Gastrointestinal Parasitic Diseases Research Articles

Prevalence, Associated Risk Factors, and Economic Loss of Ovine Hemonchosis at Jimma Town Municipal Abattoir, Jimma Zone, Southwestern Ethiopia

Hemonchosis is considered one of the most severe gastrointestinal parasitic diseases in small ruminants due to the blood feeding habits of the parasites, which results in production loss and death of the animals. A cross-sectional study was conducted from December 2022 to March 2023 at the Jimma town municipal abattoir with the objectives of estimating the occurrence of ovine hemonchosis, investigating potential associated risk factors, and assessing economic loss due to the disease. A total of 374 animals were chosen by systematic random sampling over the study period, and prevalence was estimated based on coprological and postmortem examination for the presence or absence of the parasite according to standard procedures. Accordingly, among the examined sheep, 32.62% and 53.2% were positive for Haemonchus contortus by fecal and postmortem examination, respectively. When the two tests were compared using the latter as the gold standard, the results showed a moderate degree of agreement (kappa statistic = 0.597 ). The prevalence of H. contortus was found to be statistically significant ( p < 0.05 ) with respect to agroecology and season. The highest prevalence of H. contortus was observed during the semidry season (65.62%) and began to decline gradually from the middle of the semidry season. The lowest prevalence was recorded during the dry season (41.52%). The present study did not find a statistically significant difference in prevalence across different age and sex groups ( p > 0.05 ). The annual financial loss due to abomasum rejection and carcass reduction associated with hemonchosis at the abattoir was estimated to be 358,591.58 Ethiopian birr. It was concluded that hemonchosis was prevalent in the study area, resulting in a significant loss and dictating applicable control and prevention approaches for hemonchosis.

PSV-25 Effect of Garlic on Galectin 3 in Goats

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine the effect of garlic extracts on expression of Galectin 3 in goats. Inflammatory diseases such as mastitis and gastrointestinal parasitic diseases cause significant problems for goat production. Galectins (Gal) are a family of highly conserved mammalian carbohydrate-binding proteins that can regulate inflammation. Galectin-3 is the only member of the lectin family with a chimeric structure. It is a potential therapeutic target to regulate the activity of inflammatory cells. Garlic extracts are natural anti-inflammatory agents that are being evaluated for use in goat management. Twelve adult female clinically healthy Boer X Spanish goats were divided into 2 groups. The treatment group (n = 6) was drenched with a 10 mL garlic (Garlic barrier) and the control group (n = 6) was given sterile water for 30 days. Blood was collected weekly from the jugular vein using acid citrate dextrose as an anticoagulant. Blood was centrifuged to separate cells and plasma. Galectin 3 secretion in plasma was determined using goat specific commercial ELISA kits (My-BioSource). Total RNA was isolated from the cell pellet using Trizol and it was then converted into cDNA. Primers specific for goat Gal 3 specific and the housekeeping genes RPLP0 and UCHL5 (Eurofins Genomics) were used in Real-time PCR to evaluate the gene expression. Fold change was calculated using the Livak method. All variables were assessed using SAS Statistical analysis software version 9.4 (SAS Institute) at P < 0.05. Treatment had an effect over time and a significant increase (P < 0.0141) was observed in the GAL- 3 concentrations. Gal-3 was expressed in greater amounts in treatment group animals compared with the control group with a fold change of 1.15. Garlic may be used to modulate Gal 3 expression and secretion in goat blood. It is important to consider the impact of garlic on Gal 3 modulation. Studies needed to define possible impacts on immune function and goat health.

Assessment of The Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Gastrointestinal Parasite of Goats in Afgooye District, Lower Shabelle, Somalia

Background: Gastrointestinal parasitic diseases remain an obstacle to goat farmers in Somalia and worldwide. Purpose: This study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of gastrointestinal parasites in goats in the Afgooye district, Lower Shabelle region, Somalia. Methods: To fulfill this study, an examination of 384 fecal samples of goats kept by smallholders was conducted. The results were achieved during the period from August 2020 to January 2022. Results: The examination of fecal samples revealed that the overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic infections among goats was 71.61%. The data analysis conducted during the study indicated that there is no significant association (P > 0.05) between goat districts and gastrointestinal (GI) parasite infection. The corresponding percentage of gastrointestinal parasites in males and females was 70% and 72%, respectively. However, these variables were not significantly associated (p-value = 0.399). After categorization, age was not significantly associated with the parasitic infection status of the animal. The common parasitic infections prevalent were Nematode, Trematode, Cestode, and Protozoa types were found in different numbers. According to the flotation and sedimentation techniques, Eimeria sp. (29%) was found with higher prevalence followed by Haemonchus sp. (23%), Trichostrongylus sp. (11%), Moniezia sp. (10%), Trichuris sp. (9%), Strongyloides sp. (7%), Dictyocaulus sp. (5.2%), Nematodirus (4%), and least was Fasciola sp. (1.0%). Conclusion: This study provides comprehensive documentation on multiple GI parasites among goats in the Afgooye district, Lower Shabelle region of South-western State, Somalia, and the findings are crucial for effective farm management, especially for formulating the effective GI parasitic control vis-a-vis novel elimination strategies.

In-vivo anticoccidial efficacy of green synthesized iron-oxide nanoparticles using Ficus racemosa Linn leaf extract. (Moraceae) against Emeria tenella infection in broiler chicks

Coccidiosis is an acute gastrointestinal parasitic disease and causes approximately $2.80 to $3.27 per m2 loss in a broiler farm of a 33-day-old flock. In this study, iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were green synthesized using the aqueous leaf extract of Ficus racemosa as a reducing and capping agent to reduce the emerging resistance in coccidia spores against conventional treatments and boost the immune level in broilers. These IONPs were evaluated for their impacts on the growth performance, biochemistry, blood profile, and histology in the coccidiodized broiler chicken with Emeria tenella under in vivo conditions. The characteristics and stability of particles were obtained using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transforms infrared (FTIR), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray absorption (EDX), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), zeta potential and zeta size. The results indicated that IONPs at the moderate dose of 15 mg/kg (p = 0.001) reduced the coccidial impacts by eliminating oocyst shedding per gram feces (up to 91%) and reducing clinical symptoms (lesions (LS = 0), bloody diarrhea (No), and mortality (0%) in chicken at day 10 of treatment as compared to the negative control group-B (infected & non-treated). A dose-dependent and time-dependent trend were observed during treatments (10, 15, and 20 mg/kg) of 1–3 weeks using IONPs against the coccidial impacts on the growth parameters (body weight gain, mean feed consumption, feed conversion ratio) and biochemistry (plasma glucose, total protein, uric acid, ALT, AST, and ALP) in chickens. Additionally, F. racemosa IONPs at a dose of 15 and 20 mg/kg significantly recovered the parasitized and highly damaged hepatocytes, liver tissues, and ceca tissues after 1–3 weeks of treatment in broiler chickens. Overall, the 15 mg/kg concentration of IONPs exhibited fast recovery and growth enhancement in coccidiodized broilers. Therefore, the 15 mg/kg dose of green synthesized IONPs using leaf extract of F. racemosa could be a potential and safe anticoccidial agent with targeted implications in the poultry industry.

Studi Literatur Pengendalian Koksidiosis pada Ternak Ruminansia di Lahan Kering Nusa Tenggara Timur

Coccidiosis is a gastrointestinal parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Eimeria spp. The infective form of Eimeria is the oocyst that can be found in almost all tropical environmental conditions and the possibility of disease as an opener to other agents. The percentage of coccidiosis incidence in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) is increasing from year to year, this is due to many factors that play a role in the spread of coccidiosis in livestock. One of them is the level of resistance of Eimeria oocysts, which can last a long time, so that they remain vigilant and more attention needs to be paid to prevent the spread. The purpose of compiling this literature study is to determine the risk factors associated with the incidence of coccidiosis in ruminants and control of coccidiosis in ruminants in dry land of East Nusa Tenggara. This literature study was obtained from searching and collecting from various reference sources using Google Scholar with the help of the Mendeley application. There are 53 literatures obtained and after being analyzed and known risk factors related to the incidence of coccidiosis are maintenance management, season (temperature and humidity), environmental conditions, age of livestock, and sex. Coccidiosis control in ruminants can be done with coccidiostat therapy and herbal ingredients as well as improving management this case regular sanitation and cleanliness of cages, stables for adults and young livestock, rotation of pastures, containers or feed containers on a regular basis and endeavored to avoid contamination by feces.

In Vitro Anthelmintic Areca catechu Crude Aqueous Extract Against Haemonchus contortus in The Sheep

Haemonchosis is a gastrointestinal parasitic disease in sheep caused by Haemonchus contortus. The biggest economic losses due to this disease are mortality, decreased production, stunted growth, and low body weight. The existence of resistance to synthetic anthelmintics causes the development of research on alternative treatments to herbal anthelmintics to be a strategic step. This study aims to analyze the effect of Areca catechu on Haemonchus contortus in vitro so that the Lethal Concentration 50 (LC 50) can be determined. This study was divided into 9 groups. Group I was treated with 2.5% A. catechu crude aqueous extract; group II was treated with 5% of A. catechu crude aqueous extract; group III was treated with 7.5% A. catechu crude aqueous extract; group IV was treated with 10% of A. catechu crude aqueous extract; group V was treated with 12.5% A. catechu crude aqueous extract; group VI was treated with 15% A. catechu crude aqueous extract; Group VII was treated with 17.5% A. catechu crude aqueous extract, group VIII was a negative control (0.9% NaCl) and group IX was a positive control (Albendazole). The mortality of H. contortus was recorded every hour until the worm mortality was 100%. The results were then analyzed using the Reed and Muench method. Based on the in vitro test of Areca catechu crude aqueous extract against H.contortus it can cause mortality in worms with an Lethal Concentration 50 (LC 50) calculation result of 11.11%.

Anthelmintic activity of methanol extract of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) fruits against Haemonchus contortus in red Sokoto goats.

Haemonchosis is a gastrointestinal parasitic disease of economic importance in ruminants especially sheep and goats. In view of the rising costs of conventional veterinary anthelmintics and the development of resistance by Haemonchus contortus, there is a need to develop alternative ethnoveterinary therapies for the treatment and management of Haemonchosis. This study investigated the anthelmintic activity of Dennettia tripetala G. Baker (Annonaceae) fruits against Haemonchus contortus in red Sokoto goats. The maximum tolerated dose was determined in adult albino rats administered, 3000, 4000, and 5000mg/kg body weight of the crude methanol extract (CME) fraction, and observed over a period of 48h for signs of toxicity and mortality. The in vivo anthelmintic activity was evaluated using 20 kids infected with H. contortus and randomly allocated into 5 groups (1, 2, 3, 4, and 5). Kids in groups 1, 2, and 3 were treated with CME at doses of 1250, 2500, and 5000mg/kg respectively for 3 consecutive days per os. Groups 4 and 5 were treated with albendazole (7.5mg/kg) once and distilled water (5ml) respectively and served as treated and untreated controls. Blood samples were collected for haematology. The maximum tolerated dose of the CME of D. tripetala did not produce observable signs of toxicity or death in all the rats given up to 5000mg/kg. There was significant (P < 0.05) reduction in faecal egg count by CME at doses of 1250mg/kg (91.6%), 2500mg/kg (98.5%), and 5000mg/kg (100%) at day 14 post-treatment. The total plasma protein (TPP) and FAMACHA© scoring values were significantly improved (P < 0.05) in the treated groups. These results indicate that methanol extract and fractions of D. tripetala fruits possess beneficial anthelmintic activity against H. contortus and may be a suitable alternative anthelmintic candidate for the control of haemonchosis in goats.

Epidemiological aspects, haematological and biochemical alterations in some gastrointestinal parasitic diseases of carnivores

Gastrointestinal parasites are widespread pathogenic agents and one of the main causes for mortality in young dogs and cats. Many of these zoonotic parasites are relevant in terms of public health. The presence of parasites in the animal organism causes local and general modifications in the various organs they parasitize or transit throughout their life cycle. The present study aimed to identify the most frequent gastrointestinal parasites of dogs and cats and to monitor the alterations that occur in terms of haematological and biochemical parameters. The studied animals, 25 dogs and three cats from Timiș and Caraș Severin counties, were brought to the On-call room of the University Clinics of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Timișoara. The laboratory methods that were used were the Willis flotation method, the Baerman larvoscopic method and the Lugol method. The haematological methods, namely flow cytometry, cytochemistry and spectrophotometry, were performed at Bioclinica Laboratories, on whole blood samples that were collected in EDTA or simple tubes. The studied animals were positive for Giardia, Cystoisospora, Dipylidium, Ancylostoma, Toxocara and Trichocephalus. The positivity rate was 57.14%, with prevalence rates according to the parasitic species ranging from 3.57% to 21.42%, with multiparasitism in 32.14%, and monoparasitism in 17.85%. The values recorded for red blood cells, haemoglobin and hematocrit followed the same trendmost of the animals being situated within physiological values, except for three dogs, that recorded values below the minimal level. In the case of MCH (mean corpuscular haemoglobin) and MCHC (mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration) the values recorded for most dogs were within physiological limits, except for three dogs which overpassed the maximum level. Eosinophils were high in all dogs, which is a characteristic feature of parasitism. The serum urea concentrations revealed the fact that all for dogs that were taken into study had values above the maximum limit.

Retrospective pathological studies on gastrointestinal tract parasitic diseases in cattle and buffaloes at EL-Dakahlyia province

Background and objective: The present study was carried out to study gross pathology, histopathological examination of gastrointestinal tract (GIT) of animals affected with helminthes and protozoan parasites in cattle and buffaloes slaughtered in Mansoura governmental abattoir and necropsied in local dairy farms at EL-Dakahlyia Province. Materials and methods: Different kinds of trematodes, cestodes and nematodes were generally screened during the period 2017-2020 by post-mortem examination of 12,250 slaughtered bovine carcasses. Results: Out of 12,250 slaughtered bovine carcasses, 3604 cases (29%) were affected with gastrointestinal parasites. Helminthes and protozoan parasites were encountered in 3209 (89%) and 395 (10.9%) cases, respectively. The observed helminthes were nematodes (Gongylonema pulchrum, toxocara vitillorum), trematodes (Fasciola; F. gigantica) and cestodes (Moniezia, hydatid cyst), while sarcosporidia, eimeria and cryptosporidia were the encountered protozoa. Grossly, fasciola and hydatid cysts were detected in liver, gongelonema pulchrum, major sarcocysts were detected in esophagus, toxocara vitillorum were detected in small intestine. Minor sarcocysts, intestinal cryptosporidiosis and coccidiosis were discovered microscopically. The histopathological lesions were graded from 0 (no lesion), I (mild), II (moderate) to III (severe). Conclusion: No or minimal lesions as observed with living gongelonema, major and minor sarcocysts to severe caseation, calcification and granuloma formation as demonstrated with hydatid cysts and fasciola.

Gastrointestinal parasites of blue monkeys (Cercopithecus mitis) and grey‐cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena) at the Ngogo Research Site in Kibale National Park, Uganda

AbstractThere has been persistent decline in blue monkey (Cercopithecus mitis) population at Ngogo research site in the past 40 years for no clear reasons. In contrast, the populations of other nonhuman primates like the grey‐cheeked mangabeys (Lophocebus albigena) which share identical home ranges with blue monkeys have not been obviously affected. However, stakeholders attribute this decline to gastrointestinal parasitic diseases, hence the need to determine the profile of parasitic infections in blue monkeys and compare them to that of grey‐cheeked mangabeys within a shared home range. Faecal samples (n = 241) were subjected to diagnostic tests, namely sodium nitrate floatation and formol‐ether sedimentation before microscopic examination. 227 (94%) samples were parasite positive; six protozoa and 21 helminths were present. This implies that Ngogo hosts a high diversity of parasites which poses health risks to nonhuman primates. There was no significant statistical difference in the prevalence of the overall main pathogenic parasites between the two studied nonhuman primate species. Therefore, gastrointestinal parasites may not be the obvious cause of the proclaimed blue monkey population decline at Ngogo research site.

Occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases of swine in different production phases in commercial pig farms from the State of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil

ABSTRACT Gastrointestinal parasites are important, since they can cause a decrese in the performance of swine. The occurrence of parasites in pig farms can create economic losses such as reduction in the value of carcasses and increasing expenses with medicines and veterinary assistance. This study aimed at investigating the occurrence of intestinal parasites in different phases of production reared pigs in intensive prodution systems in the western region of the State of Santa Catarina. A total of 403 fecal samples were analyzed, of which 51.86% were positive for one or more parasites in different phases of production. Finishing pigs had the highest prevalence of parasites (60.19%) followed by nursery pigs (55.44%), pigs in breading sows (50.49%), and suckling piglets (40.81%). Strongylida parasites had higher occurrence (28.78%), and were also the most frequent in the finishing, breading sows, and nursery phases. Coccidia were more occurrent in suckling piglets. This study highlights the need of implementing suitable antiparasitic control measures in all phases of swine production associated with a surveillance system for the diagnosis of endoparasite infection in pigs. Our results demonstrate that endoparasites are highly occurring in pigs, even in intensive system animals on technified farms.

Data Augmentation using Generative Adversarial Network for Gastrointestinal Parasite Microscopy Image Classification

Gastrointestinal parasitic diseases represent a latent problem in developing countries; it is necessary to create a support tools for the medical diagnosis of these diseases, it is required to automate tasks such as the classification of samples of the causative parasites obtained through the microscope using methods like deep learning. However, these methods require large amounts of data. Currently, collecting these images represents a complex procedure, significant consumption of resources, and long periods. Therefore it is necessary to propose a computational solution to this problem. In this work, an approach for generating sets of synthetic images of 8 species of parasites is presented, using Deep Convolutional Adversarial Generative Networks (DCGAN). Also, looking for better results, image enhancement techniques were applied. These synthetic datasets (SD) were evaluated in a series of combinations with the real datasets (RD) using the classification task, where the highest accuracy was obtained with the pre-trained Resnet50 model (99,2%), showing that increasing the RD with SD obtained from DCGAN helps to achieve greater accuracy.

Chemotherapy of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases in domestic pigeons (Columba livia) in Rajshahi division of Bangladesh

The present study was undertaken to find out the prevalence of gastrointestinal nematodes in pigeon (columba livia) at Rajshahi division from 01-01-2016 to 15-12-2016 and to evaluate the comparative efficacy piparazine citrate and levamisole HCL. Total 3 different species of parasites were recorded in this study and those were Ascaridia columbae, Capillilaria obsignata, Raillietina tetragona. Out of 263 pigeon, 109 pigeon having ascarid and capillaria positive were treatment with piparazine citrate and levamisole HCL. The pigeon were treated with recommended (10g mixed in 6 litre drinking water for 100 pigeon) dose of Ascarex® and recommended (1gm mixed in 1 litre drinking water) dose of Avinex® orally, respectively. The recovery rate of ascariasis at 7th days was 50.9% and capillariasis was 51.85%. After 21th days the recovery rate of ascariasis was 72.72% and capillariasis was 66.66%. The efficacy of drugs is more in case of young (77.27% at 7th days and 87.36% at 21th days) than adult (44.82% at 7th days and 65.51% at 21th days).In exotic breeds efficacy is good (60.41% at 7th days and 85.41% at 21th days) than indigenous breeds (44.26% at 7th days and 66.65% at 21th days). The recovery rate is more in traditional (65.3% at 7th days and 78.33% at 21th days) than commercial farming system (42.85% at 7th days and 58.33% at 21th days).&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.6(2): 323-328, August 2019

Pharmaceutical ethnobotany in the Mahabad (West Azerbaijan) biosphere reserve: ethno-pharmaceutical formulations, nutraceutical uses and quantitative aspects

This study endeavors to overcome the limits of an orally transmitted pharmacopoeia, and tries to utilize the large ethnobotany patrimony of the area to investigate the biological diversity. Thirty-five traditional practitioners from dissimilar ethnic groups including traditional health practitioners (THPs) and indigenous people were interviewed. A total of 35 species of plants, belonging to 20 families were recognized for the treatment of more than 26 types of ailments. Informant consensus factor (FIC) values of this study reflected the high agreement in the use of plants in the treatment of gastro-intestinal complaints, infectious, parasitic diseases and constipation among the informants. Constipation had the highest use-reports and 8 species of plants had the highest fidelity level (FL) of 100%. In addition one of the species showed the highest relative importance (RI) value of 2.00. Priority should be given to phytochemical investigation of plants that scored the highest FL, FIC, RI values; as such values could be considered as a good indicator of potential plants for discovering new drugs. In addition, traditional knowledge of THPs should be taken into consideration in order to smooth continuation and extension of the nutraceutical aspects and biological diversity of the region.

Antineoplastic Chemotherapy and its Effects on the Gastrointestinal Parasitism of the Dog

Background:In veterinary medicine, an increasing incidence of neoplastic diseases has been followed by a growth in the use of chemotherapeutic drugs, often associated with opportunistic infections.Objective:This study aimed to assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in dogs undergoing antineoplastic chemotherapy in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area, as well as their evolution throughout the protocol and respective effects of chemotherapy on dogs’ lifestyle.Methods:Faecal samples were collected in a group of 30 dogs being treated for neoplastic diseases under different protocols, previous (G1) and during chemotherapy (G2). In total, 60 samples were analysed by Willis flotation, natural sedimentation, Baermann technique and faecal smear stained with Ziehl-Neelsen. A survey to characterize animal lifestyles and deworming care were also conducted with dog’s tutors.Results:In total, there were two positive samples for the protozoanGiardiasp., one of which is in association with the nematodeToxascaris leonina. The two dogs only obtained positive results during chemotherapy (G2). An overall prevalence of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases of 6.7%, in G2, and 0%, in G1, was obtained.Conclusion:The low parasite prevalence has not allowed the evaluation of an association between the use of antineoplastic compounds and infections by gastrointestinal parasites. However, it was concluded that the studied groups were efficiently dewormed, as well as they did not experience any obvious changes in their parasitological component and its lifestyle.

English

The use of medicinal plants plays a major role in the primary health care of human beings in Ethiopia. A study was carried out to document ethnomedicinal plants used for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases of human in Yeki district, southwest Ethiopia. The key informants were selected using purposive sampling method. The information was obtained from 26 informants and 8 herbalists through the use of a semi-structured interview and observation on the habitat of medicinal plants. The collected data were analyzed using excel spread sheet. The survey revealed that 29 plant species belonging to 20 families were identified, and they were used for the treatment of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases of human. Among different intestinal parasite studied, protozoa (Amoebiasis) contributed the highest prevalence (48.28%) which infects children frequently. Lamiaceae (13.79%) species was the most frequently used plant family. Leaves were the most frequently used plant parts, constituting 51.72% followed by bark, seed, and fruit each with 6.89%. The remedies were prepared crushing single plant (62.5%) and in few cases mixtures of different plants (37.5%). Plants like Maytenus arbutifolia and Pycnostachys meyeri were approved by most of the healers which was used to control parasites. The collated data analysis revealed that a protozoan parasite infection is the most prevalence in the area due to less personal and environmental hygiene. The study revealed that information on medicinal plants was mostly confined to older people, and there is danger that this knowledge can be lost before being passed on to next generations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to document information on these plant species so that the future generation can benefit from it. Further investigation should be carried out to validate the efficacy and safety of the aforementioned plants so as to provide cheap alternative ways of controlling parasites. Key words: Ethnomedicine, gastrointestinal parasite, helminthes, medicinal plants, protozoa. &nbsp

Occurrence and distribution of Giardia species in wild rodents in Germany

BackgroundGiardiasis is an important gastrointestinal parasitic disease in humans and other mammals caused by the protozoan Giardia duodenalis. This species complex is represented by genetically distinct groups (assemblages A-H) with varying zoonotic potential and host preferences. Wild rodents can harbor potentially zoonotic assemblages A and B, and the rodent-specific assemblage G. Other Giardia spp. found in these animals are Giardia muris and Giardia microti. For the latter, only limited information on genetic typing is available. It has been speculated that wild rodents might represent an important reservoir for parasites causing human giardiasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence and distribution of Giardia spp. and assemblage types in wild rodents from different study sites in Germany.ResultsScreening of 577 wild rodents of the genera Apodemus, Microtus and Myodes, sampled at eleven study sites in Germany, revealed a high overall Giardia prevalence. Giardia species determination at the SSU rDNA gene locus revealed that Apodemus mice, depending on species, were predominantly infected with one of two distinct G. muris sequence types. Giardia microti was the predominant parasite species found in voles of the genera Microtus and Myodes. Only a few animals were positive for potentially zoonotic G. duodenalis. Subtyping at the beta-giardin (bg) and glutamine dehydrogenase (gdh) genes strongly supported the existence of different phylogenetic subgroups of G. microti that are preferentially harbored by distinct host species.ConclusionsThe present study highlights the preference of G. muris for Apodemus, and G. microti for Microtus and Myodes hosts and argues for a very low prevalence of zoonotic G. duodenalis assemblages in wild rodents in Germany. It also provides evidence that G. muris and G. microti subdivide into several phylogenetically distinguishable subgroups, each of which appears to be preferentially harbored by species of a particular rodent host genus. Finally, the study expands the database of sequences relevant for sequence typing of G. muris and G. microti isolates which will greatly help future analyses of these parasites’ population structure.

Assessment of knowledge, attitude and practices of personal and oral hygiene among undergraduate university students in Sulaimani city

Poor hygiene performance and insufficient sanitary conditions assume real parts in the expanded weight of communicable diseases inside developing nations. Lack of resources such as hand washing materials, water and sanitation facilities may be essential factors why students do not wash their hands, also struggling of affordable toothpaste and absence of awareness regarding oral hygiene may be affected by improper cleaning teeth and tongue. This study was carried out to assess the knowledge, attitude and practices (KAP) of personal and oral hygiene among undergraduate university students in Sulaimani city /Iraq and evaluated the degree to which appropriate information of hygiene was related with individual hygiene character. This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1055 undergraduate students who were met via trained staff. Data comprised of cleanliness and hand washing practices, learning about sanitation, individual cleanliness qualities, nearness of gastrointestinal parasitic disease, oral and dental diseases including dental decay and bad breathes. University students with satisfactory information of legitimate personal and oral hygiene probably had clean clothes 68.8% (P value &lt; 0.05), clean hair 72% (0.0001 P value), fingernail trimmed 139% (P value&gt; 0.05), clean teeth 59.4% (P value &lt;0.05), good mouth breath 57% (P value &lt;0.05). Approximately 57.2% of students were delegated having sufficient information of legitimate cleanliness (P value &lt;0.05). Most students preferred hand washing after defecation (96.5%) (P value &lt;0.05), while 93.8% revealed utilizing shampoo. On the other hand 62.7% of contributors reported brushing their teeth before going to sleep (P value &lt;0.05) and 74% of participants revealed cleaning their tongue sometimes (P value&lt; 0.01). this study discovered underscore the requirement for more cleanliness training in universities; and give target confirm that may direct the improvement of far reaching personal, oral hygiene and health mediation programs in Sulaimani universities. Furthermore the effective usage of this study is probably going to significantly weaken the transmissible diseases.

Anthelmintic activity of Tunisian chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) against Haemonchus contortus

The chemical treatment of gastrointestinal parasitic diseases has been undermined by increasing resistance and high toxicity. There is an urgent need to search for alternative natural sources for the treatment of such parasites. In this respect, the present study aims to quantify phenolic compounds of chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.) and to study their in vitro anti-oxidant and anthelmintic activities in solvents with increasing polarity. In vitro determination of anti-oxidant capacity was carried out using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and 2,2-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) radical cation methods. In vitro anthelmintic activity was investigated on egg-hatching inhibition and loss of motility of adult worms of Haemonchus contortus from sheep. The results showed that methanolic and aqueous extracts contain more total polyphenols, total flavonoids and condensed tannins than chloroformic and hexanic extracts. ABTS and DPPH assays showed that methanolic extracts had the highest anti-oxidant potency (IC50 = 1.19 μg/ml and 1.18 μg/ml, respectively). In vitro anthelmintic activity showed that both methanolic (IC50 = 1.559 mg/ml) and aqueous (IC50 = 2.559 mg/ml) extracts had the greatest effect on egg hatching and motility of worms (100% after 8 h post exposure at 8 mg/ml). A significant and positive correlation between DPPH and ABTS tests was observed for all tested extracts. Therefore, total phenolic, total flavonoid and condensed tannin values were correlated with IC50 from both ABTS and DPPH, and with inhibition of egg hatching. To our knowledge, this report is the first of its kind to deal with in vitro anthelmintic activities of chamomile extracts.

Molecular identification of the rumen flukes Paramphistomum leydeni and Paramphistomum cervi in a concurrent infection of the red deer Cervus elaphus.

Paramphistomosis, caused by paramphistomid flukes, is a gastrointestinal parasitic disease of domestic and wild ruminants. Originally thought to be limited to the tropics and subtropics, the disease has recently been reported in temperate regions. Here we describe the concurrent infection of a red deer doe (Cervus elaphus) with Paramphistomum leydeni and Paramphistomum cervi. This is the first report of P. leydeni in Croatia. Flukes were identified on the basis of morphological keys (tegumental papillae) and sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer region 2 in ribosomal DNA. Our results confirm that the absence of tegumental papillae allows P. cervi to be differentiated morphologically from other paramphistomid species in Europe based on incident light stereomicroscopy. Nevertheless the limitations of morphological identification and taxonomic issues suggest that previous findings on paramphistomid infection should be interpreted carefully. The possible worldwide distribution of these pathogens means that paramphistomosis may be more common and its economic impact greater than previously thought.