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Markers of chronic infection Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) have been associated with suicidal self-directed violence (SSDV). We present the results of the first study relating T. gondii IgG serology with suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in United States Veterans, known to have higher suicide rates than members of the general population. We also related T. gondii serology to SSDV risk factors, including valid and reliable measures of trait impulsivity, aggression, self-reported depression, and sleep disturbance. We recruited 407 Veterans enrolled at three Veterans Affairs Medical Centers with mean (S.D.) age = 45.6 (11.6) years; 304 men (74.7%); 203 with a history of SSDV and 204 with no history of any self-directed violence (SDV). Seropositivity and serointensity, categorised as high (top quartile) or low (lower three quartiles), were analysed in relationship to SSDV, suicidal ideation and clinical risk factors using age and gender-adjusted linear and logistic methods, after transformations and nonparametric tests when appropriate. Associations between seropositivity and SSDV and its risk factors were not significant in all groups. High serointensity, while not associated with SSDV or repeat suicide attempts, was positively associated with suicidal ideation, depression, impulsivity, and daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness (p < 0.05), but only in Veterans with a history of SSDV. In Veterans without a history of SDV, no associations were significant. These associations remained significant after adjustment for certain socioeconomic factors (i.e., income, homelessness, military rank). Including education in the model downgraded the statistical significance of suicidal ideation and depression to statistical trends, but the significance of associations with impulsivity and daytime dysfunction due to sleepiness remained. Major limitations include the cross-sectional design, overall low seropositivity within the sample, and potentially spurious results due to multiple comparisons. Thus, the results of this report need to be replicated in larger samples, ideally longitudinally.

Research on the molecular genetics of Echinococcus has advanced significantly owing to its relevance in understanding genetic variation, host-parasite interactions, and the transmission of Echinococcus species. A bibliometric analysis was performed using RStudio (Bibliometrix) and VOSviewer to evaluate molecular genetic research on Echinococcus spp. published between 1985 and 2025. Data were extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, Europe PMC, and ProQuest. The analysis revealed a steady rise in publications on Echinococcus molecular genetics, accelerating from the early 2000s and peaking around 2017, with a slight decline after 2023, reflecting fluctuations in research activity. Comparative analysis showed Echinococcus consistently surpassed Schistosoma, Taenia, and soil-transmitted helminths, peaking at 60 articles in 2020-2021. Early publications achieved high mean Total Citations (TC) per year, followed by a stable trend, indicating lasting impact. Leading journals included Parasitology Research (Germany; 70 articles, H-index 114), Veterinary Parasitology (Netherlands; 62, H-index 150), Parasitology (UK; 53, H-index 173), Acta Tropica (Netherlands; 34, H-index 122), and PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases (USA; 28, H-index 172). Tehran University of Medical Sciences (54 articles) led institutions. Influential authors included D. P. McManus and T. Romig. Multinational studies (484 publications) had higher citations than single-country (474). Iran (121), China (116), and Italy (53) led global contributions, emphasising collaboration, genotyping, phylogeny, and veterinary applications. This bibliometric study underscores the evolving trends in Echinococcus molecular genetics, providing valuable insights for researchers and stakeholders to guide future investigations and collaborative strategies in controlling echinococcosis.

Species richness and similarity in metazoan parasite communities of fish can be influenced by several biotic (age, body size, vagility, social and feeding behaviour, among others), and local abiotic factors (temperature, salinity, climatic events, etc.). The parasite communities of ten species of the family Carangidae from Acapulco Bay, Mexico, were quantified and analysed between May 2014 and August 2024. A total of 1,148 fish specimens were examined and 78 parasite species were identified (44 endoparasites and 34 species of ectoparasites). At the component community level, species richness ranged from 11 in Euprepocaranx dorsalis (Gill) to 27 in Caranx caninus Günther. Parasite communities were dominated mainly by monogenean species. The richness and parasite species composition differed between the ten species of host. The habitat type, body size and host diet variety were the main factors responsible of these differences. Similarity in species composition varied even between hosts of the same genus, suggesting that phylogenetic relatedness and sympatry were not important determinants of parasite communities in these carangid fish. Therefore, host ecology has a greater influence on the structure and species composition of parasite communities than its phylogenetic history.

Cercariae are motile infectious larval stages of digenetic trematodes that emerge from their molluscan first intermediate host to seek the next host in their life cycle. A crucial transmission strategy of trematodes involves releasing the maximum number of cercariae at times that coincide with the presence and activity of the next hosts, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful infection and continuation of the parasite's life cycle. We investigated the cercarial emergence of two furcocercous (with forked tail) trematodes Tylodelphys clavata (von Nordmann, 1832) and unidentified species of Sanguinicola Plehn, 1905 from naturally infected Ampullaceana balthica (Linnaeus) and Radix auricularia (Linnaeus) snails under natural light and constant temperature conditions. Both trematodes, which are important fish pathogens, showed distinct daily emergence rhythms influenced by light intensity, with emergence peaking at sunset and night for T. clavata and at night for Sanguinicola sp. The daily emergence rhythms of T. clavata cercariae were consistent in both summer and autumn, indicating adaptability to natural changes in seasonal photoperiods. The interspecific differences in emergence patterns are likely related to the behavioural patterns of upstream, i.e., next in the life cycle, fish hosts. Cercarial output also varied between trematode species and seasons, likely due to combined effects of snail size, intensity of trematode infection in snails and size of cercariae rather than seasonal temperatures. The trematodes were molecularly characterised using mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (28S rDNA and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2) regions to confirm their identity and facilitate future studies. This study highlights the importance of light-regulated and host-synchronised cercarial emergence rhythms for increased trematode transmission success and reveals significant variation in cercarial output influenced by environmental and biological factors, contributing to a deeper understanding of trematode ecology and disease management.

The first data on the neurochemical and ultrastructural organisation of the nervous system of the fish blood fluke, suckerless adult Sanguinicola plehnae Warren et Bullard in Warren, Poddubnaya, Zhokhov, Reyda, Choudhury et Bullard, 2023 (Digenea: Aporocotylidae) from the circulatory system of pike, Esox lucius Linnaeus are presented. Based on 5-HT-IP staining, the simple, uniformly developed orthogonal pattern of S. plehnae nervous system is revealed. The ventral and dorsal nerve cords originate from the brain lobes, but the lateral nerve cords originate from anterior nerves at the level of the large serotonergic neurons. In addition, several pairs of such large 5-HT-IP neurons (22-23.5 µm in diameter) are revealed along the ventral nerve cords. Unusual spindle-shaped 5-HT-IP perikarya (7.8-19.8 µm in diameter) are observed along each ventral and lateral nerve cords. The neuroblasts and developing neurons are seen between neurites in S. plehnae along with neuron somata scattered around neuropil periphery, evidencing the renewal of neuron somata population in adult digeneans. The morphological variability of both the orthogonal pattern and neuron somata and types of neurovesicles in adult digeneans are discussed.

Herein, we explore the potential influence of Schistosoma mansoni Sambon, 1907 soluble egg antigen (SmSEA) on the immunopathology of COVID-19 in K18-hACE2 mice infected with an Omicron BA.5 isolate of SARS-CoV-2. SmSEA treatment was delivered in a single dose by intraperitoneal injection, shortly after intrapulmonary inoculation of SARS-CoV-2. RNA-seq identified 36 differentially expressed genes in the spleens of virus-infected mice treated with SmSEA vs. PBS on day 5 post infection. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis of these genes suggested marginal modulation of cytokine responses, with upregulation of the IL-10 and IL-4 signatures and downregulation of the IFNγ signature. However, cytokine responses and histopathology in the lungs were largely unaffected. Future work will require purification of active helminth compounds and dosing and scheduling optimisation.

It is estimated that nearly one-third of the world's human population is infected with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908). Human infection is commonly asymptomatic, multifaceted, and can manifest in severe pathological forms in congenital toxoplasmosis and immunocompromised individuals. This study attempted to recognise the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in Iranian residents referred to medical laboratories for toxoplasmosis tests throughout the country. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted from 2015 to 2019 on individuals referred to diagnostic laboratories in 26 provinces, and these laboratories sent their samples to the referral centres. Accordingly, data associated with serodiagnosis of toxoplasmosis, age, sex, anti-T. gondii IgG, and IgM status in Iranian residents were collected from two referral diagnostic laboratories. All individuals were evaluated using the antibody immunocapture-chemiluminescence assay (CLIA) method with the Immulite^®2000s XPi system. In this study, the first large-scale assay of T. gondii infection in Iran, an overall seroprevalence of 30.4% was among 35,047 patients examined. The highest IgM seropositivity rate was in the 10-20 years old patients. In addition, this study showed a very different prevalence of T. gondii across the country, highest in the humid areas, such as the Caspian Sea basin in the North, and the North West with seroprevalence of 48.6%.

Three new species of acanthocephalans are described from marine fishes collected in Sodwana Bay, South Africa: Rhadinorhynchus gerberi n. sp. from Trachinotus botla (Shaw), Pararhadinorhynchus sodwanensis n. sp. from Pomadasys furcatus (Bloch et Schneider) and Transvena pichelinae n. sp. from Thalassoma purpureum (Forsskål). Transvena pichelinae n. sp. differs from the single existing species of the genus Transvena annulospinosa Pichelin et Cribb, 2001, by the lower number of longitudinal rows of hooks (10-12 vs 12-14, respectively) and fewer hooks in a row (5 vs 6-8), shorter blades of anterior hooks (55-63 vs 98), more posterior location of the ganglion (close to the posterior margin of the proboscis receptacle vs mid-level of the proboscis receptacle) and smaller eggs (50-58 × 13 µm vs 62-66 × 13-19 µm). Pararhadinorhynchus sodwanensis n. sp. differs from all known species of the genus by a combination of characters. It closely resembles unidentified species Pararhadinorhynchus sp. sensu Weaver and Smales (2014) in the presence of a similar number of longitudinal rows of hooks on the proboscis (16-18 vs 18) and hooks in a row (11-13 vs 13-14), but differs in the position of the lemnisci (extend to the level of the posterior end of the proboscis receptacle or slightly posterior vs extend to the mid-level of the receptacle), length of the proboscis receptacle (910-1180 µm vs 1,460 µm) and cement glands (870-880 µm vs 335-350 µm). Rhadinorhynchus gerberi n. sp. is distinguishable from all its congeners by a single field of 19-26 irregular circular rows of the tegumental spines on the anterior part of the trunk, 10 longitudinal rows of hooks on the proboscis with 29-32 hooks in each row, subterminal genital pore in both sexes, and distinct separation of the opening of the genital pore from the posterior edge of the trunk (240-480 μm) in females. Sequences for the 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA and cox1 genes were generated to molecularly characterise the species and assess their phylogenetic position. This study provides the first report based on molecular evidence for the presence of species of Transvena Pichelin et Cribb, 2001 and Pararhadinorhynchus Johnston et Edmonds, 1947 in African coastal fishes.

The present paper comprises a systematic survey of trematodes and acanthocephalans based on helminthological examinations of 64 specimens of 14 species of freshwater fishes, belonging to six families of four fish orders, mostly from localities in Hubei Province, central China, collected in the autumn of 2002. A total of 15 trematode species (in 12 families) and 5 acanthocephalan species (in four families) was recorded. Almost all parasites are briefly described and illustrated and problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Some findings represent new host and geographical records. New acanthocephalan genus Quadrihexaspiron gen. n. (Neoechinorhynchidae) is erected to accommodate two species from China, Quadrihexaspiron spinibarbi (Yu et Wang, 1997) comb. n. (type species) and Quadrihexaspiron parabramis (Yin et Wu, 1984) comb. n., originally placed in Hexaspiron Dollfus et Golvan, 1956; Hexaspiron is recognised as a genus belonging to Quadrigyridae. The trematode species Orientocreadium elegans Besprozvannykh, Ermolenko et Deveney, 2009 is considered to be possibly identical with Orientocreadium pseudobagri Yamaguti, 1934, whereas the morphologically similar acanthocephalan species Micracanthorhynchina dakusuiensis (Harada, 1938) and Micracanthorhynchina brevelemniscus Lisitsyna, Barčák, Orosová, Fan et Oros, 2023 may prove to be conspecific with Micracanthorhynchina motomurai (Harada, 1935). A re-examination of the type specimens of Neoechinorhynchus afghanus Moravec et Amin, 1978 (Acanthocephala), a parasite of fishes in Afghanistan, revealed the presence of minute trunk spines in this species and, consequently, it is transferred to the genus Quadrigyrus Van Cleave, 1929 (Quadrigyridae) as Quadrigyrus afghanus (Moravec et Amin, 1978) comb. n.

A new nematode genus and species, Ophthalmonema diodontis gen. et sp. n. (Cystidicolidae), are established based on female specimens (males remain unknown) collected from both eyes of an aquarium-kept spot-fin porcupinefish, Diodon hystrix Linnaeus (Diodontidae, Tetraodontiformes), originally caught in coastal waters off Florida, USA. Examination by light (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that the mouth structure of this nematode, particularly the presence of two conspicuously large, rounded, opposing dorsoventral plates, each connected by a narrow bridge to the inner end of the pseudolabium, is unique among all cystidicolid genera. Inadequately described cystidicolid nematodes previously reported from the eye and surrounding tissues of D. hystrix and Diodon nicthemerus Cuvier in the Caribbean Sea and in waters off southern Australia, respectively, as Metabronema sp. or Cystidicolidae gen. sp. are considered to belong to the new species O. diodontis. A key to cystidicolid genera is provided.

Here I recount my research journey on the coccidian protist Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908), a ubiquitous parasite capable of infecting all warm-blooded animals as intermediate or secondary host, but with only members of the Felidae as its definitive host. I describe my initial studies into its epidemiology and persistence within the UK, and how this led on to a series of biologically and ethically appropriate studies into T. gondii's apparent specific manipulation of its rat intermediate host to facilitate transmission to its feline definitive host. I then describe how this prompted searches into the potential mechanisms of action behind such manipulation and what this raises in terms of behavioural changes, from the subtle to severe, across other secondary hosts including humans.

Chagas disease, caused by the kinetoplastid Trypanosoma cruzi (Chagas, 1909), and transmitted by triatomine bugs, poses a significant public health challenge. Variability in the susceptibility of different triatomine species to T. cruzi infection can profoundly influence disease transmission dynamics and control measures. In this study, we assessed the susceptibility to T. cruzi infection in the first and third nymphal stages across eight triatomine species to T. cruzi infection using experimental inoculation with the NINOA strain and optical microscopy. The evaluated species were Dipetalogaster maximus (Uhler), Triatoma bassolsae (Alejandre-Aguilar, Nogueda-Torres, Cortéz-Jiménez, Jurberg, Galvão, Carcaballo), T. infestans (Klug), T. lecticularia (Stål), T. mexicana (Herrich-Schaeffer), T. pallidipennis (Stål), T. phyllosoma (Burmeister) and T. picturata (Usinger). The results indicated that T. bassolsae exhibited the highest susceptibility to infection, followed by T. pallidipennis and D. maximus. Our analysis also revealed that T. cruzi (NINOA) infection was significantly associated with triatomine species rather than nymphal stage (p < 0.0001), with substantial variability observed in susceptibility among species (p < 0.001). We ranked triatomine species susceptibility to T. cruzi infection as follows: T. bassolsae > D. maximus = T. pallidipennis = T. picturata = T. mexicana > T. phyllosoma = T. lecticularia = T. infestans. These findings enhance our understanding of T. cruzi transmission dynamics and offer valuable insights for the development of effective control strategies against this neglected tropical disease.

We provide a supplemental description of the type species for Cryptogonimus Osborn, 1903 (Digenea: Cryptogonimidae), Cryptogonimus chili Osborn, 1903, based on newly-collected, heat-killed, formalin-fixed specimens infecting rock bass, Ambloplites rupestris (Rafinesque), and smallmouth bass, Micropterus dolomieu Lacepède (both Centrarchiformes: Centrarchidae), from the Duck River, Tennessee (USA). We emend Cryptogonimus to include features observed in the present specimens of its type species and in the descriptions of its congeners: a broad (wider than long) oral sucker, an intestine that bifurcates in the posterior half of the forebody, a bipartite seminal vesicle, a hermaphroditic duct that is dorsal to the ventral sucker, a preovarian seminal receptacle, and a Laurer's canal that opens dorsally at the level of the anterior testis. We describe Caecincola duttonae sp. n. (Cryptogonimidae) infecting largemouth bass, Micropterus salmoides (Lacepède), from Neely Henry Reservoir (Coosa River, Alabama, USA). The new species differs from its congeners by having a combination of a less elongate body, an intestine that bifurcates at the level of the ventral sucker, caeca that terminate at the level of the testes, diagonal testes in the middle of the hindbody, and a vitellarium predominantly distributed in the hindbody. We emend Caecincola Marshall et Gilbert, 1905 (type species Caecincola parvulus Marshall et Gilbert, 1905) to include features of the new species and recently-described congeners: an elongate body, an intestine that bifurcates in the posterior half of the forebody, caeca that extend posteriad beyond the testes, tandem testes, and a vitellarium that is wholly or primarily in the hindbody. Our 28S and ITS2 phylogenetic analyses recovered Caecincola and Cryptogonimus as sister taxa; Caecincola was recovered as paraphyletic with 28S but monophyletic with ITS2. This is the first phylogenetic study of Cryptogonimidae that includes a nucleotide sequence for a species of the type genus Cryptogonimus. We regard Cryptogonimus diaphanus (Stafford, 1904) Miller, 1941 as a species inquirenda.

A new species of Acanthocephala is described based on specimens found parasitising the intestine of the gafftopsail pompano Trachinotus rhodopus Gill in the State of Oaxaca, off the Pacific coast of Mexico. Rhadinorhynchus villalobosi sp. n. differs from the other 25 species of the genus known from the Pacific Ocean by a combination of morphological traits, such as the fewer number of rows of hooks along the proboscis, the distribution of spines of the trunk forming two fields, the position of genital pore, subterminal in both sexes, a shorter neck and cement glands, among others. The phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the nuclear 18S and 28S rRNA genes, as well as the mitochondrial cox1, all agree that R. villalobosi sp. n. is part of the genus, and closely related to Rhadinorhynchus trachinoti Grano-Maldonado, Sereno-Uribe, Hernández-Payán, Pérez-Ponce de León et García-Varela, 2025, a recently described Mexican species, despite the marked morphological differences between the two and being distributed in different areas.

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. gondii (furthermore called Toxoplasma-infected subjects) in two cross-sectional and one case-control study. Results of the first cross-sectional study (N = 72) suggest that Toxoplasma-infected neurasthenic patients have non-significantly lower levels of calcidiol than Toxoplasma-free patients (study A: P = 0.26 in women, P = 0.68 in men). However, two other studies (study B: N = 400; study C: N = 191) showed a non-significantly higher concentration of vitamin D in Toxoplasma-infected subjects than in Toxoplasma-free subjects both in men (study B: P = 0.70, study C: P = 0.55) and in women (study B: P = 0.64, study C: P = 0.12). Taken together, our preliminary results thus do not support the hypothesis that toxoplasmosis could be associated with vitamin D decrease.

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 faecal samples collected from four areas of Henan Province, Central China. All DNA samples were screened using PCR and positive samples were sequenced to identify individual subtypes based on the small ribosomal subunit (SSU rRNA) gene. The overall infection rate of Blastocystis sp. in domestic rabbits in Henan Province was 15% (43/286). Three subtypes were identified, including ST1 (26/43, 60%), ST3 (5/43, 12%) and ST7 (12/43, 28%), all of which belonged to potentially zoonotic subtypes, ST1 was the dominant gene subtype. These results showed that infection with Blastocystis sp. was common in domestic rabbits in Henan Province, Central China, and was represented by zoonotic subtypes. Therefore, special attention should be paid to reduce the risk of transmission of Blastocystis sp. from domestic rabbits to humans.

During November of 2007, parasitic nematodes were collected from 161 specimens of 32 freshwater fish species in the Lacantún River of the Lacandon rain forest of Chiapas, southern Mexico. Recent detailed morphological and taxonomic studies of this material revealed the presence of 17 nematode species (12 adult and 5 larval) of nine families, including Cucullanus potamarii sp. n. from the intestine of the ariid catfish Potamarius usumacintae Betancur-R et Willink, which is endemic to the Usumacinta River basin to which the Lacantún River belongs. This new species is mainly characterised by deirids and the excretory pore located far posterior to the level of the oesophago-intestinal junction, which is an almost unique feature among its congeners. Most parasites are briefly described and illustrated, and problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Some findings represent new host and geographical records. Cucullanus oaxaquensis Caspeta-Mandujano, Salgado-Maldonado et Martínez-Ramírez, 2010 is considered a junior synonym of Cucullanus angeli Cabañas-Carranza et Caspeta-Mandujano, 2007, and Neocucullanus marcelae Ramallo, 2012 a species inquirenda. Based on absence of relevant morphological differences, Rhabdochona ictaluri Aguilar-Aguilar, Rosas-Valdez et Pérez-Ponce de León, 2010 is considered a synonym of Rhabdochona kidderi Pearse, 1936.

The zoonotic marine nematodes of the genus Anisakis Dujardin, 1845 are the causative agents of anisakiasis, a parasitosis that has been increasingly reported in Europe over the past decade due to the more frequent consumption of lightly processed or raw seafood. While the life cycle in the marine environment is relatively well-known, an in vitro life cycle has recently been established with the goal to serve as a model for a better understanding of the functional biology of the nematode and consequent devising of strategies for its detection and inactivation. However, the reproductive capacity of the nematode has not been investigated so far, although it is an important parameter for epidemiological modelling or risk assessment studies. To measure the fecundity of Anisakis pegreffii Campana-Rouget et Biocca, 1955, type I larvae were obtained from naturally infected blue whiting Micromesistius poutassou (Risso) from the Adriatic Sea (Croatia) and cultured to the adult stage in Schneider's insect Drosophila medium supplemented with 10% chicken serum (n = 30 in triplicate). Larvae reached stage 4 (L4) by day 4 post-incubation (dpi), followed by molting to the stage 5 (L5) after 15 days and transition to the adult stage, characterised by production and expulsion of eggs on day 17 dpi. The fecundity of the adults was quantified by the daily number of eggs expelled per female, as well as their hatchability. Eggs were detected from 17 to 133 dpi but started hatching only from 44 dpi. Over the next 51 days, the eggs typically hatched into L2 larvae within 5-7 days. Average fecundity peaked at 100 dpi with 44,125 eggs/day/female and a sex ratio of 1 : 2 to 1 : 3. Cumulative mortality of cultured animals reached 60, 50 and 53% for the triplicates at 133 dpi, whereupon the experiment was terminated as only unfertilised eggs were produced.

Ixodes inopinatus Estrada-Peña, Nava et Petney, 2014 was described in 2014 from the Iberian Peninsula and later reported from Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Germany, Austria and Romania. However, recent studies raised serious doubts about the presence of I. inopinatus in Central Europe and reported hybridisation between the Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus, 1758) and I. inopinatus. In this study, we selected a locally common rodent host, the edible dormouse Glis glis (Linnaeus) (Rodentia: Gliridae), to study the prevalence of these two tick species and their hybrids in a Central European woodland. The TROSPA nuclear gene and the COI mitochondrial gene were used for tick identification. Overall, 581 dormice were screened and 383 I. ricinus, 17 I. ricinus/inopinatus hybrids and no I. inopinatus were found. Co-infection of I. ricinus and hybrids was found on 11 dormice with the overall prevalence of I. ricinus 28.8% and hybrids 2.5%. Seasonal occurrence of I. ricinus and hybrids reached a peak in August. Edible dormouse males were more frequently infected than females and larvae of both tick taxa greatly outnumbered the nymphs. Detection of a large number of hybrid larvae on this mammal host demonstrates that tick hybridisation likely occurs further north and outside the originally described distribution range of I. inopinatus.

The present paper comprises a systematic survey of trematodes found in 13 species of freshwater fishes in Venezuela collected in 1992, 1996 and 2001. The following 15 trematode species were recorded: Adults: Genarchella venezuelaensis sp. n., Thometrema dissimilis sp. n., Megacoelium spinicavum Thatcher et Varella, 1981, Doradamphistoma bacuense Thatcher, 1999, Crassicutis cichlasomae Manter, 1936, Parspina carapo Ostrowski de Núñez, Arredonto et Gil de Pertierra, 2011, Phyllodistomoides hoplerythrini sp. n. Larvae (metacercariae): Clinostomatopsis sorbens (Braun, 1899), Clinostomum marginatum (Rudolphi, 1819), C. detruncatum Braun, 1899, Ithyoclinostomum dimorphum (Diesing, 1850), Odhneriotrema microcephala (Travassos, 1922), Tylodelphys sp., Posthodiplostomum sp., Sphincterodiplostomum sp. All these parasites are reported from Venezuela for the first time and many of these findings represent new host records. The new species G. venezuelaensis sp. n., T. dissimilis sp. n. and P. hoplerythrini sp. n. were collected from the accessory respiratory organ of Loricariichthys brunneus (Hancock) (Loricariidae), from the stomach of Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus (Spix et Agassiz) (Erythrinidae) and from the intestine of H. unitaeniatus, respectively. All parasites are briefly described and illustrated and problems concerning their morphology, taxonomy, hosts and geographical distribution are discussed. Megacoelium spinispecum Thatcher et Varella, 1981 is considered a junior synonym of M. spinicavum Thatcher et Varella, 1981, and Crassicutis opisthoseminis Bravo-Hollis et Arroyo, 1962 as a junior synonym of C. cichlasomae Manter, 1936.

Latent infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) has been repeatedly correlated with behavioural and physiological changes in both humans and animals. While classically regarded as a parasite transmitted via ingestion or vertical (transplacental) transmission, accumulating evidence suggests that sexual transmission may also contribute to its epidemiology. This review explores the hypothesis that some behavioural effects of toxoplasmosis - especially those related to attraction, sexual activity, and mate choice - may have evolved to facilitate sexual transmission of the parasite. We summarise findings from animal models and human studies that show modified sexual preferences, altered sexual activity, enhanced attractiveness in infected individuals, and elevated prevalence of T. gondii in groups exhibiting high sexual activity or non-traditional sexual behaviour patterns. Particular attention is given to the role of testosterone, which may mediate both behavioural changes and reproductive consequences, such as shifts in offspring sex ratios and fertility outcomes. Direct detection of the parasite in semen and evidence of transmission through insemination in non-human species further support the plausibility of this route. The observed behavioural effects may also intersect with mechanisms previously thought to enhance predation risk, such as altered fear responses to felid odours. Taken together, these findings point to the possibility that sexual transmission, while likely secondary in humans, may have played a more substantial role in the evolutionary history and current ecology of T. gondii than previously appreciated. This perspective also provides an alternative interpretative framework for understanding the broad spectrum of phenotypic changes associated with latent toxoplasmosis. Further interdisciplinary research is required to clarify the relative contribution of sexual transmission to the parasite's life cycle and to assess its implications for public health and theory of host-parasite coevolution.

The present study describes the morphology and phylogenetic position of two specimens of Bertiella Stiles et Hassall, 1902 (Cestoda, Anoplocephalidae) from Rattus tanezumi (Temminck) (Muridae) from Đồng Tháp Province in southern Vietnam. The phylogenetic analysis was based on sequences of the large subunit ribosomal RNA gene (28S). The specimens were described and shown to be morphologically similar to Bertiella anapolytica Baylis, 1934 from Rattus spp. from Indonesia (Sumatra, type locality) and Australia, except for a few quantitative differences. The identification was confirmed by the phylogenetic analysis, which showed a strong affinity and fairly limited genetic divergence between the specimens from Vietnam and Australia. This is the first verified case of Bertiella in murid rodents from continental Eurasia. The uterine pore and associated canal present in the posterolateral corners of gravid proglottids of B. anapolytica are considered to form a true, functional structure used for egg release prior to apolysis. The phylogenetic analysis suggested that B. anapolytica has diverged as a consequence of a shift from marsupials, which probably took place east of the Wallace's line, either in Wallacea or Australasia. The presence of B. anapolytica west of the Wallace's line (Vietnam, Sumatra), where marsupials are absent, may be explained by a westward dispersal in commensal rats, possibly Rattus exulans (Peale), a species transported throughout the Pacific and South-East Asia by prehistoric people.

The cestodes of the genus Mathevotaenia Akhumyan, 1946, are parasites of mammals, although some species also occur in reptiles. The genus comprises 61 species distributed worldwide, 25 of which occur in the American continent. During a collection of mammals in Yucatán, Mexico, six specimens of a cestode belonging to Mathevotaenia were found in the Virginia opossum Didelphis virginiana Kerr. The aim of this study is to morphologically describe these specimens, which represent a new species, and to evaluate their phylogenetic position within the Anoplocephalidae, based on cox1, 28S rDNA and ITS sequences. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by the combination of the following characters: a high number of ovarian lobes, comparable only with Mathevotaenia wallacei (Chandler, 1952), and a body proper size similar to that of M. diminuta Navone, 1988, M. oklahomensis (Peery, 1939) and M. brasiliensis Kugi et Sawada, 1970.

Blood-sucking arthropods belonging to the order Diptera, encompassing mosquitoes, sandflies, midges, blackflies, horseflies and tsetseflies serve as vectors for a myriad of pathogens, inflicting substantial harm on both human and animal health globally. The analysis and visualisation of global hotspots and trends pertaining to vector-borne diseases, stemming from these six categories of arthropods, constituted a reliable reference for further delving into the research on Diptera insect vectors. To achieve this, we mined literature information from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC), encompassing all publications related to these six arthropod groups, and leveraged VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis and visualisation. This resulted in the construction of comprehensive relationship networks encompassing keywords, countries, institutions and authors. A comprehensive analysis encompassed 41,393 research publications, segmented into 34,363 studies on mosquitoes, 1,668 on sandflies, 3,665 on midges, 241 on blackflies, 336 on horseflies and 1,120 on tsetseflies. The bibliometric analysis, coupled with visual characterisation, offered a multifaceted synthesis of the gathered data from diverse angles. The scientometric analysis quantitatively assessed and identified the contributions of keywords, countries, institutions and authors pertaining to the research of each vector. The resulting visualisation knowledge maps elucidate collaborative network relationships within the respective vector research domains. This research endeavour stems from numerous driving forces, and a comprehensive grasp of its future trajectories and research hotspots can empower scientists with historical perspectives and forward-looking insights, fostering the formulation of innovative and impactful research ideas for the years ahead.

In this article, I recount the journey of discovering the effects of latent toxoplasmosis on human psychology, behaviour, morphology, and health as I observed it from the closest perspective over the past 30+ years, during which our laboratory has been intensely focused on this research. I trace how we moved from the initial observations of differences between infected and uninfected individuals in certain personality traits to the systematic study of similar differences in behaviour, both in the laboratory and in everyday life, as well as in physiological and even morphological traits. This eventually led us to investigate the causal relationships behind these observed associations and their molecular basis. I describe some of the unexpected discoveries our research revealed - whether it was the impact of toxoplasmosis on the human sexual index, the prenatal and postnatal development, the sexual preferences and behaviour, the modulatory effect of blood Rh factor on toxoplasmosis, or the discovery of sexual transmission of toxoplasmosis. In exploring whether the toxoplasmosis-associated effects were merely side effects of an ongoing latent infection, we gradually uncovered that seemingly asymptomatic toxoplasmosis has profound (and certainly not positive) effects on the mental and physical health of infected individuals. The article also includes three separate boxes that discuss some key methodological challenges we encountered along the way, such as how to distinguish the effect of infection from mere statistical association, or how to differentiate parasitic manipulation from a simple side effect.

A metabolic disease resulting in elevated blood glucose levels, type-2 diabetes affects approximately 462 million people globally. Although its prevalence appears to be increasing, type-2 diabetes has been associated with various potentially preventable risk factors, including infectious diseases. The protozoal infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) has been associated with type-2 diabetes in two previous meta-analyses. Since the publication of the last meta-analysis supporting an association between type-2 diabetes and T. gondii, several new primary studies have investigated this association. In this meta-analysis, we sought to further characterise the association between type-2 diabetes and T. gondii. We identified primary studies using PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. Twenty-five studies met our inclusion criteria for a total of 4,639 patients with type-2 diabetes and 3,492 controls. Eighteen primary studies found a positive association between type-2 diabetes and T. gondii, whereas seven did not. Using a frequentist random-effects meta-analysis model, we found an overall summary odds ratio of 2.77 (95-percent confidence interval: 2.03-3.76), suggesting that the odds people will have type-2 diabetes is 2.7 times higher for people seropositive for T. gondii. Future studies should investigate this association in additional geographical regions and explore whether this association is due to the immunosuppressive effects of type-2 diabetes or whether T. gondii directly or indirectly affects glucose metabolism, or both.

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 three outermost B hooks are inserted. Echinobothrium rhynchobati (Khalil et Abdul-Salam, 1989) is the only known species with this unique feature, but its rostellum has a system of interlocking knobs and sockets that articulate bases of the A and B type hooks with one another, which is not present in any of the newly described species. Echinobothrium tyleri sp. n. from Neotrygon australiae Last, White et Serét off northern Australia is distinguished from all known species of Echinobothrium by its unique rostellar hook formula {2-3 18/17 2-3}. With the present addition of four new species, the central Indo-Pacific realm becomes the major hotspot for Echinobothrium, from which 13 species have been reported.

Our team's discovery of the link between chronic "latent" infection with Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) and suicidal behaviour, and our subsequent cross-diagnostic confirmatory work and mechanistic extensions, evolved from our neuroimmunology studies on affective and behavioural dysregulation exacerbated by allergic sensitisation and allergen exposure. Another root was studying behavioural changes and cytokine gene expression in the brain of rodents sensitised and exposed to aeroallergens. We "piggy-backed" our project funded to study coupling between aeroallergen sensitisation and exposure in patients with recurrent mood disorders, by measuring Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) antibodies in existing samples, and found associations between IgG serointensity and past suicide attempts. Successively, we then reported significant associations between T. gondii seropositivity and/or serointensity and suicidal behaviour in patients with schizophrenia in Germany, recent attempters in Sweden, and longitudinally in a cohort of Danish mothers. In the Danish mothers the exposure to T. gondii preceded self-directed harm and violent suicide attempts; the association was stronger with higher serointensity strata demonstrating a dose-effect. Furthermore, we identified links between T. gondii IgG and suicide endophenotypes of aggression and impulsivity in both individuals with no history of mental illness, and in patients with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (IED). We also found associations between T. gondii and risk factors of suicidal behaviour such as hopelessness and anhedonia in the Amish, depressive symptoms in pregnant women and women Veterans, frailty in older adults, and cognitive deficits in patients with bipolar disorder. Recently, we reported positive associations between T. gondii IgG serointensity with suicidal ideation, impulsivity, depression scores, and daytime dysfunction due to sleep problems in US Veterans who previously attempted suicide. Toxoplasma gondii emerged rather unexpectedly and then took over a considerable proportion of our neuroimmune research portfolio. It satisfied both intellectual appetites, and brought celebrations of discovery, with three systematic reviews and meta-analyses published to date, and a substantial majority of primary articles confirming our initial observations. Toxoplasma gondii also brought considerable frustrations, such as initial grant application setbacks, inability to completely demonstrate causality and, so far, prophylactic and therapeutic impotence for mental health applications in general. While we do not have, as of today, effective and safe treatments for chronic toxoplasmosis with demonstrated mental health benefits in immunocompetent hosts, there are reasons to be optimistic regarding future discoveries. These may include vaccines, novel medications using in silico exploration with biological confirmation, trials of reactivation prevention, as well as identification and targeting of mediating mechanisms. Yet the most justified reasons for optimism are the potential to apply machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI) methodologies to big data with

In total 949 specimens of Trachinotus rhodopus (Gill) were collected over a 11-year period (from June 2013 to February 2024) from Acapulco Bay, Mexico. Parasite communities in T. rhodopus were quantified and analysed to explore two hypotheses related to their parasite species richness and diversity associated with the bentho-demersal and pelagic habits, and effects of the climatic fluctuations. Thirty-two metazoan parasite taxa/species were identified: three species of 'Monogenea', 14 Digenea, one Aspidogastrea, one Acanthocephala, two Cestoda, three Nematoda and eight Crustacea. The digeneans and copepods were the best represented groups. The component parasite communities were characterised by the numerical dominance of the acanthocephalan Rhadinorhynchus sp. Species richness (15-24 species) was similar to that reported for other species of carangid fish, but the richness of the digeneans was significantly higher. The parasite communities of T. rhodopus exhibited high variability in species composition, suggesting that each species of parasite may respond differently to environmental changes. However, the species richness and diversity were fairly stable over time. Climatic events of La Niña and El Niño probably generated notable changes in the structure of local food webs, thus indirectly influencing the transmission rates of several endoparasite species.

Three species of amphibian-parasitic acanthocephalans belonging to the genus Pseudoacanthocephalus Petrochenko, 1958 have been recorded in Japan. However, only a limited number of localities have been surveyed, and the distribution of these congeners across other regions of Japan remains unclear. In this study, acanthocephalans of the genus Pseudoacanthocephalus were recovered from both definitive (Rana ornativentris Werner - type host, and Zhangixalus arboreus [Okada et Kawano]) and accidental hosts (Scyliorhinus torazame [Tanaka]) from Sado Island, Japan. Morphological analyses indicate that those specimens represent a new species, Pseudoacanthocephalus sadoensis sp. n., which may be endemic to the island. Additionally, our report of the incidental occurrence of this species in a marine elasmobranch represents the first documented case of a Pseudoacanthocephalus species found in a marine host.