This study assesses the gastrointestinal parasitological status of Arabian Thoroughbred horses at the Eastern Equestrian Club in Constantine (Algeria). In this semi-arid region, epidemiological data on equine parasitoses are lacking. Twenty fecal samples were analyzed using qualitative (flotation) and quantitative (McMaster) methods, complemented by morphological identification of parasitic eggs. The results reveal an overall prevalence of 50 %, with species diversity dominated by strongyles (60 % of positive cases), followed by Strongyloides westeri (40 %), Habronema spp. (30 %), Eimeria leuckarti (20 %), and Parascaris spp. (10 %). The excretion intensity, assessed through eggs per gram of feces (EPG), was predominantly low (<200 EPG for 80 % of samples), although two horses exhibited light burdens (200 – 380 EPG). The detection of E. leuckarti, a protozoan that can be pathogenic to foals, and the persistence of strongyles despite prophylactic measures highlight the challenges of parasite management in this breeding system. These findings suggest overall control of infestations, likely due to existing sanitary protocols, but also reveal residual risks related to parasite diversity and the potential emergence of anthelmintic resistance.
Rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a major staple cereal crop that sustains nearly two-thirds of the global population, particularly in Asia. India is one of the leading producers and consumers of rice, with the state of Bihar playing a significant role in national rice production. However, rice productivity is constrained by several biotic and abiotic factors, among which plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) represent an important yet often overlooked limitation. Rice grown under waterlogged conditions is vulnerable to infestation by various PPNs, resulting in substantial yield losses. The present study was conducted to assess the occurrence, distribution, and community structure of PPN's associated with rice cropping systems across six districts of agro-climatic zone IIIA of Bihar. Nematodes were extracted from both root and soil samples and analyzed for population density and community parameters. The results revealed that Meloidogyne spp. were the pre-dominant nematodes in both root and soil samples. Community analysis further demonstrated that the frequency, density, and dominance of the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) were significantly higher than those of other PPNs in the rice ecosystem. These findings highlight the widespread prevalence of Meloidogyne spp. in rice fields of Bihar and provide a scientific basis for developing region-specific nematode management strategies to enhance rice productivity.
This report details a fatal case of canine dirofilariasis with concomitant Ehrlichia canis infection, emphasizing the role of molecular diagnostics and highlighting diagnostic and epidemiological gaps in Panama, particularly regarding stray dogs as key foci of infection. An 8-year-old mixed-breed dog presented with severe clinical signs, including adult nematode expectoration, lymphocytosis, eosinopenia, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Rapid immunochromatographic tests confirmed co-infection with Dirofilaria immitis and Ehrlichia canis, with abundant microfilariae on blood smear. Echocardiography revealed severe right ventricular dilation, tricuspid regurgitation, and D. immitis adults in the heart and pulmonary artery. Necropsy confirmed severe right atrial rupture with hemopericardium and extensive parasitic burden, identified as D. immitis by molecular analysis (453 bp 16S rRNA product). This case underscores the advanced pathology of dirofilariasis and the aggravating role of co-infection, highlighting Panama's significant epidemiological challenges, including vector prevalence, stray-dog reservoirs, and limited access to therapy. These findings highlight the need for molecular diagnostics, comprehensive control strategies, and robust surveillance programs, especially for stray dog populations, to mitigate impacts on animal and public health.
Fish-borne trypanorhynch cestodes are socio-economically important marine parasites with veterinary and public health relevance, yet integrated molecular data from the eastern Mediterranean-Red Sea trans-boundary trading corridors remain scarce. This study utilized internal transcribed spacer (ITS) rDNA barcoding to characterize trypanorhynch larvae infecting commercial teleosts imported to Jordan from Egyptian marine fisheries. Larvae were isolated from 36 examined fish spanning five species: Solea aegyptiaca Chabanaud, 1927, Thunnus spp. South, 1845, and Xiphias gladius Linnaeus, 1758 from the Mediterranean Sea, alongside Plectropomus areolatus (Rüppell, 1830) and Epinephelus tauvina (Forsskål, 1775) from the Red Sea. The core ribosomal ITS cassette was PCR-amplified and sequenced, yielding 20 high-quality operational sequences that were evaluated alongside 101 global GenBank reference entries. Evolutionary and structural dynamics were resolved using distance-based Neighbor-Joining phylogeny, alignment-free 4-mer composition analysis, hierarchical Ward's clustering, and SHAP-based machine-learning classification. Seventeen plerocercoid isolates demonstrated clear genetic homology (>96.3% identity) to global Callitetrarhynchus gracilis references across both marine basins. Six isolates recovered from X. gladius displayed host-driven sub-clustering in the hierarchical dendrogram, positioning close to reference Molicola sequences while verified as C. gracilis via identity metrics. This result highlighting structural population patterns dictated by apex predatory hosts. Crucially, three highly divergent isolates (PV917196-PV917198) derived exclusively from S. aegyptiaca yielded a maximum BLASTN identity of only (~81.5%) to any public sequence, resolving as an independent basal group near the order Lecanicephalidea. Alignment-free machine-learning frameworks achieved perfect binary discrimination (1.000) accuracy) for these three isolates, unmasking systematic oligonucleotide shifts including significant enrichments in TGTG (1.87×) and CTGT (2.72×) motifs, confirming their status as a putative novel species. These findings demonstrate that combining ITS barcoding with alignment-free compositional profiling reliably unmasks host-driven population structures and flags cryptic lines within the Eucestoda, while providing new host and geographical distribution records for the region.
The nematode Diplotriaena obtusa (Rudolphi, 1802) Henry & Ozoux, 1909 was found in a nuthatch (Sitta europaea Linnaeus, 1758) from Wangen im Allgäu, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and was examined using light microscopy and DNA analysis, and compared with GenBank sequences. The sequence obtained herein showed 99.75 % identity with other isolates of D. obtusa. This is the first detection of this nematode species in this bird species, expanding the known host range in Europe. An overview of the known host records for D. obtusa is given.
