Folia Parasitologica, vol. 68 (2021)
Detection and molecular characterisation of intestinal parasites in the South China tiger Panthera tigris amoyensis (Hilzheimer)
Hung-chuan Chiu, Kewei Fan, Xiaoshuang Sun, Kaixiong Lin, Tengteng Chen, Fei Yang, Yunfei Qiu, Dongxia Wei, Cuiqin Huang
Folia Parasitologica 68:029 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.029 
Parasitic infections of the South China tigers in the Meihua Mountains have not been explored previously. Faeces of 22 South China tigers from the China Tiger Park in the Meihua Mountains were examined. Eggs of ascaridoid nematodes and oocysts of coccidia were detected by Mini-FLOTAC assay. Morphological observation and molecular characterisation of the oocysts were carried out. The prevalence of Toxascaris leonina (von Linstow, 1902) was 18% (4/22), and the highest egg per gram (EPG) count in the faeces was 27,150. The prevalence of Cystoisospora sp. was 45% (1 0/22) and the highest oocysts per gram (OPG) in the faeces was 6,000....
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection from water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in northeastern and southern Thailand
Tawin Inpankaew, Thi Thuy Nguyen, Burin Nimsuphan, Chanya Kengradomkij, Ketsarin Kamyingkird, Wissanuwat Chimnoi, Boy Boonaue, Xuenan Xuan
Folia Parasitologica 68:028 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.028
Toxoplasmosis is a parasitic disease resulting from infection with the apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908), one of the world's most common parasites in warm-blooded animals, including humans. Sources of infection can be exposed to infected cat faeces, mother-to-child transmission during pregnancy, and notably, the consumption of undercooked contaminated meat of intermediate hosts. In Thailand, water buffaloes are highly valued for rice cultivation, traditional culture and meat production. Like several other mammalian species, these animals play a role as reservoirs of T. gondii, thus representing a threat to human...
Novel distribution records and molecular data for species of Macrogyrodactylus Malmberg, 1957 (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae) from Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) (Siluriformes: Clariidae) in southern Africa
Marliese Truter, Aline A. Acosta, Olaf L. F. Weyl, Nico J. Smit
Folia Parasitologica 68:027 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.027
The viviparous gyrodactylid genus Macrogyrodactylus Malmberg, 1957 is endemic to Africa, composed of nine species from hosts of four freshwater fish families, including catfishes (Siluriformes: Clariidae). Three species, Macrogyrodactylus clarii Gussev, 1961; M. congolensis (Prudhoe, 1957) and M. karibae Douëllou et Chishawa, 1995, are primarily known to parasitise the African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus (Burchell) in various African countries. From November 2017 to September 2019, a total of 184 individuals of C. gariepinus were collected from selected localities in southern Africa and their skin,...
Soluble total antigen derived from Toxoplasma gondii RH strain prevents apoptosis, but induces anti-apoptosis in human monocyte cell line
Hanieh Mohammad Rahimi, Sara Nemati, Helia Alavifard, Kaveh Baghaei, Hamed Mirjalali, Mohammad Reza Zali
Folia Parasitologica 68:026 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.026
Apoptosis plays crucial role in the pathogenesis of toxoplasmosis, as it limits further development of the disease. The current study aimed to investigate the effects of different concentrations of soluble total antigen (STAg) of Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) on the apoptotic and anti-apoptotic pathways. PMA-activated THP-1 cell line was sensed by T. gondii STAg and the expression patterns of caspase-3, -7, -8, -9, Bax, Bcl-2, and Mcl-1 genes were evaluated. The results showed statistically significant concentration-dependent overexpression of both Bcl-2 (P-value < 0.0001) and Mcl-1 (P-value = 0.0147)....
Description of Tresuncinidactylus wilmienae gen. et sp. n. (Monogenea: Gyrodactylidae), from the gills of the bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters) from Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe
Iva Přikrylová, Maxwell Barson, Andrew P. Shinn
Folia Parasitologica 68:025 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.025
The African continent has a rich diversity of fish and amphibians in its inland water systems that serve as hosts for monogeneans of seven genera of the Gyrodactylidae van Beneden et Hesse, 1832. In August 2011, eight gyrodactylid parasites were collected from the gills of two specimens of bulldog, Marcusenius macrolepidotus (Peters), from Lake Kariba, Zimbabwe. Morphometric evaluation and sequencing of 18S rDNA confirmed that the specimens represented a species of a new viviparous genus, Tresuncinidactylus wilmienae gen. et sp. n. The attachment apparatus consists of a single pair of large slender hamuli with prominently flattened roots...
Detection of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and their ticks in Western Siberia and high level of their mismatch
Igor G. Korobitsyn, Nina S. Moskvitina, Oleg Yu. Tyutenkov, Sergey I. Gashkov, Yulia V. Kononova, Sergey S. Moskvitin, Vladimir N. Romanenko, Tamara P. Mikryukova, Elena V. Protopopova, Mikhail Yu. Kartashov, Eugene V. Chausov, Svetlana N. Konovalova, Natalia L. Tupota, Alexandra O. Sementsova, Vladimir A. Ternovoi, Valery B. Loktev
Folia Parasitologica 68:024 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.024
The Tomsk region located in the south of Western Siberia is one of the most high-risk areas for tick-borne diseases due to elevated incidence of tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease in humans. Wild birds may be considered as one of the reservoirs for tick-borne pathogens and hosts for infected ticks. A high mobility of wild birds leads to unpredictable possibilities for the dissemination of tick-borne pathogens into new geographical regions. The primary goal of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of tick-borne pathogens in wild birds and ticks that feed on them as well as to determine the role of different species of birds in maintaining...
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...
Stomatocystis goerresi, a new species of gregarine parasite (Apicomplexa, Monocystidae) from the invasive Japanese earthworm Amynthas tokioensis (Megascolecidae), with a description of the parasite's life cycle
Joseph J. Schall
Folia Parasitologica 68:022 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.022
Stomatocystis goerresi sp. n., a gregarine (phylum Apicomplexa, Monocystidae) parasite of an important invasive earthworm in North America, Amynthas tokioensis (Beddard), is described. This is the second species placed into the genus, and details of its morphology and life cycle support Stomatocystis Bandyopadhyay, Mitra et Göçmen, 2006 as a valid taxon. The new species is described using standard nomenclature, measurements, shape descriptors, and photographs of living cells. The parasite was found only in A. tokioensis, and absent in sympatric earthworm species, suggesting it arrived when the earthworms were introduced...
Putative intranuclear coccidium in Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger) from Morocco
El-Mustapha Laghzaoui, Ana Perera, D. James Harris, El Hassan El Mouden
Folia Parasitologica 68:021 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.021
Although intranuclear coccidiosis was first identified in chelonians less than 30 years ago, it is now considered an important emerging disease. Symptoms include anorexia, weakness and weight loss, potentially leading to death of the infected animal. The use of molecular tools has led to improved diagnosis and has also led to an increase in known host species. Here we report a putative intranuclear coccidium in Mauremys leprosa (Schweigger), from Morocco, based on 18S rDNA sequence analysis. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first report of this parasite from a freshwater terrapin species.
The presence of sporogonic stages of Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in Icelandic salmonids detected using in situ hybridisation
Fjóla Rut Svavarsdóttir, Mark A. Freeman, Þórólfur Antonsson, Friðþjófur Árnason, Árni Kristmundsson
Folia Parasitologica 68:020 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.020
Proliferative kidney disease (PKD) is a widespread temperature-dependent disease in salmonids caused by the myxozoan parasite, Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae (Canning, Curry, Feist, Longshaw et Okamura, 1999) (Tb). Tb has a two-host life cycle, involving fish as an intermediate host and freshwater bryozoans as the definitive host. Although salmonids are acknowledged as hosts for the parasite, it is less clear which fish species are active hosts in the life cycle of Tb. Differences in infection dynamics have been observed between some fish species, which are thought to be related to the existence of two main Tb-strains,...
How monoxenous trypanosomatids revealed hidden feeding habits of their tsetse fly hosts
Jan Votýpka, Klára J. Petrželková, Jana Brzoňová, Milan Jirků, David Modrý, Julius Lukeš
Folia Parasitologica 68:019 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.019
Tsetse flies are well-known vectors of trypanosomes pathogenic for humans and livestock. For these strictly blood-feeding viviparous flies, the host blood should be the only source of nutrients and liquids, as well as any exogenous microorganisms colonising their intestine. Here we describe the unexpected finding of several monoxenous trypanosomatids in their gut. In a total of 564 individually examined Glossina (Austenia) tabaniformis (Westwood) (436 specimens) and Glossina (Nemorhina) fuscipes fuscipes (Newstead) (128 specimens) captured in the Dzanga-Sangha Protected Areas, Central African Republic,...
Invasion with Toxoplasma gondii can promote pneumocystis pneumonia in individuals with HIV/AIDS
Ihor H. Hryzhak
Folia Parasitologica 68:018 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.018
Pulmonary pathology is common in HIV-infected individuals, but the possible role of the parasitic protist Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) is not completely known. The present account reports result of a retrospective cohort study. Medical cards of 907 HIV-positive people, which included 120 deceased patients, were analysed. During a three-year follow-up, the pulmonary pathology was diagnosed in 306 patients (33.7 ± 1.6%): pneumocystis pneumonia in 124 (13.7 ± 1.1%), primary pulmonary tuberculosis in 113 (12.5 ± 1.1%), bacterial pneumonia in 58 (6.4 ± 0.8%) toxoplasmosis pneumonia in two (0.2 ±...
A new myxozoan parasite, Myxobolus allami sp. n. (Myxozoa: Myxobolidae) from the intestinal wall of Sparidentex hasta (Valenciennes) in Arabian Gulf
Lamjed Mansour, Heba M. Abdel-Haleem, Marwa Atwa, Ahmed B. Darwish, Saleh Al-Quraishy, Abdel-Azeem S. Abdel-Baki
Folia Parasitologica 68:017 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.017
Myxobolus allami sp. n. is described from the intestinal wall of the silvery black porgy, Sparidentex hasta (Valenciennes), off Saudi Arabian coast of Arabian Gulf. Two of 20 examined fish were found to be infected with irregular-shaped plasmodia 3-8 mm long × 2-3 mm wide. Mature myxospores are subspherical to elliptical in the valvular view and oval in the sutural view, and are 11-13 (12) µm long, 7-8 (7.5) µm wide and 10-12 (10.8) µm thick. Spores have relatively thin valves and mostly (~ 72%) end with short caudal appendages of ~3 µm long. The spores also have two polar capsules, which are oval to elliptical and...
Toxoplasma gondii ROP17 promotes autophagy via the Bcl-2-Beclin 1 pathway
Min Guo, Jia Sun, Wen-tao Wang, Hong-yan Liu, Yue-hua Liu, Ke-ru Qin, Jin-rui Hu, Xin-yang Li, Hong-li Liu, Wei Wang, Zhao-yang Chen, Chun-fang Wang, Hai-long Wang
Folia Parasitologica 68:016 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.016
The apicomplexan Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) secretes a group of serine/threonine kinases from rhoptries, which play vital roles in boosting intracellular infection. Toxoplasma gondii rhoptry organelle protein 17 (ROP17) is one of these important kinase proteins. Nevertheless, its function remains unclear. Here, we showed that ROP17 induced autophagy in vitro and in vivo. The autophagy of small intestine tissues of T. gondii tachyzoite (RH strain)-infected mice was detected by the immunohistochemistry staining of LC3B, Beclin 1 and P62. ROP17 overexpression augmented starvation-induced autophagy...
Morphological and complete mitogenomic characterisation of the acanthocephalan Polymorphus minutus infecting the duck Anas platyrhynchos
Huda Sarwar, Wen-ting Zhao, Caroline Jepkorir Kibet, Jiljí Sitko, Pin Nie
Folia Parasitologica 68:015 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.015
Morphological characteristics of the acanthocephalan Polymorphus minutus (Goeze, 1782), which was collected from the duck Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus in the Czech Republic, are described. The mitochondrial (mt) genome of P. minutus was sequenced, with a total length of 14,149 bp, comprising 36 genes including 12 protein coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes and two ribosomal RNA genes (rrnL and rrnS). This genome is similar to the mt genomes of other syndermatan species. All these genes were encoded on the same DNA strand and in the same orientation. The overall nucleotide composition of the P. minutus...
Echinocephalus inserratus sp. n. (Nematoda: Gnathostomatidae) from the stingray Pastinachus ater (Dasyatidae) and new records of congeneric and some other nematode larvae from teleost fishes off New Caledonia
František Moravec, Jean-Lou Justine
Folia Parasitologica 68:014 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.014
Based on light and electron microscopical studies, a new nematode parasite, Echinocephalus inserratus sp. n. (Spirurida: Gnathostomatidae), is described from the spiral valve of the broad cowtail stingray Pastinachus ater (Macleay) (Dasyatidae, Myliobatiformes) from off New Caledonia. The new species is morphologically and biometrically most similar to Echinocephalus overstreeti Deardorff et Ko, 1983, differing from it mainly in the absence of serrations on the posterior parts of pseudolabia and on interlabia, and in having a longer gubernaculum (150-299 µm long). Morphologically unidentifiable, mostly encapsulated...
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,...
Synopsis of the species of Myxobolus (Cnidaria, Myxozoa, Myxosporea) described between 2014 and 2020
Jorge C. Eiras, Cristina F. Cruz, Aurélia Saraiva, Edson A. Adriano
Folia Parasitologica 68:012 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.012
A synopsis of the species of Myxobolus Bütschli, 1882 (Cnidaria, Myxosporea, Myxobolidae) described from 2014 up till now is presented. It includes 122 nominal species described all over the world. For each of the species, the most relevant morphological and morphometric data, as well as data are provided related to the location in the host, type host and type locality. The GenBank accession numbers are provided whenever possible, and the spores were redrawn based on the original descriptions. The bibliography includes all the papers containing the species descriptions.
New species of Guidus Ivanov, 2006 (Cestoda: Phyllobothriidea) from Bathyraja magellanica (Philippi) from the Patagonian Continental Shelf of Argentina
Adriana Menoret, Verónica A. Ivanov
Folia Parasitologica 68:011 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.011
Specimens representing two new species of Guidus Ivanov, 2006 were collected from the Magellan skate (Bathyraja magellanica [Philippi]) in the Patagonian Continental Shelf of Argentina, Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. Guidus francoi sp. n. and Guidus magellanicus sp. n. differ from their congeners by a particular combination of features, including type of bothridia, worm length, number of testes, and distribution of vitelline follicles. Guidus francoi sp. n. is distinguished from G. magellanicus sp. n. by having fewer proglottids, fewer testes and a higher ratio between the cirrus sac length and the proglottid...
Endoparasite prevalence and infection risk factors among cats in an animal shelter in Estonia
Ants Tull, Epp Moks, Urmas Saarma
Folia Parasitologica 68:010 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.010
Cats are important hosts for different zoonotic parasites that can be hazardous to human health. To date, few studies have attempted to identify the factors affecting parasitic infections in shelter animals. This study aims to analyse the presence of endoparasites in shelter cats in Tartu, Estonia, and identify factors affecting endoparasite prevalence and intensity. The risk factors considered were age, location (urban vs rural cats) and time spent in shelter. In total, 290 faecal samples were collected from cats at an animal shelter in 2015-2016 and investigated for endoparasites using the concentration flotation technique. In total, 138 shelter...
Life-history studies on infrapopulations of Mazocraes alosae (Monogenea) parasitising Alosa immaculata (Actinopterygii) in the northern Black and Azov Seas
Mariana P. Plaksina, David I. Gibson, Evgenija V. Dmitrieva
Folia Parasitologica 68:009 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.009
The life-history of Mazocraes alosae Hermann, 1782 on one of its hosts, the Pontic shad Alosa immaculata Bennett, is described for the first time. This anadromous fish, which occurs off the coast of the Crimea and migrates from the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov and into the River Don for spawning, was studied throughout its migration and during all seasons. It is demonstrated that the period of reproduction of this monogenean is significantly longer than that reported for the population in the Caspian Sea, lasting from April to November with a peak in April-May, and continues both in the sea and the river. Experiments showed that water...
Morphological and genetic description of two new species of philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) parasitic in needlefishes (Belonidae) from estuaries of Florida, USA
František Moravec, Micah D. Bakenhaster, Seifu Seyoum, Michael D. Tringali
Folia Parasitologica 68:008 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.008
Two new species of philometrid nematodes (Philometridae) from needlefishes (Belonidae) in Florida are described based on morphological and genetic characteristics: Philometra aequispiculata sp. n. (males and females) collected from the ovary of Strongylura marina (Walbaum) (type host) and Strongylura notata (Poey), and Philometra notatae sp. n. (females) from the swimbladder of S. notata. Both species are described and illustrated based on light and scanning electron microscopical examinations. Morphologically, P. aequispiculata sp. n. differs from all congeners mainly in the unique...
Molecular and morphological characterisation of the metacercariae of two species of Cardiocephaloides (Digenea: Strigeidae) infecting endemic South African klipfish (Perciformes: Clinidae)
Anja Vermaak, Nico J. Smit, Olena Kudlai
Folia Parasitologica 68:007 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.007
South African clinids are a major component of the temperate intertidal regions that are also known to participate in life cycles and transmission of several groups of parasites. However, the knowledge of trematode diversity of these fishes is incomplete. In this study, two species of Clinus Cuvier, the super klipfish Clinus superciliosus (Linnaeus) and the bluntnose klipfish Clinus cottoides Valenciennes, were collected from six localities along the South African coast and examined for the presence of trematodes. Metacercariae of Cardiocephaloides Sudarikov, 1959 were found in the eye vitreous humour and brain of C....
A sucker for the job: morphology and functioning of suckers of polystomatid monogeneans
Louis Heyns Du Preez, Maxine Theunissen
Folia Parasitologica 68:006 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.006
Monogeneans rely on firm attachment to often flexible and uneven surfaces and are renowned for their effective posterior attachment structures in the form of adhesives, clamps, hamuli and suckers. Polystomatids do not secrete adhesives and do not have clamps. While only some have hamuli, all have suckers in the adult form. Three different types of haptoral suckers have been described based on basic morphology but have never been studied in depth. Using enzyme digestion and light (differential interference contrast), confocal and scanning electron microscopy, we examined representatives and propose four sucker types. Haptoral sucker Type I are symmetrical...
Latent toxoplasmosis and vitamin D concentration in humans: three observational studies
Šárka Kaňková, Marie Bičíková, Ludmila Máčová, Jana Hlaváčová, Kateřina Sýkorová, Dobroslava Jandová, Jaroslav Flegr
Folia Parasitologica 68:005 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.005
Numerous recent studies show that vitamin D deficiency potentiates various chronic physical and psychiatric disorders and diseases. It has been shown that a similar range of disorders is also associated with latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908). For instance, among cancer, diabetes and schizophrenia patients, we find a higher prevalence of both toxoplasmosis and vitamin D deficiency. Theoretically, therefore, vitamin D deficiency could be the missing link between toxoplasmosis and these disorders. We tested this hypothesis by searching for decreased vitamin D levels in the serum of subjects infected with T....
Three new species of 'tetraphyllidean' cestodes from an undescribed bamboo shark (Orectolobiformes: Hemiscylliidae) in Sri Lanka
Janine N. Caira, Kyle Otto, Daniel Fernando, Kirsten Jensen
Folia Parasitologica 68:004 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.004
Examination of seven specimens of an undescribed species of bamboo shark (Orectolobiformes: Hemiscylliidae), currently referred to as Chiloscyllium sp. 1, from Sri Lanka yielded three new species of 'tetraphyllidean' cestodes, one each in the genera Carpobothrium Shipley et Hornell, 1906, Spiniloculus Southwell, 1925, and Yorkeria Southwell, 1927. Carpobothrium marjorieae Caira, Otto et Jensen sp. n. differs from its three valid congeners in total length, number of testes, and size of the apical sucker of its anterior bothridial flap. Like Carpobothrium eleanorae Koontz et Caira, 2016 it possesses spherical...
Survey of Kudoa spp. (Myxozoa, Cnidaria) in fishes from the Madeira Archipelago and the Portuguese mainland coast: detection of Kudoa thyrsites in new hosts Scomber colias and Micromesistius poutassou
Bárbara Cavaleiro, Joana Serrão, Sara Nogueira, Liliana Ribeiro, Margarida Hermida, Cristina Cruz, Martina Lisnerová, Ivan Fiala, Aurélia Saraiva
Folia Parasitologica 68:003 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.003
Myxozoan parasites of the genus Kudoa Meglitsch, 1947 are associated with post-mortem tissue degradation that causes great financial losses to commercial fisheries. Kudoa thyrsites (Gilchrist, 1924) is a species with a very wide host range including commercial tunas, mackerels, salmonids and flatfishes. A sample of 190 fishes of 18 species from the Madeira Archipelago and 30 Atlantic chub mackerel, Scomber colias Gmelin, and 30 blue whiting, Micromesistius poutassou (Risso), from the Portuguese mainland coast were examined for the presence of species of Kudoa. The prevalence of Kudoa spp. was...
Occurrence and genetic diversity of Cryptosporidium spp. in wild foxes, wolves, jackals, and bears in central Europe
Martin Kváč, Eva Myšková, Nikola Holubová, Klára Kellnerová, Marta Kicia, Dušan Rajský, John McEvoy, Yaoyu Feng, Vladimír Hanzal, Bohumil Sak
Folia Parasitologica 68:002 (2021) | DOI: 10.14411/fp.2021.002
Parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium Tyzzer, 1910 are one of the most common protistan parasites of vertebrates. Faecal samples from 179 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes [Linnaeus]), 100 grey wolves (Canis lupus Linnaeus), 11 golden jackals (Canis aureus Linnaeus), and 63 brown bears (Ursus arctos Linnaeus) were collected in the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. Samples were examined for the presence of Cryptosporidium spp. using microscopy and PCR/sequence analysis. Phylogenetic analysis based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU), actin and 60-kDa glycoprotein (gp60) genes using the maximum likelihood method...
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...