MedWorm: Parasitology Top 20

Multiple Paternity in the American Dog Tick, Dermacentor Variabilis (Acari: Ixodidae).

The Journal of Parasitology — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

We examined the presence of multiple paternity in the ensuing clutches by genotyping groups of eggs and larvae at 5 microsatellite loci and subtracting the known maternal alleles, thereby identifying male-contributed alleles. Seventy-five percent of the clutches presented multiple paternity with a mode of 2 fathers siring the clutch. Males associated with the females on the host always sired some offspring. In 1 case, a male was the sire of clutches derived from 2 females indicating both polygyny and polyandry may occur for this species. These results, combined with those of several other recent studies, suggest that multiple paternity might be frequent for ixodid ticks. PMID: 22257158 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Journal of Parasitology)

MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

[The Investigation of Entamoeba gingivalis and Trichomonas tenax in A Group of Patients With Periodontal Disease.]

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 03:06:07 +0100

Authors: Abualqomsaan M, TÃ¶z SO, YolasiÄmaz A, Turgay N The oral cavity is suitable for invasion of many microorganisms. Entamoeba gingivalis (E.gingivalis) and Trichomonas tenax (T.tenax) settle in the oral cavity of patients with poor oral hygiene and gingival disease. In the present study, two slide specimens were prepared from the cole region of the teeth of 46 persons for investigation of the parasites. One of the slide specimens was dried in the air while the other one put into fixative and they were stained with trichrome and Giemsa stains. The two staining methods were used for 36 samples and only Giemsa, for 10 samples. E. gingivalis was positive in 7 (19.44%) out of 36 samples stained by the trichrome stain while T. tenax was positive in one (2.17%) out of 46 samples st...

Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in Domestic and Wild Animals From the Fernando De Noronha, Brazil.

The Journal of Parasitology — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

The objective here was to determine seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in domestic and wild animals from Fernando de Noronha archipelago, Brazil. Between July 2007 to May 2010, blood samples were collected from 764 animals (533 domestic and 231 wild animals). Sera were tested by the indirect fluorescence antibody test (IFAT) or the modified agglutination test (MAT) or by both tests. Antibodies to T. gondii were found in 80 (80.0%) of 100 chickens (Gallus domesticus), 3 (3.0%) of 100 cattle (Bos taurus), 59 (60.8%) of 97 sheep (Ovis aries), 9 (81.8%) of 11 goats (Capra hircus), 7 (43.7%) of 16 horses (Equus caballus), 70 (59.3%) of 118 cats (Felis catus), 36 (39.6%) of 91 dogs (Canis familiaris), 13 (38.2%) of 34 black rats (Rattus rattus), and 157 (79.7%) of 197 cattle egrets (Bubulcus ib...

Some remarks on the occurrence, host-specificity and validity of Myxobolus rotundus Nemeczek, 1911 (Myxozoa: Myxosporea).

Systematic Parasitology — Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:39:38 +0100

Authors: Molnár K, Székely C, Hallett SL, Atkinson SD Myxobolus rotundus Nemeczek, 1911 is a common and specific parasite of the common bream Abramis brama (L.). Small, round or ellipsoidal shaped plasmodia of this species develop in the gill and exhibit strong histotropism to the secondary gill lamellae with plasmodial development in their capillary network. M. rotundus is frequently found in mixed infection with M. bramae Reuss, 1906, a parasite of the afferent arteries of gill filaments. The round spores of M. rotundus resemble several other Myxobolus spp., but can be distinguished from these by their small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence (GenBank accession no. EU710583), which also differs from the sequence for 'M. rotundus' from the skin of Chinese goldfish Carassius...

Lack of signaling by IL-4 or by IL-4/IL-13 has more attenuating effects on Leishmania amazonensis dorsal skin - than on footpad-infected mice.

Experimental Parasitology — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Felizardo TC, Gaspar-Elsas MI, Lima GM, Abrahamsohn IA Abstract Lesion development in tegumentary leishmaniasis is markedly influenced by the inoculation site and the type and number of injected infective forms. This and the yet unclear contribution of Th2 cytokines as susceptibility factors to Leishmania amazonensis infection prompted us to investigate the roles of IL-4, IL-13 and IL-10 on C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice infected in the footpad (paw) or rump with low-dose L. amazonensis purified-metacyclics. Wild-type (WT) mice of either strain developed, in the rump, a single large ulcerated lesion whereas paw lesions never ulcerated and were much smaller in C57BL/6 than in BALB/c mice. However, rump-inoculated IL-4-deficient (IL-4(-/-)) C57BL/6 mice did not develop any visible ...

A new copepod (Siphonostomatoida: Lernanthropidae) parasitic on a Red Sea immigrant dragonet (Actinopterygii: Callionymidae), with a review of records of parasitic copepods from dragonets.

Systematic Parasitology — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 11:07:24 +0100

Authors: El-Rashidy HH, Boxshall GA Abstract A new species of parasitic copepod of the family Lernanthropidae is described from an immigrant population of the blotchfin dragonet Callionymus filamentosus Valenciennes (family Callionymidae) in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both sexes are described on the basis of material caught in Egyptian waters off the Alexandria coast at Abuqir. The new species shares with Lernanthropus breviculus Kabata, 1979 the possession of a small dorsal plate on the trunk that is so narrow at its origin that it does not overlap the bases of the fourth legs, which are therefore visible in dorsal view. These species differ in the shape of the cephalothorax and in the extent of the dorsal plate, which is shorter in the new species, revealing the caudal rami in do...

MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in slaughtered pigs in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil.

The Journal of Parasitology — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:00:00 +0100

The objective of this research study was to investigate Toxoplasma gondii antibodies and parasite DNA in pigs in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. Blood samples were collected from 305 slaughtered pigs from 11 municipalities and their serum was tested for T. gondii antibodies using the indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT, cutoff 1:64); 38 (12.5%) samples were positive. Attempts were made to detect T. gondii DNA in the heart tissue of seropositive pigs using B 1 gene and PCR; 21 (55.2%) of the 38 hearts were positive. This is the first detection of T. gondii DNA in tissues of serologically positive swine in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil. PMID: 22263703 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: The Journal of Parasitology)

A new species of neoascarophis (nematoda: cystidicolidae) parasitic in macrourus carinatus (macrouridae) from argentinean waters.

The Journal of Parasitology — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 05:00:00 +0100

A NEW SPECIES OF NEOASCAROPHIS (NEMATODA: CYSTIDICOLIDAE) PARASITIC IN MACROURUS CARINATUS (MACROURIDAE) FROM ARGENTINEAN WATERS. J Parasitol. 2011 Dec 16; Authors: Rossin MA, Incorvaia IS, Timi JT Abstract Abstract ABSTRACT: Nematodes of the cystidicolid Neoascarophis Machida, 1976 are all parasites of macrourid fishes, comprising at present 5 species. Several other unidentified species have also been reported in several fish species from the northern and southern Atlantic Ocean, including 1 from Macrourus carinatus (Günther) (Macrouridae) in the southwest Atlantic Ocean. During a parasitological survey carried out on samples of M. carinatus from Patagonian waters, nematodes referable to Neascarophis were found in ulcers in the gastric mucosa. These nematodes represented...

[Investigation of Cryptosporidium oocysts in elementary school students in Mersin]

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:15:06 +0100

In this study, stool specimens (n=72) were collected from children, 8-12 years in age, in four elementary school in Mersin. These specimens were stained with modified Kinyoun's acid-fast (cold) and auramine O stains and examined for the oocysts of Cryptosporidium spp. Cryptosporidium oocysts were found in the specimens of 4 (5.5%) asymptomatic children. PMID: 17471406 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Turkish Society for Parasitology)

[Investigation of intestinal parasites and ectoparasites in three primary school students in Elaziğ]

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 02:15:06 +0100

[Investigation of intestinal parasites and ectoparasites in three primary school students in Elaziğ] Turkiye Parazitol Derg. 2007;31(2):139-41 Authors: Yilmaz M, Korkmaz E, Karakoç S, Yaztürk S, Kizirgil A, Yakupoğullari Y The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of intestinal parasites and ectoparasites among the students of three primary schools of different socioeconomic levels in Elaziğ. At first, a total of 448 students who attend different schools were examined for ectoparasites and then stool and cellophane tapes were collected. Intestinal parasites were found in 119 (26%) of the specimens. The most common parasite was Enterobius vermicularis (8%), followed by Entamoeba coli (8%), Ascaris species and Trichuris species (3%). No s...

[Epidemiology of cutaneous leishmaniasis in Diyarbakir (2002-2006).]

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 13:35:18 +0100

Authors: Sucakli MB, Saka G It is estimated that more than 1.5 million new cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) cases occur throughout the world every year and the disease is endemic in southern and southeastern Turkey. The aim of this study was to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of the CL cases reported in Diyarbakir. A total of 1990 cases were reported during the 5 year period. CL was most frequent in women (25.6 in 100.000) and in the age groups 5-9 and 10-14 (32.0 and 40.3 in 100.000 respectively). CL was most often reported in the Dicle (52.9%) and Hani (37.7%) districts; most were reported in the spring (47.2%) and fewer in the autumn (11.6%). It was observed that reporting increased after diagnosis and the quality of health services improved. Morbidity in Diyarbakir was hig...

MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

List of Referees

Parasite Immunology — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:38:45 +0100

(Source: Parasite Immunology)

Tick saliva suppresses IFN signaling in dendritic cells upon Borrelia afzelii infection

Parasite Immunology — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:02:31 +0100

SummaryType I interferons (IFN‐α and IFN‐β) are crucial determinants of the host immune response and tick saliva modulates this response thus facilitating the transmission of tick‐borne pathogens. The current study therefore examines the effect of Ixodes ricinus tick saliva on IFN‐β signaling in murine dendritic cells using lipopolysacharide (LPS) and Borrelia afzelii spirochetes as inducers. Activated dendritic cells secret IFN that activates Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT‐1). Our results show that Borrelia‐induced activation of STAT‐1 was suppressed by tick saliva. As the amount of secreted IFN‐β was not influenced by tick saliva, the results indicated that saliva affected the interferon pathway at the IFN receptor or downstream of it. By usi...

Tick saliva suppresses IFN signalling in dendritic cells upon Borrelia afzelii infection

Parasite Immunology — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 19:38:42 +0100

SummaryType I interferons (IFN‐α and IFN‐β) are crucial determinants of the host immune response and tick saliva modulates this response, thus facilitating the transmission of tickborne pathogens. The current study therefore examines the effect of Ixodes ricinus tick saliva on IFN‐β signalling in murine dendritic cells using lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Borrelia afzelii spirochaetes as inducers. Activated dendritic cells secret IFN that activates Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription 1 (STAT‐1). Our results show that Borrelia‐induced activation of STAT‐1 was suppressed by tick saliva. As the amount of secreted IFN‐β was not influenced by tick saliva, the results indicated that saliva affected the interferon pathway at the IFN receptor or downstream of it. By us...

Monitoring antimalarial resistance: launching a cooperative effort.

Trends in Parasitology — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 00:00:00 +0100

Authors: Sibley CH, Guerin PJ, Ringwald P Current information on efficacy of antimalarials is crucial to provide early warning of resistance. A collaborative effort between the Global Malaria Program of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WorldWide Antimalarial Resistance Network (WWARN) has recently been launched. The effort is planned as a collaboration with the scientific malaria community to create a global, comprehensive, and inclusive network that will provide quality-assured information on antimalarial drug resistance. PMID: 20304706 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Trends in Parasitology)

[The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in children who were diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma.]

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 15:09:26 +0100

In this study, eighty nine leukemia and lymphoma patients between the ages of 1 to 14 were studied for the prevalence of Cryptosporidiosis using both ELISA (Cryptosporidium Rida Screen, R-Biopharm, Germany) and the Kinyoun acid-fast staining method. These patients were sent to us by the Hematology-Oncology department where they were diagnosed with leukemia and lymphoma. Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 11 patients (12.35%) with ELISA and in 7 patients (7.86%) with the Kinyoun acid fast stain. No cryptosporidiosis was detected in the control groups of 60 patients with neoplasia but without diarrhea. The distribution of Cryptosporidium among positive samples were 7 (14.8%) in patients who were diagnosed with ALL, 3 (10%) in patients who were diagnosed with KML, and 1 (8.3%) in patients ...

MedWorm Message: Get the very latest Swine Flu news via the MedWorm Swine Flu RSS news feed - updated hourly from thousands of authoritative health and news sources.

Description of oncomegas trimegacanthus n. sp. (cestoda: trypanorhyncha)from indonesian borneo, with the suppression of oncomegoides and the erection of a new genus hispidorhynchus.

The Journal of Parasitology — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

DESCRIPTION OF ONCOMEGAS TRIMEGACANTHUS N. SP. (CESTODA: TRYPANORHYNCHA)FROM INDONESIAN BORNEO, WITH THE SUPPRESSION OF ONCOMEGOIDES AND THE ERECTION OF A NEW GENUS HISPIDORHYNCHUS. J Parasitol. 2011 Oct 27; Authors: Schaeffner BC, Beveridge I Abstract Abstract A new species of Oncomegas Dollfus, 1929 is described from the cowtail stingray, Pastinachus atrus (Macleay), collected in the Makassar Strait, Indonesian Borneo. Oncomegas trimegacanthus n. sp. possesses two, oval bothria, gland cells within the bulbs, prebulbar organs, a distinctive basal armature with a single macrohook on the bothrial surface of the asymetrical basal swelling and a heteroacanthous, heteromorphous metabasal armature with 10 hooks per principle row. It differs from congeners by its possession of a...

Toxoplasma gondii: Identification and immune response against a group of proteins involved in cellular invasion.

Experimental Parasitology — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0100

Authors: Azzouz S, Maache M, Osuna A, Lawton P, Pétavy AF Abstract Toxoplasma gondii is an ubiquitous intracellular parasite, causative agent of toxoplasmosis, and a worldwide zoonosis for which an effective vaccine is needed. A group of proteins secreted by tachyzoites during host-cell invasion was isolated from the interaction medium. It induced the permeability of the cells as assessed by alpha-sarcin and consequently facilitated the entry of the parasite into the cells. SDS-PAGE of the purified proteins showed a pattern of four proteins of 67, 42, 32 and 27kDa. MRC-5 cells incubated with the total protein and the different electroeluted bands endured a high cellular death in presence of alpha-sarcin. BALb/C mice immunized with the group of proteins had a mixed Th1/Th2 response...

In vitro antileishmanial and antitrypanosomal activities of flavanones from Baccharis retusa DC. (Asteraceae).

Experimental Parasitology — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Authors: Grecco SD, Reimão JQ, Tempone AG, Sartorelli P, Cunha RL, Romoff P, Ferreira MJ, Fávero OA, Lago JH Abstract Leishmaniasis and Chagas' are parasitic protozoan diseases that affect the poorest population in the world, causing a high mortality and morbidity. As a result of highly toxic and long-term treatments, novel, safe and more efficacious drugs are essential. In this work, the CH(2)Cl(2) phase from MeOH extract from the leaves of Baccharis retusa DC. (Asteraceae) was fractioned to afford two flavonoids: naringenin (1) and sakuranetin (2). These compounds were in vitro tested against Leishmania spp. promastigotes and amastigotes and Trypanosoma cruzi trypomastigotes and amastigotes. Compound 2 presented activity against Leishmania (L.) amazonensis, Leishmania (V.) braz...

[Primary pancreatic hydatid cyst resembling a pseudocyst].

Turkish Society for Parasitology — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:36:02 +0100

Authors: Küçükkartallar T, Cakır M, Tekin A, Ozalp AH, Yıldırım MA, Aksoy F Abstract Hydatid cyst is a parasitic disease that is commonly seen in certain areas. It may localize in many organs in the body. Pancreas is a rarely involved organ. A 48 years old patient who could not be diagnosed before surgery was then diagnosed with hydatid cyst localized in the uncinate process of the pancreas post-operatively. Albendazole treatment was begun after the operation. No problem was observed in the follow-up ultrasonography. This rare case may be mistaken for cystic malignancies and pseudocysts of pancreas. (Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2011; 35: 214-6). PMID: 22198922 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Turkish Society for Parasitology)