A case of orbital dirorilariasis in northern turkey

A 29-year-old male patient presented with complaints of a localized mass behind his right lower eyelid that had been present for the last 6 months. Ophthalmologic examination was completely normal except for a 2 cm X 2 cm painless mass localized on the inferior orbital rim behind the right lower eyelid. An excisional biopsy was planned, and an anterior orbitotomy was performed by a lateral canthotomy and inferior cantholysis. Premature rupture of the cyst occurred during dissection, disclosing a thin white parasite surrounded by copious purulent material. The parasite and surrounding cyst were submitted to laboratory for evaluation. The parasite was typed as Dirofilaria repens (13 cm, female). The patient remained symptom-free over the 4 months of postoperative follow-up. Detection of the first human case of orbital dirofilariasis in Northern Turkey, in a patient with no history of travel to any endemic areas, has raised questions about the parasite's zoonotic characteristics

Serologic detection of antibodies against Fasciola hepatica in sheep in the middle Black Sea region of Turkey

AbstractBackground/PurposeThe aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep in the Black Sea region of Turkey.MethodsSamples from 213 sheep were collected randomly in Samsun, Tokat, and Sinop from September 2005 to January 2007 and tested by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Western blot analysis using F. hepatica excretory-secretory (E/S) antigens.ResultsThe distribution of ELISA-positive samples for F. hepatica infections out of a total of 213 sheep serum samples was 23/71 (32.4%), 15/59 (25.4%), and 29/83 (34.9%) in Samsun, Sinop, and Tokat, respectively. The immunodominant proteins were determined by Western blot analysis using molecular weight markers of 14 kDa, 20 kDa, 24 kDa, 27 kDa, 33 kDa, 45 kDa, and 66 kDa and extracted from sera of sheep that were positive for Fasciola spp. eggs and also hyperimmune sera from rabbits immunized with E/S antigens.ConclusionThe ELISA-positive results were confirmed by Western blot analysis. As a result, seroprevalence of F. hepatica infection was found in 31.4% of sheep from the Karayaka breed in the Middle Black sea region of Turkey

Evidence of Leishmania spp. antibodies and DNA in dogs in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey

The World Health Organization considers leishmaniasis to be one of the most important zoonotic diseases with approximately 350 million people in 98 countries at risk of contracting the disease. The leishmaniasis also remains a severe public health problem in Turkey. It is important to evaluate the prevalence of Canine leishmaniasis (CanL) for designing control policies. In the present study, we report for the first time the occurrence of Leishmania infection in dogs living in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey. For the diagnosis of the infection parasitological (direct microscopic examination of lymph nodes), serological (ELISA) and molecular (kDNA-PCR) methods were performed using blood samples obtained from 240 dogs. Sand flies were also collected using CDC miniature light traps from the same locations for testing Leishmania presence by kDNA-PCR. Only one (0.41%) dog out of 240 was found to be positive by both tests. Amastigotes of Leishmania spp. were detected in the same animal lymph node aspirate sample. A total of 18 sand flies were collected and no Leishmania was detected Phlebotomus spp. sample pool. Our results showed that CanL could have public health implications and future screening studies are needed in this region of Turkey

Characterization of local immune response against lungworms in naturally infected sheep

This study describes the immunohistochemical and histochemical phenotypes of inflammatory cells in sheep lungs infected with lungworms. A total of 20 naturally infected sheep lungs were used. Protostrongylus spp., Muellerius capillaris, Neostrongylus linearis, and Cystocaulus ocreatus were the chief organisms determined from such lesions, which were of a chronic nature. All the lungs had many developmental stages of the parasites and a similar inflammatory response, which included numerous mast cells, eosinophils, T cells, B cells, dendritic cells, and macrophages. In the bronchial and interstitial tissues, the inflammatory cells were dominated by MHCII, CD1, CD4, CD5, CD14, CD21, IgM, and CD172a positive cells, whereas CD2 and WC1 positive cells were detected less. The data provided additional evidence that subsets of inflammatory cells were included within ovine lungs infected with lungworms; however, understanding the entire immune-response process and development of resistance to lungworms in sheep remain to be clearly elucidated. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved