Urinary capillariasis: Case report of Pearsonema (syn. Capillaria) plica infection in a dog in Greece

Pearsonema (syn. Capillaria) plica is a nematode that resides in the urinary bladder of canids, felids and mustelids (definitive hosts) and is classified in the same class as Trichuris spp. Epidemiological and clinical data on Pearsonema plica infection in domestic animals are limited. The nematode has an indirect lifecycle that involves earthworms as intermediate hosts. A six-year-old crossbred dog from Greece, presented a history of intermittent pollakiuria and hematuria. At urine analysis, P. plica eggs were found in the urine sediment. The dog was successfully treated with a double dose of milbemycin. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case of urinary capillariasis diagnosed in a domestic animal in Greece.     

Capillaria hepatica (Calodium hepaticum) infection in a horse: a case report

Background

Capillaria hepatica is a zoonotic parasite in humans and animals and has a worldwide distribution. However, infections in mammals apart from rodents, which are natural hosts of the parasite, have rarely been reported. This report describes the first known case of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan.

Case presentation

A 3-year-old filly without clinical signs was presented at a slaughterhouse in Japan. Gross examination revealed white to tan nodules 0.5 to 1.5 cm in diameter in the parenchyma of the liver. Histologically, the nodules had mature fibrous capsules and consisted of multifocal to coalescing granulomatous inflammations with numerous nematode eggs. The eggs were barrel shaped with an opercular plug on each end and double-layered shells; these findings are consistent with the features of C. hepatica eggs.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first case of C. hepatica infection in a horse in Japan. The pathological findings confirmed the presence of this pathogen in this part of the world, and they highlight the importance of this nematode in the differential diagnosis of hepatic granulomatous lesions in horses.

     

High occurrence of Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) spurious infection in a village in the Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a nematode of the Capillariidae family that infects rodents and other mammals. In Brazil, human spurious infections of C. hepaticum have been detected in indigenous or rural communities from the Amazon Basin, but not in the southern states of the country. Here, we report the highest occurrence (13.5% of 37 residents) of C. hepaticum human spurious infection detected in Brazil and the first record in a southern region, Guaraqueçaba. The finding is explained by the area being located in the Atlantic Forest of the state of Paraná, surrounded by preserved forests and because the inhabitants consume the meat of wild mammals.     

First report of Eucoleus boehmi (syn. Capillaria boehmi) in dogs in north-western Italy,with scanning electron microscopy of the eggs

Dogs can be infected by several nematodes of the Trichuridae family. Trichuridae eggs are all similar, barrel shaped with polar plugs, and misdiagnosis among different species can occur. The most common species is Trichuris vulpis, while the respiratory parasites Eucoleus boehmi (syn. Capillaria boehmi) and Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) are rarely observed in pets. E. boehmi is reported for the first time in this study in north-western Italy with other Trichuridae. Dog faecal samples (270) were examined by flotation. E. boehmi (2.2%), E. aerophilus (4.4%) and T. vulpis (12.2%) were found; identification was done with measurements and through observation of morphological characters already known. The specific identification of E. boehmi was confirmed using scanning electron microscopy: its egg shell shows a dense network with a fine mesh, surrounding small pits, on the contrary E. aerophilus eggs present a thick mesh with wide depressions, while T. vulpis eggs surface is smooth.     

X Ledodendron vanhoeffeni (syn.: Rhododendron vanhoeffeni) refound in Greenland

Rhododendron vanhoeffeni is refound in Greenland. Notes on history, distribution, ecology, morphology, and fertility are given. Its hybrid origin is established and consequently a new combination, X Ledodendron vanhoeffeni (Ledum palustre ssp. decumbens × Rhododendron lapponicum ), is made.     

毛细属线虫中国新记录种的记述(嘴刺目:鞭虫科)

毛细属Capillaria中国新记录种——越南毛细线虫C.vietnamensis Meszaros,1973,采自广东省惠州市小蹄蝠Hipposideros pomona、大黄蝠Scotophilus heathi,龙门县长翅蝠Miniopterus schreibersi,广州市扁颅蝠Tylonycteris pa...     

The taxonomy of Capillaria spp. (Nematoda: Trichuroidea) in North American freshwater fishes

Summary The Capillaria spp. from North American freshwater fishes are redescribed. These are: Capillaria catastomi from Catastomus commersoni, Cyprinus carpio, Cyprinus carpio × Carassius auratus hybrid (carp × goldfish) and Coregonus clupeaformis; Capillaria salvelini from Salvelinus fontinalis, S. namaycush, Salmo salar and Oncorhynchus kisutch and Capillaria catenata from Lepomis gibbosus. A key to identification of the above is included. C. bakeri is considered a nomen dubium.     

Experimental hepatic fibrosis due to Capillaria hepatica infection (differential features presented by rats and mice)

Rats and mice are among the most susceptible hosts for the helminth Capillaria hepatica. More information on the similarities and differences between the hepatic pathology presented by these two parasite hosts are needed, since they may represent good models for the study of hepatic fibrosis. Early changes are similar for both hosts and are represented by necro-inflammatory lesions around dead parasites and their eggs and diffuse and intense reactive hepatitis. Although worms remain alive longer in mice than in rats, hepatic changes are more rapidly and deeply modulated in the former, even leading to almost complete disappearance of fibrosis. As for the rats, the modulation of the focal lesions is followed by the formation of septal fibrosis, a process where fine and long fibrous septa appear connecting portal spaces and central veins in such a way as to form a final morphologic picture of cirrhosis. Hepatic functional changes usually present good correlations with the morphologic findings at the different phases of the infection evolution. Therefore C. hepatica infection in rats and mice represent two different models of hepatic fibrosis and these differences, if properly known and understood, can be explored to answer different questions regarding several aspects of hepatic fibrosis.     

Ultrastructure and Sporogony of Eimeria (syn. Epieimeria) anguillae (Apicomplexa) in the Eel (Anguilla anguilla)

ABSTRACT. Ultrastructural studies on Eimeria (syn. Epieimeria ) anguillae (Apicomplexa), parasite of the digestive tract of the eel, have shown that the development of this parasite takes place completely within the host cell. Merogony and gamogony are intracellular but in the epicytoplasmic position. Sporogony is also located within the epithelial cells, which agrees with assignment of this coccidian in the family Eimeriidae. However, depending on the intensity of infection and the physiopathological reaction of the host, the gamont may behave in two ways. 1) In massive infections, gamogony stages cause a genuine destruction of intestinal epithelium. Large numbers of gamonts form nodules and parts of the seriously destroyed epithelium peel off and are released into the lumen of the gut and quickly discharged into the outer environment. This discharged epithelium envelops cells containing immature oocysts that then sporulate outside the host. 2) In light infections, the host cells, which are necrotic due to the presence of a zygote, are pushed between the surrounding intact cells towards the base of the epithelium. Closely above its basal lamella, the oocyst then undergoes sporulation. These results show no taxonomically important biological features (e.g. special mode of implantation to the host cell or active movement of the zygote). Because the morphological characteristics of Epieimeria do not differ significantly from Eimeria , we propose to suppress the genus Epieimeria Dyková and Lom, 1981, and relegate its species into the genus Eimeria .     

The geographic distribution and host range of Capillaria hepatica (Bancroft) (Nematoda) in Australia.

The geographic distribution, host range and prevalence of Capillaria hepatica were recorded in 4629 house mice, Mus domesticus, 263 black rats, Rattus rattus, and 58 Norway rats, R. norvegicus. The parasite was found at five localities, all in or near large towns along the coast. The two Rattus species appeared to be the primary hosts of C. hepatica in Australia. Published and unpublished data on helminth infections of Australian native mammals from 1162 murids (26 species), 3018 marsupials (67 species) and 99 monotremes (two species) were compiled. Only seven animals from three murid species were infected with C. hepatica; all were from the same rainforest in northern Queensland. C. hepatica was distributed widely, occurring in the house mouse, black rat and Norway rat on a 10,850 ha farm but there was no infection in cattle, sheep or goats (abattoir records). Also, 52 rabbits, four cats and one fox (shot samples) and 27 marsupial mice, Sminthopsis crassicaudata (museum specimens), had no sign of C. hepatica infection. Overall, the results indicate that transmission of C. hepatica to native, domestic and feral mammals is rare, presumably because of ecological constraints on egg embryonation and survival. In the light of these findings, the potential use of C. hepatica as a biological agent to control mouse plagues in Australia is discussed.     

New information on the location of Capillaria procyonis (Nematoda: Trichuroidea) in the tongue of a raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Histologic examination of the tongue of one juvenile male raccoon demonstrated the presence of adults and unembryonated eggs of the nematode Capillaria procyonis within parasite-induced tunnels in the stratified squamous epithelium. There was no inflammatory infiltrate within the epithelium or the subjacent lamina propria. The shape of tunnels approximated that of the resident nematodes and were lined by flattened and attenuated epithelial cells. Therefore, the site of infection of C. procyonis in the raccoon includes the oral, lingual and pharyngeal epithelium in addition to the esophagus.     

Life-history and sex allocation in Trypoxylon (syn. Trypargilum) lactitarse (Hymenoptera; Crabronidae)

Hymenopterans have become a model for the study of factors that govern sex allocation. In 1983, Seger proposed a model to study Sphecidae wasps with a strong prediction that sex ratio for univoltine wasps should be 1 : 1 (female : male), and for partially bivoltine species it should be male-biased. The present study investigates if Trypoxylon lactitarse (Saussure, 1867) is a univoltine or a bivoltine species and if Seger's model prediction fits the pattern of sex ratio found in this species. The study was carried out at Parque Municipal das Araucárias, in the municipality of Guarapuava, state of Paraná, southern Brazil, from December 2001 to December 2004. Nests of T. lactitarse were obtained using trap-nests drilled longitudinally to a depth to 80 mm with 7.0, 10.0 and 13.0 mm opening diameter. They were placed in a very heterogeneous site filled with araucaria forests, swamps and grasslands. Trypoxylon lactitarse showed two alternative life histories: either they pupated immediately and emerged as adults later in the same season (direct development), or they entered diapause, overwintering and pupating the following spring (delayed development). Its annual sex ratios were not significantly different from 1 : 1, and both sex ratio of overwintering and sex ratio of direct-developing wasps were also not significantly different from 1 : 1, in all years of this study. By examining these results, it was possible to conclude that although T. lactitarse is a multivoltine species, with four generations per year and two alternative life histories, its sex ratio did not support Seger's model.     

Clinical presentation, complications and treatment of infection with verocytotoxin-producing Escherichia coli. Challenges for the clinician

Seventeen years after its recognition, outbreaks and sporadic infections attributed to Escherichia coli O157 continue to increase. Acute gastrointestinal, and the systemic complications haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), are frequent and severe. Current challenges that face clinicians are the early recognition of infection, identification of risk factors for poor prognosis, determination of appropriate monitoring for the development of complications, establishment of a therapeutic strategy and, finally, advice for patients about their long-term prognosis. Clinical features which, in combination, have been shown to distinguish E. coli O157 infection from other enteric pathogens are a history of bloody diarrhoea, visibly bloody stools, absence of fever, a leucocyte count greater than 10 x 10(9) l(-1) and abdominal tenderness on physical examination. The most consistent risk factors for the development of HUS/TTP are the extremes of age and a raised leucocyte count. Bloody diarrhoea and 'antimotility' drugs are also likely to be important risk factors. Recent evidence from the central Scotland outbreak suggests that individuals who are taking drugs that reduce gastric acidity or antibiotics at the time of infection with E. coli O157, or who have a short incubation period, may also be at increased risk of progression to HUS/TTP. Clinical management, in particular the role of antibiotics in gastrointestinal infection, remains controversial, and retrospective assessment of the 1996 outbreaks from central Scotland and Japan only adds to this controversy. Therapeutic plasma exchange is a promising treatment for adults who develop HUS/TTP, but its role has yet to be determined definitively, either in a randomized controlled trial or by an international register of cases. Significant chronic sequelae of infection occur, particularly irritable bowel syndrome after uncomplicated gastrointestinal infection, and renal failure after HUS/TTP. Their frequency and severity are likely to become evident over the next decade.