Gastrointestinal helminths of nine species of Cnemaspis (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Peninsular Malaysia,one species from Cambodia and Thailand and two species from Vietnam

A total of 12 species of Cnemaspis (N = 104) from Southeast Asia were examined for gastrointestinal helminths. Samples consisted of nine species (n = 86) from Peninsular Malaysia: Cnemaspis affinis (n = 4); Cnemaspis baueri (n = 17); Cnemaspis biocellata (n = 12); Cnemaspis grismeri (n = 8); Cnemaspis kumpoli (n = 11); Cnemaspis limi (n = 9): Cnemaspis monachorum (n = 7); Cnemaspis pemanggilensis (n = 10); Cnemaspis peninsularis (n = 8); one species (n = 5) from Cambodia and Thailand, Cnemaspis chanthaburiensis (n = 5); and two species (n = 13) from Vietnam: Cnemaspis nuicamensis (n = 6) and Cnemaspis tucdupensis (n = 7). The aggregate helminth community consisted of one species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia malayi and nine species of Nematoda: Bakeria schadi, Meteterakis singaporensis, Parapharyngodon maplestoni, Maxvachonia sp., Physalopteroides sp., Physalopteridae gen. sp., Riticulariidae gen. sp., Seuratoidea gen. sp., Ascaridoidea gen. sp. Meteterakis singaporensis had the largest number of individuals (457) and greatest prevalence (24%). Twenty-eight new host records are reported.     

Helminths of 26 species of microhylid frogs (Anura: Microhylidae) from Papua New Guinea

Five hundred and sixty microhylid frogs representing 26 species collected from 2002 to 2005 in Papua New Guinea were examined for helminths. Found were three species of Digenea, two species of Cestoda, nineteen species of Nematoda, and two species of Acanthocephala. One hundred and eleven new host records were recorded. Nematodes comprised 73% (19/26) of the species present and 95% (10,581/11,107) of the individuals present. Seventeen of the 26 (65%) helminth species found are currently known only from Papua New Guinea.     

Advances in the study of helminth mitochondrial genomes and their associated applications

Helminths, including flatworms and roundworms, are abundant organisms that have a variety of life histories. Of these, the genera Schistosoma, Echinococcus, Trichinella are notable parasites of veterinary and medical importance, and cause substantial socio- economic losses throughout China and the rest of the world. Genetic markers in the mitochondrial (mt) genome have proven use- ful for systematic, ecological, evolutionary and population studies, and the growth of mt genomic research has increased in the last two decades. Technological improvements, such as the long-polymerase chain reaction method and high-throughput se- quencing have allowed minute amounts of DNA from single worms, biopsy samples or microscopic organisms to be used for whole mt genome characterization. To facilitate the retrieval, annotation and analyses of mitochondrial features, multiple data- bases and specific software have also been designed and established. This review focuses on current progress, applications and perspectives regarding helminth mt genomics. To date, the complete mt genomes for 93 species of helminths have been sequenced and analyzed. Analyses of the mt genes, including gene content, arrangement, composition and variation have revealed unique features among the helminths when compared with other metazoans. This provides important data concerning their functional and comparative mitochondrial genomics, molecular taxonomy and characterization, population genetics and systematics, and evolu- tionary history. Moreover, mt genome data for parasitic helminths are important for diagnosis, epidemiology and ecology of in- fections. Mitochondrial genome data offer a rich source of markers for the systematics and population genetics of socioeconomi- cally important parasitic helminths of humans and other animals.     

Progress in molecular parasitology

Summary Substantial progress has been made in the last ten years in understanding the structural and functional organization of parasitic protozoa and helminths and the complex physiological relationships that exist between these organisms and their hosts. By employing the new powerful techniques of biochemistry, molecular biology and immunology the genomic organization in parasites, the molecular basis of parasite's variation in surface antigens and the biosynthesis, processing, transport and membrane anchoring of these and other surface proteins were extensively investigated. Significant advances have also been made in our knowledge of the specific and often peculiar strategies of intermediary metabolism, cell compartmentation, the role of oxygen for parasites and the mechanisms of antiparasitic drug action. Further major fields of interest are currently the complex processes which enables parasites to evade the host's immune defense system and other mechanisms which have resulted in the specific adaptations which enabled parasites to survive within their host environments. Various approaches in molecular and biochemical parasitology and in immunoparasitology have been proven to be of high potential for serodiagnosis, immunoprophylaxis and drug design.This paper is based on a review presented at a workshop on Molecular Parasitology, organized by the Swiss Society of Tropical Medecine and Parasitology at the University of Neuchâtel, March 1985.     

Metazoan endoparasites of 18 anuran species from the mesophytic semideciduous Atlantic Forest in southern Brazil

Brazil has the richest anuran biodiversity in the world and many species have not yet been studied for parasites. One hundred and forty frogs belonging to 18 species (Rhinella schneideri, Dendropsophus aff. minutus, Dendropsophus nanus, Hypsiboas albopunctatus, Hypsiboas punctatus, Hypsiboas raniceps, Phyllomedusa tetraploidea, Pseudis platensis, Scinax fuscovarius, Trachycephalus typhonius, Leptodactylus chaquensis, Leptodactylus fuscus, Leptodactylus aff. latrans, Leptodactylus mystacinus, Leptodactylus podicipinus, Physalaemus cuvieri, Physalaemus nattereri and Elachistocleis bicolor) collected in aquatic habitats in forest remnants and surrounding agricultural landscapes in southern Brazil were examined for endoparasites. Twenty-four species of endoparasites were identified among 21 adult and three larval individuals: one species of Monogenea, Polystoma lopezromani; eight species of Digenea, Catadiscus marinholutzi, Catadiscus propinquus, Choledocystus simulans, Gordoderina sp., Neohaematoloechus neivai, Rauschiella lenti, Rauschiella linguatula, Rauschiella repandum; one species of Cestoda, Ophiotaenia sp.; one species of Acanthocephala, Centrorhyncus sp.; 12 species of Nematoda, Aplectana sp., Aplectana travassosi, Cosmocerca podicipinus, Raillietnema sp., Schrankiana formolusa, Falcaustra mascula, Oxyascaris oxyascaris, Ochoterenella digiticauda, Physaloptera sp., Brevimulticecum sp., Rhabdias sp., Parapharyngodon hylidae; and one species of Annelida, Dero (Allodero) lutzi. The endoparasite fauna found is constituted by generalist species. Two new records of occurrence in Brazil and 33 new host records are reported.     

Helminths of Emoia caeruleocauda (Squamata: Scincidae) from the Northern Mariana Islands,Micronesia

One hundred and ninety-eight Emoia caeruleocauda from nine of the Northern Mariana Islands, Micronesia were surveyed for helminths. Samples from Agrigan, Almagen, Anatahan, Asuncion, Pagan, Rota, Saipan, Sarigan and Tinian were examined. The helminth fauna was greatly depauperate: one species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia hickmani, one species of Nematoda, Skrjabinodon sheai and acanthocephalan cystacanths were found. Three of the larger islands, Agrigan, Rota and Saipan, contained two species of helminths. No helminths were found in E. caeruleocauda from Anatahan, Asuncion, Pagan and Tinian Islands.     

Helminth biodiversity of Costa Rican Anurans (Amphibia: Anura)

One hundred and sixty-three frogs representing 21 species collected in Costa Rica were examined for helminths. Those found were: one species of Digenea (Mesocoelium monas), one species of Cestoda (Cylindrotaenia americana), 15 species of Nematoda, 11 species represented by gravid individuals (Aplectana hylambatis, Aplectana incerta, Aplectana itzocanensis, Capillaria recondita, Cosmocerca parva, Cosmocerca podicipinus, Falcaustra costaricae, Hedruris heyeri, Oswaldocruzia costaricensis, Oswaldocruzia nicaraguensis, Rhabdias savagei) and four species represented by larvae (Physaloptera sp., Porrocaecum sp., Spirocamallanus sp., Ascarididae gen. sp.) and three species of Acanthocephala, one species represented by gravid individuals (Anuracanthorhynchus lutzi) and two species by cystacanths (Centrorhynchidae gen. sp. and Oligacanthorhynchidae gen. sp.). Mean helminth diversity (number of helminth species) per frog species was 2.4 ± 0.3 SE, range: 1–6. Forty-nine new host records are reported. Costa Rican frogs are infected by generalist helminths, which infect other species of frogs from Central and South America.     

Gastrointestinal helminth communities of two gekkonid lizard species,Nactus multicarinatus and Nactus pelagicus (Squamata: Gekkonidae), from the Republic of Vanuatu,Oceania

Gastrointestinal helminth communities of two gekkonid species, Nactus multicarinatus and Nactus pelagicus, from the Vanuatu Archipelago were examined. Both helminth communities were depauperate: N. multicarinatus harboured one species of Digenea, Mesocoelium monas, one species of Cestoda, Oochoristica javaensis, four species of Nematoda, Hedruris hanleyae, Parapharyngodon maplestoni, Physocephalus sp. (larvae in cysts), Filarioidea gen. sp. (juvenile); N. pelagicus harboured one species of Cestoda, O. javaensis, four species of Nematoda, H. hanleyae, Falcaustra tannaensis, P. maplestoni, Physocephalus sp. (larvae in cysts). In each helminth community P. maplestoni represented a core species and H. hanleyae was a secondary species. It is postulated that the helminth fauna infecting lizards of the Vanuatu Archipelago originated in Australia and Papua New Guinea and reached the archipelago by rafting; their establishment in Vanuatu was fortuitous.     

寄生蠕虫的调查与群落分析

1992年在福建省龙岩市解剖52只圈养麻鸭,检出寄生蠕虫9种,感染率分别为:鸭对体吸虫3.85%、宫川棘口吸虫3.85％、似椎低颈吸虫1.92％、细背孔吸虫1.92％、分歧单睾绦虫5.77％、美丽膜壳绦虫13.46%、冠双盔绦虫3.85％、鸭瓣口线虫5.77％、裂刺四棱线虫48.08％,总感染率为 61.54％,平均感染强度为11.75条,其中以裂刺四棱线虫最高。该群落中寄生蠕虫分布型有5种为聚集分布,4种为随机分布。优势种为裂刺四棱线虫,辅优势种为美丽膜壳绦虫和分歧单睾绦虫。优势度和感染指数亦以裂刺四棱线虫为最高。群落中的两两种对间显著亲和与正关联的种对有1对(P<0.01),负关联达显著水平的有7对(P<0.05)。