-
International Journal of Environmental... Jul 2020(Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although has long been studied,...
(Linnaeus, 1758) (Cestoda: Diphyllobothriidea; syn. ), is a fish-borne zoonotic parasite responsible for diphyllobothriasis in humans. Although has long been studied, many aspects of its epidemiology and distribution remain unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence, mean intensity of infestation, and mean abundance of plerocercoid larvae of in European perch () and its spatial distribution in three commercial fishing areas in Lake Iseo (Northern Italy). A total of 598 specimens of were caught in 2019. The total prevalence of was 6.5%. However, there were significant differences between areas (10.2% North; 7.3% Center; 1.5% South) (Chi-square test, = 0.0018). The mean intensity of infestation ranged from 1 larva in southern area to 1.2 larvae in both the central and northern (Pisogne) areas. In addition, the mean abundance ranged from 0.02 in the southern area to 0.26 in the northern area (Pisogne). The total number of larvae (anterior dorsal-AD = 21; anterior ventral-AV = 1; posterior dorsal-PD = 15; posterior ventral-PV = 5) differed significantly between the four anatomical quadrants (Kruskal-Wallis test; = 0.0001). The prevalence of plerocercoid larvae in European perch from Lake Iseo has long been investigated, but without an appropriate sampling design. With the present study, a broader analysis in spatial distribution has been added to the existing literature, revealing new information about distribution and occurrence in Lake Iseo, with new data that will be useful for health authorities and future studies.
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; Humans; Italy; Lakes
PubMed: 32674519
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145070 -
Parasitology International Jun 2020A platyhelminth, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, belonging to the class Cestoda, causes human sparganosis, and infection with its larva results in subtle inflammation in...
A platyhelminth, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei, belonging to the class Cestoda, causes human sparganosis, and infection with its larva results in subtle inflammation in the body of its host. We previously reported the purification of a glycoprotein, plerocercoid-immunosuppressive factor (P-ISF) from the excretory/secretory products of S. erinaceieuropaei plerocercoids that may be involved in immuno-modification. We determined the sequence of P-ISF from the N-terminal and the internal 10 amino acids of P-ISF using degenerate PCR and 5'- and 3'-RACE methods. The putative gene encoding P-ISF was 1443 bp long and the gene contained 10 exons and 9 introns in a genomic DNA of size 5205 bp. P-ISF consists of 480 amino acids including the N-terminal signal peptide sequence, and has two unknown domains,-cestoda cysteine-rich domains (CCDs) and a fibronectin type III domain between the two CCDs. All cysteine residues were conserved in the two CCDs, which shared 62% amino acid identities. Homologous analysis revealed that the CCDs were homologous with an unknown protein of Diphyllobothrium latum. To produce specific antibodies, we expressed recombinant P-ISF (rP-ISF) using wheat germ protein synthetic system. P-ISF was localized in the sub-cutaneous tissues and the parenchymal tissues of plerocercoids. Transcription of P-ISF was detected only in plerocercoid stage, but not in adult stage. Western blotting also showed a band in plerocercoide stage but not in adult. The rP-ISF did not suppress nitrite production in RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with LPS, and this might be due to lack of carbohydrate chains in the recombinant protein.
Topics: Animals; Cloning, Molecular; Cysteine; Female; Fibronectins; Genome, Helminth; Glycoproteins; Helminth Proteins; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Protein Sorting Signals; RAW 264.7 Cells; Recombinant Proteins; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Spirometra
PubMed: 31978597
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2020.102062 -
Parasitology Research Feb 2020Diphyllobothriasis is a parasitic fish-borne disease caused by tapeworms of the genus Dibothriocephalus (=Diphyllobothrium). The majority of reported cases are...
Diphyllobothriasis is a parasitic fish-borne disease caused by tapeworms of the genus Dibothriocephalus (=Diphyllobothrium). The majority of reported cases are attributed to D. latum, based on morphological identification of eggs or proglottids. However, numerous reports in recent years suggested that other Dibothriocephalus species could be involved in human infections, mainly after consumption of salmonid fish. Among these, D. nihonkaiense has been predominantly reported from Eastern Asia and probably underestimated in the rest of the world. We report here a clinical case of D. nihonkaiense in a French patient (without history of travel abroad) after consumption of salmon. Suspected on morphological characteristics, the final identification of D. nihonkaiense was performed using molecular methods by sequencing nad1, cox1, and 5.8S rRNA (containing ITS1 and 2) genes sequences. The patient was successfully treated by a single dose of praziquantel. Reports of diphyllobothriasis due to D. nihonkaiense are rare outside Asia, but worldwide demand of seafood could lead to the globalization of cases and reflect the need to monitor the distribution of Dibothriocephalus species. Thus, clinical parasitologists should be aware of this risk and able to raise the possibility of infections by non-endemic Dibothriocephalus species in order to use the proper molecular tools.
Topics: Adult; Animals; Anthelmintics; DNA, Helminth; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; France; Humans; Male; Molecular Diagnostic Techniques; Praziquantel; Salmon; Seafood; Sequence Analysis, DNA
PubMed: 31848744
DOI: 10.1007/s00436-019-06566-6 -
Helminthologia Sep 2019Diphyllobothriosis is a fish-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by so-called "broad tapeworms" or "fish tapeworms" of different genera of the order Diphyllobothriidea....
Diphyllobothriosis is a fish-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by so-called "broad tapeworms" or "fish tapeworms" of different genera of the order Diphyllobothriidea. (Linnaeus 1758), (syn. , is a medically important type species of the genus, whose occurrence in various European regions is either regular, e.g. in the Alpine lakes region, or occasional and sporadic, e. g. in the Danube River region. For the latter, data on the detection of plerocercoids in the second intermediate fish host (European perch ), as well as in definitive hosts (human and dog), in which infection was directly linked to the consumption of infected fish from the Danube, were published more than 50 years ago. In order to assess the current situation, we aimed to find out whether is present in the natural environment of the Danube River. In total, 700 perch from five sampling sites in the Slovak part of the Danube River were examined. Plerocercoids were not detected in any fish examined, which leads to the conclusion that is currently not present in the studied aquatic environment.
PubMed: 31662698
DOI: 10.2478/helm-2019-0001 -
Parasites & Vectors Aug 2019In Europe, the tapeworm Dibothriocephalus latus (syn. Diphyllobothrium latum) is a well-known etiological agent of human diphyllobothriosis, which spreads by the...
BACKGROUND
In Europe, the tapeworm Dibothriocephalus latus (syn. Diphyllobothrium latum) is a well-known etiological agent of human diphyllobothriosis, which spreads by the consumption of raw fish flesh infected by plerocercoids (tapeworm's larval stage). However, the process of parasite establishment in both intermediate and definitive hosts is poorly understood. This study was targeted mainly on the scolex (anterior part) of the plerocercoid of this species, which facilitates penetration of the parasite in intermediate paratenic fish hosts, and subsequently its attachment to the intestine of the definitive host.
METHODS
Plerocercoids were isolated from the musculature of European perch (Perca fluviatilis) caught in Italian alpine lakes. Parasites were examined using confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Immunofluorescence tagging was held on whole mount larvae.
RESULTS
The organisation of the central and peripheral nervous system was captured in D. latus plerocercoids, including the ultrastructure of the nerve cells possessing large dense neurosecretory granules. Two types of nerve fibres run from the body surface toward the nerve plexus located in the parenchyma on each side of bothria. One type of these fibres was found to be serotoninergic and possessed large subtegumental nerve cell bodies. A well-developed gland apparatus, found throughout the plerocercoid parenchyma, produced heterogeneous granules with lucent core packed in a dense layer. Three different types of microtriches occurred on the scolex and body surface of plerocercoids of D. latus: (i) uncinate spinitriches; (ii) coniform spinitriches; and (iii) capilliform filitriches. Non-ciliated sensory receptors were observed between the distal cytoplasm of the tegument and the underlying musculature.
CONCLUSIONS
Confocal laser scanning microscopy and electron microscopy (SEM and TEM) showed the detailed microanatomy of the nervous system in the scolex of plerocercoids, and also several differences in the larval stages compared with adult D. latus. These features, i.e. well-developed glandular system and massive hook-shaped uncinate spinitriches, are thus probably required for plerocercoids inhabiting fish hosts and also for their post-infection attachment in the human intestine.
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; Larva; Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; Nervous System; Seafood
PubMed: 31434579
DOI: 10.1186/s13071-019-3664-8 -
Parasitology Oct 2019Little is known about the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in prehistoric Britain. The Late Bronze Age archaeological site of Must Farm was a...
Little is known about the types of intestinal parasites that infected people living in prehistoric Britain. The Late Bronze Age archaeological site of Must Farm was a pile-dwelling settlement located in a wetland, consisting of stilted timber structures constructed over a slow-moving freshwater channel. At excavation, sediment samples were collected from occupation deposits around the timber structures. Fifteen coprolites were also hand-recovered from the occupation deposits; four were identified as human and seven as canine, using fecal lipid biomarkers. Digital light microscopy was used to identify preserved helminth eggs in the sediment and coprolites. Eggs of fish tapeworm (Diphyllobothrium latum and Diphyllobothrium dendriticum), Echinostoma sp., giant kidney worm (Dioctophyma renale), probable pig whipworm (Trichuris suis) and Capillaria sp. were found. This is the earliest evidence for fish tapeworm, Echinostoma worm, Capillaria worm and the giant kidney worm so far identified in Britain. It appears that the wetland environment of the settlement contributed to establishing parasite diversity and put the inhabitants at risk of infection by helminth species spread by eating raw fish, frogs or molluscs that flourish in freshwater aquatic environments, conversely the wetland may also have protected them from infection by certain geohelminths.
Topics: Animals; Archaeology; England; Helminths; Humans; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic
PubMed: 31391134
DOI: 10.1017/S0031182019001021 -
Acta Parasitologica Sep 2019A piscivorous fish European perch (Perca fluviatilis) is present in all types of lakes and brackish waters in Poland. Previous ichthyoparasitological surveys revealed...
INTRODUCTION
A piscivorous fish European perch (Perca fluviatilis) is present in all types of lakes and brackish waters in Poland. Previous ichthyoparasitological surveys revealed broad spectrum of endohelminths in perch from different aquatic environments. Among them, detection of Diphyllobothrium sp. and Dibothriocephalus latus (syn. Diphyllobothrium latum) in the Pomeranian Bay is of particular interest, since D. latus is one of the causative agents of diphyllobothriasis, fish-borne parasitic zoonosis. Besides, D. latus eggs were previously detected in coprological samples of otter, wolf and lynx from the Białowieża Primeval Forest.
AIM
To conduct parasitological examinations of European perch from the Pomeranian Bay in order to detect the spectrum of its endohelminths and to provide a pilot study on helminths of perch from different water bodies in the Białowieża Primeval Forest. Due to zoonotic character of D. latus, we have focused our attention to this tapeworm.
RESULTS
The larvae of tapeworm Triaenophorus nodulosus and thorny-headed worm Acanthocephalus lucii were detected in perch from the Pomeranian Bay. In perch from different localities in the Białowieża Primeval Forest, T. nodulosus, A. lucii and tapeworm Proteocephalus percae were detected. D. latus plerocercoids were found neither in musculature nor in peritoneal cavity and other internal organs of any of the fish examined from both studied localities in Poland.
CONCLUSION
Future screening implementing morphological and molecular markers is needed in order to understand the current distribution of D. latus in Europe.
Topics: Animals; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Fish Diseases; Perches; Pilot Projects; Poland
PubMed: 31165987
DOI: 10.2478/s11686-019-00087-z -
Veterinary Parasitology, Regional... Dec 2018Diphyllobothriidea are the principal agents of Diphyllobothriosis, a widespread food-borne cestodosis. Accurate identification of the species in samples is therefore...
Diphyllobothriidea are the principal agents of Diphyllobothriosis, a widespread food-borne cestodosis. Accurate identification of the species in samples is therefore crucial for diagnosis and epidemiology in wild and domestic animals, and also humans. We aim to identify at specific level the causative agent, and provide an observational, descriptive, and transversal study of the epidemiology of this zoonosis in urban dogs. Also data on wild carnivores from Northwestern Patagonia are presented. Dog feces were collected in thirteen neighborhoods of varying socioeconomic status, and stools were analyzed by two concentration methods. Adult worms were collected and identified by molecular methods. The population of free-roaming dogs in each neighborhood was estimated, and surveys were conducted at all veterinary clinics registered in the Veterinary Medical College of Bariloche city. A total of 36 wild carnivores road killed or found dead in three National Parks were analyzed. Molecular and morphometric analyses of proglottids and eggs from dogs indicate they are infected with D. latum. Twenty out of 118 dog feces were positive for Diphyllobothrium, from 9 out of 13 neighborhoods, with infection values between 10% and 66%. Percentage of infection was correlated positively with the number of free roaming dogs per block, and with Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN %), but not with distance to nearest water body. Infection by D. latum in dogs is widely distributed throughout the city. Not all local veterinarians know the occurrence of Diphyllobothriosis in the dogs of the city, and it is evident that this zoonosis is underdiagnosed in relation to the percentage of infection found in this study. None of the analyzed wild carnivores were positive for Diphyllobothrium.
Topics: Animals; Animals, Wild; Argentina; Carnivora; Diphyllobothriasis; Diphyllobothrium; Dogs; Urban Renewal
PubMed: 31014723
DOI: 10.1016/j.vprsr.2018.11.001 -
Parasitology International Apr 2019Endoparasitic infections represent relevant causes of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in cats. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of...
Endoparasitic infections represent relevant causes of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in cats. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of endoparasites in Swiss cats in order to evaluate the risk of onset of parasitic diseases and potential correlated zoonoses. Therefore 664 faecal samples from privately owned (n = 299), shelter (n = 197) and stray (n = 168) cats were investigated by sedimentation-flotation and 468 samples additionally by the Baermann technique. Overall, 77.4% (n = 130), 21.8% (n = 43) and 11.7% (n = 35) of stray, shelter and privately owned cats, respectively, were positive, with significant differences between the groups. Among infected cats, 58.7% (n = 122) harboured a single, 30.8% (n = 64) two and 10.6% (n = 22) more than two parasite species. Toxocara cati, with an infection rate of 18.5% (n = 123), was the most frequently detected parasite. The rates for other intestinal parasites were: Taenia sp. 11.1% (n = 74), Isospora sp. 8.1% (n = 54), Capillaria sp. 4.7% (n = 31), hookworms 1.1% (n = 7), Giardia duodenalis 0.8% (n = 5), Dipylidium caninum 0.6% (n = 4), Toxoplasma gondii 0.6% (n = 4), Hammondia hammondi 0.5% (n = 3), Sarcocystis sp. 0.2% (n = 1) and Diphyllobothrium latum 0.2% (n = 1). First-stage larvae of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus were found in 2.3% (n = 15) of all samples. The morphological identification of Taenia sp., T. gondii, H. hammondi and A. abstrusus was confirmed by molecular techniques. Overall, cats younger than one year and intact animals were more frequently infected with parasites than older and neutered animals. The observed infection rates were comparable to those from other European studies, except for Taenia sp. showing a significantly higher occurrence. This implicates that there is a persistent risk of environmental contamination with parasitic stages especially by stray cats, and a risk of infection for cat owners with potential zoonotic pathogens, emphasizing the need for appropriate parasite control measures.
Topics: Age Factors; Animals; Animals, Wild; Cat Diseases; Cats; Feces; Female; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic; Lung Diseases, Parasitic; Male; Metastrongyloidea; Pets; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Strongylida Infections; Switzerland; Taenia; Taeniasis; Toxocara; Toxocariasis; Toxoplasma; Toxoplasmosis, Animal; Zoonoses
PubMed: 30552978
DOI: 10.1016/j.parint.2018.12.005 -
Proceedings. Biological Sciences Oct 2018Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and...
Throughout history, humans have been afflicted by parasitic worms, and eggs are readily detected in archaeological deposits. This study integrated parasitological and ancient DNA methods with a large sample set dating between Neolithic and Early Modern periods to explore the utility of molecular archaeoparasitology as a new approach to study the past. Molecular analyses provided unequivocal species-level parasite identification and revealed location-specific epidemiological signatures. Faecal-oral transmitted nematodes ( and ) were ubiquitous across time and space. By contrast, high numbers of food-associated cestodes ( and ) were restricted to medieval Lübeck. The presence of these cestodes and changes in their prevalence at approximately 1300 CE indicate substantial alterations in diet or parasite availability. ITS-1 sequences grouped into two clades; one ubiquitous and one restricted to medieval Lübeck and Bristol. The high sequence diversity of ITS-1 detected in Lübeck is consistent with its importance as a Hanseatic trading centre. Collectively, these results introduce molecular archaeoparasitology as an artefact-independent source of historical evidence.
Topics: Animals; Archaeology; Cities; Cultural Evolution; DNA, Ancient; Feces; Genetic Variation; Germany; Helminths; History, 15th Century; History, 16th Century; History, 17th Century; History, Ancient; History, Medieval; Humans; Parasite Egg Count; Parasitology; Trichuriasis; Trichuris
PubMed: 30282648
DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0991