Spirorchiids (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infecting a Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata (Linnaeus 1758) from Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Gastrointestinal parasites in goats from Monte Castelo, Santa Catarina, Brazil

Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de estimar o grau de infecção dos helmintos gastrintestinais em um rebanho caprino criado no Planalto Norte Catarinense. Foram utilizadas 12 fêmeas jovens e 11 adultas, das quais, a cada 28 dias, foram coletadas amostras de fezes diretamente do reto, totalizando 12 coletas, para quantificação de ovos por grama de fezes (OPG) e cultivo de larvas através de pool das amostras positivas do mesmo grupo. A contagem de OPG variou de zero a 10.400 nos animais jovens e de zero a 7.600 nos adultos. As médias do OPG entre as coletas foram de 583,3 a 4.441,7 no grupo jovem e de 418,2 a 2.181,8 nos adultos, sendo observados ovos da ordem Strongylida, dos gêneros Moniezia e Toxocara, bem como oocistos de coccídeos. Os animais mais jovens foram os mais acometidos, sendo o gênero Haemonchus o mais prevalente.

Metacercárias de Diplostomum (Austrodiplostomum) compactum Lutz, 1928 (Digenea, Diplostomidae) em peixes do rio Paraná, Brasil. Prevalência, sazonalidade e intensidade de infecção

This paper aims at evaluating the occurrence of Diplostommn (Anstrodiplostomum compactum (Digenea: Diplostomatidae) in the eyeball of Plagioscion sqnamosissimus (corvina) and Cichla ocellaris (tucunaré), monthly captured in Paraná river, Presidente Epitácio, state of São Paulo, Brazil. From 61 corvinas under analysis, 56 of them contained parasites (92%) with intensity rate of 42.0 host parasites. From an amount of 81 tucunarés, 45 contained parasites (55%) with intensity rate of 9.3 parasites. Corvinas showed prevalence from 71 to 100% with the highest intensity rates (103.3 and 106.9) from February to March, 2001. Comparatively, the tucunaré showed the highest prevalence from November 2000 (90%) to February 2001 (80%). The tucunaré highest intensity rates occurred on September, 2000 (12.7), December, 2000 (12.2) and February, 2001 (16.1). Metacercariae showed a hollow womb body and a posterior region of a sinuous conic protuberance, an oral sucker smaller than the acetabulae, a simple acetabulae located in the pre-equatorial region of helminto. A short pre-pharynx followed by a muscular pharynx, genital pore next to acetubulae. Corvina metacercariae presents 1.434,0 μm (880 to 1.840) long by 611.2 ± 93.4 μm (400 to 792) wide. Tucunaré metacercariae, 1.462.4 μm (960 to 2.480) by 710.8 μm (560 to 960). Authors confirmed corvina great susceptibility to Diplomastum and the relationship between the parasitism and the aquatic and climatic parameters.

Persistent efficacy of 3.5% doramectin compared to 3.15% ivermectin against gastrointestinal nematodes in experimentally-infected cattle in Brazil

The present study aimed to evaluate the persistent efficacy of a 3.5% doramectin* (700μg/kg) formulation compared to 3.15% ivermectin** (630μg/kg) treatment, administered subcutaneously at a dose of 1mL/50kg body weight in cattle experimentally infected with gastrointestinal nematodes. Seventy-two male crossbred Holstein cattle that were negative for helminth infection were divided into nine groups. Treatments of 3.5% doramectin (Groups 2, 4, 6 and 8) and 3.15% ivermectin (Groups 3, 5, 7 and 9) were administered on days 49, 42, 35 and 28 prior to challenge with infectious nematode larvae (L3). Animals in the control group (Group 1) received saline solution on day 49 before challenge. Beginning on day zero, each animal received 50mL orally of a mixed culture containing approximately 3,000 third stage larvae (L3) of Haemonchus (60%), Oesophagostomum (20%), Cooperia (15%) and Trichostrongylus (5%) for seven consecutive days, resulting in a total challenge of 21,000 larvae/animal. Due to the large number of cattle, autopsies were performed between days 28 and 35 after the last day of inoculation. The formulation containing doramectin (700 mcg/kg) achieved persistent efficacy against H. placei and C. punctata for 49 and 35days, respectively. The persistent efficacy of ivermectin (630 mcg/kg) against H. placei lasted for 49days, but this treatment was ineffective against C. punctata. Both formulations demonstrated persistent efficacy against T. axei for 49days. The persistent efficacy of doramectin (700 mcg/kg) and ivermectin (630 mcg/kg) lasted for 49 and 42days against O. radiatum, respectively. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd.

Sistemática e indicadores de infecção por helmintos parasitos de jaós (Crypturellus undulatus), no Estado do Mato Grosso do Sul (Pantanal de Paiaguás), e de codornas (Nothura maculosa) e nambuzinhos (Crypturellus parvirostris) no Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Comunidades componentes de helmintos de anfíbios: análise comparativa entre duas localidades sob ação antrópica no município de São Luiz do Paraitinga, SP

With the degradation of Atlantic Forest over the years, the area that this ecosystem has occupied before decreased and in a lot of cases it was separated in little fragments, each one isolated in a different way depending of the local antropic action. In this context, this study compares the helminth fauna of anurans from two different fragments of Atlantic Forest, one inset in a matrix of eucalyptus (Eucaliptus sp.) reforestation and the other in a matrix of pasture (Brachiaria sp.), verifying if there is any difference between the structure of helminth communities. There were collected 155 anurans in both fragments, being 77 Hypsiboas albopunctatus, 18 Hypsiboas faber, 27 Hypsiboas polytaenius e 33 Dendropsophus minutus. These were weighted and their snout-vent lengths were measured. After the animals were euthanatized and their internal organs and coelomatic cavity were evaluated for helminth infection. There were identified one trematode species (Haematoloechus fuelleborni) and 14 nematode species (Aplectana sp., Cosmocerca parva, Cosmocerca sp1., Cosmocerca sp2., Cosmocercoides sp., Falcaustra mascula, Cosmocercidae larvae, nematode larvae, Physaloptera sp. larvae, Ochoterenella sp., Oswaldocruzia subauricularis, Raillietnema simples, Rhabdias sp. e Schrankiana sp.). The hylids' helminth fauna studied in São Luiz do Paraitinga fragments were relatively rich, being registered 15 helminth species in the captured anurans. The comparison between the fragments did not show differences in relation of the composition and abundance of helminth fauna in spite of the individualities of each environment

Avaliação do desempenho e características relacionadas ao grau de infecção por helmintos de bovinos da raça nelore

Pós-graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia Animal - FEIS

Increased IL-4 and decreased regulatory cytokine production following relocation of Icelandic horses from a high to low endoparasite environment

Insect bite hypersensitivity (IBH) is an IgE-mediated dermatitis of horses caused by bites of Culicoides spp. IBH does not occur in Iceland where Culicoides are absent. However, following importation into continental Europe where Culicoides are present, >or=50% of Icelandic horses (1st generation) develop IBH but helminths and allergens induce Th2 responses, we investigated whether horses domiciled in Iceland are Th2-biased, and whether this is determined by helminth infection. We compared the parasite burden and T cell responses between Icelandic horses living in Iceland or Switzerland. Horses in Iceland have higher faecal egg counts, higher tapeworm-specific IgG(T) levels and higher total serum IgE levels than horses in Switzerland. Nevertheless, horses in Iceland displayed a low proportion of IL-4-producing cells in PBMC cultures after polyclonal or parasite extracts stimulation. No IL-4-producing cells were found in PBMC from horses after stimulation by Culicoides extract. Addition of anti-IL-10 and anti-TGF-beta1 to PBMC cultures of horses in Iceland increased the proportion of IL-4-producing cells after polyclonal or parasite antigens stimulation but not stimulation with Culicoides extract. This paralleled the high levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta1 found in supernatants from PBMC cultures of horses in Iceland. Collectively, horses living in Iceland have a high parasite burden but low IL-4 production. This supports the hypothesis that heavy helminth infections have a suppressive effect on IL-4 production mediated by IL-10 and TGF-beta1.

Therapeutic approaches to patients with hypereosinophilic syndromes

Hypereosinophilic syndromes (HES) are a heterogeneous group of disorders that range from asymptomatic eosinophilia > 1,500/mL to aggressive disease complicated by life-threatening end organ involvement, including endomyocardial fibrosis and thromboembolism. To complicate matters further, similar clinical manifestations can occur in the setting of marked eosinophilia due to helminth infection, drug hypersensitivity, and other causes. In the past, therapy was guided only by the exclusion of these secondary causes of eosinophilia and the severity of the clinical manifestations. More recently, the availability of novel targeted therapies and a better understanding of the etiologies of some subtypes of HES have necessitated a more structured approach.

Putting teeth into the developmental origins hypothesis: A longitudinal study of early childhood malnutrition, enamel hypoplasia and adolescent health in Amazonian Bolivia

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-06

An integrated transcriptomics and proteomics analysis of the secretome of the helminth pathogen Fasciola hepatica: Proteins associated with invasion and infection of the mammalian host

To infect their mammalian hosts, Fasciola hepatica larvae must penetrate and traverse the intestinal wall of the duodenum, move through the peritoneum, and penetrate the liver. After migrating through and feeding on the liver, causing extensive tissue damage, the parasites move to their final niche in the bile ducts where they mature and produce eggs. Here we integrated a transcriptomics and proteomics approach to profile Fasciola secretory proteins that are involved in host-pathogen interactions and to correlate changes in their expression with the migration of the parasite. Prediction of F. hepatica secretory proteins from 14,031 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) available from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Centre using the semiautomated EST2Secretome pipeline showed that the major components of adult parasite secretions are proteolytic enzymes including cathepsin L, cathepsin B, and asparaginyl endopeptidase cysteine proteases as well as novel trypsin-like serine proteases and carboxypeptidases. Proteomics analysis of proteins secreted by infective larvae, immature flukes, and adult F. hepatica showed that these proteases are developmentally regulated and correlate with the passage of the parasite through host tissues and its encounters with different host macromolecules. Proteases such as FhCL3 and cathepsin B have specific functions in larvae activation and intestinal wall penetration, whereas FhCL1, FhCL2, and FhCL5 are required for liver penetration and tissue and blood feeding. Besides proteases, the parasites secrete an array of antioxidants that are also highly regulated according to their migration through host tissues. However, whereas the proteases of F. hepatica are secreted into the parasite gut via a classical endoplasmic reticulum/Golgi pathway, we speculate that the antioxidants, which all lack a signal sequence, are released via a non-classical trans-tegumental pathway.

A preliminary survey of the helminth fish parasites in Imo River

A preliminary survey of the helminth fish parasites was carried out in Imo River (Nigeria). A total of 191 fishes belonging to 15 genera were examined and only 13.6% were infested with various species of helminth parasites which is low percentage of infection. The following helminth parasites were recorded. Wenyonia virilis, kainji; Wenyonia sp., Procamallanus laeviconchus; Procamallanus sp., Sprionoura congolense; Spironoura sp., Cucullanus sp. and Serradacnitis serrata. It was found that helminth parasites showed some degree of specificity in their distribution within their fish hosts. This specificity could be as a result of the physiochemical and physiological factors operating in the gut such as pH, osmotic tension, oxygen tension and nutrient levels. The results also revealed that age and sex influence helminth parasites infections in fishes

Helminth fauna of Oreochromis leucostictus (Pisces: Cichlidae) from a tropical lake, Lake Naivasha, Kenya

The helminth fauna of Oreochromis leucosticus (Trewavas) from Lake Naivasha is described. The study was carried out on 1,050 gillnetted fish caught over a period of 24 months at different sites within the lake. Oreochromis leucosticus which is a commercially important fish was observed to be a host of four helminth parasites. These were an acanthocephalan polyacanthorhynchus kenyensis (Schmidt and Canaris), a nematode contracaecum sp.. a trematode clinostomum sp. and a dilepidid cestode Amirthalingamia sp. Seasonal variation in prevalence, intensity of infection, organs infected and the variation in infection with the size, sex and body condition of the host are described. There was no seasonal variation in prevalence but intensity of infection was observed to increase with the age of the fish. Although male fish were observed to be more heavily infected, the parasites did not seem to have any significant effect on the body condition of the fish.