Dicrocoelium Dendriticum Research Articles

Gastrointestinal parasite burden in 4th-5th c. CE Florence highlighted by microscopy and paleogenetics.

The study of ancient parasites, named paleoparasitology, traditionally focused on microscopic eggs disseminated in past environments and archaeological structures by humans and other animals infested by gastrointestinal parasites. Since the development of paleogenetics in the early 1980s, few paleoparasitological studies have been based on the ancient DNA (aDNA) of parasites, although such studies have clearly proven their utility and reliability. In this paper, we describe our integrative approach for the paleoparasitological study of an ancient population from Florence in Italy, dated to the 4th-5th c. CE. The first stage consisted in the study of sediment samples from the pelvic area of 18 individuals under light microscopy. This allowed us to detect Ascarid-type eggs belonging very probably to the human-infesting roundworm Ascaris lumbricoides. Ten subsamples were selected corresponding to five individuals, and we extracted their whole DNA following sediment aDNA protocols. A targeted approach allowed us to detect two nematodes and one trematode aDNA fragments, namely Ascaris sp., Trichuris trichiura, and Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Among the five individuals tested for microscopic eggs and aDNA, three of them showed the remains of eggs (only Ascarid-type), but all of them tested positive to the presence of at least one parasite aDNA. Microscopic diagnosis first guided our research for the selection of promising samples while the targeted aDNA approach significantly improved our knowledge in terms of parasitic diversity and frequency in this population subgroup. These results enabled us to discuss the possible impact of latent parasitism in this past population at the time of an epidemic, as suggested in Florence. In particular, the singular case of D. dendriticum detection is discussed in light of the present-day scarcity of genuine human infections. Nevertheless, actual infections are known in the paleoparasitological record, and food habits may have led to false parasitism in this historical context. aDNA leaching from overlying strata may also explain this detection. This study strongly pleads for a systematic integrative approach combining microscopy and aDNA in paleoparasitology.

Maintenance of liver fluke, Dicrocoelium dendriticum, outside the body of its native host

Aims: In vitro cultivation of digenea would help the development of effective treatments and studies of the biology of the parasites. The goal of the present study was to optimize culture conditions for the maintenance liver fluke, Dicrocoelium dendriticum. Materials and Methods: Forty fresh D. dendriticum were collected from the sheep liver and washed three times with warm Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI) 1640 Medium. The collected worms were transferred to 24-well Nunc-Immuno plates containing RPMI media supplemented with 50% of fetal bovine serum (FBS), 2% of sheep red blood cells (RBCs), 50 IU/ml of penicillin, and 50 mg/ml streptomycin. The mobility of the live/dead worms was observed by inverted microscope. The mean and median survival time was calculated by Kaplan–Meier model, and survival and hazard function graphs were also analyzed. Results: D. dendriticum was lived in vitro only for long periods of about 25 dyes. The 1st day of maintaining in culture media, one worm was dead and the number of dead worms was raised to 40 after 25 days of incubation. On the one hand, the mean survival time was 392 h with a confidence interval (CI) of 95% (384.8–400.03). On the other hand, the median survival time was 420 h with a CI of 95% (406.9–433.09). D. dendriticum was able to be alive in RPMI 1640 media for at least 25 days. Conclusion: RPMI 1640 supplemented with FBS, and RBCs can be used as short-term maintenance for the in vitro culture of D. dendriticum. The outcomes of the current study could be useful for many aspects of parasitological analysis.

Constraints of using historical data for modelling the spatial distribution of helminth parasites in ruminants.

Dicrocoelium dendriticum is a trematode that infects ruminant livestock and requires two different intermediate hosts to complete its lifecycle. Modelling the spatial distribution of this parasite can help to improve its management in higher risk regions. The aim of this research was to assess the constraints of using historical data sets when modelling the spatial distribution of helminth parasites in ruminants. A parasitological data set provided by CREMOPAR (Napoli, Italy) and covering most of Italy was used in this paper. A baseline model (Random Forest, VECMAP®) using the entire data set was first used to determine the minimal number of data points needed to build a stable model. Then, annual distribution models were computed and compared with the baseline model. The best prediction rate and statistical output were obtained for 2012 and the worst for 2016, even though the sample size of the former was significantly smaller than the latter. We discuss how this may be explained by the fact that in 2012, the samples were more evenly geographically distributed, whilst in 2016 most of the data were strongly clustered. It is concluded that the spatial distribution of the input data appears to be more important than the actual sample size when computing species distribution models. This is often a major issue when using historical data to develop spatial models. Such data sets often include sampling biases and large geographical gaps. If this bias is not corrected, the spatial distribution model outputs may display the sampling effort rather than the real species distribution.

Molecular confirmation of Dicrocoelium dendriticum in the Himalayan ranges of Pakistan.

Lancet liver flukes of the genus Dicrocoelium (Trematoda: Digenea) are recognised parasites of domestic and wild herbivores. The aim of the present study was to confirm the species identity of Dicrocoeliid flukes collected from the Chitral valley in the Himalayan ranges of Pakistan. The morphology of 48 flukes belonging to eight host populations was examined; but overlapping traits prevented accurate species designation. Phylogenetic comparison of published D. dendriticum ribosomal cistron DNA, and cytochrome oxidase-1 (COX-1) mitochondrial DNA sequences with those from D. chinensis was performed to assess within and between species variation and re-affirm the use of species-specific single nucleotide polymorphism markers. PCR and sequencing of 34 corresponding fragments of ribosomal DNA and 14 corresponding fragments of mitochondrial DNA from the Chitral valley flukes, revealed 10 and 4 unique haplotypes, respectively. These confirmed for the first time the molecular species identity of Pakistani lancet liver flukes as D. dendriticum. This work provides a preliminary illustration of a phylogenetic approach that could be developed to study the ecology, biological diversity, and epidemiology of Dicrocoeliid lancet flukes when they are identified in new settings.

Zoonotic parasitic organisms on vegetables: Impact of production system characteristics on presence, prevalence on vegetables in northwestern Iran and washing methods for removal

Fresh vegetables are essential components of a healthy and nutritious diet, but if consumed raw without proper washing and/or disinfection, can be important agents of transmission of enteric pathogens. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of zoonotic parasites on vegetables freshly harvested and “ready to eat” vegetables from greengrocers and markets in northwestern Iran. In addition, the effect of cropping system and season on contamination levels were assessed as well as the efficacy of washing procedures to remove parasites from the vegetables. A total of 2757 samples composed of field (n = 1, 600) and “ready to eat” (n = 1157) vegetables were analyzed. Vegetables included leek, parsley, basil, coriander, savory, mint, lettuce, cabbage, radish, dill, spinach, mushroom, carrot, tomato, cucumber and pumpkin. Normal physiological saline washings from 200 g samples were processed using standard parasitological techniques and examined microscopically. A total of 53.14% of vegetable samples obtained from different fields and 18.23% of “ready to eat” vegetables purchased from greengrocers and markets were contaminated with different parasitic organisms including; Entamoeba coli cysts, Giardia intestinalis cysts, Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts, Fasciola hepatica eggs, Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs, Taenia spp. eggs, Hymenolepis nana eggs, Ancylostoma spp. eggs, Toxocara cati eggs, Toxocara canis eggs, Strongyloides stercoralis larvae, and Ascaris lumbricoides eggs. In both field and “ready to eat” vegetables, the highest parasitic contamination was observed in lettuce with a rate of 91.1% and 55.44%, respectively. The most common parasitic organism was Fasciola hepatica. A seasonal difference in contamination with parasitic organisms was found for field and “ready to eat” vegetables (P < 0.05). There was a significant difference in the recovery of parasitic organisms depending on the washing method with water and dishwashing liquid being the least effective. Proper washing of vegetables is imperative for a healthy diet as the results of this study showed the presence of zoonotic parasites from field and ready to eat vegetables in Iran.

Prevalence of Liver Trematode Infections in Cattle in the Province of Ağrı in Turkey

This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of distomatosis in cattle in the Ağrı province in Turkey. The livers and bile ducts of 200 slaughtered cattle were examined macroscopically, and the gall bladders were examined by sedimentation. The presence of Fasciola hepatica eggs and antigens in 188 cattle were investigated using sedimentation and coproantigen ELISA, respectively. Egg counts per gram of faeces (EPG) was determined using the modified McMaster sedimentation method. Adult Fasciola hepatica and Dicrocoelium dendriticum were found in the bile ducts of 47 and 25 cattle, respectively. Examination of the gall bladders of cattle revealed the presence of eggs of Fasciola hepatica and D. dendriticum in 63 and 48 cattle, respectively. The coproantigens of Fasciola hepatica were found in 148 (78.7%) cattle using ELISA. Additionally, the eggs of F. hepatica were found in 63 (33.5%) cattle by sedimentation, with the value of EPG between 17 and 83. The prevalence of D. dendriticum was determined as 25.5%, with the value of EPG between 17 and 67. In this study, distomatosis was detected in cattle in Ağrı province using coproantigen ELISA and sedimentation methods along with macroscopic examination. The findings necessitate an urgent implementation of an effective prevention and control program, which can increase the awareness of cattle breeders regarding these diseases. Furthermore, there is also a need for more detailed studies on these diseases.

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Dicrocoelium spp. Isolates from Sheep, Goat and Cattle in the West of Iran

DICROCELIOSIS is a prevalent parasitic disease in ruminants and in humans and is accidental caused by different species of Dicrocoelium spp. This study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics and molecular parameters of Dicrocoelium spp. isolated from livers of slaughtered sheep, goat, and cattle in three provinces in west of Iran from Feb 2018 to Feb 2019. In the present study, 45 infected livers with Dicrocoelium were collected (each province 15 and each host 5 infected liver). After morphological examination, the molecular evaluation was carried out for the ribosomal DNA (partial 5.8S, complete ITS2 and partial 28S genes) using PCR and PCR-RFLP techniques. Morphological analysis revealed that all specimens belonged to Dicrocoelium dendriticum. There were profound morphometric variations among D. dendriticum from different hosts and sampling areas, but no statistically significant differences was found (P>0.001). The sequencing analysis of obtained fragments in GeneBank showed 96% to 100% similarity within homogeneous fragments in the database. The obtained sequences were also registered in Gene Bank with the accession numbers, MN831473, MN831474 and MN831475. Additionally, all PCR-RFLP products revealed two similar fragments (319bp and 271 bp) in all examined samples. According to the present study, haplotype A was shown to be the predominant haplotype of D. dendriticum in the west of Iran.

The Prevalence and Degree of Endoparasitic Infections in Wild Boars Using the Semi-quantitative Fecal Egg Count Method.

Breeding of wild boars is a significant part of the hunting economy; however, hogs are associated with zoonotic infection. This study assessed the prevalence and degree of parasitic infections that exist in wild boars from two hunting grounds in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Republic of Serbia. Parasitological examinations were conducted from 2016 to 2019. In total 220 fecal samples and 13 lungs were collected from wild boars in two hunting grounds (an open and a closed habitat) on the territory of Vojvodina (Serbia). Assessment of the prevalence and degree of the detected endoparasitosis involved a semi-quantitative fecal egg count method. The presence of protozoa-Eimeria spp./Isospora spp. (76.38%; 32.26%) and Balantidium coli (7.08%), nematodes-Ascaris suum (29.03%), Trichuris suis (31.49%; 19.35%), Hyostrongylus rubidus/Oesophagostomum spp. (55.12%; 48.39%), Metastrongylus pudendotectus (66.14%; 21.51%), Gnathostoma hispidum (3.94%; 2.15%) and Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (9.45%; 7.53%) and trematodes-Fasciola hepatica (5.51%; 4.30%) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.78%; 2.30%) were detected as single or mixed infections, via qualitative coprological examination. The total prevalence of the endoparasitosis was 92.91% in hunting ground I (closed habitat) and 73.12% in hunting ground II (open habitat). The most prevalent infection in hunting ground I was coccidiosis (76.38%), and hyostrongylosis/oesophagostomosis (48.39%) in hunting ground II. Adult forms of M. pudendotectus were identified in the lungs of 13 wild hogs with mild to severe bronchopneumonia from hunting ground II. The semi-quantitative fecal egg count method demonstrated clinical and parasitological significance and revealed the risks associated with zoonotic infections in this game species population. Therefore, monitoring the etiology and epizootiology of parasitic infections in wild boars is essential for creating health care programs in hunting ground areas and planning control strategies that protect both the hunting economy and public health.

Clonemate cotransmission supports a role for kin selection in a puppeteer parasite

Host manipulation by parasites is a fascinating evolutionary outcome, but adaptive scenarios that often accompany even iconic examples in this popular field of study are speculative. Kin selection has been invoked as a means of explaining the evolution of an altruistic-based, host-manipulating behavior caused by larvae of the lancet fluke Dicrocoelium dendriticum in ants. Specifically, cotransmission of larval clonemates from a snail first host to an ant second host is presumed to lead to a puppeteer parasite in the ant's brain that has clonemates in the ant abdomen. Clonal relatedness between the actor (brain fluke) and recipients (abdomen flukes) enables kin selection of the parasite's host-manipulating trait, which facilitates transmission of the recipients to the final host. However, the hypothesis that asexual reproduction in the snail leads to a high abundance of clonemates in the same ant is untested. Clonal relationships between the manipulator in the brain and the nonmanipulators in the abdomen are also untested. We provide empirical data on the lancet fluke's clonal diversity within its ant host. In stark contrast to other trematodes, which do not exhibit the same host-manipulating behavioral trait, the lancet fluke has a high abundance of clonemates. Moreover, our data support existing theory that indicates that the altruistic behavior can evolve even in the presence of multiple clones within the same ant host. Importantly, our analyses conclusively show clonemate cotransmission into ants, and, as such, we find support for kin selection to drive the evolution and maintenance of this iconic host manipulation.

The Distribution of Pathogenic Intestinal Parasites in Sivas Cumhuriyet University Faculty of Medicine Research and Application Hospital between 2006-2018

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of intestinal parasites in patients admitted to our hospital with gastrointestinal complaints in our city harboring sociocultural and economic changes, and to show the relationship between these parasites and variables such as age, sex and year. The distribution of intestinal parasites in patients who suffered from gastrointestinal symptoms and were referred to our microbiology/parasitology laboratory from various clinics of the Sivas Cumhuriyet University Training and Research Hospital between January 2006 and December 2018 was determined. After macroscopic examination, 19,760 stool specimens were examined with Nativ-lugol, if necessary, flotation, sedimentation, trichrome and modified acid-fast, Certest Combo Card test Crypto + Giardia + Entamoeba (CerTest Biotec S.L., SPAIN) methods and 5,814 cellophane tape samples were examined with direct microscopy and the results were evaluated retrospectively. Three protozoa and six helminth species were identified in the samples studied. The most frequent parasite was found to be Giardia intestinalis (6.9% n=1.363) from protozoa and Enterobius vermicularis (10.8% n=627) from helminths. Entamoeba histolytica/dispar (1.5% n=289), Cryptosporidium parvum (0.3% n=53), Ascaris lumbricoides (0.2% n=41), Trichuris trichiura (0.1% n=23), Hymenolepis nana (0.1% n=21), Taenia saginata (2.1% n=299) and Dicrocoelium dendriticum (0.01% n=1) were among other intestinal parasites. Between 2006-2018, while decreases in soil-borne parasitoses were observed, there was no statistically significant decrease in annual positive case rates. Despite the development of the infrastructure, parasitoses transmitted by lack of sanitation/cleaning, are still important in our province.

Morphologic and molecular analysis of Dicrocoelium dendriticum species from Iranian native sheep.

Dicrocoeliosis is a worldwide parasitic disease of ruminants which affects the liver. In this current study, the phylogenic pattern of Dicrocoelium species in Iranian native sheep from three different geographical regions was investigated by investigating a 520bp fragment of mitochondirial NAD1 gene. The analysis of the NAD1 oligo nucleotide sequences from 10 D. dendriticum (GenBank accession numbers: MG889399 to MG889408) revealed few non-significant differences, suggesting limited application for NAD1 gene as a biomarker for study of genetic variation in Dicrocoelium. The morphometrical study also showed a significant relationship for the several morphometric indices among the Dicrocoelium spp. isolates from different regions of Iran.

Molecular characterization and immunodiagnostics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum species isolated from sheep of north-west Himalayan region.

Despite its extensive presence among grazing ruminants, dicrocoeliosis, also known as 'small liver fluke' disease, is poorly known and often underestimated by researchers and practitioners in many countries. The accurate identification and prepatent diagnosis of Dicrocoelium dendriticum infection is an essential prerequisite for its prevention and control. In the present study, the morphologically identified specimens isolated from the bile ducts of sheep (Ovis aries) were validated through molecular data. The sequence analysis of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of our isolates showed a high degree of similarity with D. dendriticum using the BLAST function of the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). The phylogenetic analysis of our isolates showed a close relationship with previously described D. dendriticum isolates from different countries. The antigenic profiles of somatic and excretory/secretory (E/S) antigens of D. dendriticum were revealed by sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and immunoblotting using sera from sheep naturally infected with D. dendriticum. By SDS-PAGE, 16 distinct bands were revealed from crude somatic fraction. Immunoblotting analysis of these proteins with positive sera exhibited six seroreactive bands ranging from 27 to 130 kDa. Among these, the 84 and 130 kDa bands were quite specific, with high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. The E/S fraction comprised nine distinct bands, as revealed by SDS-PAGE analysis. Immunoblotting analysis of these proteins with positive sera exhibited five antigenic bands ranging from 27 to 130 kDa. Among these, the 130 kDa band was found to be quite specific, with high diagnostic specificity and sensitivity. The present study concludes that the protein bands of 84 and 130 kDa in somatic fraction and 130 kDa in E/S fraction can be used for the immunodiagnostic purpose for this economically important parasite, which may also encourage further studies regarding their vaccine potential.

Occurrence of Larval Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Brachylaima sp. in Gastropod Intermediate Hosts from Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Occurrence of Larval Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Brachylaima sp. in Gastropod Intermediate Hosts from Fergana Valley, Uzbekistan

Morphological Characteristics of Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Digenea, Dicrocoeliidae), Parasitizing Three Host Species in the Central Regions of Ukraine

Distribution of trematodes of the species Dicrocoelium dendriticum (Rudolphi, 1819) Looss, 1899 (Digenea: Dicrocoeliidae) parasitizing cattle (Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758), sheep (Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758) and goat (Capra aegagrus hircus Linnaeus, 1758) was studied in the Poltava and Kirovohrad regions of Ukraine. The recorded prevalence of infection is 26.9 % in cattle, 28.42 % in sheep and 24.5 % in goat. D. dendriticum is the only species of the genus Dicrocoelium which infects domestic animals in the central regions of Ukraine. The trematodes obtained from cattle are significantly different from those isolated from sheep and goat by length, width and area of body, and length of vitelline ducts.

Molecular Characterization of Fasciola and Dicrocoelium Species Isolated from Ruminant Livestock in Qazvin, Iran.

Fascioliasis and dicrocoeliasis are the most frequent zoonotic diseases with increasing human health problems in different parts of Iran. Two species, Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) and Fasciola gigantica (F. gigantica), are spread in the country. Molecular approaches have a decisive role in identifying both the species. The aim of this study was to detect Fasciola spp. and Dicrocoelium spp. by amplifying the ITS-2 and 28S rDNA gene sequence. Overall, 30 infected liver samples were collected from the livestock of Qazvin, Iran. The adult flukes were collected from different livestock. DNA extraction and PCR amplification of ribosomal RNA gene region (ITS2) and 28S rDNA gene fragment were conducted and a phylogenetic tree was constructed. All the isolates obtained from the cattle (No: 7) and 82.6% (No: 19) of sheep isolates were infected with F. hepatica species, whereas 17.4% (No: 4) of sheep isolates were infected with F. gigantica. It was also shown that F. hepatica was the predominant species of Fasciola present in the region. All the specimens were infected with Dicrocoelium dendriticum (D. dendriticum). Both the species of Fasciola were found in Qazvin. D. dendriticum was the sole infecting species of the Dicrocoelium genus in the livestock of the city of Qazvin. Further research studies are needed to determine the intermediate host of the parasites in the region.

Prevalence of bovine fascioliasis in a new-emerging focus of human fascioliasis in BoyerAhmad district, southwest of Iran

BackgroundThe prevalence of fascioliasis in a population of cattle in a new-emerging focus of human fascioliasis in Boyer-Ahmad District, in the southwest of Iran, was investigated, using an ELISA system and coprological methods. MethodsBlood, as well as stool samples, were collected from 150 dairy cattle consisted of 82 (54.7%) males and 68 (45.3%) females, aged from 1 to 8 years, selected from different pastures. The stool samples were evaluated by direct wet mount microscopic examination as well as sedimentation methods. Moreover, modified Telemann was used for detecting of Fasciola eggs. Anti-Fasciola antibodies in the cattle sera samples were determined, using a Fasciola excretory-secretory antigen-specific ELISA. ResultsAnti-Fasciola antibodies were detected in 64 (42.4%) of the subjects by ELISA. Out of 64 seropositive cases, 29 (45.3%) were female and 35 (54.6%) were male. No significant association was found between sex and seropositivity to fascioliasis. Considering the age of the cattle, the highest prevalence of fascioliasis (23%) was found in the 5-year old age group. However, the difference between the age of the cattle and seropositivity to fascioliasis was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Fasciola eggs were not detected in fecal samples of any of the studied cattle, while Paramphistomide, as well as Dicrocoelium dendriticum eggs, were detected in 6 (4%) and 17 (11.3%) of the subjects, respectively. ConclusionFindings of the current study provide basic information about bovine fascioliasis in a new focus of human fascioliasis in Iran, which is needed for effective control of this parasitic infection in such areas.

Dicrocoeliosis in extensive sheep farms: a survey

BackgroundThis study investigated the epidemiological and molecular aspects of dicrocoeliosis in extensive sheep farms.MethodsFrom 2013 to 2014, copromicroscopical analyses in 190 dairy sheep farms and anatomo-pathological inspections in six slaughterhouses were carried in Sardinia, Italy. Rectal faecal samples were analyzed using the FLOTAC® method, and anatomo-pathological examinations were based on detecting thickened terminal bile ducts (TTBDs). In addition, genetic analyses were conducted on representative DNA samples of adult Dicrocoelium spp.ResultsNinety-seven (51.1%) out of 190 sheep farms were coprologically positive for Dicrocoelium spp. In the liver, on the surface and cut surface, TTBDs were reported in 40.1% (309/770) and 15.3% (118/770) of the animals examined, respectively, with an overall prevalence of 25.5% (196/770). No intraspecific genetic variation was observed among the Dicrocoelium dendriticum isolates.ConclusionsOur survey reveals the widespread presence of D. dendriticum in Sardinia, although seasonal, geographical and climatic conditions might be key factors in modulating the infection prevalence. Examining typical lesions due to D. dendriticum in the liver in abattoirs can be used as a marker for tracking chronic dicrocoeliosis infection.

Predicting environmental suitability and geographical distribution of Dicrocoelium dendriticum at littoral of Caspian Sea: An ecological niche-based modeling

Dicrocoeliasisis caused by the small liver fluke (Dicrocoelium spp.), mainly Dicrocoelium dendriticum in domestic and wild ruminants. The small liver fluke is the probable predisposing cause of economic burden. The impact of geographic and climatic factors on the incidence of dicrocoeliasis has been severely ignored in different geographical areas. Due to the lack of data regarding dicrocoeliasis in Iran, this study was aimed to investigate the prevalence and intensity of ovine and bovine Dicrocoelium infection in the coastal strip south of the Caspian Sea. Fecal samples were obtained from the cattle and sheep in three provinces of Guilan, Mazandaran and Golestan at the littoral of the Caspian Sea. All collected samples were then tested by flotation methods for determining the number of eggs per gram of feces (EPG). Moreover, we applied maximum entropy niche-based modeling (MaxEnt), coupled with remote sensing and the Geographical Information System (GIS) to visualize the spatial distribution and risk factors of Dicrocoelium dendriticum at the littoral of Caspian Sea.A total of 2688 stool samples were collected from cattle (n = 1344) and sheep (n = 1344) in coastal provinces of the Caspian Sea including Guilan (n = 1280), Mazandaran (n = 768) and Golestan (n = 640) provinces. Based on the data presented here, the highest rate of infection was observed in Guilan and Mazandaran provinces. The results revealed the prevalence rates of 36.72% and 6.09% for sheep and cattle in Guilan province, respectively. This rate was 22.4% for sheep and 3.91% for cattle in Mazandaran province. However, the rate of sheep infection was 90% in some point locations. Dicrocoelium infection was found to be significantly different between three provinces in sheep (P < 0.00001, Chi = 111.633).Our findings exhibited a high reliability of the MaxEnt model, and area under the curve (AUC) values of the training and test data sets were determined to be 0.852 and 0.818, respectively. Jackknife analysis showed the relative variable contribution to the model performance, where four variables were found as key influential factors that highly affected the habitat suitability of the presence of the lancet fluke including the precipitation of driest quarter (Bio17), altitude, temperature seasonality (Bio4), and precipitation of driest month (Bio14).The findings of this study demonstrated a high presence rate of Dicrocoelium infection at the littoral of Caspian Sea, Iran. Moreover, climatic variables can be considered as important predictive factors affecting the distribution of infection in the studied areas. Further studies based on the findings of the GIS are also very important in the country for planning control programs.

First isolation of Dicrocoelium dendriticum among cattle in some Northern Algerian slaughterhouses.

Background and Aim:Dicrocoelium dendriticum or small liver fluke often causes unnoticed clinical manifestations in cattle. For a live animal, its diagnosis is mainly based on the detection of eggs by coproscopic examination. The objective of this study was to determine the presence or absence of Dicrocoelium spp. never previously reported in the study area but also to establish its prevalence, as well as an association between dicrocoeliasis and sex, age and season of the year, and histological characteristics.Materials and Methods:The study was carried out in slaughterhouses of three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia) from January 2017 to December 2017. To this end, of 4053 cattle, representing more than 10% of the total number of animals slaughtered, stool and bile samples were collected and a liver inspection was carried out to investigate lesions of distomial cholangitis. They were processed for histological analysis. The specimens were morphologically identified according to the orientation of the testicles, the length and width of the body, and the level of the maximum width of the body.Results:The total prevalence of dicrocoeliasis obtained of the 4053 cattle inspected is 0.52% with a prevalence of 0.66% in Tizi-Ouzou, 0.54% in Bouira, and 0.27% in Bejaia. About 0.52% of livers had distomial cholangitis (21 of the 4053 livers examined had adult D. dendriticum and 15% had non-distomial cholangitis. About 0.25% of cattle had D. dendriticum eggs in the stool versus 0.52% of cattle had parasite eggs in the bile. Statistical analysis revealed no significant association between dicrocoeliasis infection and the season of the year (p>0.05). However, a significant association was found between dicrocoeliasis infection and sex and age of the animal (p<0.05); females and older animals are more likely to have dicrocoeliasis. Histological analysis of the fluke revealed an anterior positioning of the testicles with a slightly oblique tandem orientation, an average body length of 3.69 mm and an average body width of 1 mm. The maximum body width level is either in the middle of the fluke body or in the rear position.Conclusion:The histological study confirms that the collected fluke is D. dendriticum. Thus, this work reveals for the 1st time in Algeria the presence of D. dendriticum in three districts (Bouira, Tizi-Ouzou, and Bejaia). The results indicate that many cattle farms in the North Central Province of Algeria are infested with D. dendriticum.

A Comprehensive Retrospective Study: Intestinal Parasites in Human in Van Province

The aim of present study was to retrospectively determine the prevalence of intestinal parasites in patients, who were referred to Parasitology Laboratory in Van Yüzüncü Yıl University, Faculty of Medicine during an 11-year period. Stool samples of 69633 individuals admitted to the outpatient clinics in the hospital were initially evaluated with native-Lugol, and then by flotation, sedimentation, trichrome staining, modified acid-fast staining and ELISA methods. Twenty-four parasite species were identified in parasite-positive patients. At least one or more parasite species were found in 34.1% of all patients. The most commonly observed parasite was Blastocystis hominis (26.5%). Among pathogen parasites, Giardia intestinalis (G. intestinalis) was detected in 9.3%, Ascaris lumbricoides (A. lumbricoides) was detected in 2.5%, Entamoeba histolytica/Entamoeba dispar in 0.8%, Cystoisospora belli in 0.004%, Fasciola hepatica in 0.04%, Dicrocoelium dendriticum in 0.001%, Strongyloides stercoralis in 0.001% and hookworm in 0.001% of the patients. It was determined that, pathogen parasites such as G. intestinalis and A. lumbricoides were still observed at high rates in Van province, especially in children, and the problem of parasitosis is still continuing, although the prevalence of parasites has declined when compared to the previous years.