Helminth infections in Apodemus sylvaticus in southern England: interactive effects of host age, sex and year on the prevalence and abundance of infections

Helminth parasites were studied in the wood mouse, Apodemus sylvaticus, in southern England in September of each of four successive years (1994-1997). Nine species of helminths were recorded: five nematodes (Heligmosomoides polygyrus, Syphacia stroma, Pelodera strongyloides, Trichuris muris, Capillaria murissylvatici), two cestodes (Microsomacanthus crenata, Taenia taeniaeformis) and two trematodes (Corrigia vitta, Brachylaemus recurvum). In total, 134 mice were examined and 91.8% carried at least one species of helminth. The majority of mice carried two to three species (60.5%) and the highest combination was six of the nine species recorded in the study. The patterns of between-year variations in the prevalence and abundance of infection were different for each of the six species for which sufficient quantitative data were available to enable statistical analysis. For H, polygyrus, the most important source of variation arose from between-year differences, host age and. the interaction of these factors: abundance increased with host age but in 1995 the age pattern was markedly different from that in the remaining years. The abundance of C. vitta also varied significantly between years but additionally there was a strong independent age effect. For M. crenata, the year x age interaction was significant, indicating that abundance among different age cohorts varied from year to year but there was also a weak significant main effect of age arising from the youngest age cohort carrying no parasites and the oldest age cohort the heaviest infections. For P, strongyloides the only significant factor was between-year variation with 1995 being a year of exceptionally low prevalence and abundance of infection. No significant between-year variation was detected for S. stroma but there was a strong sex effect (males carrying heavier infections) and an age effect (older mice of both sexes carrying heavier infections). The abundance of Trichuris muris varied only in relation to host age, worm burdens growing in intensity with increasing age, but there was also a significant interaction between year and host sex with respect to prevalence. For the remaining three species, the prevalence of infections was too low (<8.2%) to enable any meaningful interpretation. This analysis emphasizes the need for carefully controlled statistical procedures in aiding the interpretation and the prioritization of the factors affecting worm burdens in wild rodents

Preliminary investigations of the endoparasite component communities of stray cats from Kuala Lumpur

Investigations into the endoparasite fauna of stray cats from Kuala Lumpur were carried out to determine the present population and diversity. Post-mortem examinations of selected organ from 85 cats revealed that 87.1% cats harbored endoparasites, with an average of 36.65 worms per infected cat. Endoparasite recovered consists of five nematode species (Toxocara catti, Toxocara malayensis, Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ancylostoma braziiiensie and Strongyloides sp.), two cestode species (Dipylidium caninum and Taenia taeniaformis) and one trematode species (Platynosomum fastosum). Toxocara sp. was shown to have the highest prevalence and mean intensity values. Present observations provided additional insights to the environment, behavior and diet of the local strays. Ancylostoma ceylanicum, Ancylostoma broziliensie, Toxocara catti and Dipylidium caninum are known to be of medical significance

Short Communication - Current status of Blastocystis in cockroaches

There are few reports on Blastocystis spp. infections in invertebrate hosts namely, cockroaches. Due to their close proximity to humans especially to their dwellings prompted this study as these organisms could possibly play a role in human transmission. A total of 151 cockroaches consisted predominantly of nymph and adult stages were captured from several types of dwellings in the state of Perak and Selangor, Malaysia. Approximately half (40.4%) of the cockroach intestinal contents screened were positive and were found associated to two main factors, host-stage and types of dwellings. The granular and vacuolated forms were the most common cell form found in the in vitro cultures and were morphologically similar to B. hominis. However, the surface coat observed was thick with an electron lucent area observed in the central vacuole. The isolates grew in room temperature but optimal growth was observed at a 24ºC similar to the reptilian Blastocystis with a high number of cells were recovered. Using the DNA barcoding method, two isolates were identified as ST3 (allele 56), one isolate was consider as the new subtype with close relation to allele 11

A Preliminary Study of Blastocystis sp. Isolated from Chicken in Perak And Selangor, Malaysia

ABSTRACT. Blastocystis is considered to be a zoonoses and it is believed that animals such as chicken constitute large reservoirs for human infection via the faecal-oral route. Therefore, Blastocystis infection was surveyed in free-range chicken and cagereared chicken comprising broiler birds for consumption as well as jungle fowls and silkie chicken kept for recreation. Fresh faecal samples collected were examined by wet smear preparation and were cultured in Jones medium supplemented with 10% horse serum. Out of 107 chickens, it was found that most of the free-range chicken was positive for Blastocystis sp. with a high prevalence rate of 80%–100% in village chicken, jungle fowl and white silkie chicken. However, the cage-reared chicken, consisting of broiler chicken had no infection. The vacuolar form was the most common Blastocystis cell form found in cultures, similar to B. hominis. These cells were usually spherical and vary greatly in size, ranging from 10 μm to 30 μm in diameter. Owing to the free ranging and scavenging habits, the likelihood of acquiring the infection from the environment contaminated with the faecal material of animals with Blastocystis is high in free-range chicken as compared to caged chicken

Ectoparasites of murids in peninsular Malaysia and their associated diseases

A considerable number of rat-borne ectoparasite studies have been conducted since the early 1930s in the Malayan Peninsula (now known as peninsular Malaysia). The majority of studies were field surveys and collections of specimens across the region, and were conducted primarily to catalogue the ectoparasite host distribution and discover novel species. This has generated a signification amount of information, particularly on the diversity and host distribution; other aspects such as morphology, host distribution and medical significance have also been investigated. Amongst the four main groups (mites, fleas, ticks, lice), rat-borne mites have received the most attention with a particular emphasis on chiggers, due to their medical importance. More recent studies have examined the distribution of ectoparasites in rats from different habitat type simplicating a high prevalence of zoonotic species infesting rat populations. Despite being capable of transmitting dangerous pathogens to human, the health risks of rat-borne ectoparasites appear to be small with no serious outbreaks of diseases recorded. Although an extensive number of works have been published, there remain gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed, such as, the distribution of under studied ectoparasite groups (listrophorids and myobiids), determining factors influencing infestation, and understanding changes to the population distribution over time

Intestinal myiasis in a Malaysian patient caused by larvae of Clogmia albipunctatus (Diptera: Psychodidae)

Clogmia albipunctatus (Duckhouse) is a cosmopolitan fly belonging to the family Psychodidae and is one of the medically important insects associated with urban environments ( Smith and Thomas 1979 ). Psychodid larvae can cause myiasis in humans through infestation of healthy or traumatized tissues ( Hall and Smith 1993 ). Human myiasis can be presented in various forms with cutaneous myiasis the most common form ( Tu et al. 2007 ). Other infestation sites include nasal, aural, pulmonary, ophthalmic cavities, body cavities, and the gastrointestinal and urogenital systems ( Tu et al. 2007 , El-Badry et al. 2014 ). Intestinal myiasis may result from accidental ingestion of larvae. Subsequently, this form of myiasis presents symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and distention, loss of appetite, weight loss, and episodic diarrhea ( Ramana 2012 ). This is the second reported case of human intestinal myiasis in Malaysia caused by larvae of C. albipunctatus . Microscopic examination revealed the structure of the larvae and DNA barcoding established the species identity

Population distribution of plant-parasitic nematodes of bananas in Peninsular Malaysia

A nematode population distribution survey was conducted in banana plantations/farms in Peninsular Malaysia from June 2004 to January 2006. This study highlights differences obtained from the survey compared with previously published reports in terms of species prevalence in banana plantations. As opposed to the widely reported prevalence of Radopholus similis (Cobb 1893) Thorne, 1949, on banana plants worldwide, Rotylenchulus reniformis Linford and Oliveira, 1940, was found to be the most common nematode species in the isolated soil samples (Prominence Value = 824.28; n=63) while Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White 1919) Chitwood, 1949, was predominant in the isolated root samples (Prominence Value = 449.77; n=57) in Peninsular Malaysia. Besides, contradicting previous reports, M. incognita was found to dominate Cavendish plantation areas in this region instead of R. similis. Inter-species interaction resulting in species predominance and co-dominance in banana rhizosphere was also observed in this study

Synthesis and biological activities of nickel(II) and cadmium(II) complexes of chlorohydroxyacetophenone-nitrobenzoylhydrazone: mechanism for formation of the nickel(II) complex

The new Nickel(II) and Cadmium(II) complexes have been prepared in ethanol by template condensation of 4-nitrobenzhydrazide, 5-chloro-2-hydroxyacetophenone and metal acetate in the presence of triethylamine. The IR and UV spectra of the ligand and complexes indicate coordination of ligands to the metal centers. The initial product of the Nickel(II) complex is a square planar compound and upon recrydallization with pyridine, the complex has changed to octahedral geometry with coordination of the solvent molecules. The Schiff base ligand, H 25-Clhap-4-NO 2bh was more sensitive towards the MCF-7 cells (human breast cancer cells) with IC 50 values of 4.5 μg ml -1 than the unsubstituted ligand, H 2hapbh. However upon coordination to nickel, the activity has been reduced to the same level as the positive control drug, tamoxifen. The antioxidant properties of the Schiff base ligand (using the FTC method) exhibited higher activity than vitamin E or quercetine. However the activity is lower than the unsubstituted Schiff base ligand or the commercial antioxidant agent, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene)