Parasitology International

The investigation of important prevalent tick-borne pathogens is central to the control of tick-borne diseases. To understand the prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi s.l., Borrelia miyamotoi, and the Alongshan virus in ticks and patients in Shaanxi Province, China, a total of 670 adult ticks and 524 patient blood samples were collected in the region between 2022 and 2023. In this study, PCR was used to estimate the prevalence of the three pathogens. The results revealed that the overall positive rates of B. burgdorferi s...

Hepatozoonosis is a tick-borne infection caused by protozoan species of the Hepatozoon genus in the family Hepatozoidae. This study aimed to determine the presence and prevalence of Hepatozoon spp. in domestic cats and their ticks, to characterize the genotypes, to reveal phylogenetic relationships, and to assess the risk factors associated with infection. Blood samples were collected in EDTA tubes from 311 cats that were brought to the Veterinary Faculty, Animal Hospital for treatment or routine control purposes...

The honeybee is one of the most important pollinators in the world. The frequently observed poor health of honeybee colonies can be caused by various factors, e.g. environmental pollution, nutritional stress, and climate changes. Moreover, honeybees are constantly exposed to a wide spectrum of pathogens, such as parasites, bacteria, and viruses. We examined the occurrence of various diseases in different-aged worker honeybees from two colonies kept in natural and laboratory conditions during spring, summer, and autumn in Poland...

Taenia asiatica, utilizing pigs as an intermediate host, degenerates and/or calcifies within a few months after infection in pigs, whereas Taenia solium, also using pigs as an intermediate host, can develop into a mature metacestode within a couple of months and can survive for prolong periods in pigs. This raises the question of whether pigs are suitable intermediate hosts for T. asiatica. The host-parasite relationships between T. asiatica and pig strains, such as infection rates and development of metacestodes, have been reported in previous studies: however, little is known about the pathological changes that occur in T...

Schistosomiasis mekongi is endemic in a restricted area in Northern Cambodia and the Southern Lao People's Democratic Republic. Severe hepatobiliary morbidity is associated with chronic untreated S. mekongi infection. Since the 1980s extensive control efforts have been employed in endemic areas, resulting in substantial reduction of infection rates and disease burden. We report on a patient with a fatal course of clinically-assessed chronic schistosomiasis. This report underscores that patients with severe chronic Mekong schistosomiasis may still exist and may need treatment support...

A total of 201 fishes of the family Mugilidae caught off central Vietnam (Nha Trang Bay) were examined for parasites. Eight species of Mugilidae were identified based on cytb and 16S rRNA sequences. Protozoa were not revealed. The metazoan parasites belong to six higher taxa. Myxozoa Grassé, 1970 is represented by six genera, three of which were first found in grey mullets off Vietnam. The specimens of Monogenea Van Beneden, 1858 belong to two genera: Ligophorus Euzet et Suriano, 1977 and Metamicrocotyla Yamaguti, 1953...

The cattle egret (B. ibis) as a common wader birds in Egypt, they act a sole reservoir for many parasites and play a vital role in their life cycle and their distribution in their environment. The study was conducted from September 2020 to August 2021. A total of 180 B. ibis were collected from Al Qantara Gharb, Ismailia province, Egypt. Parasite species identification infecting cattle egret included morphological and morphometric characteristics based on light and scanning microscopy. Additionally, utilizing the partial small subunit ribosomal RNA (18S rRNA, ITS2 and ITS1) gene sequence, maximum parsimony was used to infer the phylogeny of the recovered species...

We describe a new species of Bivesiculidae, Bivesiculoides maiae n. sp., from Hypoatherina tropicalis (Whitley) (Atherinidae) collected from off Heron Island (southern Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia). Bivesiculoides maiae n. sp. is morphologically consistent with Bivesiculoides Yamaguti, 1938 in the entirely pre-testicular position of its uterus, and the possession of caeca and vitelline fields that extend posteriorly to level with the anterior extremity of the testis. The new species is morphologically distinct from the six known Bivesiculoides species in body size and shape, and shape of the pharynx and testis...

This is the first report of trematodes parasitic in the estuarine isopod crustacean Cyathura muromiensis, and the fourth report from anthuroid isopods worldwide. From 52 of 54 host individuals collected qualitatively on the tidal flat of the Muromi River estuary, Fukuoka, Japan, 389 cysts of metacercariae were extracted (sample prevalence = 96.3 %). Host individuals contained from one to 71 metacercarial cysts. The range in cyst diameter was 172.3-252.1 μm, and the distribution of cyst sizes contained only one component...

Caligus minimus Otto, 1821 has been known for over two centuries and it is the second oldest of the approximately 275 species of Caligus O. F. Müller, 1985. Despite the numerous records of this species from European waters, it has never been fully described to modern standards. The lack of a comprehensive modern description has resulted in numerous misidentifications, even in recently published reports, and this is especially problematic for a species that is known to have a significant economic impact in aquaculture...

BACKGROUND: Surveillance of "silent" human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT) foci is important for the achievement of the World Health Organization (WHO) goal of interrupting the transmission of this disease by 2030. It is in this context that this study was carried out to determine the trypanosome species circulating in the "silent" HAT foci of Bafia and the Manoka island in Cameroon. METHODS: In the Bafia and Manoka HAT foci, georeferenced pyramidal traps were used to trap tsetse flies...

The flagellated protozoan Lophomonas spp. is a commensal microorganism found in the intestinal tracts of cockroaches, termites, mites, and certain birds. It is the causative agent of a rare infection in humans called lophomoniasis, primarily affecting the lungs and mainly immunocompromised individuals. This parasitosis is transmitted to humans by air or through ingestion of the cystic forms of the parasite. We describe the case of a 50-year-old patient treated at a tertiary hospital in southern Chile with a history of B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia...

Three hemoplasma species, Mycoplasma haemofelis, Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum, and Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis, have been identified in domestic and wild felids. M. haemofelis may cause severe clinical manifestations in domestic cats, whereas others can lead to mild infections. Identification of these pathogens is done using molecular diagnostic tools like conventional-PCR or real-time PCR. However, these have disadvantages, such as the failure to differentiate species or high cost. This study aimed to develop a triplex-PCR method for the diagnosis and discrimination of feline hemoplasma species...

Mosquitoes are considered one of the most lethal creatures on the planet and are responsible for millions of fatalities annually through the transmission of several diseases to humans. Green trash is commonly employed in agricultural fertilizer manufacturing and microbial bioprocesses for energy production. However, there is limited information available on the conversion of green waste into biocides. This study investigates the viability of utilizing green waste as a new biopesticide against Culex pipiens mosquito larvae...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence and transmission of Cryptosporidium spp., Blastocystis sp., Giardia intestinalis and Entamoeba histolytica between different hosts and their shared environment in a slum area of Bangladesh. A total of 102 samples were collected from Mymensingh, Bangladesh. This collection encompassed 16 human samples, 35 soil samples and 51 animal samples from various households within the region. The detection of Cryptosporidium spp., Blastocystis sp., G. intestinalis, and E...

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is a significant public health concern globally. This study aims to evaluate the impact of cutaneous leishmaniasis on the quality of life of patients in the Draa-Tafilalet region of Morocco. In this cross-sectional study, data were collected from 87 patients between December 2022 and July 2023 using the Skindex-16 questionnaire. The results revealed that cutaneous leishmaniasis has a mild to moderate impact on health-related quality of life, with 26.4 % of participants reporting a low impact and 73...

The present report describes a case of acanthocephaliasis associated with necrotic enteritis in quetzals (Pharomachrus mocinno). Three juvenile quetzals exhibited depression, anorexia, ruffled feathers, and sudden death. They were submitted to the laboratory for examination. The birds had hatched and lived in captivity in an aviary in Mexico. Gross lesions observed were hemorrhagic, fibrinoid necrotic enteritis, with acanthocephalans adhered to the intestinal mucosa. The specimens were identified by parasitology, electronic microscopy, and molecular biology as Plagiorhynchus (Prosthorhynchus) sp...

A new species of hemiurid trematode found on the gills and in the aorta of the pelagic thresher Alopias pelagicus from the eastern Pacific, off Costa Rica, is described, based on an integrative taxonomic approach that includes the use of light and scanning electron microscopy, and 28S rDNA sequencing. Phylogenetic analysis was also performed to explore, for the first time, the relationships of a member of the subfamily Otiotrematinae within the suborder Hemiurata. Paronatrema davidbowiei n. sp. can be distinguished from the congeners by having tegumental spines on the dorsal surface of the forebody, papillae on the oral sucker, and different morphology or number of testicular follicles...

Malaria is an infectious disease caused by several species of the genus Plasmodium. It is usually transmitted by female Anopheles mosquitoes. Other routes of transmission include mother-to-child transmission, shared use of needles, blood transfusion and solid organ transplantation. In non-endemic countries, malaria is often diagnosed on the basis of a history of journeys or migration from endemic areas. Transplant-transmitted malaria might represent a diagnostic challenge for clinicians. Here, we report the casual diagnosis of possible transplant-transmitted malaria in a Spanish patient with no previous visits to endemic areas...

In Japan, parasitic diseases are rare today, with the exception of amebiasis and anisakidosis. As a result, many Japanese clinicians have limited knowledge of parasitic diseases and do not consider them important. Parasitology departments in the schools of medicine in Japan have tended to be replaced or downsized, and the amount of time spent for the teaching of parasitology to undergraduate students has been shortened. However, even in Japan, patients with parasitic diseases visit clinics or hospitals. Medical students have to learn the diagnosis and basic treatment of parasitic diseases that could cause death or serious sequelae without proper treatment, and those which are relatively frequently encountered in Japan...