1
|
Dantas-Torres F, Bezerra-Santos MA, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Lia RP, Perles L, Barrera JP, Fagundes-Moreira R, Carbonara M, Varcasia A, Brianti E, Deak G, Rojas A, Miró G, Volf P, Baneth G, Otranto D. ParSCo: celebrating 10 years of a unique parasitology summer course. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:89. [PMID: 38409043 PMCID: PMC10895767 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06174-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
ParSCo (Parasitology Summer Course) is an intense, 1-week-long summer course organized by the Parasitology Unit of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Italy, with the support of the World Association for the Advancement of Veterinary Parasitology (WAAVP), the European Veterinary Parasitology College (EVPC) and Parasites and Vectors. The course, which is conducted in southern Italy, is planned for parasitologists and post-graduate students working in the field of parasitology. The course consists of theoretical and practical lessons, which include the collection, identification and diagnosis of parasites of pets, livestock and wildlife. The participants in ParSCo are afforded the opportunity to be involved in clinical examination and sample collection for the diagnosis of parasitic diseases (e.g. leishmaniosis, thelaziosis and many tick-borne diseases) present in the Mediterranean Basin. The course is conducted at Casa di Caccia, a hunting lodge situated in the Gallipoli Cognato Forest near the Basento River in the Basilicata region in southern Italy. In addition to the training purpose, ParSCo is a great opportunity for sharing knowledge and expertise while becoming part of the parasitology community in a pleasant environment. In this editorial, we share some information and celebrate 10 years of ParSCo, looking forward to forthcoming sessions of this unique parasitology summer course.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz (Fiocruz), Recife, Brazil.
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Valenzano, Italy.
| | | | | | - Riccardo Paolo Lia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Valenzano, Italy
| | - Livia Perles
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Valenzano, Italy
| | - Juan Pedro Barrera
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mariaelisa Carbonara
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Valenzano, Italy
| | - Antonio Varcasia
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Emanuele Brianti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Georgiana Deak
- Department of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Alicia Rojas
- Laboratory of Helminthology, Faculty of Microbiology, University of Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | - Guadalupe Miró
- Animal Health Department, Veterinary Faculty, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Petr Volf
- Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Gad Baneth
- Koret School of Veterinary Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari "Aldo Moro", Valenzano, Italy.
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Unterköfler MS, Dengg P, Niederbacher M, Lindorfer S, Eberle A, Huck A, Staufer K, Zittra C, Wortha LN, Hodžić A, Duscher GG, Harl J, Schlüsslmayr G, Bezerra-Santos MA, Otranto D, Silbermayr K, Fuehrer HP. Occurrence of Thelazia callipaeda and its vector Phortica variegata in Austria and South Tyrol, Italy, and a global comparison by phylogenetic network analysis. Parasit Vectors 2023; 16:294. [PMID: 37620902 PMCID: PMC10464191 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-023-05913-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The zoonotic nematode Thelazia callipaeda infects the eyes of domestic and wild animals and uses canids as primary hosts. It was originally described in Asia, but in the last 20 years it has been reported in many European countries, where it is mainly transmitted by the drosophilid fruit fly Phortica variegata. We report the autochthonous occurrence of T. callipaeda and its vector P. variegata in Austria. Nematodes were collected from clinical cases and fruit flies were caught using traps, netting, and from the conjunctival sac of one dog. Fruit flies and nematodes were morphologically identified and a section of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) was analysed. A DNA haplotype network was calculated to visualize the relation of the obtained COI sequences to published sequences. Additionally, Phortica spp. were screened for the presence of DNA of T. callipaeda by polymerase chain reaction. Thelazia callipaeda and P. variegata were identified in Burgenland, Lower Austria, and Styria. Thelazia callipaeda was also documented in Vienna and P. variegata in Upper Austria and South Tyrol, Italy. All T. callipaeda corresponded to haplotype 1. Twenty-two different haplotypes of P. variegata were identified in the fruit flies. One sequence was distinctly different from those of Phortica variegata and was more closely related to those of Phortica chi and Phortica okadai. Thelazia callipaeda could not be detected in any of the Phortica specimens.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Dengg
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Miriam Niederbacher
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Sarah Lindorfer
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Antonia Eberle
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Alexandra Huck
- Small Animal Practice Dr. Alexandra Huck, Güttenbach, Austria
| | - Katalina Staufer
- Department for Companion Animals and Horses, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Carina Zittra
- Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Licha Natalia Wortha
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Adnan Hodžić
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg Gerhard Duscher
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Josef Harl
- Institute of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | | | - Domenico Otranto
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy
| | | | - Hans-Peter Fuehrer
- Institute of Parasitology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Otranto D, Mendoza-Roldan JA, Dantas-Torres F. Thelazia callipaeda. Trends Parasitol 2020; 37:263-264. [PMID: 32451294 DOI: 10.1016/j.pt.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Otranto
- Parasitology Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari, Valenzano, Italy; Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran.
| | | | - Filipe Dantas-Torres
- Laboratory of Immunoparasitology, Department of Immunology, Aggeu Magalhães Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz), 50740-465, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|