Acta tropica最新文献

{"title":"The pathogen of SFTS: Bandavirus dabieense phylogenetic analysis and development of an online tool for genotyping","authors":"Hongxiao Wu ,&nbsp;Tingting Liu ,&nbsp;Yameng Mu ,&nbsp;Ruihua Zhang ,&nbsp;Jiale Yuan ,&nbsp;Yanli Xu ,&nbsp;Wenjing Niu ,&nbsp;Yamin Sun ,&nbsp;Wenchao Lin ,&nbsp;Chuan Song ,&nbsp;Wei Zhang ,&nbsp;Ling Lin ,&nbsp;Yuanyuan Zhang ,&nbsp;Zhihai Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107625","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107625","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bandavirus dabieense (DBV), the pathogen of SFTS that was included in the WHO's list of priority infectious diseases requiring urgent attention in 2017, belongs to a large and highly diverse class of RNA viruses. Currently, the lack of a unified DBV genotyping standard and the confusion among common genotyping systems cause research result discrepancies and limit the clinical use of genotype data. Here, we re-clustered 738 DBV S-segment sequences from GenBank and identified seven clades (DS1-DS7), and elucidated the horizontal relationships among different genotyping results by comparing these clades with three commonly used genotyping strategies in published literature. The predominant genotypes in Japan and South Korea are DS3, DS5, DS7 (77.23 %, 156/202), while in China, DS1, DS2, DS4, DS6 (94.03 %, 504/536) are more prevalent. Additionally, we developed an online DBV genotyping tool based on the DS genotyping strategy to support further genotyping and clinical prognosis research. The tool was validated with 61 clinical samples, all these samples yielded identical DS genotyping results using both the phylogenetic clustering analysis and the online tool, indicating a 100 % concordance among the two methods. These findings provide a standardized genotyping framework for DBV and offer a reliable tool for future research and clinical applications, facilitating better understanding of its epidemiology and disease prognosis.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107625"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143892095","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Screening and metabolic analysis of high-efficiency molluscicidal bacteria based on atmospheric and room temperature plasma mutagenesis","authors":"Yajing Zhu ,&nbsp;Song Zhao ,&nbsp;Qianghui Tang ,&nbsp;Chunrong Xiong ,&nbsp;Qiang Chao ,&nbsp;Lixin Huang ,&nbsp;Jianfeng Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunyi Yao ,&nbsp;Guangjie Han ,&nbsp;Kun Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107629","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107629","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Oncomelania hupensis</em> is the only intermediate host of <em>Schistosoma japonicum</em>, highlighting the need for developing low-toxicity, efficient, and economical molluscicides to control schistosomiasis transmission and prevalence. This study screened for effective molluscicides using <em>O. hupensis</em> in an immersion-based biological assay. Bsp dustable powder (DP) emerged as the most effective molluscicide among seven microbial pesticide samples tested. The dominant strain, designated 3–4, was isolated and identified as <em>Bacillus subtilis</em> using 16S rDNA gene sequencing. Following atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) mutagenesis, a mutant strain library containing 214 strains of bacteria was obtained. Most of the 139 mutant strains showed no significant difference compared with parental strain and 60 strains showed a decrease. Meanwhile, 15 mutant strains with higher molluscicidal effects were obtained. ARTP-129 and ARTP-154, exhibiting the highest positive mutation rates, demonstrated a 64.51 % increase in mortality compared to the parental strain 3–4. Metabolomic analysis revealed that the mutant strains may alter molluscicidal toxicity by regulating the synthesis pathways of metabolites such as <span>l</span>-pyroglutamic acid (PGA). These findings suggest the potential of ARTP mutagenesis for developing novel and effective molluscicides for schistosomiasis control.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107629"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143876522","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Integrating AI for infectious disease prediction: A hybrid ANN-XGBoost model for leishmaniasis in Pakistan","authors":"Ben Niu ,&nbsp;Humera Qureshi ,&nbsp;Muhammad Imran Khan ,&nbsp;Adil Shah","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107628","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107628","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Addressing leishmaniasis infection remains a substantial challenge in KP-Pakistan due to the increased infection prevalence. Understanding its spreading tool offerings is a major challenge. We essentially design effective approaches to pinpoint its emergence and implement upgraded management strategies. This study aims to assess the prevalence of leishmaniasis infection in KP's four high-endemic districts (Bannu, Karark, Lakki Marwat, and Dera Ismail Khan) and estimate the potential future incidence. We executed a broad logical evaluation on data obtained from the pertinent district health departments of KP, using a novel hybrid ANN-XGBoost approach. We assessed its performance by equating it with frequently used models for infectious disease forecasting over time, comprising the ARIMA, LSTM, ANN, and XGBoost. We evaluated the model's precision using manifold indicators: MAE, RMSE, and MAPE. We developed the models using Python 3.11 software. The results show that the hybrid model outperformed all other models, attaining an MAE score of 82.2, an RMSE of 111.6, and a MAPE of 10.6, validating superior forecast accuracy. According to our proposed model, about 1,017 new leishmaniasis cases are expected per month by December 2025. These findings provide valuable insights for disease monitoring and intervention in KP. Advanced machine learning techniques can help policymakers improve resource mapping and come up with targeted management measures to stop the spread of leishmaniasis. Subsequent research should include other environmental and socio-economic variables influencing illness spread to improve predictive models.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107628"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143892268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An improved, multimodal, trap for Triatoma infestans, a kissing bug vector of Chagas disease: laboratory tests","authors":"Lucía M.E. Ibarra Bouzada ,&nbsp;Andrea Martínez Beningaza ,&nbsp;Ingrid María Desiree Di Benedetto ,&nbsp;Pablo G. Guerenstein","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107626","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107626","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Triatomines, commonly known as kissing bugs, are vectors of the protozoan <em>Trypanosoma cruzi,</em> responsible for Chagas disease in the Americas. In South America, <em>Triatoma infestans</em> is one of the main vectors of that disease. Triatomine control programs require practical, economical, and reliable tools and methods to monitor infestation in homes, especially when insects are present at low densities, and detection sensitivity must be improved. In a previous work, a sticky pitfall trap baited with a human-based synthetic odor blend (L(+)lactic acid + valeric acid + ammonia) was developed. That trap captured a significant number of bugs although less than a host-baited trap. In the present work, we added a CO₂ source (a yeast culture) and a heat source (heated paraffin wax) to that odor blend, and tested the resulting multimodal bait in the trap used previously. As the resulting multimodal trap captured as many bugs as a host-baited trap, we also aimed at evaluating the role of the bait constituents in its capture performance. Tests were conducted with two nymphal stages (third and fourth) of <em>T. infestans,</em> within three experimental boxes (containing one trap each) under semi-controlled laboratory conditions, overnight. The percentage of insects captured per trap per treatment was statistically analyzed using a binomial Generalized Linear Mixed Model. The multimodal trap captured as many fourth and third instar nymphs as a trap baited with a mouse (80 % for fourth instar and 57.1 % for third instar nymphs) and more than an unbaited trap (20 % for fourth instar and 14.3 % for third instar nymphs). While the yeast culture plus the odor blend evoked a very good capture performance, (64.3 % for third instar nymphs), the heated paraffin wax appeared to decrease the bait performance when the yeast culture was absent (7.1 % capture for third instar nymphs). Different hypotheses are proposed to explain this. Our results suggest that the addition of the yeast culture to the odor blend was responsible for the improvement of the bait. In summary, we reached a high-performance trap to capture <em>T. infestans</em> nymphs in the laboratory. This trap deserves to be tested in a field setting.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107626"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143881308","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular identification and knockdown resistance mutation of bed bugs involved in 2019 outbreak in Cape Coast, Ghana and Munich, Germany","authors":"Andreas A. Kudom ,&nbsp;Philipp Hanke ,&nbsp;Joana Ayettey ,&nbsp;Rofela Combey ,&nbsp;Ben A. Mensah ,&nbsp;Benjamin Anderson ,&nbsp;Andreas Wieser","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107623","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107623","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The worldwide resurgence of bed bug infestations is worrisome, particularly with the co-infestation of the two common bed bug species and emergence of insecticide resistance. For effective management, information on the specific species and their insecticide resistance status is crucial. This study investigated the specific species and knockdown resistance (<em>kdr</em>) gene mutations of the bed bug populations from Cape Coast, Ghana and Munich, Germany evolved in the 2019 infestation outbreak. Bed bugs were collected in households and educational institutions in Cape Coast, Ghana and a refugee shelter in Munich, Germany during the infestation outbreak in 2019. The susceptibility status of the bed bugs to four public health insecticides was determined using the standard WHO bioassay. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene followed by Sanger sequencing was used to identify the species and <em>kdr</em> mutations among the bed bugs collected. The bed bugs in Ghana were found to be two subpopulations of <em>C. hemipterus,</em> both of them harboring the M918I and L1014F <em>kdr</em> mutations. In addition, the population was extremely resistant to organochlorine, pyrethroid, carbamate and organophosphate insecticides. The bed bug population in Germany was a single population of <em>C. lectularius</em> with the L925I <em>kdr</em> mutation. This is the first report of the detection of multiple <em>kdr</em> mutations in <em>C. hemipterus</em> from Sub-Saharan Africa. The extreme resistance of the insect to the major classes of insecticides is a cause of concern and could have serious public health implications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107623"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854464","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Molecular genotyping of pyrethroid resistant mutations and their haplotypes in bed bug populations from Greece","authors":"Ilias Kioulos ,&nbsp;Alexandra M. Grigoriadou ,&nbsp;Antonios Papadakis ,&nbsp;John Vontas ,&nbsp;Konstantinos Mavridis","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107624","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107624","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The resurgence of bed bugs poses significant risks to public health and tourism-driven economies in Southern Europe, including Greece. Control efforts largely rely on pyrethroids; however, the widespread selection of knockdown resistance (<em>kdr</em>) mutations has compromised their effectiveness. Molecular monitoring is therefore essential for accurate species identification and resistance surveillance to support evidence-based pest management strategies. In this study, we analyzed bed bug populations collected from Athens, Thessaloniki, and Heraklion between 2021 and 2024. Species identification was performed via DNA barcoding of the cytochrome oxidase I (<em>COI</em>) gene, while <em>kdr</em> mutations in the voltage-gated sodium channel (<em>VGSC</em>) gene—specifically V419L, L925I, and I936F—were assessed to determine their frequencies and haplotype distributions. All specimens were identified as <em>Cimex lectularius</em>. The L925I mutation reached fixation (100 %) in Thessaloniki and Heraklion, while V419L was detected at frequencies of 30.00 % and 50.00 %, respectively; I936F was not detected in these populations. In Athens, L925I was highly prevalent (98.40 %), while V419L (5.27 %) and I936F (0.60 %) were detected at lower frequencies. Haplotype analysis revealed Haplotype B (L925I only) as the most common in Athens (91.20 %) and Thessaloniki (60.0 %), while Haplotype C (L925I + V419L) predominated in Heraklion (76.92 %). Additional haplotypes were identified in Athens, including Haplotype B^b (L925I + I936F), marking its first detection in Europe. These findings highlight the widespread presence of <em>kdr</em> mutations and underscore the urgent need for integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, incorporating resistance monitoring, alternative insecticides, and non-chemical control methods to mitigate the growing challenge of pyrethroid resistance in bed bugs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107624"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A comparison of the structure and diversity of the microbial communities of Culicoides midges","authors":"Amanda Ramirez,&nbsp;Corey L. Brelsfoard","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107622","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107622","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Culicoides</em> midges (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) comprise over 1400 species globally and are vectors for several human and veterinary pathogens. The microbiota of insect vectors plays an essential role in the interactions between the host and pathogen and can impact the ability of the insect to transmit pathogens or parasites. Characterizing the microbiome composition of <em>Culicoides</em> could yield novel approaches to control midge populations and impact disease transmission. This study characterized and compared the bacterial and fungal microbiota of five <em>Culicoides</em> species. Utilizing 16S and ITS amplicon sequencing, we identified diverse bacterial communities, with Proteobacteria as the most abundant phylum. Notably, <em>Rickettsia, Midichloria</em>, and <em>Asaia</em> were the predominant genera across samples. Fungal analysis revealed Ascomycota as the primary taxon, with <em>Cladosporium</em> being the most prevalent genus. Little difference in overall bacterial and fungal diversity was observed between species, suggesting that the five <em>Culicoides</em> species examined share some common members of their microbiota but differ in overall composition. Our findings highlight the potential of exploiting midge-associated microbiota for developing novel biological control strategies to target <em>Culicoides</em> species populations and the pathogens they transmit.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"266 ","pages":"Article 107622"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thinking outside the box: Citizen science to monitor phlebotomine sand flies in Spain","authors":"Tarcísio de Freitas Milagres ,&nbsp;Ángela Bermejo ,&nbsp;Marcos López de Felipe ,&nbsp;Onilda Santos da Silva ,&nbsp;Ana I. Mora-Urda ,&nbsp;Rosa Gálvez","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107619","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107619","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Flebocollect project is a citizen science (CS) initiative in which a diverse group of participants, mainly high-school students, were requested to monitor sand flies (fm. Psychodidae; sfm. Phlebotominae), vectors of Leishmania parasites and Phlebovirus. The project generated entomological data that was then used to prepare an online free-access sand fly monitoring map providing information about the distribution areas of this vector group in Spain. This initiative contributes to our understanding of sand fly dynamics and thus of the risk of disease transmission, while promoting education and public health engagement in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We were also able to confirm the potential of CS for advancing research and strengthening sustainable vector surveillance, thus meeting the demands of The Global Vector Control Response 2017–2030 program. Didactic impact was analyzed through a test distributed to the participants before and after the educational program (pre- and post-test respectively) to assess the potential of CS as a learning tool and to promote a better attitude towards science. The project's success in Spain demonstrates that similar citizen science initiatives could be replicated elsewhere, provided they receive funding through dedicated scientific outreach budgets and are designed with long-term sustainability in mind.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107619"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143854487","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"PCR-based diagnosis of Surra using a newly identified conserved region of the variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) gene","authors":"Cassio Geremia Freire ,&nbsp;Julia Marques ,&nbsp;Gabriella Bassi das Neves ,&nbsp;Renato Simões Moreira ,&nbsp;Luiz Claudio Miletti","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107618","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107618","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Trypanosoma evansi</em>, the causative agent of Surra, is the most widespread pathogenic trypanosome that parasitizes the widest variety of mammals worldwide; however, rapid and easily accessible diagnostics still need to be improved. Proteomic research identified the VSG (Variant Surface Glycoprotein) TevSTIB805.3.100 gene as a potential biomarker for <em>T. evansi</em> diagnosis. The aim of this study was to design primers (called Tev3.100) for the gene encoding this VSG, testing the specificity and sensitivity of these primers on genomic DNA (gDNA) from different species and on biological samples. The specificity of primers was tested against gDNA from <em>T. evansi, T. brucei, T. equiperdum, T. rangeli, T. cruzi, T. vivax, Babesia bovis, B. bigemina</em>, and <em>Anaplasma</em> sp. Seventy-one biological samples from Lageana Creole cattle DNA were used, testing the sensitivity, specificity and concordance ​​in relation to RoTat 1.2 primers. The Tev3.100 primers were able to produce amplicons with a single band of approximately 1800 bp for gDNA from <em>T. evansi</em>, but showed cross-reactions with <em>T. brucei</em>, and <em>T. equiperdum</em>, diverging from the <em>in silico</em> predictions. These primers indicated high sensitivity (98.28 %) and specificity (84.62 %) in the detection of biological samples from Lageano Creole cattle, in addition to high concordance values (κ: 0.854; SE: 0.082; 95 % CI: 0.695–1.000) in relation to RoTat primers results. The Tev3.100 primers are a new molecular tool with good sensitivity and specificity for Surra infections, but the cross-reactions with <em>T. equiperdum</em>, diverging from the databases, indicate that new genomic studies should be carried out for these species in Latin America.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107618"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143848022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative larval anatomy of the digestive system of three Calliphoridae (Diptera) species that cause different types of myiasis","authors":"Daniel Martín-Vega ,&nbsp;Brett Clark ,&nbsp;Marina García-del Río ,&nbsp;Santiago Merino ,&nbsp;Pilar Foronda ,&nbsp;Jordi Miquel ,&nbsp;Martin J.R. Hall","doi":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107616","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.actatropica.2025.107616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Calliphoridae are one of the main Diptera families that include agents of the parasitic disease condition known as myiasis. Parasitism seems to have evolved multiple independent times within the Calliphoridae; consequently, this family includes a diversity of myiasis-causing species, varying in their obligate or facultative habits and in their specific location in the host. Larval morphological studies can provide novel and relevant insights into the biology of those species, as well as on the pathogenesis and evolution of myiasis; however, the anatomy of internal organs and structures —particularly those within the digestive system— has generally been overlooked, despite potentially reflecting parasitic adaptations. We use here non-invasive X-ray micro-computed tomographic techniques to study the anatomy of the digestive system of the third instar larvae of three Calliphoridae species: <em>Protocalliphora azurea</em>, an obligate agent of sanguinivorous myiasis in passerine bird nestlings; <em>Cordylobia anthropophaga</em>, an obligate agent of subcutaneous myiasis in mammals; and <em>Lucilia sericata</em>, a facultative agent of traumatic myiasis in mammals. The three species are relatively uniform in the internal anatomy of their digestive organs, although they differ in the shape and size of the salivary glands —a main source of larval antigens—, which are considerably smaller in <em>P. azurea</em>. Moreover, the three species differ from the larvae of Oestridae, a close family that exclusively includes obligate myiasis-causing species, in the presence of gastric caeca and a crop, which shows a remarkable storage capacity in <em>L. sericata</em>. The observed differences are discussed from a functional perspective and in relation to the type of myiasis caused.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7240,"journal":{"name":"Acta tropica","volume":"265 ","pages":"Article 107616"},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143874219","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}