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Iran J Parasitol 2020 Jan-Mar;15(1):124-129

Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, College of Medicine and Health Science, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.

Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis is a disease caused by infection with one of the blood flukes called infection is high in Sub-Saharan Africa due to water source, sanitation and hygiene problems. This study aimed to determine the effect of water source, sanitation and hygiene on the prevalence of schistosomiasis among school-age children in Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from Apr 2016 to Aug 2016. Read More

Folia Parasitol (Praha) 2020 May 15;67. Epub 2020 May 15.

Auburn University, School of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences and Aquatic Parasitology Laboratory, Auburn, Alabama, USA.

Ruavermis mikebargeri gen. et sp. n. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 Apr 22;20(1):301. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Department of Parasitology, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, L3 5QA, UK.

Background: In Ghana, pre-school-aged children (PSAC) are at risk of intestinal schistosomiasis and are living in need of praziquantel treatment. To better assess the infection burden within this vulnerable demographic group, we have provided a comparative assessment of the prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni in pre-school-aged children by urine circulating cathodic antigen (CCA) dipsticks, real-time PCR Taqman® faecal assays and Kato-Katz coproscopy.

Methods: In all, 190 pre-school-aged children were sampled from three endemic communities (viz. Read More

JGH Open 2020 Apr 22;4(2):284-286. Epub 2019 Apr 22.

Department of Gastroenterology, Women and Gastro Center Darbhanga India.

is the largest fluke parasitizing the human small intestine. infections are not uncommon in Southeast Asia. The risk factors of infection mainly include eating of raw aquatic crops and infected snails. Read More

J Vet Res 2020 Mar 24;64(1):103-110. Epub 2020 Mar 24.

Department of Food Hygiene and Public Health Protection, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland.

Introduction: Common parasites of the European bison include gastro-intestinal and pulmonary nematodes, liver flukes (), tapeworms, and protozoa of the genus . This study compared the extensiveness and intensities of European bison parasitic invasions in three north-eastern Polish forests in different seasons and queried the role of parasitological monitoring in sanitary and hygienic control of feeding places.

Material And Methods: Faecal samples were collected in the Białowieża, Knyszyńska, and Borecka Forests between 2014 and 2016, as were some from an area neighbouring the Białowieża Forest outside the Natura 2000 protected area. Read More

Parasitol Res 2020 May 31;119(5):1707-1712. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland.

Infection with blood flukes of the genus Schistosoma causes considerable human and animal morbidity, mortality and economic loss to the livestock industry. Current diagnostic tools have limitations. In this study, we compared the sedimentation and filtration methods for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis in livestock. Read More

Zhongguo Xue Xi Chong Bing Fang Zhi Za Zhi 2019 Nov;32(1):73-77

School of Medical Technology, Qiqihar Medical University, Qiqihar 161006, China.

Objective: To understand the distribution of nerve fibers and the types of neural cells in .

Methods: Whole worms were subjected to silver staining, histochemical staining and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the nervous systems of the worms were observed.

Results: There were 3 types of neural cells in the worm head near the cerebral ganglion, including unipolar, bipolar and multipolar neurons, which were divided into 7 types according to the morphology. Read More

Parasite 2020 13;27:15. Epub 2020 Mar 13.

Université de Rennes, CNRS, ECOBIO (Ecosystèmes, biodiversité, Évolution) - UMR 6553, 35000 Rennes, France - INRAE, Université Côte d'Azur, CNRS, ISA (Institut Sophia Agrobiotech), 06903 Sophia-Antipolis, France.

The edible land snail Cornu aspersum, native to the Mediterranean coastlines of North Africa, is widely distributed on most continents and often invasive in areas where introduction is recent. This species could contribute to the geographic spread of parasites as demonstrated for Brachylaima spp. These cosmopolitan trematodes may represent a threat to human health, like in Australia where Brachylaima cribbi infects humans. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2020 Feb 29;58(1):81-86. Epub 2020 Feb 29.

Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul 03080, Korea.

Trematode specimens were collected from the intestine of a herring gull, Larus argentatus, which was found in a critical condition on the shore of a small island (Yubu-do, Seocheon-gun, Chungcheongnam-do) located at the western coast of the Korean peninsula. Total 11 specimens of intestinal flukes, including 3 Cryptocotyle lingua (Heterophyidae), 1 Himasthla alincia (Echinostomatidae), 5 Cardiocephaloides medioconiger (Strigeidae), and 2 Diplostomum spathaceum (Diplostomidae), were recovered. C. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2020 Feb 29;58(1):67-72. Epub 2020 Feb 29.

Department of Parasitology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea.

Human infection with Echinostoma aegyptica Khalil and Abaza, 1924 (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) is extremely rare. In this study, we confirmed E. aegyptica infection in 5 riparian residents living along the Mekong River in Savannakhet Province, Lao PDR. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020 02 21;14(2):e0007875. Epub 2020 Feb 21.

Department of Clinical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium.

Background: Clinical observations and animal studies have suggested that Salmonella intestinal carriage is promoted by concurrent Schistosoma infection. The present study assessed association of Salmonella intestinal carriage and Schistosoma mansoni infection among individuals in a Schistosoma endemic area in sub-Saharan Africa.

Methods: From November 2015 to March 2016, a cross-sectional community-wide study was conducted in Kifua II, a rural village in Kongo Central Province, Democratic Republic of Congo. Read More

Pathog Glob Health 2020 Mar 14;114(2):91-98. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.

Fish-borne liver and intestinal flukes are helminth pathogens that have a negative impact on public health worldwide. We herein investigated the status of infection by the metacercariae (MC) of fish-borne trematodes (FBTs) in randomly selected freshwater wild fishes. Five species of fishes were collected and digested artificially using digestion fluid to recover MC. Read More

PLoS One 2020 29;15(1):e0228184. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Key Laboratory of Animal Parasitology, Ministry of Agriculture of China, Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Min hang District, Shanghai, China.

Background: The existing diagnostic techniques for detecting schistosomiasis turkestanica, such as aetiological assays, identify infection by parasitic worms via the incubation of miracidia from faeces or observing eggs under microscopy. However, they are limited in the diagnosis of low-grade and prepatent infections, which lead to a high misdetection rates. Therefore, a new method for parasite diagnosis with increased sensitivity is urgently needed. Read More

Vet Parasitol 2020 Feb 15;278:109028. Epub 2020 Jan 15.

Institute of Natural Resources and Agrobiology (IRNASA, CSIC), Sustainable Development Department, C/Cordel de Merinas, 52, 37008, Salamanca, Spain.

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis, a parasitic zoonosis of global distribution causing significant economic losses in animal production and a human public health problem in low-income countries. Hosts are infected by ingestion of aquatic plants carrying metacercariae. Once ingested, the juvenile parasites excyst in the small intestine and, after crossing it, they follow a complex migratory route that lead the parasites to their definitive location in the bile ducts. Read More

J Helminthol 2020 Jan 22;94:e122. Epub 2020 Jan 22.

Laboratório de Helmintologia Romero Lascasas Porto, Departamento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Centro Biomédico, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Av. Prof. Manoel de Abreu 444/5° andar, Vila Isabel, 20511-070, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Eurytrema coelomaticum is a digenean flatworm of ruminants that is the causative agent of eurytrematosis, a disease of veterinary health concern. Although modern techniques of morphological analysis have provided new insights about the morphology and anatomy of parasitic helminths, most studies on E. coelomaticum adults are based on conventional light microscopy. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2019 Dec 31;57(6):705-708. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07649, Korea.

Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae) is a human intestinal trematode contracted by eating raw oysters (Crassostrea gigas) in the Republic of Korea (=Korea). It has been known to be highly endemic in Aphae Island, Shinan-gun, Jeollanam-do (Province). However, recent epidemiological status of G. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2019 Dec 31;57(6):671-680. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

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

Cathepsin D (CatD, EC 3.4.23. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2019 Dec 31;57(6):647-656. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Department of Parasitology, Parasite Research Center and Parasite Resource Bank, School of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea.

Isthmiophora hortensis (Digenea: Echinostomatidae) is a dominant echinostome in animal reservoir hosts and humans in the Republic of Korea (Korea). We intended to investigate the infection status with this echinostome species in the several species of wild animals and describe the morphological characteristics in the faunistic view point. A total of 175 animal carcasses belonging to 3 families, i. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2019 Dec 31;57(6):601-605. Epub 2019 Dec 31.

Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, The Henry Wellcome Building, Fitzwilliam Street, Cambridge, CB2 1 QH, UK.

As we learn more about parasites in ancient civilizations, data becomes available that can be used to see how infection may change over time. The aim of this study is to assess how common certain intestinal parasites were in China and Korea in the past 2000 years, and make comparisons with prevalence data from the 20th century. This allows us to go on to investigate how and why changes in parasite prevalence may have occurred at different times. Read More

World J Clin Cases 2019 Dec;7(24):4292-4298

Department of Surgery, Seoul Metropolitan Government Seoul National University Boramae Medical Center, Seoul 156707, South Korea.

Background: Paragonimiasis is a food-borne parasitic infection caused by lung flukes of the genus . Although the most common site of infection is the pleuropulmonary area, the parasite can also reach other parts of the body on its journey from the intestines to the lungs, ending up in locations such as the brain, abdomen, skin, and subcutaneous tissues. Ectopic paragonimiasis is difficult to diagnose due to the rarity of this disease. Read More

Mol Biol Evol 2020 01;37(1):304

MBE Press Office.

PLoS One 2019 26;14(12):e0226762. Epub 2019 Dec 26.

Research and Diagnostic Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, Mekong Health Science Research Institute, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand.

Opisthorchis viverrini, a human liver fluke, is highly prevalent in Southeast Asia. Definitive diagnosis of infection is usually achieved parasitologically through the discovery of fluke eggs in feces. However, the eggs of O. Read More

Parasitol Int 2020 Jun 3;76:102033. Epub 2019 Dec 3.

Charles University, Third Faculty of Medicine, Prague, Czech Republic.

Adult trematodes of the genera Conodiplostomum Dubois, 1937 and Neodiplostomum Railliet, 1919 (Trematoda: Diplostomidae) parasitize the intestines of birds of prey, owls and, rarely, passeriform birds. Although the family is taxonomically unsettled, molecular phylogenetics have not been applied to analyze Conodiplostomum and Neodiplostomum and the reference DNA sequences from adult Diplostomidae are scarce and limit studies of their indistinct larval forms. We analyze the Conodiplostomum and Neodiplostomum spp. Read More

BMC Vet Res 2019 Dec 5;15(1):442. Epub 2019 Dec 5.

Department of Biometry, Epidemiology and Information Processing, WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training for Health at the Human-Animal-Environment Interface, and Clinic for Cattle, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.

Background: In the past years, it became apparent that health status and performance differ considerably within dairy farms in Northern Germany. In order to obtain clues with respect to possible causes of these differences, a case-control study was performed. Case farms, which showed signs of health and performance problems, and control farms, which had none of these signs, were compared. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2020 Feb 1;209:107810. Epub 2019 Dec 1.

Section of Parasitology, Department of Zoology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh, India.

Fasciolosis is a neglected tropical disease caused by the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica. The absence of successful vaccine and emerging resistance in flukes against the drug of choice, triclabendazole, has necessitated the search for alternatives including phyto-therapeutic approaches. Curcumin and thymoquinone, the active ingredients of Curcuma longa and Nigella sativa plants respectively, were first screened for their binding affinity with Glutathione-S-transferase (GST) molecule through in silico molecular docking followed by in vitro treatment of worms with varying concentrations of the test compounds. Read More

PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2019 12 2;13(12):e0007490. Epub 2019 Dec 2.

Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Schistosoma mansoni threatens hundreds of millions of people in >50 countries. Schistosomulae migrate through the lung and adult worms reside in blood vessels adjacent to the intestinal mucosa. Current candidate vaccines aren't designed to elicit a mucosal response. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2019 Nov 27;12(1):565. Epub 2019 Nov 27.

Department of Animal Ecology and Systematics, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany.

Background: Human schistosomiasis is the second most important tropical disease and occurs in two forms in Africa (intestinal and urogenital) caused by the digenetic trematodes Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium, respectively. A proposed recent shift of schistosomiasis above a previously established altitudinal threshold of 1400 m above sea level in western Ugandan crater lakes has triggered more research interest there.

Methods: Based on extensive field sampling in western Uganda and beyond and employing an approach using sequences of the mitochondrial barcoding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) this study aims were: (i) identification and establishment of the phylogenetic affinities of Bulinus species as potential hosts for Schistosoma spp. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2020 Jan 18;208:107807. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, viale Regina Elena 299, 00161, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Foodborne parasites, most of which are zoonotic, represent an important human health hazard. These pathogens which include both protozoa (e.g. Read More

J Vet Diagn Invest 2020 Mar 18;32(2):192-202. Epub 2019 Nov 18.

California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California-Davis, San Bernardino, CA (Navarro, Uzal).

Clostridia can cause hepatic damage in domestic livestock, and wild and laboratory animals. type B causes infectious necrotic hepatitis (INH) in sheep and less frequently in other species. Spores of type B can be present in soil; after ingestion, they reach the liver via portal circulation where they persist in phagocytic cells. Read More

Parasitol Res 2019 Dec 12;118(12):3377-3386. Epub 2019 Nov 12.

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

Antibody trapping is a recently described strategy for immune evasion observed in the intestinal trematode Echinostoma caproni, which may aid to avoiding the host humoral response, thus facilitating parasite survival in the presence of high levels of local-specific antibodies. Parasite-derived peptidases carry out the degradation of trapped antibodies, being essential for this mechanism. Herein, we show that cathepsin-like cysteine endopeptidases are active in the excretory/secretory products (ESPs) of E. Read More

Exp Parasitol 2020 Jan 8;208:107793. Epub 2019 Nov 8.

Institute of Infection, Immunity and Inflammation, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Praziquantel (PZQ) is the sole drug used to treat schistosomiasis, and the probability of developing resistance is growing the longer it is relied upon, justifying the search for alternatives. Phosphodiesterases (PDEs), particularly the PDE4 family, have attracted considerable attention as drug targets, including in Schistosoma mansoni, and especially SmPDE4A. This study investigates the potential antischistosomal activity of human PDE4 and potent SmPDE4A inhibitor roflumilast, either alone or combined with PZQ. Read More

Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020 01;102(1):106-109

Aix Marseille University, IRD, AP-HM, Microbes, Evolution, Phylogénie et Infection (MEPHI), IHU-Méditerranée Infection, Marseille, France.

We report a case of liver abscesses in a 67-year-old female returning from a trip to Vietnam. She has been suffering from a fever, right abdominal pain for 4 days, and major eosinophilia. Radiologic investigations showed multiple hypodense confluent abscesses in the right lobe of the liver, complicated by occlusive thrombosis of the right branch of the portal vein. Read More

Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2019 Oct-Dec;28(4):677-684

Laboratório de Sanidade Animal - LSA, Centro de Ciências Tecnológicas e Agropecuárias - CCTA, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro - UENF, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brasil.

Clarias gariepinus is a fish from North of South Africa and was later introduced in several countries, including Brazil. The present study aimed to describe the first report of Diplostomidae metacercariae in C. gariepinus in Brazil. Read More

Acta Trop 2020 Jan 7;201:105210. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Korea Association of Health Promotion, Seoul 07649, Republic of Korea.

Foodborne intestinal flukes are highly diverse consisting of at least 74 species with a diverse global distribution. Taxonomically they include 28 species of heterophyids, 23 species of echinostomes, and 23 species of miscellaneous groups (amphistomes, brachylaimids, cyathocotylids, diplostomes, fasciolids, gymnophallids, isoparorchiids, lecithodendriid-like group, microphallids, nanophyetids, plagiorchiids, and strigeids). The important heterophyid species (15 species) include Metagonimus yokogawai, M. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2019 Oct 7;19(1):832. Epub 2019 Oct 7.

School of Medicine, Department of Medical Parasitology, P.O. Box 1464, Mwanza, Tanzania.

Background: Intestinal schistosomiasis is highly endemic in Tanzania and mass drug administration (MDA) using praziquantel is the mainstay of the control program. However, the MDA program covers only school aged children and does not include neither adult individuals nor other public health measures. The Ijinga schistosomiasis project examines the impact of an intensified treatment protocol with praziquantel MDA in combination with additional public health interventions. Read More

J Parasitol 2019 10;105(5):704-717

Department of Biology, University of North Dakota, Starcher Hall, 10 Cornell Street Stop 9019, Grand Forks, North Dakota 58202.

Yamaguti, 1934, is a genus of diplostomoidean digeneans that parasitizes kingfishers worldwide. Species have a -type metacercaria that encysts in or on fish intermediate hosts, often causing black spot disease. Only 3 prior studies published DNA sequence data for species with only 1 including a single named species ( López-Jiménez, Pérez-Ponce de León, & García-Varela, 2018). Read More

Ann Parasitol 2019 ;65(3):217-223

Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, Al Baha University, Al Baha, Saudi Arabia

The majority of the population in Yemen lives in rural areas and suffers from parasitic infections. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal parasitoses and schistosome infections among the students enrolled in the primary schools in Hajjah governorate – north of Yemen, along with an assessment of praziquantel (PZQ) in the treatment of microscopy-confirmed cases of Schistosoma mansoni and Schistosoma haematobium. For this purpose, 780 samples (320 stool and 460 urine) were examined microscopically. Read More

Dokl Biol Sci 2019 Jul 30;487(1):101-104. Epub 2019 Sep 30.

Murmansk Marine Biological Institute, Kola Scientific Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, Murmansk, Russia.

In this ecological and physiological study of the common eider (Somateria mollissima) nesting on the coast of Eastern Murman, the species composition of the bird helminth fauna, as well as the infection quantitative parameters, were determined. The common eider small intestine proved to be infected with trematodes of the genus Microphallus; three species of cestodes, namely, Lateriporus teres (Cestoda: Dilepididae), Fimbriarioides intermedia (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae), and Microsomacanthus diorchis (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae); and one species of acanthocephalan, Polymorphus phippsi (Palaeacanthocephala: Polymorphidae). At the sites of F. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Dec 19;200:105186. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430071, China. Electronic address:

The small blood flukes of genus Schistosoma, which cause one of the most prevalent and serious parasitic zoonosis schistosomiasis, are dependent on immune-related factors of their mammalian host to facilitate their growth and development, and the formation of granulomatous pathology caused by eggs deposited in host's liver and intestinal wall. Schistosome development is hampered in the mice lacking just T cells, and is even more heavily retarded in the severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice lacking both T and B lymphocytes. Nevertheless, it's still not clear about the underlying regulatory molecular mechanisms of schistosome growth and development by host's immune system. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Dec 19;200:105181. Epub 2019 Sep 19.

National Institute of Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Key Laboratory of Parasite and Vector Biology, MOH, National Center for International Research on Tropical Diseases, WHO Collaborating Centre for Tropical Diseases, Shanghai 200025, People's Republic of China.

China was once a country plagued by parasitic diseases. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, nearly 80% of the population suffered from parasitic diseases because of poverty and poor sanitary conditions. After nearly 70 years of development, China has made remarkable achievements in the prevention and control of parasitic diseases, and the prevalence of parasitic diseases has been greatly reduced. Read More

Korean J Parasitol 2019 Aug 31;57(4):451-456. Epub 2019 Aug 31.

Department of Parasitology, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Korea.

Adult specimens of Echinochasmus caninus n. comb. (Verma, 1935) (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) (syn. Read More

Rev Bras Parasitol Vet 2019 Sep 16;28(3):432-442. Epub 2019 Sep 16.

Laboratorio de Parásitos y Enfermedades de Fauna Silvestre, Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, Chillán, Chile.

A total of thirty Austral thrushes Turdus falcklandii Quoy & Gaimard, 1824 (Turdidae) carcasses were brought to the Departamento de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepción, to be examined for ecto- and endoparasites. Ectoparasites were found on 20% (6/30) of the thrushes and belonged to species Brueelia magellanica Cichino, 1986 (Phthiraptera), Menacanthus eurysternus Burmeister, 1838 (Phthiraptera) and Tyrannidectes falcklandicus Mironov & González-Acuña, 2011 (Acari). Endoparasites were isolated from 26. Read More

Infect Dis (Lond) 2019 Nov - Dec;51(11-12):785-792. Epub 2019 Sep 11.

Department of Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Jahrom University of Medical Sciences , Jahrom , Iran.

Fascioliasis is a tropical zoonotic disease caused by the parasite. The adult parasite usually resides in the liver and biliary ducts; however, several cases of ectopic fascioliasis (EF) have been reported. This study is a highlight on EF according to the confirmed case reports. Read More

Mol Biol Evol 2020 Jan;37(1):84-99

McDonnell Genome Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO.

Liver and intestinal flukes of the family Fasciolidae cause zoonotic food-borne infections that impact both agriculture and human health throughout the world. Their evolutionary history and the genetic basis underlying their phenotypic and ecological diversity are not well understood. To close that knowledge gap, we compared the whole genomes of Fasciola hepatica, Fasciola gigantica, and Fasciolopsis buski and determined that the split between Fasciolopsis and Fasciola took place ∼90 Ma in the late Cretaceous period, and that between 65 and 50 Ma an intermediate host switch and a shift from intestinal to hepatic habitats occurred in the Fasciola lineage. Read More

J Helminthol 2019 Sep 10;94:e84. Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

In many tropical areas schistosomiasis is a major health problem causing hepatosplenic, intestinal or urogenital complaints. Hepatosplenic schistosomiasis mansoni is also characterized by blood coagulation abnormalities. Liver pathology plays a role in the development of haemostatic changes and the parasitic infection may directly affect coagulation. Read More

J Helminthol 2019 Sep 10;94:e86. Epub 2019 Sep 10.

Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin, New Zealand.

Trematodes of the genus Galactosomum are cosmopolitan parasites that infect the intestines of fish-eating birds and mammals. Adults of named Galactosomum species have not been recorded from bird hosts in New Zealand, despite their cercarial stage being known from various studies of the first intermediate host, Zeacumantus subcarinatus. Here we describe a new species of Galactosomum infecting four different piscivorous birds in New Zealand: Caspian terns, red-billed and black-backed gulls and little blue penguins. Read More

Parasit Vectors 2019 Sep 5;12(1):429. Epub 2019 Sep 5.

Department of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Daehak-ro, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.

Background: The World Health Assembly endorsed the WHO Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) Roadmap in 2013, in which NTDs were suggested as tracers of equity in the assessment of progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Nationwide surveys were undertaken in all 18 states of Sudan to identify the geographical distribution and to estimate the prevalence and intensity of schistosomiasis and other intestinal helminthiases from December 2016 to March 2017.

Methods: We used two-stage random sampling. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2019 30;2019:8581379. Epub 2019 Jul 30.

Department of Parasitology, Vietnam Military Medical University, 160 Phung Hung, Ha Dong, Ha Noi, Vietnam.

and minute intestinal flukes (MIF) such as are fish-borne trematodes (FBT) that may coexist in regions where local people have a habit of eating raw fish like Vietnam. Responses to FBT should be verified according to the data on the distribution of these flukes. This study aims to explore the prevalence of different species of FBT and related factors among local people in a northern province of Vietnam. Read More

Acta Trop 2019 Nov 16;199:105150. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Department of Parasitology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA Leiden, the Netherlands. Electronic address:

The point-of-care strip assay for the detection of the schistosome Circulating Cathodic Antigen (POC-CCA) in urine has shown to be a user-friendly and sensitive alternative to stool microscopy for the diagnosis of Schistosoma mansoni infections. However, visual scoring of the test is by definition observer dependent and leads to discussion about the qualitative interpretation, in particular in low intensity infections when test lines tend to be weak. In order to standardise visual scoring, an innovative approach for semi-quantitative interpretation of the POC-CCA cassettes, called G-scores, was developed and evaluated. Read More

Parasitol Res 2019 Oct 16;118(10):3091-3097. Epub 2019 Aug 16.

Hunan Provincial Key Laboratory of Protein Engineering in Animal Vaccines, College of Veterinary Medicine, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha, 410128, Hunan Province, China.

Echinostomes are important intestinal foodborne parasites. Despite their significance as pathogens, characterization of the molecular biology and phylogenetics of these parasites are limited. In the present study, we determined the entire mitochondrial (mt) genome of the echinostome Echinostoma miyagawai (Hunan isolate) and examined the phylogenetic relationship with selected members of the suborder Echinostomata. Read More