Articles

Multiple diagnostic tests demonstrate an increased risk of canine heartworm disease in northern Queensland, Australia

Canine heartworm (Dirofilaria immitis) is a life-threatening infection of dogs with a global distribution. Information on the prevalence of D. immitis and associated risk factors for canine heartworm antigen posi...

Authors: Jessica L. Panetta, Nichola Eliza Davies Calvani, Bronwyn Orr, Aldo Gianfranco Nicoletti, Michael P. Ward and Jan Šlapeta

A nationwide survey of the tabanid fauna of Cameroon

Tabanids are a neglected group of haematophagous dipterans despite containing 4434 species, regrouped in > 144 genera. They are mechanical vectors of important pathogens, including viruses, bacteria and protoz...

Authors: Silas L. Sevidzem, Aubin A. Koumba, Genevieve L. Yao-Acapovi and Jacques F. Mavoungou

The identification and semi-quantitative assessment of gastrointestinal nematodes in faecal samples using multiplex real-time PCR assays

The diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in ruminants is routinely based on morphological/morphometric analysis of parasite specimens recovered by coprological methods, followed by larval cu...

Authors: Nikol Reslova, Lucie Skorpikova, Iveta Angela Kyrianova, Jaroslav Vadlejch, Johan Höglund, Philip Skuce and Martin Kasny

An epidemiological survey of Dirofilaria spp. and Acanthocheilonema spp. in dogs from the Republic of Moldova

During the last decades, filarial infections caused by Dirofilaria spp. have spread rapidly within dog populations of several European countries. Increasing scientific interest in filariasis, and the availability...

Authors: Mirabela Oana Dumitrache, Gianluca D’Amico, Eugeniu Voiniţchi, Serghei Maximenco, Viorica Mircean and Angela Monica Ionică

Establishment and validation of a guinea pig model for human congenital toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasma gondii is an obligate intracellular parasite with a worldwide distribution. Congenital infection in humans and animals may lead to severe symptoms in the offspring, especially in the brain. A suitable ...

Authors: Thomas Grochow, Britta Beck, Zaida Rentería-Solís, Gereon Schares, Pavlo Maksimov, Christina Strube, Johannes Seeger, Lisa Raqué, Reiner Ulrich, Arwid Daugschies and Simone A. Fietz

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for Schistosoma mansoni detection in Biomphalaria spp. from schistosomiasis-endemic areas in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Schistosomiasis a neglected tropical disease  endemic in Brazil. It is caused by the trematode Schistosoma mansoni, which is transmitted by snails of the genus Biomphalaria. Among measures used to control and eli...

Authors: Silvia Gonçalves Mesquita, Floria Gabriela dos Santos Neves, Ronaldo Guilherme Carvalho Scholte, Omar dos Santos Carvalho, Cristina Toscano Fonseca and Roberta Lima Caldeira

Development of an RNAi-based microalgal larvicide for the control of Aedes aegypti

Mosquito-borne diseases affect over half of the human population globally. Multiple studies have shown that chemical insecticides are ineffective because of resistance. Therefore, environmentally safe mosquito...

Authors: Xiaowen Fei, Yang Zhang, Lili Ding, Sha Xiao, Xiaoqing Xie, Yajun Li and Xiaodong Deng

Long-term dynamics of trematode infections in common birds that use farmlands as their feeding habitats

The biodiversity of farmland habitats is witnessing unprecedented change, mostly in declines and simplification of assemblages that were established during centuries of the use of traditional agricultural tech...

Authors: Jiljí Sitko and Petr Heneberg

Identification of the Bcl-2 and Bax homologs from Rhipicephalus haemaphysaloides and their function in the degeneration of tick salivary glands

The salivary glands of female ticks degenerate rapidly by apoptosis and autophagy after feeding. Bcl-2 family proteins play an important role in the apoptosis pathways, but the functions of these proteins in t...

Authors: Shanming Hu, Yanan Wang, Zhengmao Xu, Yongzhi Zhou, Jie Cao, Houshuang Zhang and Jinlin Zhou

Higher temperatures reduce the number of Trypanosoma cruzi parasites in the vector Triatoma pallidipennis

Relatively little is known about how pathogens transmitted by vector insects are affected by changing temperatures analogous to those occurring in the present global warming scenario. One expectation is that, ...

Authors: Berenice González-Rete, Ana E. Gutiérrez-Cabrera, José Antonio de Fuentes-Vicente, Paz María Salazar-Schettino, Margarita Cabrera-Bravo and Alex Córdoba-Aguilar

Simplified binomial estimation of human malaria transmission exposure distributions based on hard classification of where and when mosquitoes are caught: statistical applications with off-the-shelf tools

The impacts and limitations of personal protection measures against exposure to vectors of malaria and other mosquito-borne pathogens depend on behavioural interactions between humans and mosquitoes. Therefore...

Authors: Gerry F. Killeen, April Monroe and Nicodem J. Govella

Predicting temperature-dependent transmission suitability of bluetongue virus in livestock

The transmission of vector-borne diseases is governed by complex factors including pathogen characteristics, vector–host interactions, and environmental conditions. Temperature is a major driver for many vecto...

Authors: Fadoua El Moustaid, Zorian Thornton, Hani Slamani, Sadie J. Ryan and Leah R. Johnson

Efficacy of afoxolaner (NexGard®) in preventing the transmission of Leishmania infantum and Dirofilaria immitis to sheltered dogs in a highly endemic area

Leishmania infantum and Dirofilaria immitis are among the most important canine vector-borne pathogens (CVBPs) of zoonotic concern in Europe. In endemic areas for both of these CVBPs, the use of systemic ectopar...

Authors: Rossella Panarese, Roberta Iatta, Jairo Alfonso Mendoza-Roldan, Andrea Zatelli, Frederic Beugnet and Domenico Otranto

A multiplex PCR assay for six Aedini species, including Aedes albopictus

Mosquitoes, as vectors of various human pathogens, are significant drivers of serious human illness. In particular, those species in the Aedini tribe, which typically transmit dengue virus, Chikungunya fever v...

Authors: Woo Jun Bang, Min Hyeok Won, Seong Tae Cho, Jihun Ryu and Kwang Shik Choi

Aedes aegypti continuously exposed to Bacillus thuringiensis svar. israelensis does not exhibit changes in life traits but displays increased susceptibility for Zika virus

Aedes aegypti can transmit arboviruses worldwide, and Bacillus thuringiensis svar. israelensis (Bti)-based larvicides represent an effective tool for controlling this species. The safety of Bti and lack of resist...

Authors: Karine da Silva Carvalho, Duschinka Ribeiro Duarte Guedes, Mônica Maria Crespo, Maria Alice Varjal de Melo-Santos and Maria Helena Neves Lobo Silva-Filha

Anopheles bionomics in a malaria endemic area of southern Thailand

Ivermectin mass drug administration (MDA) could accelerate malaria elimination in the Greater Mekong Subregion. This study was performed to characterize the bionomics of Anopheles in Surat Thani province, Thailan...

Authors: Narenrit Wamaket, Oranicha Khamprapa, Sittinont Chainarin, Panisa Thamsawet, Ubolrat Ninsaeng, Suttipong Thongsalee, Veerast Suwan, Jira Sakolvaree, Ratree Takhampunya, Silas A. Davidson, Patrick W. McCardle, Patiwat Sa-angchai, Mavuto Mukaka, Kirakorn Kiattibutr, Amnat Khamsiriwatchara, Wang Nguitragool…

Comparative population genetics of the invasive mosquito Aedes albopictus and the native mosquito Aedes flavopictus in the Korean peninsula

Aedes mosquitoes are important invasive species contributing to the spread of chikungunya, dengue fever, yellow fever, zika virus, and other dangerous vector-borne diseases. Aedes albopictus is native to southeas...

Authors: Jiyeong Shin and Jongwoo Jung

Blood glucose promotes dengue virus infection in the mosquito Aedes aegypti

Dengue fever is the most rapidly spreading mosquito-borne viral disease globally. More than 2.5 billion people live in dengue-endemic areas. Previous studies suggested an interrelationship between diabetes mel...

Authors: Shih-Che Weng, Po-Nien Tsao and Shin-Hong Shiao

At the tip of an iceberg: citizen science and active surveillance collaborating to broaden the known distribution of Aedes japonicus in Spain

Active surveillance aimed at the early detection of invasive mosquito species is usually focused on seaports and airports as points of entry, and along road networks as dispersion paths. In a number of cases, ...

Authors: Roger Eritja, Sarah Delacour-Estrella, Ignacio Ruiz-Arrondo, Mikel A. González, Carlos Barceló, Ana L. García-Pérez, Javier Lucientes, Miguel Á. Miranda and Frederic Bartumeus

Abdominal angiostrongyliasis in the Americas: fifty years since the discovery of a new metastrongylid species, Angiostrongylus costaricensis

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a zoonotic parasitic nematode described for the first time in 1971 by Pedro Morera and Rodolfo Céspedes in Costa Rica. This parasite causes an infection known as abdominal angiost...

Authors: Alicia Rojas, Arnaldo Maldonado-Junior, Javier Mora, Alessandra Morassutti, Rubens Rodriguez, Alberto Solano-Barquero, Anamariela Tijerino, Marianela Vargas and Carlos Graeff-Teixeira

Role of Plasmodium berghei ookinete surface and oocyst capsule protein, a novel oocyst capsule-associated protein, in ookinete motility

Plasmodium sp., which causes malaria, must first develop in mosquitoes before being transmitted. Upon ingesting infected blood, gametes form in the mosquito lumen, followed by fertilization and differentiation of...

Authors: Kazuhiko Nakayama, Yuta Kimura, Yu Kitahara, Akira Soga, Asako Haraguchi, Jun Hakozaki, Makoto Sugiyama, Kodai Kusakisako, Shinya Fukumoto and Hiromi Ikadai

Molecular and morphological phylogeny of host-specific Dactylogyrus parasites (Monogenea) sheds new light on the puzzling Middle Eastern origin of European and African lineages

Freshwater fauna of the Middle East encompass elements shared with three continents—Africa, Asia, and Europe—and the Middle East is, therefore, considered a historical geographic crossroad between these three ...

Authors: Michal Benovics, Farshad Nejat, Asghar Abdoli and Andrea Šimková

Phlebotomine sand fly survey in the Republic of Moldova: species composition, distribution and host preferences

Phlebotomine sand flies (Diptera: Psychodiae) in the Republic of Moldova have been understudied for decades. Our study provides a first update on their occurrence, species composition and bloodmeal sources aft...

Authors: Tatiana Șuleșco, Ozge Erisoz Kasap, Petr Halada, Gizem Oğuz, Dimian Rusnac, Marketa Gresova, Bulent Alten, Petr Volf and Vit Dvorak

A comparative study of single Theileria lestoquardi and mixed infections with Theileria ovis

Epidemiological surveys in Oman have revealed a high prevalence of the co-occurrence of the pathogenic Theileria lestoquardi and the non-pathogenic Theileria ovis among sheep in the Barka region, Oman. Our most r...

Authors: Salama Al-Hamidhi, Elshafie I. Elshafie, Saeed Yaghfoori, W. Ivan Morrison, Eugene H. Johnson and Hamza A. Babiker

Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto G1 is the predominant genotype in human and livestock isolates from Turkey and Iran, based on mitochondrial nad5 gene differentiation

Different genotypes of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) isolated from livestock and humans have been identified based on cox1 and nad1 genomic fragments. The present study was performed to differentia...

Authors: Saeed Shahabi, Bahador Sarkari and Afshin Barazesh

Surveillance of Borrelia miyamotoi-carrying ticks and genomic analysis of isolates in Inner Mongolia, China

Borrelia miyamotoi is a newly described relapsing fever spirochete transmitted by ixodid tick species. Little is known about the prevalence of B. miyamotoi infections in humans and ticks in Inner Mongolia, China....

Authors: Gaowa, Wulantuya, Kozue Sato, Dan Liu, Yunhong Cui, Xuhong Yin, Lihua Zhang, Hong Li, Tingfu Wang, Rongxin Liu, Lijing Wu, Saixia Lu, Ting Gao, Zitong Zhang, Minzhi Cao, Guodong Wang…

Cryogenic preservation of Dirofilaria immitis microfilariae, reactivation and completion of the life-cycle in the mosquito and vertebrate hosts

The cryopreservation of filarial nematodes has been studied for nearly 70 years. Largely, these studies examined the effectiveness of cryopreservation methods by using the post-thaw survival of microfilariae (...

Authors: Erich W. Zinser, Tom L. McTier, Nicole S. Kernell and Debra J. Woods

Downregulation of FeSOD-A expression in Leishmania infantum alters trivalent antimony and miltefosine susceptibility

Superoxide dismutase (SOD), a central component of the antioxidant defence system of most organisms, removes excess superoxide anions by converting them to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. As iron (Fe) SOD is abs...

Authors: Ana Maria Murta Santi, Paula Alves Silva, Isabella Fernandes Martins Santos and Silvane Maria Fonseca Murta

Molecular identification and biological characterization of Cryptosporidium muris from camels (Camelus bactrianus) in China

Cryptosporidium is an opportunistic pathogen that infects a wide variety of vertebrates. The aim of the present study was to characterize Cryptosporidium spp. isolates from Bactrian camels and to foster further u...

Authors: Luyang Wang, Letian Cao, Shuangjian Zheng, Yankai Chang, Kaihui Zhang, Sumei Zhang and Longxian Zhang

In vivo and in vitro efficacy of crocin against Echinococcus multilocularis

Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a fatal zoonosis caused by the larvae of Echinococcus multilocularis. However, current chemotherapy treatment options are based on benzimidazoles [albendazole (ABZ) and mebendazole...

Authors: Chuanchuan Liu, Haining Fan, Lu Guan, Ri-li Ge and Lan Ma

Risk factors associated with tick infestations on equids in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan, with notes on Rickettsia massiliae detection

Studies on ticks infesting equids are lacking in various parts of the world, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan. The aim of this study was to investigate the diversity of ticks infesting equids, assoc...

Authors: Abid Ali, Hafsa Zahid, Ismail Zeb, Muhammad Tufail, Sulaiman Khan, Muhammad Haroon, Muhammad Tufail, Muhammad Bilal, Majid Hussain, Abdulaziz S. Alouffi, Sebastián Muñoz-Leal and Marcelo B. Labruna

Correction to: Update of the Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) species checklist from Algeria with 10 new records

Authors: Mounira Belkharchouche, Selima Berchi, Bruno Mathieu, Ignace Rakotoarivony, Maxime Duhayon, Thierry Baldet and Thomas Balenghien

Voltage-sensitive sodium channel (Vssc) mutations associated with pyrethroid insecticide resistance in Aedes aegypti (L.) from two districts of Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: baseline information for a Wolbachia release program

Dengue suppression often relies on control of the mosquito vector, Aedes aegypti, through applications of insecticides of which the pyrethroid group has played a dominant role. Insecticide resistance is prevalent...

Authors: Nancy M. Endersby-Harshman, AboElgasim Ali, Basim Alhumrani, Mohammed Abdullah Alkuriji, Mohammed B. Al-Fageeh, Abdulaziz Al-Malik, Mohammed S. Alsuabeyl, Samia Elfekih and Ary A. Hoffmann

Wild ungulate species differ in their contribution to the transmission of Ixodes ricinus-borne pathogens

Several ungulate species are feeding and propagation hosts for the tick Ixodes ricinus as well as hosts to a wide range of zoonotic pathogens. Here, we focus on Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi ...

Authors: Nannet D. Fabri, Hein Sprong, Tim R. Hofmeester, Hans Heesterbeek, Björn F. Donnars, Fredrik Widemo, Frauke Ecke and Joris P. G. M. Cromsigt

Genetic evidence substantiates transmission of Trichinella spiralis from one swine farm to another

Trichinella spiralis ranks seventh in the risk posed by foodborne parasites. It causes most human cases of trichinellosis and is the most frequent cause of Trichinella outbreaks on pig farms and in wild boar, wor...

Authors: Ewa Bilska-Zajac, Daniele Tonanzi, Edoardo Pozio, Miroslaw Rozycki, Tomasz Cencek, Peter C. Thompson, Benjamin M. Rosenthal and Giuseppe La Rosa

Giardia duodenalis extracellular vesicles regulate the proinflammatory immune response in mouse macrophages in vitro via the MAPK, AKT and NF-κB pathways

Giardia duodenalis is an extracellular protozoan parasite that causes giardiasis in mammals. The presentation of giardiasis ranges from asymptomatic to severe diarrhea, and the World Health Organization lists it ...

Authors: Panpan Zhao, Lili Cao, Xiaocen Wang, Jianhua Li, Jingquan Dong, Nan Zhang, Xin Li, Shan Li, Min Sun, Xichen Zhang, Min Liang, Xudong Pu and Pengtao Gong

The seasonal dynamics and biting behavior of potential Anopheles vectors of Plasmodium knowlesi in Palawan, Philippines

A small number of human cases of the zoonotic malaria Plasmodium knowlesi have been reported in Palawan Island, the Philippines. Identification of potential vector species and their bionomics is crucial for under...

Authors: Richard Paul B. Malijan, Frank Mechan, Jessie C. Braganza Jr, Kristelle Mae R. Valle, Ferdinand V. Salazar, Majhalia M. Torno, Wilfredo E. Aure, Brian A. Bacay, Fe Esperanza Espino, Stephen J. Torr, Kimberly M. Fornace, Chris Drakeley and Heather M. Ferguson

Optimization of the feeding rate of Anopheles farauti s.s. colony mosquitoes in direct membrane feeding assays

Direct membrane feeding assays (DMFA) are an important tool to study parasite transmission to mosquitoes. Mosquito feeding rates in these artificial systems require optimization, as there are a number of facto...

Authors: Lincoln Timinao, Rebecca Vinit, Michelle Katusele, Louis Schofield, Thomas R. Burkot and Stephan Karl

Phenotypic plasticity, canalisation and developmental stability of Triatoma infestans wings: effects of a sublethal application of a pyrethroid insecticide

Triatomine control campaigns have traditionally consisted of spraying the inside of houses with pyrethroid insecticides. However, exposure to sublethal insecticide doses after the initial application is a comm...

Authors: Julieta Nattero, Gastón Mougabure-Cueto, Vincent Debat and Ricardo E. Gürtler

Soil-transmitted helminth infections in free-ranging non-human primates from Cameroon and Gabon

Zoonotic diseases are a serious threat to both public health and animal conservation. Most non-human primates (NHP) are facing the threat of forest loss and fragmentation and are increasingly living in closer ...

Authors: C. Sirima, C. Bizet, H. Hamou, B. Červená, T. Lemarcis, A. Esteban, M. Peeters, E. Mpoudi Ngole, I. M. Mombo, F. Liégeois, K. J. Petrželková, M. Boussinesq and S. Locatelli

Correction to: First report of Theileria annulata in Nigeria: Findings from cattle ticks in Zamfara and Sokoto States

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Authors: Adamu Haruna Mamman, Vincenzo Lorusso, Babagana Mohammed Adam, Goni Abraham Dogo, Kevin J. Bown and Richard J. Birtles

Sand fly identification and screening for Leishmania spp. in six provinces of Thailand

Phlebotomine sand flies are vectors of Leishmania spp. At least 27 species of sand flies have been recorded in Thailand. Although human leishmaniasis cases in Thailand are mainly imported, autochthonous leishmani...

Authors: Orawan Phuphisut, Chanyapat Nitatsukprasert, Nattaphol Pathawong, Boonsong Jaichapor, Arissara Pongsiri, Poom Adisakwattana and Alongkot Ponlawat

A study of the composition of the Obsoletus complex and genetic diversity of Culicoides obsoletus populations in Spain

The Culicoides obsoletus species complex (henceforth ‘Obsoletus complex’) is implicated in the transmission of several arboviruses that can cause severe disease in livestock, such as bluetongue, African horse sic...

Authors: Cecilia Aguilar-Vega, Belén Rivera, Javier Lucientes, Isabel Gutiérrez-Boada and José Manuel Sánchez-Vizcaíno

Trends in evolution of the Rhodniini tribe (Hemiptera, Triatominae): experimental crosses between Psammolestes tertius Lent & Jurberg, 1965 and P. coreodes Bergroth, 1911 and analysis of the reproductive isolating mechanisms

The tribe Rhodniini is a monophyletic group composed of 24 species grouped into two genera: Rhodnius and Psammolestes. The genus Psammolestes includes only three species, namely P. coreodes, P. tertius and P. art...

Authors: Amanda Ravazi, Jader de Oliveira, Fabricio Ferreria Campos, Fernanda Fernandez Madeira, Yago Visinho dos Reis, Ana Beatriz Bortolozo de Oliveira, Maria Tercília Vilela de Azeredo-Oliveira, João Aristeu da Rosa, Cleber Galvão and Kaio Cesar Chaboli Alevi

The effect of cattle-administered ivermectin and fipronil on the mortality and fecundity of Anopheles arabiensis Patton

Malaria control primarily depends on two vector control strategies: indoor residual spraying (IRS) and long-lasting insecticide-treated nets (LLINs). Both IRS and LLIN target indoor-biting mosquitoes. However,...

Authors: Takalani I. Makhanthisa, Leo Braack and Heike Lutermann

Long-term study of Borrelia and Babesia prevalence and co-infection in Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor recticulatus ticks removed from humans in Poland, 2016–2019

Lyme borreliosis (LB) is the most common vector-borne disease in Europe. Monitoring changes in the prevalence of different Borrelia species in ticks may be an important indicator of risk assessment and of differe...

Authors: Agnieszka Pawełczyk, Małgorzata Bednarska, Adrianna Hamera, Emilia Religa, Milena Poryszewska, Ewa J. Mierzejewska and Renata Welc-Falęciak

Evaluation of Yahe^® and Panda^® 2.0 long-lasting insecticidal nets against wild pyrethroid-resistant Anopheles gambiae s.l. from Côte d’Ivoire: an experimental hut trial

Long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) have played an important role in reducing the global malaria burden since 2000. They are a core prevention tool used widely by people at risk of malaria. The Vector Contr...

Authors: Cyntia-Muriel Y. Clegban, Soromane Camara, A. Alphonsine Koffi, Ludovic P. Ahoua Alou, Jean-Paul Kabran Kouame, A. Fernand Koffi, Philippe K. Kouassi, Nicolas Moiroux and Cédric Pennetier

iSeq 100 for metagenomic pathogen screening in ticks

Ticks are blood-sucking ectoparasites that play a pivotal role in the transmission of various pathogens to humans and animals. In Korea, Haemaphysalis longicornis is the predominant tick species and is recognized...

Authors: Ju Yeong Kim, Myung-hee Yi, Alghurabi Areej Sabri Mahdi and Tai-Soon Yong

Sheep scab spatial distribution: the roles of transmission pathways

Ovine psoroptic mange (sheep scab) is a highly pathogenic contagious infection caused by the mite Psoroptes ovis. Following 21 years in which scab was eradicated in the UK, it was inadvertently reintroduced in 19...

Authors: Emily Joanne Nixon, Ellen Brooks-Pollock and Richard Wall

Detection of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in blood-fed Hyalomma ticks collected from Mauritanian livestock

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) belongs to the genus Orthonairovirus (Nairovididae) and is a (re)emerging tick-borne pathogen. It is endemic in most parts of Africa, Asia and southern Europe, and ca...

Authors: A. Schulz, Y. Barry, F. Stoek, M. J. Pickin, A. Ba, L. Chitimia-Dobler, M. L. Haki, B. A. Doumbia, A. Eisenbarth, A. Diambar, M. Y. Bah, M. Eiden and M. H. Groschup