Journal highlights
  • Journal made by "PARASITOLOGISTS for PARASITOLOGISTS"
  • IN-HOUSE production with careful revision & proof-reading
  • Increase of APC from January 1, 2025
  • Current ISI Impact Factor: IF 2025 = 2.0
  • Current volume: 73: 2026
  • Special Issue: Three Decades of Latent Toxoplasmosis
  • Published since 1954 – freely available!

International journal that covers all branches of animal parasitology, including morphology, taxonomy, biology, biochemistry, physiology, immunology and molecular biology of parasites, host-parasite relationships and parasite evolution.

Special Issue: Three Decades of Latent Toxoplasmosis

Flegr J., Ullmann J., Španiel F., Toman J., Hůla M., Šebánková B., Petrusová J., Novotný P., Včelák J., Kaňková Š. 2026: Does latent Toxoplasma infection mimic the immune profile of schizophrenia? Sex-specific cytokine and brain-marker alterations suggest partial overlap. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 73: 006

Postolache T.T. 2025: Toxoplasma gondii and suicidal behaviour: discovery, cross-diagnostic confirmation and pathway exploration. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 025.

Ullmann J., Flegr J., Nouzová K., Včelák J., Kaňková Š. 2025: Chronic inflammation in pregnant women with latent toxoplasmosis and explanation of discordant results of serological tests for toxoplasmosis. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 021.

Flegr J. 2025: Thirty years of studying latent toxoplasmosis: behavioural, physiological, and health insights: description of a struggle. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 005.

Webster J.P. 2025: Who makes the decisions? Uncovering the evolutionary implications and clinical applications of Toxoplasma gondii’s Fatal Feline Attraction. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 016

Tautanova A., Kiyan V., Dusmagambetov M., Almysheva T.A., Dusmagambetova A. 2026: Three decades of research on molecular genetic characteristics of Echinococcus spp.: a bibliometric study. Folia Parasitol. 73: 001.

Catchpole A., Zabriskie B.N., Embley B., Kharazi H., Clarke R., Templeton G., Hunt C., Gale S.D., Hedges D.W. 2025: Association between type-2 diabetes and Toxoplasma gondii seropositivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 024.

Torrey E.F. 2024: The linking of toxoplasmosis and schizophrenia. Folia Parasitol. 71: 016.

Vyas A. 2024: Nuts and bolts of the behavioural manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 71: 017.

Latifi A., Flegr J., Kaňková Š. 2025: Re-assessing host manipulation in Toxoplasma: the underexplored role of sexual transmission – evidence, mechanisms, implications. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 015.

Postolache T.T., Duncan E., Yen P., Potocki E., Barnhart M., Federline A., Massa N., Dagdag A., Joseph J., Wadhawan A., Capan C., Forton C., Lowry C.A., Ortmeyer H.K., Brenner L.A. 2025: Toxoplasma gondii, suicidal behavior and suicide risk factors in US Veterans enrolled in mental health treatment. Special Issue on Toxoplasmosis. Folia Parasitol. 72: 002.


Folia Parasitologica - Most viewed articles

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Cryptosporidium meleagridis and C. baileyi (Apicomplexa) in domestic and wild birds in Algeria

Abd Elkarim Laatamna, Nikola Holubová, Bohumil Sak, Martin Kváč

Folia Parasitologica 64:018 (2017) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2017.018  

A total of 345 faecal samples were collected from domestic, captive and wild birds in rural areas, urban areas and a Zoo in Algeria. Samples were screened for the presence of parasites belonging to the genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 by microscopy and PCR analysis of the small-subunit rRNA (SSU), actin and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes. Cryptosporidium spp. were detected in 31 samples. Sequence analysis of SSU and actin genes revealed the presence of C. baileyi Current, Upton et Haynes, 1986 in domestic chicken broilers (n = 12), captive ostriches (n = 4) and a wild mallard (n = 1), and C. meleagridis Slavin, 1955...

Musculoskeletal and nervous systems of the attachment organ in three species of Diplectanum (Monogenea: Dactylogyroidea)

Anatoly A. Petrov, Evgenija V. Dmitrieva, Maryana P. Popyuk, Pavel I. Gerasev, Sergey A. Petrov

Folia Parasitologica 64:022 (2017) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2017.022  

The taxonomy of Diplectanum Diesing, 1858, a genus of monopisthocotylean monogeneans, remains unsettled and needs to be revised based on new morphological criteria. Recent studies in monopisthocotyleans have shown that the muscle arrangement in the posterior attachment organ (haptor) differs between congeneric species and can be used as an additional criterion in genus-level taxonomy. To explore the possibility of using the haptoral musculature and nervous system in the taxonomy of Diplectanum, we conducted a detailed confocal-microscopy study of three species of Diplectanum (D. aculeatum Parona et Perugia, 1889, D. sciaenae...

Myxobolus pseudowulii sp. n. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea), a new skin parasite of yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco (Richardson) and redescription of Myxobolus voremkhai (Akhmerov, 1960)

Bo Zhang, Yanhua Zhai, Yang Liu, Zemao Gu

Folia Parasitologica 64:030 (2017) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2017.030  

Two species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 were found in yellow catfish Tachysurus fulvidraco (Richardson). A species of Myxobolus infecting the gills was morphologically identified as Myxobolus voremkhai (Akhmerov, 1960) and it was characterised here with additional morphological and molecular data. The other species of Myxobolus infecting the host's skin did not conform to any known myxosporean species. It is characterised by the presence of round, black or milky white plasmodia with black spots. Myxospores are pyriform in frontal view and lemon-shaped in lateral view, measuring 12.9-16.2 μm (14.6 ± 0.7 μm)...

Some nematodes from freshwater fishes in central Africa

František Moravec, Miloslav Jirků

Folia Parasitologica 64:033 (2017) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2017.033  

Twenty species (sixteen adult and four larval) of parasitic nematodes belonging to the Ascaridoidea, Camallanoidea, Cosmocercoidea, Dioctophymatoidea, Habronematoidea, Oxyuroidea, Seuratoidea, and Thelazioidea were collected from freshwater fishes of the Congo River basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Central African Republic in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Based on light and scanning electron microscopical examination, many species are redescribed in detail. This material also contained four previously unknown species, Labeonema longispiculatum sp. n. from Synodontis acanthomias Boulenger, Gendria longispiculata...

Horizontal transmission of the ectoparasite Gyrodactylus arcuatus (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) to the next generation of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus

Jaakko Lumme, Marek S. Ziętara

Folia Parasitologica 65:006 (2018) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2018.006  

In the parthenogenetic monogeneans of the genus Gyrodactylus Nordmann, 1832, the genetic diversity within or between hosts is determined by the relative roles of lateral transmission and clonal propagation. Clonality and limited transmission lead to high-amplitude metapopulation dynamics and strong genetic drift. In Baltic populations of the three-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus Linnaeus, the local mitochondrial diversity of Gyrodactylus arcuatus Bychowsky, 1933 is very high, and spatial differentiation weak. To understand the transmission dynamics in a single location, the transmission of the parasite from adults to...

Haemogregarine (Apicomplexa: Adeleorina) infection in Vanderhaege's toad-headed turtle, Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Chelidae), from a Brazilian Neotropical savanna region

Vinícius C. Goes, Elizângela S. Brito, Rafael M. Valadão, Camila O. Gutierrez, Amanda M. Picelli, Lúcio A. Viana

Folia Parasitologica 65:012 (2018) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2018.012  

Knowledge of blood parasites in Brazilian chelonians is limited, since they have been recorded in only six species. Mesoclemmys vanderhaegei (Bour) is a freshwater turtle with a wide geographic distribution in Brazil, but there is little information about its natural history. This paper reports on a study of the prevalence and infection intensity of a haemogregarine in two subpopulations of M. vanderhaegei. The study was conducted in two areas of Cerrado in the Upper Paraguay River basin in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil, between November 2010 and August 2013. Ninety-five (53%) of the 179 turtles captured were positive for haemogregarine...

Two new species of Stillabothrium (Cestoda: Rhinebothriidea) from stingrays of the genus Fontitrygon from Senegal

Elsie A. Dedrick, Florian B. Reyda, Elise K. Iwanyckyj, Timothy R. Ruhnke

Folia Parasitologica 65:014 (2018) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2018.014  

Morphological and molecular analyses of cestode specimens collected during survey work of batoid elasmobranchs and their parasites in Senegal revealed two new species of the rhinebothriidean cestode genus Stillabothrium Healy et Reyda 2016. Stillabothrium allisonae Dedrick et Reyda sp. n. and Stillabothrium charlotteae Iwanyckyj, Dedrick et Reyda sp. n. are both described from Fontitrygon margaritella (Compagno et Roberts) and Fontitrygon margarita (Günther). Both new cestode species overlap in geographic distribution, host use and proglottid morphology, but are distinguished from each other, and from the other seven...

K13 propeller domain mutations and pfmdr1 amplification in isolates of Plasmodium falciparum collected from Thai-Myanmar border area in 2006–2010

Papichaya Phompradit, Wanna Chaijaroenkul, Phunuch Muhamad, Kesara Na-Bangchang

Folia Parasitologica 66:006 (2019) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2019.006  

The K13 propeller domain mutation and pfmdr1 amplification have been proposed as useful molecular markers for detection and monitoring of artemisinin resistant Plasmodium falciparum Welch, 1897. Genomic DNA isolates of P. falciparum was extracted from 235 dried blood spot or whole blood samples collected from patients with uncomplicated falciparum malaria residing in areas along the Thai-Myanmar border during 2006-2010. Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing were performed to detect mutations in K13 propeller domain of P. falciparum at codon 427-709....

New records of philometrids (Nematoda: Philometridae) from marine fishes off Japan, including description of Philometra kidakoi sp. n. and Congerinema japonicum gen. et sp. n.

František Moravec, Kazuya Nagasawa, Masato Nitta, Atsushi Tawa

Folia Parasitologica 66:021 (2019) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2019.021  

Occasional examinations of some marine fishes in Japan revealed, in addition to other parasites, the following eight species of philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) (all females only): Philometra kidakoi sp. n. from the ovary of Gymnothorax kidako (Temminck et Schlegel) (Muraenidae); Philometra pinnicola (Yamaguti, 1935) from the operculum of Epinephelus akaara (Temminck et Schlegel) (Serranidae); Philometra sebastisci Yamaguti, 1941 from the ovary of Sebastes cheni Barsukov (Scorpaenidae) (new host); Philometra madai Quiazon, Yoshinaga et Ogawa, 2008 from the ovary of Acanthopagrus schlegelii...

Neurological disorder and psychosocial aspects of cerebral malaria: what is new on its pathogenesis and complications? A minireview.

Arif Jamal Siddiqui, Mohd Adnan, Sadaf Jahan, Whitni Redman, Mοhd Saeed, Mitesh Patel

Folia Parasitologica 67:015 (2020) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.015  

Recently, malaria is remain considered as the most prevalent infectious disease, affecting the human health globally. High morbidity and mortality worldwide is often allied with cerebral malaria (CM) based disorders of the central nervous system, especially across many tropical and sub-tropical regions. These disorders are characterised by the infection of Plasmodium species, which leads to acute or chronic neurological disorders, even after having active/effective antimalarial drugs. Furthermore, even during the treatment, individual remain sensitive for neurological impairments in the form of decrease blood flow and vascular obstruction in...

Evaluation of Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica and Cryptosporidium hominis/Cryptosporidium parvum in human stool samples by the BD MAXTM Enteric Parasite Panel

Sadik Akgün, Tuncay Çelik

Folia Parasitologica 67:020 (2020) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.020  

Although the microscopic examination of stool samples remains the reference method of choice for the diagnosis of intestinal protistan infections, this method is time-consuming and requires experienced and well-trained operators. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of agreement between the BD MAX TM Enteric Parasite Panel (EPP) and microscopy for the detection of Giardia intestinalis (Lambl, 1859), Cryptosporidium spp. and Entamoeba histolytica Schaudinn, 1903 in stool samples. The study included faecal samples of 362 patients who were admitted to our hospital due to gastrointestinal complaints. In the...

A new species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Bivalvulida: Myxobolidae) infecting stratum spongiosum of the imperiled sicklefin redhorse, Moxostoma sp. (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) from the Little Tennessee River, North Carolina, USA

Steven P. Ksepka, Brian H. Hickson, Nathan V. Whelan, Stephen A. Bullard

Folia Parasitologica 67:030 (2020) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.030  

The sicklefin redhorse, Moxostoma sp. (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae), is an innominate imperiled catostomid endemic to the Hiwassee and Little Tennessee river basins, which has been restricted to a few tributaries of these systems by impoundments. During collections to propagate sicklefin redhorse for reintroduction, a myxozoan, described herein, was observed infecting sicklefin redhorse in the Little Tennessee River Basin, North Carolina. Myxobolus naylori Ksepka et Bullard sp. n. infects the stratum spongiosum covering the scales of sicklefin redhorse. Myxospores of the new species differ from all congeners by the combination...

Morphological and molecular data of Hepatozoon ursi in two brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Turkey

Muzaffer Akyuz, Ridvan Kirman, Esin Guven

Folia Parasitologica 67:032 (2020) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2020.032  

Species of Hepatozoon Miller, 1908 are vector-borne parasites that infect domestic and wild animals worldwide. Hepatozoon ursi Kubo, Uni, Agatsuma, Nagataki, Panciera et al., 2008 was reported from bears (Ursidae) in Japan and India. The present study represents the first report of infection with H. ursi in Turkish brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) by microscopic and molecular analysis. Two dead brown bears were found in Uzundere and Pasinler districts of Erzurum. Blood and visceral organ (spleen and liver) samples were delivered to laboratory by the Nature Conservation and National Parks officers. Detected gamonts...

Biodiversity of the Coccidia (Apicomplexa: Conoidasida) in vertebrates: what we know, what we do not know, and what needs to be done

Donald W. Duszynski

Folia Parasitologica 68:001 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.001  

Over the last two decades my colleagues and I have assembled the literature on a good percentage of most of the coccidians (Conoidasida) known, to date, to parasitise: Amphibia, four major lineages of Reptilia (Amphisbaenia, Chelonia, Crocodylia, Serpentes), and seven major orders in the Mammalia (Carnivora, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Insectivora, Marsupialia, Primates, Scandentia). These vertebrates, combined, comprise about 15,225 species; only about 899 (5.8%) of them have been surveyed for coccidia and 1,946 apicomplexan valid species names or other forms are recorded in the literature. Based on these compilations and other factors, I extrapolated...

Morphological and molecular description of Allocreadium apokryfi sp. n. (Digenea: Allocreadiidae) from native Labeobarbus aeneus (Cyprinidae) in South Africa, including notes on its biology, evolutionary history and an updated key of African Allocreadium

Quinton M. Dos Santos, Beric M. Gilbert, Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage, José C. Dumbo

Folia Parasitologica 68:013 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.013  

Adult trematodes of Allocreadium Looss, 1900 (Digenea) infect the intestine of mostly freshwater fishes in Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas. During routine parasitological surveys in the Vaal River system, adult trematodes were collected from the intestine of smallmouth yellowfish, Labeobarbus aeneus (Burchell). The trematodes were confirmed to represent a member of Allocreadium and did not match any existing taxon. Therefore, they are described as a new species, Allocreadium apokryfi sp. n. The morphology of the new species most closely resembles that of Allocreadium aswanense El-Naffar, Saoud et Hassan, 1984,...

Impact of tick-borne Anaplasma phagocytophilum infections in calves of moose (Alces alces) in southern Norway

Irma Ražanskė, Olav Rosef, Jana Radzijevskaja, Ričardas Krikštolaitis, Algimantas Paulauskas

Folia Parasitologica 68:023 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.023  

The Gram-negative, obligate intracellular tick-transmitted pathogen Anaplasma phagocytophilum can cause acute febrile diseases in humans and domestic animals. The expansion of the tick Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) in northern Europe due to climate change is of serious concern for animal and human health. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of A. phagocytophilum infection in moose Alces alces (Linnaeus) calves by evaluating the carcass weights of infected and non-infected animals and examining animal tissues samples for co-infections with either species of Babesia Starcovici, 1893 or bacteria...

The morphological and molecular description of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) poonchensis sp. n. from Schizothorax richardsonii (Gray) in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Omar Mohamed Amin, Mumtaz Ahmed, Anshu Chaudhary, Richard Anderson Heckmann, Hridaya Shanker Singh

Folia Parasitologica 69:001 (2022) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.001  

Specimens of Neoechinorhynchus (Neoechinorhynchus) poonchensis sp. n. are described from Schizothorax richardsonii (Gray) in the Poonch River, Jammu and Kashmir. Specimens are thick-walled with dissimilar dorsal and ventral para-receptacle structures, anteriorly manubriated hooks, two giant nuclei in each lemniscus and many subcutaneousy. The lemnisci barely overlap the larger anterior testis, the cement gland has eight giant nuclei, and the seminal vesicle is large with thin walls. The vagina is unremarkable but the long uterus is made up of four specialised regions. Neoechinorhynchus rigidus (Van Cleave, 1928),...

Diagnostic accuracy of adjusted low IgG avidity index to predict acute Toxoplasma gondii infection in the first trimester of pregnancy

Miha Skvarč

Folia Parasitologica 69:023 (2022) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.023  

Congenital toxoplasmosis is reportable disease in Europe. To prevent it antibody serological tests were introduced in several European countries as a part of screening programmes. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) avidity index testing is one of these tests for diagnosing acute infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) in pregnant women. However, a low or moderate IgG avidity index can give inconclusive results for predicting woman's status. From June 2012 until the end of 2014, 17,990 women were included in the national screening program to prevent congenital toxoplasmosis. One hundred and twenty-six women were consecutively included...

Does the fish-infecting Trypanosoma micropteri belong to Trypanosoma carassii?

Peng Zhang, Ke Chen, Michaela Svobodová, Ting-Bao Yang, Julius Lukeš, Jinyong Zhang, Zhao-Rong Lun, De-Hua Lai

Folia Parasitologica 69:024 (2022) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.024  

Recently, based on a limited morphological characterisation and partial 18S rRNA gene sequence, Jiang et al. (2019) described Trypanosoma micropteri Jiang, Lu, Du, Wang, Hu, Su et Li, 2019 as a new pathogen of farmed fish. Here we provide evidence based on the expanded sequence dataset, morphology and experimental infections that this trypanosome does not warrant the establishment as a new species, because it is conspecific with the long-term known Trypanosoma carassii Mitrophanow, 1883, a common haemoflagellate parasite of freshwater fish. The former taxon thus becomes a new junior synonym of T. carassii.

Prevalence and molecular subtyping of Blastocystis sp. in rabbits in Henan, Central China

Changwei Su, Xuefang Mei, Xia Feng, Fuqiang Zhang, Pei Wang, Bo He, Fuyang Xu, Zishan Yang, Xiaowei Tian, Zhenchao Zhang, Xiangrui Li, Shuai Wang

Folia Parasitologica 69:027 (2022) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.027  

Species of Blastocystis Alexieff, 1911 are anaerobic intestinal protists found in humans and many kinds of animals that mainly cause diarrhea, abdominal pain and other clinical symptoms. At present, data on the prevalence and subtype diversity of species of Blastocystis in domestic rabbits are very limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the infection rate and gene subtype distribution of Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits in Henan Province, Central China, and provide foundation for prevention and control of the disease caused by Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits. DNA was extracted from 286 fresh rabbit...

Synopsis of tailed Myxobolidae (Cnidaria, Myxozoa, Myxosporea) infecting Indian fishes

Gyan Deb Barman, Sukanya Chanda, Ashis Kumar Panigrahi, J. C. Eiras

Folia Parasitologica 69:030 (2022) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2022.030  

A synopsis of 43 nominal species from five genera of tailed Myxobolidae infecting Indian freshwater and marine fishes is presented. The main characteristic of this group is the presence of at least one tail-like caudal process. For each species, relevant morphological and morphometric data are provided, such as the host(s), site(s) of infection within the host and sampling state. A key for the identification of 13 genera of tailed Myxobolidae is also included.

A global survey of tapeworms (Cestoda: Proteocephalidae) of 'true' frogs (Amphibia: Ranidae), including a tabulated list of all proteocephalids parasitising amphibians

Tomáš Scholz, Alain de Chambrier, Olena Kudlai, Vasyl V. Tkach, Chris T. McAllister

Folia Parasitologica 70:009 (2023) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.009  

Proteocephalid tapeworms of frogs of the family Ranidae ('true' frogs) are reviewed with emphasis on their species diversity, host specificity and geographical distribution. New molecular data (nuclear lsrDNA and mitochondrial COI sequences) are presented for tapeworms of four species of ranid frogs in North America, including the poorly known Ophiotaenia saphena Osler, 1931 of Rana clamitans Latreille and R. catesbeiana (Shaw), which is redescribed using new material from Arkansas, USA. Tapeworms of R. sphenocephala (Cope) and R. pipiens Schreber, the latter previously identified as O. saphena,...

Diversity analysis of the endosymbiotic bacterial community in field-collected Haemaphysalis ticks on the tropical Hainan Island, China

Yajun Lu, Siqi Yang, Qiuyu Zhao, Chuanfei Yuan, Qianfeng Xia

Folia Parasitologica 70:012 (2023) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.012  

Ticks are important vectors of various pathogens that cause infectious diseases in humans. Endosymbiotic bacteria have been explored as targets for tick and tick-borne disease control. However, the tick bacterial community on Hainan Island, which is the largest tropical island in China and has an environment favourable to ticks, has not yet been studied. In this study, we surveyed the bacterial community of ticks collected from grass in one village in Haikou. A total of 20 ticks were morphologically and molecularly identified as Haemaphysalis spp. The tick bacterial 16S rRNA hypervariable region amplicon libraries were sequenced on an Illumina...

Genetic characterisation of four Lamproglena spp. (Copepoda, Lernaeidae) from Africa and the first mitochondrial data

Quinton M. Dos Santos, Nehemiah M. Rindoria, Annemariè Avenant-Oldewage

Folia Parasitologica 70:014 (2023) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.014  

Females of species of Lamproglena von Nordmann, 1832 are parasitic on the gills of teleost fishes and the 38 nominal species are based on mainly morphological data. Only four of these species have been genetically characterised and no mitochondrial data are available for the genus. The present study aimed to provide representative ribosomal DNA (rDNA) data for two additional species of Lamproglena from Africa: Lamproglena clariae Fryer, 1956 and Lamproglena hoi Dippenaar, Luus-Powell et Roux, 2001, alongside mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) for these and two other African species, Lamproglena hemprichii...

European ground squirrels Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus) do not share identical Cryptosporidium spp. with North American ground squirrels

Jana Ježková, Nikola Holubová, Jana Kvičerová, Jan Matějů, Bohumil Sak, Martin Kváč

Folia Parasitologica 70:016 (2023) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.016  

Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 is one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. The results of this study provide the first data on Cryptosporidium diversity in the European ground squirrel Spermophilus citellus (Linnaeus). A total of 128 faecal samples of European ground squirrels from 39 localities in the Czech Republic were analysed for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. by microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU) and the actin gene. While the microscopical examination did not reveal the presence of any Cryptosporidium oocysts, eight samples from six localities were...

Acanthocephalans of marine and freshwater fishes from Taiwan with description of a new species

Olga Lisitsyna, Daniel Barčák, Martina Orosová, Chia-Kwung Fan, Mikuláš Oros

Folia Parasitologica 70:021 (2023) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2023.021  

During an ichthyoparasitological survey in 2017-2019, six species of acanthocephalans were found among Taiwan's freshwater (Cypriniformes: Xenocyprididae, Cyprinidae) and marine fishes (Scombriformes: Scombridae, Trichiuridae; Anabantiformes: Channidae; Carangaria/misc: Latidae): Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis (Harada, 1938), Rhadinorhynchus laterospinosus Amin, Heckmann et Ha, 2011, Pallisentis rexus Wongkham et Whitfield, 1999, Longicollum sp., Bolbosoma vasculosum (Rudolphi, 1819), and one new species, Micracanthorynchina brevelemniscus sp. n. All species are morphologically characterised and illustrated...

Comprehensive molecular characterisation of the complete mitogenome of Ergasilus tumidus and phylogenetic relationships of Copepoda inferred from mitogenomes

Yan Huang, Jin-Mei Feng, Wei Liu, Bin-Lian Sun, Xi-Ji Shu, Wen-Xiang Li, Gui-Tang Wang, Cong-Jie Hua

Folia Parasitologica 71:002 (2024) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.002  

Although parasitic copepods of the genus Ergasilus von Nordmann, 1832 are globally distributed parasites of fish, their phylogenetic relationships with other Copepoda are not clear, and the characteristics of their mitochondrial genomes (mitogenomes) are not thoroughly understood. The objective of this study was to address these knowledge gaps by sequencing the complete mitogenome of Ergasilus tumidus Markevich, 1940. The complete mitogenome (GenBank Acc. No. OQ596537) was 14,431 bp long and it comprised 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two tRNAs, and two control regions (CRs). Phylogenetic analyses, conducted using concatenated...

New species of Echinobothrium van Beneden, 1849 (Cestoda: Diphyllidea) from Indo-Pacific maskrays (Neotrygon Castelnau) off Australia and Borneo

Sara Dallarés, Roman Kuchta

Folia Parasitologica 71:003 (2024) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.003  

Four new diphyllidean species of the genus Echinobothrium van Beneden, 1849 are described from Indo-Pacific maskrays (Neotrygon Castelnau, Dasyatidae). Echinobothrium giraffaeous sp. n. from Neotrygon leylandi (Last) off northern Australia, Echinobothrium ivanovae sp. n. from Neotrygon orientalis Last, White et Serét off Borneo, and Echinobothrium bethae sp. n. from Neotrygon varidens (Garman) off Borneo are distinguished from all but one of the 33 valid species of the genus by the possession of the outermost A hooks with an extended base into which the bases of the...

Evidence of striking morphological similarity and tissue tropism of phylogenetically distant myxozoan genera: Myxidium and Paramyxidium in the kidney of the European eel

Martina Lisnerová, Pavla Bartošová-Sojková, Alena Lövy, Petr Blabolil, Ivan Fiala

Folia Parasitologica 71:013 (2024) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.013  

European eel, Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus) (Elopomorpha: Anguilliformes), is a critically endangered fish of ecological and economic importance, hosting numerous parasites, including myxozoans (Cnidaria). Since its initial discovery in the kidney of European eel, Myxidium giardi Cépède, 1906 has been reported with numerous spore sizes and shapes from various tissues of multiple anguillid species. Morphological variability, wide host and tissue spectrum, and lack of sequence data raised doubts about the conspecificity of reported isolates. Subsequent studies provided 18S rDNA sequences of several isolates from anguillids and other...

Seroepidemiological study of Neospora caninum in equids using c-ELISA in Erbil Province, Iraq

Khalid Jabar Aziz, Farhad Buzo Mikaeel, Sarhang Hasan Azeez, Samir Jawdat Bilal

Folia Parasitologica 71:022 (2024) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2024.022  

Equine neosporosis is an intracellular protozoan disease with a global distribution, affecting a diverse range of warm-blooded animals. Neospora caninum Dubey, Carpenter, Speer, Topper et Uggla, 1988 is associated with foetal loss, neurological disease and abortion in equids. No information was available regarding equine N. caninum infection among equids in Iraq. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate of N. caninum in equines by using a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (c-ELISA). A total of 329 blood samples randomly selected from equines, comprising 268 horses and 61 donkeys were examined....