Equine piroplasmosis (EP), caused by the apicomplexan parasites Theileria equi and Babesia caballi, is a tick-borne disease of major clinical and economic importance in equids worldwide. This study reports, for the first time, the presence of EP and associated variables in the Menorca Purebred Horse (PRMe), an endangered breed of high genetic, cultural, and socio-economic value, based on a sample of participating horses from Menorca (Spain). A cross-sectional study was conducted on 213 horses, combining serological (cELISA), molecular (multiplex quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) and nested PCR (nPCR)), and entomological analyses. An overall apparent seroprevalence of 56.34
Fascioliasis is a globally distributed zoonotic disease that poses substantial veterinary and public health concerns, with high endemicity in Iran. Knowledge about the population structure, genetic diversity, and haplotype distribution throughout the country can be effective in control and drug-resistance management strategies. Therefore, the present study was conducted to evaluate the genetic diversity of Fasciola species in slaughtered livestock in Iran and to determine haplotype networks across the country. From 20 parasite samples collected from seven provinces, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I (cox1) gene was amplified and sequenced. BLAST analysis confirmed the identity of 17 isolates as F. hepatica (94.75 to 99.74
Cases of adventitious feeding on humans by non-hematophagous insects hold significant medical relevance, yet their occurrence during active body art procedures remains undocumented. This case report describes a persistent instance of opportunistic exsudatophagy by the house fly, Musca domestica Linnaeus, 1758 (Diptera: Muscidae), during a tattooing session on a healthy 32-year-old male client in Germany. Over a four-hour timeframe, four adult house flies entered the ground-floor studio through doors and windows opened for summer cross-ventilation. The insects exhibited highly persistent landing and feeding attempts directly on the freshly wounded tissue of the right lower leg, actively drinking a matrix of blood, plasma, and tattoo ink. Attraction intensified significantly once large-scale shading expanded the exuding epidermal surface area. Effective mechanical repulsion was heavily restricted by the client’s enforced immobility required to ensure precise tattoo application. Following a routine aftercare protocol, the lesion healed completely without secondary bacterial infection. This report highlights a neglected hygienic hazard where the saprophagous and coprophilic ecology of synanthropic filth flies poses a mechanical vector risk for dermal pathogen inoculation, emphasizing the necessity of simple vector control strategies in tattooing facilities.
Schistosoma mansoni is a significant public health concern worldwide, particularly affecting schoolchildren. The Ethiopian Ministry of Health promotes school-based single-dose praziquantel. However, this extensive implementation of mass drug administration might lead to selective drug resistance. Therefore, periodic assessment of the therapeutic efficacy of praziquantel is vital. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the impact of praziquantel on S. mansoni infection rates and associated factors among Primary School Children in the towns of Teda, Koladiba, and Maksegnit, Northwest Ethiopia. A Multicenter cross-sectional study design was conducted in Teda, Koladiba, and Maksegnit Primary Schools from May to July 2024. A total of 657 children were enrolled. Approximately 2 g of stool samples were collected and examined using the Kato-Katz technique. Children positive for S. mansoni received a single dose of praziquantel, and cure and egg-reduction rates were assessed within 21 days of treatment. The data were analyzed using SPSS. Out of 657 screened children, 10.5
Helminth infections in livestock are a health concern across age groups and cause substantial global economic losses. Three main anthelmintic classes, benzimidazoles, macrocyclic lactones, and cholinergic agonists, are used in small ruminants; however, resistance has emerged against all, with Haemonchus contortus resistant to all major classes since 1977. Understanding nematode physiology may help identify stages suitable for intervention, both inside and outside the host. A critical but often overlooked stage is the transition of free-living third-stage larvae to the parasitic form, triggered upon ingestion by the host. Environmental triggers, including heat shock, carbon dioxide, and pH, induce exsheathment, but both the minimal and optimal durations of heat shock for exsheathment and larval viability are unknown. This study compared in vitro exsheathment rates of H. contortus L3 exposed to heat shock for 45-, 60-, and 240-minutes, respectively. Further, experimental evaluation of viability of larvae stored in phosphate-buffered saline for 4- and 24-hours, respectively, was also conducted. All three groups that were exposed to heat shock resulted in high exsheathment rates (92, 86, and 96
