Between December 2005 and November 2006, a survey on coccidiosis of wild and captive mouflons living in the Orecchiella Natural Reserve (Tuscany, Italy) was performed on faecal samples collected approximately every two months. A total of 96 samples were collected, 55 of which from wild mouflons and 41 from captive mouflons. On these faecal samples qualitative and quantitative parasitological analyses were performed; moreover, faecal cultures were made in order to identify the involved Eimeria species. Significantly higher prevalence (%) and mean intensity (mean OPG +/- SD) of coccidian infection resulted for captive mouflons (73.17% and 814.6 +/- 1297.2 OPG) comparing to wild mouflons (36.73% and 112.7 +/- 268.7 OPG). Eimeria parva, E ovinoidalis, E. bakuensis, E. ahasata, E. intricata, E. crandallis, E. granulosa, E. faurei and an Eimeria species very similar to the descriptions previously reported for E. arloingi and E. yakimoffmatschoulsky, were isolated.
Cutaneous myiasis in humans involving fly species endemic in Italy are uncommon and are not often present in the literature. In the present article we describe the case of cutaneous myiasis in a woman brought to the Emergency Department (ED) of the S. Croce e Carle General Hospital in Cuneo, northwest Italy. The patient was in precarious hygienic condition, and was suffering from localized ulcerated foot ulcers with significant inflammation extending up to the knee. Fly larvae, subsequently identified as Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826), were found in the lesions. The patient was admitted to the Department of Internal Medicine where she was treated with antibiotics and the lesions were medicated, resulting in full recovery.
Our objective was to investigate the diversity of Plasmodium species in birds of the Rift Valley section in Israel. Plasmodium merulae Corradetti & Scanga, 1973 was previously reported in blackbirds (Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758), that are resident. We also report and describe three other species and seven new species of Plasmodium from migratory birds in the north, and from Eilat at the southernmost tip of the Jordan Valley. New species are: Plasmodium lusciniae sp. n., Plasmodium alloreticulatus sp. n. and Plasmodium paranuclearis sp. n. from Luscinia svecica (Linnaeus, 1758), Plasmodium phoenicuri sp. n., Plasmodium reticulatus sp. n. and Plasmodium synnuclearis sp. n. from Phoenicurus phoenicurus (Linnaeus, 1758), and Plasmodium bilobatus sp. n. from Acrocephalus schoenobaenus (Linnaeus, 1758). The morphological affinities among the new described species and between P merulae and Plasmodium vaughani Novy & MacNeal, 1904 are highlighted and discussed. The host birds belong to two families: Muscicapidae (Turdus merula, Luscinia svecica and Phoenicurus phoenicurus) and Sylviidae (Acrocephalus schoenobaenus). All the parasites species are affiliated to the so-called "vaughani complex" (Corradetti & Scanga 1973) which are small parasites that possess a characteristic refractile globule in their cytoplasm.
The population fluctuation of nematodes around the rhizospheric regions of mulberrry plants at Khangabok Wangbal Government Silk farm, Wangbal, Thoubal District, Manipur, India was studied in relation to environmental factors like soil moisture content, soil pH, soil temperature, rainfall and moisture content of air for a consecutive period of three years, 2006-2008. During 2006, nematode population was highest in the month of May with very high rainfall (174.2 mm). Positive correlation of nematode population was found with soil temperature, soil pH, rainfall and relative humidity and negative correlation with soil moisture. During 2007, nematode population was highest in the month of May with least soil moisture and highest rainfall (15.1 p.c. and 190.6 mm). Nematode population had positive correlations with soil moisture, temperature, pH, rainfall and relative humidity of air. During 2008, nematode population was highest in the month of April with highest soil temperature of 24.8 degrees C, 66.0 p.c. moderate relative humidity and 21.0 mm rainfall. There were positive correlation with soil temperature and pH, and negative correlation with soil moisture, rainfall and relative humidity. Lowest nematode population was found during January (2006), and during December (2007, 2008) there were negligible rain and sometimes no rainfall at all. Among all dorylaimids, tylenchids, aphelenchids and mononchids, Helicotylenchus sp. pertain the most numerous nematode species in all the three years and seasons.
A survey of gill parasites was conducted in 164 Cyprinion macrostomum (Cyprinidae) collected from the Tigris River at Tikreet city, Salah Al-Deen province, in central Iraq, in 2009-2010. The monogenean Paradiplozoon amurensis Akhmerov, 1974 (Diplozoidae) was observed in the gills of 26.2% of these fishes with a mean intensity of 2.3. This is the first report of P amurensis in Iraq. A description and morphometrics of P amurensis specimens are presented.
Human herpesvirus-8 non-sexual transmission occurs primarily from mother-to-child. The viral load in saliva is higher than in other human fluids. Moreover, there is evidence that bloodsucking arthropod bites induce an inflammatory/immune response that facilitates viral replication. We aim to explore possible risk factors in mother-to-child HHV-8 transmission associated with traditional methods which involve the use of saliva to relieve the irritation and skin reaction caused by arthropod bites. We administered questionnaires to 2244 children from several African countries and Italy. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used in the analysis of the answers to evaluate the relationships between the use of traditional methods and other risk factors. The use of traditional methods is high in Cameroon (63.0%) and Uganda (39.9%), intermediate in Senegal (26.7%) and Italy (21.7%), low in Madagascar (6.7%). Statistical analyses show significant direct relationships between the use of traditional methods, skin reactions to the bite and their duration in Cameroon, Uganda and Senegal. The use of saliva and herbs applied by the mothers on the child's skin, is a common habit in Africa. If this practice plays a role in the HHV-8 transmission, then, it could provide the basis for interventions capable of reducing the health impact of the infection in children in tropical areas.
