Dos nuevas localizaciones para España de Bulinus truncatus (Audouin, 1827) (Gastropoda: Planorbidae), hospedador intermediario de Schistosomiasis urinaria

Dues noves localitzacions per a Espanya de Bulinus truncatus (Audouin, 1827) (Gastropoda, Planorbidae), hoste intermediari de la Schistosomiasis urinària Durant l’any 2014, els autors han trobat dues noves poblacions de Bulinus truncatus a Espanya. En una, la llacuna de Villena (Alacant), que va ser dessecada al començament del segle XIX, només hi van trobar conquilles, mentre que a l’altra, situada a El Ejido (Almeria), hi van trobar milers d’exemplars vius. L’enclavament de Villena té un gran interès biogeogràfic perquè enllaça les poblacions catalanes amb les andaluses atès que fins ara no se’n coneixia la presència ni a Múrcia ni a la Comunitat Valenciana. La població d’Almeria ha estat objecte d’un estudi conquiliològic i molecular (gen cox1 de l’ADN mitocondrial) que ha revelat un 100% d’homologia amb altres poblacions de B. truncatus les seqüències de les quals estan disponibles al GenBank. La troballa d’Almeria presenta un gran interès davant la possible arribada a Espanya de la Schistosomiasis urinària i l’establiment d’una transmissió autòctona, tal com ja ha succeït en altres països europeus en el passat i recentment.Two new locations in Spain of Bulinus truncatus (Audouin, 1827) (Gastropoda, Planorbidae), intermediate host of urinary Schistosomiasis Two new populations of the planorbid snail species Bulinus truncatus were found in Spain in 2014. The first consisted of shells only, found in the lagoon of Villena (province of Alicante), which had dried up at the beginning of the 19th century. This finding is of important biogeographic interest because it links the presence of this species in northern Catalonia with its detection in southern Andalucia as this species had not been found previously in the regions of Murcia or Valencia. The second population was found in El Ejido (province of Almeria), and thousands of living specimens were found here. This allowed a complete shell characterisation and molecular assessment by means of sequencing the cox1 gene of the mitochondrial DNA genome, which showed 100% homology with sequences of other populations of the same snail species available in the GenBank. The finding of B. truncatus in Almeria is of additional value given the applied importance of this planorbid species as a vector of urinary Schistosomiasis, thus representing a risk of introduction and autochthonous transmission of the disease in Spain, as has occurred in other southern European countries in the past and recently.Durante 2014, los autores han hallado dos nuevas poblaciones de Bulinus truncatus en España. En una de ellas, la laguna de Villena (Alicante), que fue desecada a principios del siglo XIX, sólo se encontraron conchas, mientras que en la otra, que se encuentra en El Ejido (Almería), se hallaron miles de ejemplares vivos. El enclave de Villena tiene un gran interés biogeográfico pues enlaza las poblaciones catalanas con las andaluzas, ya que ni en Murcia ni hasta ahora en la Comunidad Valenciana se conocía su presencia. La población almeriense ha sido objeto de estudio conquiliológico y molecular (gen cox1 del ADN mitocondrial) detectándose un 100% de homología con otras poblaciones de B. truncatus cuyas secuencias ya están disponibles en el GenBank. El hallazgo almeriense es de gran interés por la posible llegada a España de la Schistosomiasis urinaria y establecerse una transmisión autóctona, como ha ocurrido ya en otros países europeos en el pasado y recientemente

Nuevos datos sobre las helmintofaunas parasíticas de micromamíferos en las islas Pitiusas. I.

Abstract not availabl

La migración de Dollfusinus frontalis Biocca et Ferretti, 1958 (Trematoda: Brachylaimidae) en el micromamífero hospedador definitivo

Abstract not availabl

Risk map of transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis by Bulinus truncatus (Audouin, 1827) (Mollusca Gastropoda, Bulinidae) in Spain and Portugal

We present a geographical distribution map of Bulinus truncatus based on historical and current localities in Spain and Portugal, that corresponds to the risk map of urogenital schistosomiasis for this freshwater snail. We reviewed samples of the species deposited at the Museu de Ciències Naturals of Barcelona and the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales of Madrid, together with our own data, including some unpublished contributions. This map will help determine the optimal area for this species and identify areas of greatest risk for urogenital schistosomiasis in the two countries. We emphasize that global change and climate change may favour the presence of both the vector (B. truncatus) and the parasite (Schistosoma haematobium) in Spain and Portugal

Domestic pig prioritized in One Health action against fascioliasis in human endemic areas : experimental assessment of transmission capacity and epidemiological evaluation of reservoir role.

The Northern Bolivian Altiplano is the human fascioliasis hyperendemic area where the highest prevalences and intensities in humans have been reported. Preventive chemotherapy was implemented in the last ten years. Surveillance showed high human infection and re-infection rates in between the annual triclabendazole monodose treatments. A complementary One Health control action was launched to decrease the infection risk. Among the multidisciplinary axes, there is the need to establish animal reservoir species priorities for a more efficient control. Laboratory and field studies were performed for the first time to assess the Fasciola hepatica transmission capacity of the pig and its potential reservoir role. The experimental follow-up of altiplanic pig isolates through altiplanic Galba truncatula snail vector isolates were performed at different miracidial doses and different day/ night temperatures. Experiments included egg embryonation, miracidial infectivity, lymnaeid snail infection, intramolluscan larval development, cercarial production, chronobiology of the cercarial shedding, vector survival to infection, metacercarial infectivity of mammal host, and adult stage development. Surveys included the assessment of prevalence, intensity, egg measurements and egg shedding rates in nature. Pig contribution was evaluated by comparing with the main altiplanic reservoirs sheep and cattle. Results demonstrated that the pig assures the whole F. hepatica life cycle and participates in its transmission in this area. The fast egg embryonation, high cercarial production, long multi-wave shedding chronobiological pattern in monomiracidial infections at permanent 20 ◦C temperature, and the high daily egg outputs per pig are worth mentioning. The high infection risk suggests early infection of freely running piglets and evolutionary long-term adaptation of the liver fluke to this omnivorous mammal, despite its previously evoked resistance or non-suitability. Genetic, physiological and immune similarities with humans may also underlie the parasite adaptation to humans in this area. The pig should be accordingly included for appropriate control measures within a One Health action against human fascioliasis. The pig should henceforth be considered in epidemiological studies and control initiatives not only in fascioliasis endemic areas with human infection risk on other Andean countries, but also in rural areas of Latin America, Africa and Asia where domestic pigs are allowed to run freely

Principales vectores de Fasciola hepatica en América del Sur: Análisis del adnr y adnmt de Lymnaea neotropica y Lymnaea viatrix

La fascioliasis humana es una enfermedad emergente en muchas partes del mundo, que puede presentar diferentes patrones epidemiológicos. Las especies de caracoles dentro del grupo Galba/Fossaria, tales como Lymnaea cubensis, L. neotropica, L. viatrix y Galba truncatula, aparecen frecuentemente involucradas en la transmisión de Fasciola hepatica en América Central y Sur. No obstante la clasificación morfológica y anatómica por especies es a menudo muy difícil. Objetivo: El objetivo de este trabajo es estudiar el uso potencial de análisis moleculares en la identificación específica de caracoles vectores que podrían estar condicionando la epidemiología de la fascioliasis

Nuclear rDNA-based molecular clock of the evolution of triatominae (Hemiptera: Reduviidae), vectors of Chagas disease

The evolutionary history and times of divergence of triatomine bug lineages are estimated from molecular clocks inferred from nucleotide sequences of the small subunit SSU (18S) and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA of these reduviids. The 18S rDNA molecular clock rate in Triatominae, and Prosorrhynchan Hemiptera in general, appears to be of 1.8% per 100 million years (my). The ITS-2 molecular clock rate in Triatominae is estimated to be around 0.4-1% per 1 my, indicating that ITS-2 evolves 23-55 times faster than 18S rDNA. Inferred chronological data about the evolution of Triatominae fit well with current hypotheses on their evolutionary histories, but suggest reconsideration of the current taxonomy of North American species complexes

And Then There Were Three: Lymnaeid Vectors of Fascioliasis in Highly Endemic Province of Argentina

Mendoza province lies to the west of Argentina, its backbone being the Andes Mountains. In its valleys can be found very high endemicities of fascioliasis in cattle , sheep, goats , horses, mules, donkeys and even introduced llamas. Up to the present, such high prevalences were always linked to the presence of only one lymnaeid vector species described in the region, Lymnaea viatrix , similarly as for most of Argentina. However, traditional malacologicalmethods have proven to be insufficient to reach species level classification in the Galba-Fossaria group4

Angiogenic response in an in vitro model of dog microvascular endothelial cells stimulated with antigenic extracts from Dirofilaria immitis adult worms

Background Angiogenesis can occur under pathological conditions when stimuli such as inflammation, vascular obstruction or hypoxia exist. These stimuli are present in cardiopulmonary dirofilariosis (Dirofilaria immitis). The aim of this study was to analyze the capacity of D. immitis antigens to modify the expression of angiogenic factors and trigger the formation of pseudocapillaries (tube-like structures) in an in vitro model of endothelial cells. Methods The expression of VEGF-A, sFlt, mEndoglin and sEndoglin in cultures of canine microvascular endothelial cells stimulated with extract of adult worms of D. immitis obtained from an untreated dog (DiSA) and from a dog treated for 15 days with doxycycline (tDiSA), was determined by using commercial kits. The capacity of pseudocapillary formation was evaluated analyzing cell connections and cell groups in Matrigel cell cultures stimulated with DiSA and tDiSA. In both cases non-stimulated cultures were used as controls. Results First, we demonstrated that worms obtained from the dog treated with doxycycline showed a significantly lower amount of Wolbachia (less than 60%) than worms removed from the untreated dog. Only DiSA was able to significantly increase the expression of the proangiogenic factor VEGF-A in the endotelial cells cultures. None of the D. immitis extracts modified the expression of sFlt. tDiSA extract was able to modify the expression of the endoglins, significantly decreasing the expression of the pro-angiogenic mEndoglin and increasing the anti-angiogenic sEndoglin. The formation of pseudocapillaries was negatively influenced by tDiSA, which reduced the organization and number of cellular connections. Conclusions The ability of antigens from adult D. immitis worms to modify the expression of pro and anti-angiogenic factors in endotelial cell cultures was demonstrated, as well as the trend to form pseudocapillaries in vitro. The capacity of stimulation may be linked to the amount of Wolbachia present in the antigenic extracts

Aves migratorias acuáticas como posibles agentes dispersores de Lymnaeidos vectores en América del Sur

El papel de las aves acuáticas migratorias como agentes de dispersión de caracoles fue ya señalado como hipótesis por Darwin como una eficiente forma de transporte de larga distancia (excluyendo la interferencia humana), dado que las aves migratorias pueden desplazarse cientos de kilómetros en pocos días. Galba truncatula es el hospedador intermediario de Fasciola hepática más eficiente. Este caracol de origen europeo fue introducido en el Altiplano Boliviano en los últimos 500 años. Recientemente, esta especie también se ha descrito en la provincia de Mendoza, Argentina, 2000 km más al sur, separadas por bastas zonas desérticas y montañosas