenean kinases having orthologs in the lethal phenotype of <jats:italic>C. elegans</jats:italic> but not in fish or humans were considered MDTs. A total of 160 and 193 kinases were identified in <jats:italic>R. viridisi</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>S. longicornis</jats:italic>, respectively. Of these, 22 kinases, belonging mainly to the major groups CAMK, AGC, and TK, were classified as MDTs, five of which were evaluated further. Molecular docking analysis indicated that dihydroergotamine, ergotamine, and lomitapide have the highest affinity for the kinases BRSK and MEKK1. These well-known drugs could be evaluated in future studies for potential repurposing as anti-monogenean agents. The present study contributes valuable data for the development of new antiparasitic candidates for finfish aquaculture.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141741446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Digenea community structure of the Salema, Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei, Sparidae), from the Central coast of Algeria","authors":"A. Boukadoum, F. Tazerouti","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0006","url":null,"abstract":"Summary The main goal of the current work was to describe and analyse the Digenean community structure in <jats:italic>Sarpa salpa.</jats:italic> A total of 114 specimens of <jats:italic>S. salpa</jats:italic> were collected from the Central Coast of Algeria at six localities. The fish were immediately transported to the laboratory to be examined for digeneans. From 107 of the 114 <jats:italic>S. salpa</jats:italic> examined, a total of 8,722 specimens of seven species belonging to three families were recovered. Among them, <jats:italic>Robphildollfusium fractum</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Mesometra orbicularis</jats:italic> were the most prevalent and abundant species. Moreover, <jats:italic>Lepocreadium album</jats:italic> was found for the first time in <jats:italic>S. salpa</jats:italic> from the coast of Algeria, and <jats:italic>Centroderma spinosissima</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Wardula capitellata</jats:italic> represent new parasites to the Algerian digenean fauna that infect teleost fish. The component community of these Digeneans is characterised by <jats:italic>R. fractum</jats:italic> as its dominant species representing 62% of the total number of collected Digeneans, as well by a Shannon diversity index (H′) and Dominance Simpson index (D) of 1.03 and 2.23, respectively. According to Spearman's correlation test, <jats:italic>Mesometra brachycoelia</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>W. capitellata</jats:italic> were negatively correlated to the host biological factors. On the other hand, <jats:italic>R. fractum</jats:italic> showed a positive correlation between its mean abundance and the total length of the fish. With these findings, we provided the component structure of the Digenean fauna of <jats:italic>S. salpa</jats:italic> and highlighted their diversity, contributing to the biodiversity of the parasitic Platyhelminthes in Algeria.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"2 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800277","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Rats and their helminth parasites: Potential zoonosis threats of land use change in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling, Laguna, Philippines","authors":"V. G. V. Paller, R. N. Fornesa, D. A. P. Fernandez, L. A. Estaño","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0005","url":null,"abstract":"Summary The continuous challenges of land use change have brought potential threats to biodiversity and the spread of zoonotic diseases. In this study, synanthropic rodents and their helminth parasites were used as sentinels to assess the potential impact of land use on zoonosis. Rats were collected in different ecosystems, namely agricultural, agroforest, and residential areas in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling, Laguna, Philippines. Three (3) species of rats were captured, namely, <jats:italic>Rattus tanezumi, Rattus norvegicus,</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Rattus exulans</jats:italic>. Of the total 180 rats collected, 92.7 % were found infected with helminth parasites, namely <jats:italic>Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, Taenia pisiformis,</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Strobilocercus fasciolaris</jats:italic> (cestodes); <jats:italic>Angiostrongylus cantonensis, Nippostrongylus brasiliensis</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Strongyloides ratti, Capillaria hepatica, Trichuris muris</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Rictularia</jats:italic> sp. (nematodes); and <jats:italic>Echinostoma ilocanum</jats:italic> (trematode). Of these 11 species, nine (9) were considered zoonotic. This study provides important information on the helminth parasites of rats in the northeastern sub-watersheds of Mount Makiling and the potential threat of zoonotic transmission due to increasing land use change and urbanization in the area. Moreover, urbanization can provide favorable eco-epidemiological conditions for rodent-borne pathogens, such as parasites, that are seriously threatening agricultural settings and human settlements in these areas.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Relative egg extraction efficiencies of manual and automated fecal egg count methods in equines","authors":"L. Britton, B. Ripley, P. Slusarewicz","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0007","url":null,"abstract":"Summary The World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology recently released new recommendations for the design of fecal egg count (FEC) reduction tests for livestock. These provide suggestions as to the number of animals to be sampled and the minimum number of eggs that must be counted to produce statistically meaningful results. One of the considerations for study design is the multiplication factor of the FEC method to be used; methods with lower multiplication factors require fewer animals to be sampled because they are presumed to count more eggs per test. However, multiplication factor is not the sole determinant of the number of eggs counted by any given method, since different techniques use very different sample extraction methodologies that could affect the number of eggs detected beyond just the amount of feces examined. In this light, we compared three commonly used manual FEC methods (mini-FLOTAC, McMaster and Wisconsin) and two automated methods (Imagyst and Parasight All-in-One) with respect to how many equine strongylid and ascarid eggs they counted in the same samples. McMaster and mini-FLOTAC (multiplication factors of 25x and 5x, respectively) produced the most accurate results of the methods tested but mini-FLOTAC counted approximately 5-times more eggs than McMaster. However, Wisconsin and Parasight (multiplication factor = 1x) counted 3-times more ova than mini-FLOTAC, which was less than the 5-fold difference in their multiplication factors. As a result, these tests perform with multiplication factors more akin to 1.6x relative to mini-FLOTAC. Imagyst, due to its unique sample preparation methodology, does not have a traditional multiplication factor but performed similarly to McMaster with respect to egg recovery.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800278","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morphological and molecular characterizations of Pratylenchus coffeae infecting Ming aralia and coffee in Vietnam","authors":"H. D. Nguyen, H. T. Nguyen, T. M. L. Le, D. D. Hoang, T. D. Nguyen, Q. P. Trinh","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0004","url":null,"abstract":"Summary <jats:italic>Pratylenchus coffeae</jats:italic>, belonging to the root-lesion nematode group, is a highly prevalent and destructive plant-parasitic nematode that is able to infest a wide range of host plants. Although this species' devastating impacts on coffee plantations across the world are widely known on other host plants, its association with Ming aralia has never been reported. Our study characterized two popu lations of <jats:italic>P. coffeae</jats:italic> (associated with Ming aralia and coffee) and compared them with other popu lations from previous studies in Vietnam and other countries in the world. The identification of <jats:italic>P. coffeae</jats:italic> in our study was confirmed by the comprehensive analysis encompassing morphological examination, morphometric data, and molecular characterizations of the <jats:italic>COI</jats:italic> mtDNA and D2D3 of 28S rRNA regions. The cluster and MDS analyses revealed that the two populations of <jats:italic>P. coffeae</jats:italic> from Vietnam are closely related to those from Japan and Indonesia. The D2-D3 sequences of 28S rRNA and <jats:italic>COI</jats:italic> mtDNA regions exhibited high similarity among these populations, indicating a stable genetic profile. Our research contributes to a better understanding of the distribution and genetic characterizations of <jats:italic>P. coffeae</jats:italic> by offering new morphological and molecular insights into the presence of this nematode in Vietnam. Additionally, this nematode species was found to be associated with host plant's symptoms such as chlorotic leaves, stunted growth and root lesion in both hosts. Given the economic significance of both Ming aralia and coffee crops in Vietnam, as well as the damaging potential of <jats:italic>P. coffeae</jats:italic>, this study emphasizes the need of proactive nematode management measures to control this destructive pest.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"27 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800372","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"First molecular observation on Mylonchulus hawaiiensis from South Africa","authors":"E. Shokoohi","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0010","url":null,"abstract":"Summary During a survey of soil nematodes in South Africa, a species of predatory nematodes, namely <jats:italic>Mylonchulus hawaiiensis</jats:italic> was recovered from soil in the Magoebaskloof mountain of Limpopo Province, South Africa. The morphology of the material studied fit well with the previous populations of the same species. A molecular study of 18S rDNA region of <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic> indicated a 100% similarity between the South African population and the Japanese population of <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic> (AB361438; AB361439; AB361440; AB361442). In addition, phylogenetic analysis placed all <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic> in a group with 0.97 posterior probability. Additionally, ITS rDNA of <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic> amplified for the first time. However, Principal component analysis (PCA) showed a morphological variation among the different populations of <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic>. In addition, haplotype analysis also revealed that the South African population is close to the Japanese population. In conclusion, 18S rDNA was a good marker for detecting <jats:italic>M. hawaiiensis</jats:italic>. Measurement, photographs, and phylogenetic position of South African <jats:italic>M. hawaiinesis</jats:italic> are given.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"29 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800379","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Simple, inexpensive, and rapid approach to detect changes in the structure of soil free-living nematodes","authors":"F. Semprucci, L. Catani, E. Grassi, M. Jakubcsiková, A. Čerevková","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0001","url":null,"abstract":"Summary A general limitation of ecological investigations based on nematodes is related to the difficult and time-consuming taxonomic identification of species. Therefore, nematologists are investing many efforts to develop alternative approaches as proxies applicable in biomonitoring assessment. Recently, an alternative method that combines morpho-functional traits was proposed for detecting assemblage changes of marine nematodes. In view of the promising results, it was tested the same approach to document taxonomic structure changes of soil free-living and plant parasitic nematodes. Specifically, this attempt was carried out using three data sets that include studies from various European regions and different types of ecosystems: forests, grasslands and maize crops. Multivariate statistical analysis revealed that the simple combination of the four traits (i.e., buccal cavity cuticularization occurrence, amphideal fovea size and shape, morphology of the cuticle and pharynx) in a single code number perfectly mirrors the taxonomic structure trends of the nematode assemblage at genus level. Therefore, we predict that similar results can be also obtained by directly encoding nematode specimens with the selected traits and we point to new important advances if this procedure can be coupled with advanced machine learning.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800369","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Temporal and spatial patterns of Trichuris trichiura eggs: a potential threat to human health in Pakistan","authors":"S. A. Ali, S. Niaz, N. Nasreen, A. Khan, S. Shafeeq, L. Aguilar-Marcelino, W. A. Safi, M. A. Zaki, J. De La Fuente, M. Ben Said","doi":"10.2478/helm-2024-0009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.2478/helm-2024-0009","url":null,"abstract":"Summary This study investigates the presence of <jats:italic>Trichuris trichiura</jats:italic> eggs in soil samples collected from urban areas in Lahore, Pakistan. A total of 3600 soil samples were collected over two years from Lahore’s urban regions. The detection of helminth eggs in these samples was performed using sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) as a diagnostic technique. The study reveals an overall prevalence rate of <jats:italic>T. trichiura</jats:italic> at 0.97 % (35 out of 3600) in the contaminated soil samples from Lahore’s slum areas. When analyzing the data by geographical areas, the study found the highest prevalence of <jats:italic>T. trichiura</jats:italic> in Allama Iqbal Town (1.83 %, 11 out of 600), followed by Samanabad (1.16 %, 7 out of 600), Wapda Town (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), Gulberg (1.00 %, 6 out of 600), and Cantt (0.50 %, 3 out of 600). Conversely, Valencia Town had the lowest prevalence rate at 0.33 % (2 out of 600). However, these variations in prevalence rates were not statistically significant (p = 0.117). Prevalence rates of <jats:italic>T. trichiura</jats:italic>’s eggs varied significantly across different sampling seasons (p&gt;0.001). In autumn, a total of 900 soil samples were collected, with 19 samples (2.11 %) testing positive for <jats:italic>T. trichiura</jats:italic>. This rate was notably higher compared to the prevalence rates observed in winter, spring, and summer, which were 0.66 %, 0.22 %, and 0.88 %, respectively. Regarding the sampling months, the study observed a significantly higher prevalence during September (3.33 %, 10 out of 300), followed by October (2.33 %, 7 out of 300), and August (1.33 %, 4 out of 300). Prevalence rates gradually decreased in other months, ranging from 1 % to 0.33 % (3 to 1 out of 300), with no parasite detection in March (0 %, 0 out of 300) (p &lt; 0.001). This research underscores soil contamination due to fecal waste and highlights public unawareness of parasite biology, driven by open defecation practices.","PeriodicalId":55061,"journal":{"name":"Helminthologia","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.0,"publicationDate":"2024-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140800384","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}