Volume 52 (2015): Issue 4 (December 2015)

Alveolar and cystic echinococcosis, serious parasitic diseases caused by larval stages of Echinococcus multilocularis and E. granulosus has been diagnosed in Slovakia for a long time. Study presents case of 49-years old patient with accidentally diagnosed one big (60 mm) and multiple small (2 - 24 mm) hypoechogenic structures localised in right liver lobe. According to positive serology to E. granulosus antigen and results of imaging examinations the patient was classifi ed as possible case of cystic echinococcosis and treated with mebendazole. Later, due to the worsening of clinical, laboratory and CT fi ndings surgical biopsy was performed and surgical biopsy and subsequent PCR examination of liver tissue confi rmed the diagnosis of alveolar echinococosis. Clinical picture of disease imitating cystic echinococcosis in presented case report, together with results of serological tests confi rmed importance of accurate differential diagnosis of echinococcosis. Each aspect of clinical and laboratory results should be considered responsibly, however, sometimes only molecular techniques can solve the problem of differential diagnosis.

Out of 19,046 goats aged between 5 and 6 month and slaughtered at an abattoir in Dubai between September 2012 and March 2014, 57 carcasses were objected at meat inspection due to the presence of bladder worms of the coenurus type. The majority showed single cysts that were cut out but 10 carcasses had to be discharged due to the presence of multiple cysts and with a maximum number of 41 coenuri. In the majority of carcasses, cysts were located in the legs (n=45) followed by abdominal muscles (n=16), diaphragm (n=14) and shoulder (n=13). Loin, rack, renal fat, heart, neck, masseter were other cyst locations. The size of the detected parasitic cysts ranged from 0.7 ml to 90 ml. The maximum number of 1,102 scolices was counted in an 86 ml coenurus found in the leg of a goat. Cysticercus tenuicollis was another cestode larval stage found in livers of 302 goats. A mixed infection with both parasites was detected in 35 carcasses.

A total of thirty-one Anatolian Lizard, Apathya cappacocica, samples from several provinces of Eastern and South-Eastern Turkey were examined for helminths. Two species of Nematoda, including Spauligodon atlanticus, Skrjabinodon medinae; two species of Cestoda, including Mesocestoides sp. tetrahydia and Oochoristica tuberculata and one species of Acanthocephala, Centrorhynchus sp. were found. This is the first helminth record of A. cappodocica from Turkey. A. cappadocica represents a new host record for each of the parasite species. S. atlanticus is reported from Turkey for the fi rst time.

Cathaemasia hians is an obligate trematode parasite of Black storks that are on the List of protected birds in Europe. In the present study, adult trematodes were isolated from the Black stork post mortem and morphological study revealed C. hians species. In total, 10 worms were found in the oesophagus and the ventriculus of the bird. Histopathological examination of the tissue samples of oesophagus, proventriculus and ventriculus was performed on paraffin sections using a set of staining procedures. The sporadic lesions were seen in the tela submucosa of oesophagus containing connective tissue mast cells, eosinophils and heterophils and some foci were surrounded by the fibrous tissue. In addition, a few inflammatory nodules had larval-like material inside, probably being of the same species. There were no visible morphological alterations in the epithelial layer of lamina propria mucosae of proventriculus, rich in goblet cells as well as in the tela submucosa. Majority of trematodes were localized in the ventriculus, where the lamina propria mucosae was damaged or disrupted sporadically. In these sites, in the tela submucosa, a various food-originated inorganic/organic material and eggs of C. hians were deposited, stimulating a weak inflammatory response. Nodules containing larvae were not observed in any of ventriculus tissue layers. This study demonstrated, for the first time, infection with adults of C. hians trematode in the Black stork nesting in Slovakia. The presence of larvae and eggs in the tissues of the upper gastrointestinal tract of bird was associated with mild inflammatory response but feeding behaviour of adult worms in the ventriculus probably contributed to the enhanced susceptibility of the lamina propria mucosae to mechanical damage by inorganic material. Although larval stages have not yet been documented in the intermediate hosts in Slovakia, our report indicates that the life cycle of C. hians might occur in Central Europe.

The pumpkinseed, Lepomis gibbosus Linnaeus (Centrarchidae), was introduced into the Europe from North America in late 19th century. In this study, we examine monogenean parasites of L. gibbosus from the River Durance in France. We found seven parasite species introduced together with the host: Actinocleidus recurvatus, A. oculatus, Onchocleidus similis, O. dispar, O. acer, Cleidodiscus robustus (Ancyrocephalidae) and Gyrodactylus macrochiri (Gyrodactylidae). Early diporpa (Diplozoidae), accidentally attached to the gills, represent a single parasite species acquired within the area of introduction. Three species, O. acer, C. robustus and G. macrochiri, are reported from Europe for the first time.

Philocorydoras longus sp. n. (Dactylogryridae) is described from the gills of the freshwater fish Hoplosternum littorale (Hancock, 1828) (Callichthyidae) from Jurumirim reservoir, Upper Paranapanema River, São Paulo State, Brazil. This new species belongs to the genus Philocorydoras mainly by possessing a curved cirrus accompanied by an accessory piece attached by a conspicuous filament. Philocorydoras longus sp. n. most resembles P. platensis, but differs by having delicate and smaller hooks, grooves in ventral and dorsal anchors, larger cirrus and accessory piece, and ventral bar with a long postero-medial process. Two species of the genus Urocleidoides (U. corydori Molnar, Hanek et Fernando, 1974 and U. margolisi Molnar, Hanek et Fernando, 1974) originally described from the gills of Corydoras aeneus (Gill, 1858) from Talparo River, Trinidad (near Brazil), were transferred to the genus Philocorydoras mostly by the absence of a sinistral vaginal sclerite (i. e., the primary characters of Urocleidoides) and counterclockwise cirral rings (i.e., curved tube, and tapered anteriorly in Philocorydoras). The new species is the fourth species assigned to the genus and the first recorded for Brazil.

The karyotype of a caryophyllidean tapeworm Caryophyllaeus laticeps (Pallas, 1781) from the freshwater bream Abramis brama (L.) caught in the Slovak part of the River Tisa, was described and originally inspected for amount of heterochromatin and its chromosome localization. The chromosome set comprised nine metacentric and one submetacentric (No. 3) pairs (2n = 20). The chromosomes were up to 12.0 ± 2.5 μm long and the mean total length of haploid genome (TLC) reached 80.6 μm that represents one of the highest yet recorded values among tapeworms. C-banding and staining with fl uorescent dyes DAPI and YOYO1 revealed a distinct banding pattern explicitly on chromosomes with centromeric bright heterochromatin bands present on all 10 chromosome pairs; no pair showed any interstitial heterochromatin. A complete course of spermatocyte meiosis and dynamics of nucleolus formation and degradation during meiotic division was described.

In this study, the effects of arsenic, cadmium, copper and chromium treatments were examined on a nematode community structure and proportion of functional groups in the microcosm for 30 days. The toxic effects on the nematode community did not correspond with metals mobility (EDTA extraction) in soil as it was expected. The most toxic element with a significant degradation of community structure was chromium (low mobile), which negatively affected almost all observed ecological parameters (abundance, diversity and ecological indices). On the other hand, cadmium and arsenic influence was negligible even in the plots treated with the highest concentrations and the communities resembled to the control samples. Copper showed a stimulative effect on the community under low concentration (40 mg.kg^-1), while under higher concentrations the stimulation was replaced by stress responses. The widely used ecological indices, such as the Maturity Index 2-5, Structure Index, and Shannon-Weaver Index and c-p groups showed the best bioindication potential among nematode parameters.

Severe infections of parsley plants and soil infestations with Meloidogyne javanica during an autumn surveys for the pathogenic root-knot nematode infestations were found in Monopoli at Bari province in Southern Italy. This unusual severe infection of parsley, considered a winter crop, was possibly instigated by a very warm autumn from the previous year. Nematodes were extracted from soil samples according to the Coolen’s method. Morphological analysis (based on stylet length, tail length and shape, adult females perineal pattern, excretory pore position and Ep/stylet ratio) and molecular studies were used for the nematode characterization and identification. In the soil of infested area a severely deformed root systems were observed, showing a galling rate = 2.5 - 4 (scale 0-5) and a soil nematode population densities ranging from 350 to 2,730 eggs and J2 per 5 g of fresh root. M. javanica attack on parsley roots is a limiting factor for plant growth. Considering that curly-leaf parsley varieties resistant to the nematodes are not yet available control strategies must be focused on reduction of soil infestation level below tolerance limit of the target nematode species. Due to the higher cost and reduced availability of fumigant and non-fumigant nematicides, soil solarization, organic amendments or biological control approaches should be preferably used as alternatives.

The parasites of the genus Spirometra belong to one of the twelve genera of the family Diphyllobothriidae, with several species of zoonotic importance whose definitive hosts are carnivorous mammals. In Argentina, few reports have described these parasites in wild carnivores. Morphological studies of the adult stage obtained from necropsy allow the distinction between Diphyllobothrium and Spirometra. A less invasive method of identification is the analysis of the parasite eggs; however, the morphometric similarities between close genera and species and alterations in egg preservation affect the identification. In Argentina, molecular tools have been used as a non-invasive and accurate method to increase the information about Spirometra and to improve its identification. In the present study, DNA was extracted from Spirometra eggs from Pampas foxes and a 450-bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene was sequenced. The sequence obtained, which is the first Spirometra DNA sequence from Argentina, was deposited at GenBank. Comparison by BLASTN analysis between the sequence obtained and the sequences from GenBank showed 93 % identity with S. proliferum and 89% with S. erinaceieuropaei.

The genus Trichinella is widespread in all continents but Antarctica. The only way to identify the species/genotypes is through molecular analyses. In Chile, only one study has reported Trichinella larvae in a cougar, but the species of Trichinella was not identified. In this work, the finding of Trichinella larvae in a cougar, together with their genotypic identification, is the first documentation of such in Chile. The cougar was found run over by a vehicle in the Biobío Region. Larvae were isolated following artificial digestion of the diaphragm and analyzed by means of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). A PCR product of 173 base pairs allowed for the classification of the larvae as T. spiralis. It is the first record of the species in Chilean wildlife. This finding in Chile is interesting in terms of human health, suggesting a possible role of the cougar as a reservoir for this parasite.

Reports of Pearsonema plica and Eucoleus böhmi infections in wolves (Canis lupus) in Europe are limited and data on associated lesions are lacking. In the present study urinary bladders, nasal turbinates and faecal samples from 8 necropsied wolves were examined for P. plica and E. böhmi infections and associated lesions. P. plica was identified in the bladder of four wolves. At histological examination, follicular chronic cystitis and eosinophilic cystitis were found. E. böhmi nematodes and eggs were identified from the nasal turbinates and rectal faecal samples of three wolves. Worms and eggs were found embedded in the mucosa among the nasal bone laminae. Two wolves were found coinfected by P. plica and E. böhmi. This is the first report of P. plica and E. böhmi infections in wolves from Italy and the first description of pathological lesions associated with P. plica infection in wolves.

Syphacia muris is a ubiquitous nematode parasite and common contaminant of laboratory rats. A lthough S. muris infection is considered symptomless, it has some effects on the host’s immunity and therefore can interfere with experimental settings and interrupt final results. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the alteration within the host’s immunity remain unclear because of the absence of information about mRNA expressed in this parasite. In this study we performed the transcriptome profiling of S. muris by next-generation sequencing. After de novo assembly and annotation, 14,821 contigs were found to have a sequence homology with any nematode sequence. Gene ontology analysis showed that the majority of the expressed genes are involved in cellular process, binding, and catalytic activity. Although the rate of expressed genes involved in the immune system was low, we found candidate genes that might be involved in the alteration within the host’s immunity by regulating the host’s innate immune response.

Anisakidosis is a zoonotic infection caused by ingestion of raw or undercooked marine fish including Atherina. In some parts of Egypt, the prevalence of anisakid larvae in marine Atherina still, largely, undetermined. Moreover, the currently used procedures are insufficient to avoid human infection. The aim of this study was to identify the prevalence of anisakid larvae in marine Atherina and to test the effect of several treatment procedures on the viability of anisakid larvae. The infection rate of marine Atherina with anisakid larvae was 23.12 %. Anisakid larvae protein revealed molecular weights ranged from 11.5 - 118.5 Kilo Dalton (KDa.). Moreover, freezing at -20 °C for 21 hours (hrs.) as well as vinegar (5 %) treatment for 3 days were the most effective ways to inactivate the larvae. This study states the zoonotic risk of consuming raw or undercooked marine Atherina and highlights the importance of freezing and vinegar treatment in preventing human infection.

Three acanthocephalan parasites, namely Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) quinghaiensis, Rhadinorhynchus ganapatti, and Bolbosoma sp. are reported for the first time from Philippine fishes. N. (N.) quinghaiensis (Neoechinorhynchidae) may have been introduced into the country through the importation of carp species from China, where this parasite was first described and is presumed to be naturally occurring. The adult worms of R. ganapatti and the isolated cystacanth of Bolbosoma sp. represent the first record of parasites from both the family Rhadinorhynchidae and Polymorphidae in Philippine waters, respectively. These three new records encompass a third of all listed acanthocephalan parasites that have been reported in Philippine fish species to date, highlighting the need for more biodiversity-focused parasitology research, in light of potentially numerous more undocumented parasite species.