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Korean J Parasitol 2021 Apr 22;59(2):131-138. Epub 2021 Apr 22.

Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, and Institute of Endemic Diseases, Seoul National University Medical Research Center, Seoul 03080, Korea.

Helminth infections are prevalent in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). This study aimed at determining the prevalence and risk factors of intestinal helminthiasis in remote mountainous villages of northern Lao PDR. During the dry season in January 2017, a cross-sectional survey was conducted in 3 remote mountainous villages in Oudomxay province, Lao PDR. Read More

Trop Med Infect Dis 2021 Apr 15;6(2). Epub 2021 Apr 15.

Shoklo Malaria Research Unit, Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit, Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, P.O. Box 46, 68/30 Bann Thung Road, Mae Sot 63100, Thailand.

Intestinal helminth infections are the most prevalent neglected tropical diseases, predominantly affecting rural and marginalised populations. The mainstay of diagnosis is the microscopic examination of faecal samples to detect parasites in the form of eggs, larvae and cysts. In an effort to improve the standard of care, the comparative accuracy in detecting helminth infections of the hitherto used formalin-based concentration method (FC) was compared to a previously developed formalin ethyl-acetate-based concentration technique (FECT), prior to the systematic deployment of the latter at a research and humanitarian unit operating on the Thailand-Myanmar border. Read More

J Helminthol 2021 Mar 26;95:e18. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Comenius Museum, Moravian Ornithological Station, Přerov, Czech Republic.

Adult trematodes of the genus Pygorchis Looss, 1899 (Trematoda: Philophthalmidae) parasitize the cloaca of birds. The genus contains three species, all of which are rarely reported and molecular phylogenetics of which have not been applied. The absence of reference DNA sequences limit studies of their indistinct larval forms. Read More

J Helminthol 2021 Mar 19;95:e16. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA5000, Australia.

The mallard Anas platyrhynchos is the most abundant water bird species in Austria, but there is no record of its helminth community. Therefore, this work aimed to close that gap by recording and analysing the parasite community of a large number of birds from Austria for the first time. A total of 60 specimens shot by hunters in autumn were examined for intestinal parasites. Read More

Animals (Basel) 2021 Feb 19;11(2). Epub 2021 Feb 19.

Clinic for Swine and Small Ruminants, Forensic Medicine and Ambulatory Service, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Bischofsholer Damm 15, 30173 Hannover, Germany.

Grazing sheep and goats are constantly exposed to helminth infections in many parts of the world, including several trematode species that causes a range of clinical diseases. The clinical picture of flukes is dependent upon the organs in which they develop and the tissues they damage within the respective organs. Accordingly, infections with the common liver fluke , which, as juvenile worm migrates through the liver parenchyma for several weeks, may be associated with hepatic disorders such as impairment of carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism, followed by chronic wasting. Read More

JAMA 2021 Apr;325(15):1558-1559

Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.

Parasitology 2021 Feb 17:1-11. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Departmento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, Postal Code 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Amphistome species belonging to the genus Catadiscus are poorly studied intestinal trematodes found primarily in Neotropical anurans. Herein, developmental stages of an amphistome species found during herpetological and malacological surveys in a temporary marsh pond from Brazil were subjected to morphological (light and scanning electron microscopy) and molecular analyses. Adult parasites recovered from anurans were identified as Catadiscus marinholutzi. Read More

Biology (Basel) 2021 Feb 3;10(2). Epub 2021 Feb 3.

Biology Centre, Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 37005 České Budějovice, Czech Republic.

The evolutionary aspects of cystatins are greatly underexplored in early-emerging metazoans. Thus, we surveyed the gene organization, protein architecture, and phylogeny of cystatin homologues mined from 110 genomes and the transcriptomes of 58 basal metazoan species, encompassing free-living and parasite taxa of Porifera, Placozoa, Cnidaria (including Myxozoa), and Ctenophora. We found that the cystatin gene repertoire significantly differs among phyla, with stefins present in most of the investigated lineages but with type 2 cystatins missing in several basal metazoan groups. Read More

J Travel Med 2021 Jan 22. Epub 2021 Jan 22.

Department of Pediatrics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD.

Background: Helminth infections, caused by parasitic worms including nematodes (roundworms), cestodes (tapeworms), and trematodes (flukes), can cause chronic symptoms and serious clinical outcomes if left untreated. The U.S. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Mar 10;120(3):949-962. Epub 2021 Jan 10.

Laboratory of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Center for Fundamental and Applied Research for Animal and Health (FARAH), Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, ULiège, Boulevard de Colonster 20, 4000, Liège, Belgium.

Foodborne zoonotic trematode (FZT) infections are common neglected tropical diseases in Southeast Asia. Their complicated life cycles involve freshwater snails as intermediate hosts. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Yen Bai and Thanh Hoa provinces in North and Central Vietnam, to investigate the diversity of cercariae of potential FZT and to construct the phylogenetic relationship of trematode cercariae based on the Internal Transcribed Spacer 2 (ITS2) region. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2020 Dec 29;58(6):701-707. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Department of Parasitology and Tropical Medicine, and Institute of Health Sciences, Gyeongsang National University College of Medicine, Jinju 52727, Korea.

A survey was performed to investigate the infection status of zoonotic helminth larvae in fish from a local market of North Dagon District in Yangon City, Myanmar. A total of 486 fish in 13 species were collected 8 times from December 2015 to December 2019. All fish were transported under ice to a laboratory in Korea and examined for helminth larvae using artificial digestion method. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2020 Dec 29;58(6):647-652. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Division of Vectors and Parasitic Diseases, Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Cheongju 28159, Korea.

Clonorchis sinensis is the most common fish-borne intestinal parasite in Korea. The aim of the present investigation was to survey the status of C. sinensis infection and analyze associated risk factors in residents of Haman-gun, Gyeongsangnam-do. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2020 Dec 29;58(6):603-608. Epub 2020 Dec 29.

Department of Biomedicine Health Science, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul 06591, Korea.

This study was performed to find out the clusters with high parasite infection risk to discuss the geographical pattern. Clusters were detected using SatScan software, which is a statistical spatial scan program using Kulldorff's scan statistic. Information on the parasitic infection cases in Korea 2011-2019 were collected from the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 12 23;10(1):22373. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

Department of Gastroenterology, Justus Liebig University, Gaffkystr. 11, 35392, Giessen, Germany.

Schistosomiasis (bilharzia) is a neglected tropical disease caused by parasitic flatworms of the genus Schistosoma, with considerable morbidity in parts of the Middle East, South America, Southeast Asia, in sub-Saharan Africa, and particularly also in Europe. The WHO describes an increasing global health burden with more than 290 million people threatened by the disease and a potential to spread into regions with temperate climates like Corsica, France. The aim of our study was to investigate the influence of S. Read More

Acta Trop 2021 Mar 23;215:105800. Epub 2020 Dec 23.

Departamento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Electronic address:

Many antigens for use in antibody-detection systems for schistosomiasis have been investigated over the past 40 years. In particular, soluble egg antigens (SEA) are still widely used in enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for detection of immunoglobulin classes and subclasses. Here, we conducted a literature review to examine accuracy evaluations of SEA-Immunoglobulin G (IgG)-ELISAs performed to detect Schistosoma mansoni infections and published between 1979 and 2019. Read More

J Parasitol 2020 11;106(6):802-808

Laboratory of Bioanthropology, Paleopathology and History of Diseases, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, South Korea.

Metagonimiasis is foodborne intestinal parasitism occurring by the definitive hosts' ingestion of raw or undercooked fish, mostly commonly sweetfish. Most Metagonimus infection is caused by Metagonimus yokogawai but also rarely by Metagonimus takahashii as well as Metagonimus miyatai. Despite recent molecular work on Metagonimus spp. Read More

J Parasitol 2020 11;106(6):755-771

Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences, Texas A&M University, 2258 TAMU, College Station, Texas 77843-2258.

Sea turtles are difficult to sample because of their protected status; however, museum collections and sea turtle stranding networks provide unique opportunities for parasitological research. Four gastrointestinal tracts from stranded, endangered green turtles, Chelonia mydas, were collected between 1993 and 1995 from the upper Texas coast and opportunistically sampled for parasite fauna. Two new species of Telorchis, a common freshwater amphibian and reptilian intestinal parasite genus, were found and described. Read More

Parasite 2020 11;27:71. Epub 2020 Dec 11.

Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Subtropical Biodiversity and Biomonitoring, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory for Healthy and Safe Aquaculture, College of Life Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China.

Parasite biodiversity of fish in coral reefs of the South China Sea is still incompletely explored. We describe here a new species of Neohexostoma (Monogenea: Hexostomatidae) from the gill filaments of the dogtooth tuna Gymnosarda unicolor (Scombridae), collected off Yongshu Reef, South China Sea. Neohexostoma gymnosardae n. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020 12 7;14(12):e0008952. Epub 2020 Dec 7.

Department of Medical Environmental Biology, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

The liver fluke Clonorchis sinensis inhabits the bile ducts, where bile concentration disparities across the fluke cell membrane can cause bile intoxication. Sodium-bile acid co-transporter (SBAT) plays a crucial role in bile acid recycling. The process by which SBAT imports bile acids is electrically coupled to sodium ion co-transportation. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2020 Dec 4;13(1):608. Epub 2020 Dec 4.

Área de Parasitología, Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica y Parasitología, Facultad de Farmacia, Universitat de València, Avda. Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100, Valencia, Spain.

Background: The cytokine interleukin-25 (IL-25) is recognized as the most relevant initiator of protective T helper 2 (Th2) responses in intestinal helminth infections. This cytokine induces resistance against several species of intestinal helminths, including the trematode Echinostoma caproni. E. Read More

PLoS One 2020 3;15(12):e0243224. Epub 2020 Dec 3.

Department of Parasitology and Medical Entomology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

While praziquantel mass drug administration is currently the most widely used method in the control of human schistosomiasis, it does not prevent subsequent reinfection hence persistent transmission. Towards schistosomiasis elimination, understanding the reinfection rate is crucial in planning for the future interventions. However, there is scarcity of information on the global reinfection rate of schistosomiasis. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jan 28;120(1):55-72. Epub 2020 Nov 28.

Departamento de Zoología, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Universidad 3000, Ciudad Universitaria, CP. 04510, Mexico City, Mexico.

Two new genera and four new species from subfamily Forticulcitinae are described from the intestines of white mullet (Mugil curema) and flathead grey mullet (Mugil cephalus) collected in 27 localities across a wide geographical range on Pacific Ocean slopes comprising three countries in Middle America: Mexico, Guatemala and Costa Rica. The new genera Ekuarhuni n. gen. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jan 25;120(1):37-44. Epub 2020 Nov 25.

Laboratório de Ecologia Parasitária (LABEP), Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Regional do Cariri (URCA) - Campus Pimenta, Pimenta, Crato, Ceará, 63105-000, Brazil.

Wallinia caririensis n. sp. is described from the intestine of Astyanax bimaculatus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Characidae) collected in the Batateiras River in the municipality of Crato, Ceará state, Brazil. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jan 10;120(1):347-353. Epub 2020 Nov 10.

Laboratory of Parasitology of Wild Animals, Division of Parasitology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), São Paulo, Botucatu, Brazil.

We report for the first time the infection of dolphins with Ascocotyle longa found in the intestines of three different species, Sotalia guianensis, Steno bredanensis, and Tursiops truncatus gephyreus, which were found washed ashore along the southeastern and southern Brazilian coast. The worms were identified based on morphological and molecular data using the 28S rDNA gene and the COI gene. Specimens of A. Read More

Parasitol Res 2021 Jan 31;120(1):355-358. Epub 2020 Oct 31.

Grammar School of Leonard Stöckel in Bardejov, Jiráskova 12, 085 70, Bardejov, Slovak Republic.

European beaver (Castor fiber L. 1758) is the biggest rodent living in Europe. It is a semi-aquatic animal known for building dams and burrows. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2020 Oct 30;13(10). Epub 2020 Oct 30.

Colorectal Surgery, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Preston, UK.

A 62-year-old Asian man presented with a 3-month history of right iliac fossa pain which had progressively worsened over the last 3 weeks. All blood parameters were found to be unremarkable except for mildly elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. CT imaging demonstrated thickening of the ascending colon and caecum. Read More

Braz J Biol 2021 Oct-Dec;81(4):989-998. Epub 2021 Nov 30.

Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz-Fiocruz, Laboratório de Tripanosomatídeos - LABTRIP, Rio de Janeiro, RJ., Brasil.

This checklist of parasites of Kerodon rupestris, an endemic rodent from the Brazilian semiarid region, revealed records of 25 enteroparasite taxa comprising Cestoda (Anoplocephalidae), Trematoda, Acanthocephala and Nematoda (Ancylostomidae, Ascarididae, Heterakidae, Oxyuridae, Pharyngodonidae, Trichuridae, Capillariidae, Trichostrongylidae, and Strongyloididae), and two taxa of coccidian. Paleoparasitological and parasitological studies published until 2019 were assessed in the present study and locality information, site of infection, sample dating, and host data were summarized from each reference. Analyses of recent feces and coprolites revealed the highest species richness in the Piauí State. Read More

Parasitology 2021 Mar 26;148(3):366-383. Epub 2020 Oct 26.

Animal Systematics and Ecology Speciality Research Unit, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Kasetsart University, Bang Khen Campus, Bangkok, 10900, Thailand.

We investigated the prevalence, morphological characters and molecular classifications of trematode cercariae in freshwater snails randomly collected from 59 sampling localities in Bangkok from May 2018 to March 2019. We used a crushing technique to observe the cercarial stage inside each snail body and amplified the internal transcribed spacer 2 regions of cercarial DNA using polymerase chain reaction methodology. The associated phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using Bayesian inference analyses. Read More

PLoS One 2020 22;15(10):e0240582. Epub 2020 Oct 22.

Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Background: Several factors including socio-economic and access to health facility influence burden of intestinal parasites. Epidemiological data from hard to reach areas will help to identify high-risk communities for targeted intervention. We, therefore, assessed the magnitude of intestinal parasites among Zay people residing in three islands of Lake Ziway in Ethiopia. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2020 Dec 17;219:108030. Epub 2020 Oct 17.

Department of Laboratory Animal Science, Xiangya Medical College, Central South University, Changsha, China; Hunan Key Laboratory of Animal Models for Human Diseases, Changsha, China. Electronic address:

The gut microbiota has been demonstrated to associate with protection against helminth infection and mediate via microbial effects on the host humoral immunity. As a non-permissive host of Schistosoma japonicum, the Microtus fortis provides an ideal animal model to be investigated, because of its natural self-healing capability. Although researches on the systemic immunological responses have revealed that the host immune system contributes a lot to the resistance, the role of gut microbiome remains unclear. Read More