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McCarthy AM, Litten-Brown JC, Collins MA. Trematode parasites as indicators of an animal component in the diet of the Water Vole Arvicola amphibius. Helminthologia 2023; 60:253-256. [PMID: 38152470 PMCID: PMC10750240 DOI: 10.2478/helm-2023-0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The intestinal trematode fauna of the Water Vole Arvicola amphibius, (previously A. terrestris), was investigated to determine whether it might provide evidence of an animal component in the diet of this aquatic herbivorous small mammal. Interrogation of the electronic Host-Parasite Database of the Natural History Museum London revealed the presence of fourteen species of intestinal trematode in water voles, infection with each of which would require the ingestion of tissue from an animal intermediate host. The results obtained using these parasite indicators provide convincing evidence of animal components in the diet of A. amphibius and support anecdotal reports of water voles feeding on animal material in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. M. McCarthy
- Higher Education Animal Sciences, Canterbury College (East Kent College Group), New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3AJ, United Kingdom
| | - J. C. Litten-Brown
- Higher Education Animal Sciences, Canterbury College (East Kent College Group), New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3AJ, United Kingdom
| | - M. A. Collins
- Higher Education Animal Sciences, Canterbury College (East Kent College Group), New Dover Road, Canterbury, Kent, CT1 3AJ, United Kingdom
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Valadão MC, Alves PV, López-Hernández D, Assis JCA, Coelho PRS, Geiger SM, Pinto HA. A new cryptic species of Echinostoma (Trematoda: Echinostomatidae) closely related to Echinostoma paraensei found in Brazil. Parasitology 2023; 150:1-11. [PMID: 36632020 PMCID: PMC10090611 DOI: 10.1017/s003118202300001x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Echinostoma paraensei, described in Brazil at the end of the 1960s and used as a biological model for a range of studies, belongs to the ‘revolutum’ complex of Echinostoma comprising species with 37 collar spines. However, molecular data are available only for a few isolates maintained under laboratory conditions, with molecular prospecting based on specimens originating from naturally infected hosts virtually lacking. The present study describes Echinostoma maldonadoi Valadão, Alves & Pinto n. sp., a species cryptically related to E. paraensei found in Brazil. Larval stages (cercariae, metacercariae and rediae) of the new species were found in the physid snail Stenophysa marmorata in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, the same geographical area where E. paraensei was originally described. Adult parasites obtained experimentally in Meriones unguiculatus were used for morphological (optical microscopy) and molecular [28S, internal transcribed spacer (ITS), nad1 and cox1] characterization. The morphology of larval and adult parasites (most notable the small-sized dorsal spines in the head collar), associated with low (0–0.1%) molecular divergence for 28S gene or ITS region, and only moderate divergence for the mitochondrial cox1 gene (3.83%), might suggest that the newly collected specimens should be assigned to E. paraensei. However, higher genetic divergence (6.16–6.39%) was found in the mitochondrial nad1, revealing that it is a genetically distinct, cryptic lineage. In the most informative phylogenetic reconstruction, based on nad1, E. maldonadoi n. sp. exhibited a strongly supported sister relationship with E. paraensei, which may indicate a very recent speciation event giving rise to these 2 species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa C. Valadão
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Philippe V. Alves
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Section of Parasitology, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University (UNESP), 18618-689, Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danimar López-Hernández
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Jordana C. A. Assis
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo R. S. Coelho
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Stefan M. Geiger
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Hudson A. Pinto
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, P.O. Box 486, 30123-970, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Eurytrema coelomaticum: updated morphology of adult worms using advanced microscopy experiments. J Helminthol 2020; 94:e122. [PMID: 31964430 DOI: 10.1017/s0022149x19001135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Eurytrema coelomaticum is a digenean flatworm of ruminants that is the causative agent of eurytrematosis, a disease of veterinary health concern. Although modern techniques of morphological analysis have provided new insights about the morphology and anatomy of parasitic helminths, most studies on E. coelomaticum adults are based on conventional light microscopy. In the present study, a combined approach using brightfield, fluorescence, confocal and scanning electron microscopies (SEMs), together with the cryofracture technique, have updated morphological data on E. coelomaticum recovered from cattle in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Light microscopy confirmed the presence of several structures present in the current description, such as suckers, pharynx, oesophagus, intestinal bifurcation and the cirrus-sac. Fluorescence stereomicroscopy revealed for the first time the cubic crystal protein inclusions in the forebody, which were further detailed by confocal and SEMs. Confocal microscopy provided detailed information of the muscular architecture associated with the attachment structures (suckers), digestive system (pharynx and oesophagus), egg-forming complex (ovary, Mehlis' gland and Laurer's canal) and male reproductive system, which are similar to those found in other digenean flukes. SEM images of cryofractured parasites showed mucus and developing eggs within uterine loops. It was demonstrated that the combination of advanced tools generated complementary information, confirming the importance of experimental morphology in parasitology. Therefore, the knowledge of the adult structural organization of E. coelomaticum was improved and this work has contributed to propose new morphological criteria to evaluate the effects of antiparasitic drugs on flukes of medical and veterinary importance.
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Rahman M, Islam S, Masuduzzaman M, Alam M, Chawdhury MNU, Ferdous J, Islam MN, Hassan MM, Hossain MA, Islam A. Prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal helminths in free-ranging Asian house shrew ( Suncus murinus) in Bangladesh. Vet World 2018; 11:549-556. [PMID: 29805224 PMCID: PMC5960798 DOI: 10.14202/vetworld.2018.549-556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2017] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aim Asian house shrew (Suncus murinus), a widely distributed small mammal in the South Asian region, can carry helminths of zoonotic importance. The aim of the study was to know the prevalence and diversity of gastrointestinal (GI) helminths in free-ranging Asian house shrew (S. murinus) in Bangladesh. Materials and Methods A total of 86 Asian house shrews were captured from forest areas and other habitats of Bangladesh in 2015. Gross examination of the whole GI tract was performed for gross helminth detection, and coproscopy was done for identification of specific eggs or larvae. Results The overall prevalence of GI helminth was 77.9% (67/86), with six species including nematodes (3), cestodes (2), and trematodes (1). Of the detected helminths, the dominant parasitic group was from the genus Hymenolepis spp.(59%), followed by Strongyloides spp.(17%), Capillaria spp. (10%), Physaloptera spp. (3%), and Echinostoma spp.(3%). Conclusion The finding shows that the presence of potential zoonotic parasites (Hymenolepis spp. and Capillaria spp.) in Asian house shrew is ubiquitous in all types of habitat (forest land, cropland and dwelling) in Bangladesh. Therefore, further investigation is crucial to examine their role in the transmission of human helminthiasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizanur Rahman
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh
| | - Shariful Islam
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, USA.,Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
| | - Md Masuduzzaman
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh
| | - Mahabub Alam
- Department of Animal Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh
| | | | - Jinnat Ferdous
- EcoHealth Alliance, New York, USA.,Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
| | - Md Nurul Islam
- Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research (IEDCR), Mohakhali, Dhaka-1212, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Mahmudul Hassan
- Department of Physiology, Biochemistry and Pharmacology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Khulshi, Chittagong 4225, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Alamgir Hossain
- Department of Pathology and Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Chittagong-4225, Bangladesh
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