Volume 57, Issue 2

The leishmaniases are zoonotic diseases caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania. Leishmaniases are still endemic in China, especially in the west and northwest froniter regions. To revalue the preliminary phylogenetic results of Chinese Leishmania isolates, we amplified partial fragment of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and 7 spliced leader RNA (7SL RNA), then tested the phylogenetic relationships among Chinese Leishmania isolates and their relatives by analyzing SSU rRNA gene sequences and 7SL RNA gene sequences. 19 SSU RNA sequences and 9 7SL RNA sequences were obtained in our study, then analyzed with 42 SSU RNA sequences and 32 7SL RNA sequences retrieved from Genbank, respectively. In the Bayesian analysis of the SSU RNA gene, the isolate MHOM/CN/93/GS7 and the isolate IPHL/CN/77/XJ771 are members of Leishmania donovani complex, while the isolate MHOM/CN/84/JS1 clustered with Leishmania tropica. The other 11 Chinese Leishmania isolates (MHOM/CN/90/WC, MCAN/CN/90/SC11, MHOM/CN/80/XJ801, MHOM/CN/85/GS4, MHOM/CN/84/SD1, MCAN/CN/86/SC7, MHOM/CN/54/#3, MHOM/CN/83/GS2, MHOM/CN/90/SC10H2, MHOM/CN/89/GS6 and MHOM/CN/ 89/GS5) form an unclassified group, defined as Leishmania sp., and the most relative species to this group is L. tarentolae. In the Bayesian analysis of the 7SL RNA gene, 9 Chinese Leishmania isolates also formed an unclassified group with L. tarentolae, including canine isolate 10, MHOM/CN/85/GS4, MHOM/CN/84/SD1, MCAN/CN/86/SC7, MHOM/CN/54/#3, MHOM/ CN/83/GS2, MHOM/CN/90/SC10H2, MHOM/CN/89/GS6 and MHOM/CN/89/GS5. We concluded that: (1) Chinese Leishmania isolates are non-monophyly group; (2) an unclassified group may exist in China, and the most relative species to this group is L. tarentolae; (3) MHOM/CN/84/JS1, which was previously assigned as L. donovani, was most genetically related to L. tropica strain MHOM/SU/74/K27.

A total of 150 gilthead seabream Sparus aurata L., from North Lake of Tunis, Tunisia, were studied for protozoan and myxozoan parasites. The parasitological survey revealed the presence of ectoparasites (Amyloodinium ocellatum Brown, 1931, Trichodina lepsii Lom, 1962 on the gills) and endoparasites (Ceratomyxa sparusaurati Sitjà-Bobadilla, Palenzuela et Alvarez-Pellitero, 1995 infecting the gallbladder, and Eimeria sparis Sitjà-Bobadilla, Palenzuela et Alvarez-Pellitero, 1996 parasitizing the intestine). This is the first record of Amyloodinium ocellatum, Trichodina lepsii, Ceratomyxa sparusaurati, and Eimeria sparis in S. aurata from Tunisian waters. Data on prevalence and intensity of infection are provided. A comparison of the present species with previously described species in cultured gilthead seabream from other Mediterranean countries is also presented. In this study Trichodina lepsii is identified for the first time in Sparus aurata. A taxonomic description of this species based on silver nitrate method is provided.

Gyrodactylus malalai sp. nov. is described from the fin surface of cichlid fishes Oreochromis niloticus (L.) and Tilapia zillii (Gervais) caught in Lake Turkana (Kenya). The new species morphologically resembles Gyrodactylus nyanzae Paperna, 1973, but can be readily distinguished by the shape of the marginal hook sickles and the size of its hamuli. The sequence data of rDNA spanning partial 18S, internal transcribe spacer 1 and 2 and the 5.8S gene is unique within GenBank. Genetically, as most similar Gyrodactylus ergensi Přikrylová, Matějusová, Musilová et Gelnar, 2009 was found (97.5%). Moreover, a specimen of G. cichlidarum from O. niloticus, and a specimen G. ergensi from Sarotherodon galilaeus (L.) were collected during sampling in Kenya. Likewise, additional sampling of O. niloticus from the Blue Nile in Sudan revealed the presence of the newly described species. These findings represent the first records of gyrodactylids in both African countries.

Ultrastructural aspects of the advanced embryonic development and cotylocidial morphogenesis of the aspidogastrean Aspidogaster limacoides are described. The posterior or distal regions of the uterus are filled with eggs containing larvae at advanced stages of morphogenesis and fully-formed cotylocidia. Various stages and organs of this larva are described in detail, including the aspects of the developing and fully-differentiated cotylocidium, the body wall (tegument and musculature), glandular regions and the protonephridial excretory system. Blastomere multiplication by means of mitotic divisions takes place simultaneously with the degeneration or apoptosis of some micromeres; this frequently observed characteristic is compared and discussed in relation to corresponding reports for other neodermatans. During the advanced stages of the embryonic development of A. limacoides, the vitelline syncytium disappears and the size of the embryo increases rapidly. Evident polarization of the differentiating larva was observed; towards one pole of the egg, cytodifferentiation of the mouth, surrounded by the oral sucker and cephalic glands, takes place, whereas, towards the opposite pole, differentiation of the posterior sucker (incipient ventral disc) occurs. The oral and posterior suckers are formed from numerous embryonic cells which have differentiated into myocytes. The central part of the oral sucker undergoes invagination and forms the future pharynx and intestine. Fully-developed cotylocidia of A. limacoides have a neodermatan type of tegument, flame cells and two types of glandular structures. These results suggest a sister relationship between the Aspidogastrea and the Digenea, although the systematic position of aspidogastreans in relation to other platyhelminth taxa remains somewhat equivocal.

Maritrema formicae sp. nov. is described from the Patagonian coast, Argentina, based on adults obtained from the kelp gull, Larus dominicanus. The new species fits with the “eroliae complex” and can be distinguished from other related species mainly in shape and size of body, shape, size, and pattern of distribution of cirrus spines, uterus extension, number and size of eggs, vitellarium in a complete ring in all specimens, and its Neotropical distribution. The new species is sympatric with another species of the genus, Maritrema madrynense, which was recorded in the same host and locality.

Three new species of batrachotrematid trematodes from the small paa frog, Nanorana minica, collected in Uttarakhand, India are described and illustrated: Batrachotrema korbaensis sp. nov., Opisthioparorchis dehradunensis sp. nov. and Opisthioparorchis nanoranae sp. nov. The new species are assigned to genera based on presence or absence of cuticular spines; absent in Batrachotrema, present in Opisthioparorchis. Five species are assigned to Batrachotrema, which are separated by position of genital pore, location of testes and host; B. korbaensis differs from previously described species in that it is the only species from an anuran host with testes in the 4th quarter of the body. Ten species are assigned to Opisthioparorchis, which are separated by testes position, extent of vitellaria, and oral sucker-acetabulum ratio. O. nanoranae sp. nov. is the only species possessing tandem testes. Two species, O. dehradunensis sp. nov. and O. yaanensis, possess oblique testes, the remaining 7 species have symmetrical testes. Opisthioparorchis dehradunensis sp. nov. is distinguished from O. nanoranae sp. nov. by testes orientation; oblique in O. dehradunensis sp. nov., tandem in O. nanoranae sp. nov.

Schistosomiasis is caused by Schistosoma mansoni and is a public health problem in Brazil. The typical granulomatous lesion is associated with the increase in the oxidative damage by generation of free radicals. The aim of this work was to correlate some oxidative stress markers with the worm burden on carriers of schistosomiasis (n = 30) in the acute phase in comparison to healthy subjects (n = 30). The pro-oxidant parameter used was the colorimetric quantification of reactive substances to thiobarbituric acid, while the antioxidant markers used were blood content of reduced glutathione and determination of the activity of catalase. The worm burden was assessed by Kato-Katz method. The results pointed out that initially there was no difference in the catalase activity. However, there was a positive correlation between the increase in parasitic load and intensity of lipid peroxidation, and decrease in the content of reduced glutathione. Additionally, only the aspartate aminotransferase levels presented to be high, while there was a decrease in bilirubin level. Therefore, a possible association between the establishment of the oxidative stress in tissue and the parasitic load of Schistosoma mansoni is suggested.

Two hundred and twenty seven cestodes of the genus Panceriella were detected in the small intestine of a desert monitor lizard, Varanus griseus in the Dubai Emirate of the United Arab Emirates. Panceriella emiratensis sp. nov. is considerably shorter than the type species P. varanii and can be easily distinguished by the presence of an unsegmented neck, smaller numbers and smaller diameter of testes. Gravid segments contain a distinctly lower number of egg capsules.

The parasite fauna (protozoa, helminths and insects) of the two most widespread Murinae rodents in El Hierro (Canary Islands, Spain), the black rat (Rattus rattus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) was studied. Faunistic, ecological, ecotoxicological data, as well as information on the biology of some nematode parasites of R. rattus are provided. The present work is unprecedented in the Canary Islands, and provides the first data on the parasite biodiversity in Murinae from the archipelago. Concerning to parasitofaunas stands out: a) impoverishment of biodiversity of helminths respect of which have the same hosts in other islands; b) increasing the number of species of Siphonaptera, even compared with flea species that parasitize the same hosts from continental biotopes.

Catoessa boscii (Bleeker, 1857) (Crustacea, Isopoda, Cymothoidae), is redescribed according to the type specimen observed by Schioedte and Meinert (1884) extant in the Rijksmuseum von Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden (RMNH) and from many additional specimens recently collected in India from Carangoides malabaricus (Pisces, Carangidae). This study allows an updating of the diagnosis of the genus Catoessa and of the species Catoessa boscii. Some parasite-host relationships were studied during the year. Prevalence and sex ratio of parasites varied according to the month, and the sex and size of hosts.

This article reports the geographical and host distribution of the flea Stenoponia tripectinata on the Canary Islands. S. tripectinata is widely distributed throughout the Mediterranean and North Africa as a parasite of Muridae rodents. To date, Gran Canaria is the only island of the archipelago where S. tripectinata had been found. In this report, S. tripectinata has appeared parasitizing 116 specimens of Mus musculus out of a total of 660, and only 2 Rattus rattus of 215 captured. All the trapped Muridae hosts found to be parasitized by S. tripectinata came from humid biotopes. The results showed that S. tripectinata is present on all the western Canary Islands and on one of the eastern islands, Gran Canaria, the only island already reported. The detection of S. tripectinata on El Hierro, La Palma, La Gomera and Tenerife represents the first records of this flea species on those Canary Islands.

Pelecitus tercostatus (Molin, 1860) (Onchocercidae, Dirofilariinae) was found in the leg of a Vinaceous-breasted Parrot Amazona vinacea (Aves, Psittaciformes) from Misiones, Argentina. The present report enlarges the host distribution of the species and represents the first record of any nematode in A. vinacea. The macroscopic lesions produced in the bird are also described.