Choleoeimeria bunopusi sp. n. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) Infecting the Gall Bladder of the Tuberculated Gecko Bunopus tuberculatus (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Saudi Arabia

Choleoeimeria bunopusi sp. n. is described from the gall bladder of the tuberculated gecko Bunopus tuberculatus in Saudi Arabia. The prevalence of infection was 13.3% (2/15). Oocysts were ellipsoidal and measured 31 (30–33) × 21 (20–22) μm. Sporocysts were dizoic, elliptical in shape and measured 12 (11–13) × 7 (6–8) μm. The endogenous development was confined to the gall bladder epithelium. The hypertrophic parasitized biliary epithelium either remained in one layer or became stratified. Meronts, gamonts, and young oocysts were detected

Prevalence and antimicrobial sensitivity of Escherichia coli and Salmonella species in field cases of rabbit intestinal coccidiosis treated with prebiotic

This study aimed to investigate the effect of prebiotic treatment on E. coli and Salmonella species during natural intestinal coccidiosis in rabbits. The experiment was conducted on 45 selected farm rabbits of which 15 were coccidian free (Negative control; NC, group) and 30 were naturally coccidian infected. The infected animals were allocated into two equal groups including positive control (PC) and prebiotic treated (PT) that were orally treated with prebiotic for 8 successive days. Fecal oocyst count was assessed daily during the course of treatment. Meanwhile, the PC group had a significantly high oocyst count (21.67×103 ± 0.82 OPG), with a significant increase in the prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella (86.7 % and 46.7 %, respectively). Moreover, the NC group remained coccidian free and exhibited E. coli infection only with no detection of salmonella isolates. Findings of in-vitro susceptibility testing showed that E. coli isolates were highly resistant to most of the tested antimicrobials while Salmonella isolates showed variable degrees of resistance. In conclusion, the prebiotic treatment significantly reduced the prevalence of E. coli and Salmonella infections coexisted with intestinal coccidiosis in naturally infected rabbits

Perkinsus sp. (Alveolata, Perkinsidae) a Parasite of the Clam Meretrix meretrix (Veneridae) from Arabian Gulf: Ultrastructural Observations of the Trophozoites and the Cellular Response of the Host

Genus Perkinsus Levine, 1978 (Alveolata, Perkinsidae) an intracellular pathogenic parasite is described from the mantle and gill filaments of a commercially important clam, Meretrix meretrix, collected from the Arabian Gulf, Saudi Arabia. This genus contains currently seven named species: P. marinus, P. olseni (P. atlanticus), P. chesapeaki (P. andrewsi), P. mediterraneus, P. honshuensis, P. beihaiensis and P. qugwadi. Meanwhile, some unnamed Perkinsus sp. have been described in wide variety of mollusc species. Ultrastructural features of Perkinsus sp. trophozites and the host reaction are described. The different developmental stages of trophozoites appeared as single or grouped cells surrounded by amorphous material that constituted cysts or nodules randomly distributed throughout the connective tissue of the mantle. The early trophozoites were generally spherical to ellipsoidal with a circular nucleus containing a prominent central nucleolus. The cytoplasm had several small vacuoles which coalesce to form a great vacuole in the later trophozoites and the nucleus becomes eccentric. Some lomosomes were observed between the wall and the plasmalemma of trophozoites. A large number of degraded and pyknotic cell and several cellular structure with lysed aspects were encountered in the surrounding area near the cysts. Ultrastructural data showed that the lysed granular cells and the coalescence of the granules result in the cyst that encapsulates various trophozoites. In the current study, we describe for the first time the presence of Perkinsus sp. as well as the host reaction in clams from the Saudi Arabian coasts

Acaricidal activity of Foeniculum vulgare against Rhipicephalus annulatus is mainly dependent on its constituent from trans-anethone

Globally, the economic losses due to hard ticks infestation and the control of the associated diseases have been calculated at USD $13.9-18.7 billion per year. The economic impact is related to its direct damage to the skins, blood loss, anemia, severe immunological reactions and indirect losses that related to the effects of hemoparasites, cost of treatment for clinical cases and expenses incurred in the control of ticks. The current study evaluated the acaricidal activities of fennel Foeniculum vulgare essential oil and its main components; trans-anethole and fenchone; against R. annulatus. GC-MS analysis revealed that this oil contained 16 components representing 99.9% of the total identified compounds with E-anethole being the predominant component(64.29%), followed by fenchone (9.94%). The fennel oil and trans-anethole showed significant acaricidal activities. The LC50 of the fennel oil was attained at concentrations of 12.96% for adult ticks and 1.75% for tick larvae meanwhile the LC50 of trans-anethole was reached at concentrations of 2.36% for adult tick and 0.56% for tick larvae. On the contrary, fenchone showed no any significant adulticidal activities and its LC50 attained at a concentration of 9.11% for tick larvae. Regarding repellence activities, trans-anethole achieved 100% repellency at the concentration of 10% while fennel showed 86% repellency at the same concentration. Fenchone showed no repellency effect. Treatment of larvae with fennel, trans-anethole, and fenchone LC50 concentrations significantly inhibited the acetylcholinesterase activity. Meanwhile, glutathione s-transferase activity was significantly decreased in fennel treated larvae but no significant effect was found in the larvae of trans-anethole and fenchone groups. These results indicate that the acaricide effect of fennel oil may attributed to its high content of trans-anethole. This was supported by potent adulticidal, larvicidal, and repellency effects of trans-anethole against Rhipeciphalus annulatus tick and therefore it could be included in the list of acaricide of plant origin

Acaricidal activity of tea tree and lemon oil nanoemulsions against Rhipicephalus annulatus

Tick infestation is a serious problem in many countries since it has an impact on the health of animals used for food production and pets, and frequently affects humans. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the acaricidal effects of nanoemulsions of essential oils o

First Record of Chilodonella spp. (Ciliophora: Chilodonellidae) in Cultured Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) in the Central Region of Saudi Arabia

Abstract.-Saudi Arabia has a growing aquaculture industry that farms mainly tilapia. Ectoparasites, including ciliates of the genus Chilodonella, are known to be a major problem in fish farms. Nothing, however, is known about this genus from pond-reared fishes in Saudi Arabia. In the present study, 400 Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) were collected from farms in Riyadh, in the central region of Saudi Arabia, and examined for the incidence of Chilodonella infestation. Twenty out of the 400 examined fish were found infected (prevalence 5%), two species, Chilodonella piscicola and Chilodonella hexasticha were identified. The findings presented here are very important for the fishery sector, since this parasite can cause mass mortality, therefore, further study should be concentrated on the impact of Chilodonella spp. on the cultured fish in Saudi Arabia

Ceratomyxa pallida Thelohani 1894

Ceratomyxa pallida Thélohan ı 1894 (Figure 2) Myxospore morphology The mature myxospores typical of the genus Ceratomyxa were crescent-shaped. The anterior margin was archedı and the posterior margin was concave. Valves were equal with rounded and tapered ends. A slightly curved sutural line was visible between the two valves. The sporoplasm filled half of the myxospore cavity. The myxospores measured 6 ± 0.5 (5 – 7) µm in length and 28.5 ± 2.5 (26 – 33) µm in thickness. The polar capsules were sphericalı equal in size and measured 3 ± 0.3 (2.7 – 3.3) in diameter. Polar filaments in the capsule were not discernible. Vegetative stage Spherical to elongated monosporousı disporous and trisporous plasmodia were found floating in the bile. The measurements of the plasmodia were 29 ± 5.3 × 10 ± 2.5 µm. A schematic drawing of the myxospore and plasmodiaı based on light microscope observationsı is shown in Figure 2. SSU rDNA sequence A consensus sequence of 1547 bp of the SSU rDNA was generated from three different sequenced samples and was submitted under accession number FJ710895. Two sequences from the six sequenced clones were identical to the sequences obtained from samples individually infected by C. pallida. The sequence of C. pallida has 97.5% of similarity with C. ghannouchensis ı and 94.4% with C. tunisiensis Thabetı Mansourı Al Omar and Tlig-Zouariı 2015. Taxonomic summary Location in the host. Coelozoicı in the bile Type host. Bogueı Boops boops (Linnaeus) (Perciformes: Sparidae) site of infection. Lumen and wall of the gallbladder. Prevalence. Sixty-three per cent (99 out of 157 examined specimens). Type location. Ghannouch in the Gulf of Gabèsı (33°56 ′ 37.6 ″ Nı 10°04 ʹ 42.7 ″ E)ı south of Tunisia. Deposited. Photosyntype (ZS141)ı one air-dried slide stained with Giemsa (ZS142) and myxospores in absolute ethanol (ZS143) were deposited in the parasitological collection of the Museum National d ’ Histoire Naturelleı Parisı collection. Molecular data. Partial SSU rDNA sequence was deposited in GenBank (accession number KR086361). Remarks The present species was morphologically compared with all Ceratomyxa spp. infecting fish of the family of Sparidae in the Mediterranean or in other marine ecosystems (Table 1). Based on mature myxospores measurementsı the present Ceratomyxa differs from all species previously reported infecting other Sparidae species worldwide. Compared to other species occurring in this region of the Mediterranean Seaı the present species has high similarity with C. tunisiensis Thabetı Mansourı Al Omar and Tlig-Zouariı 2015 ı recently reported from two Carangidae in the same localityı Ceratomyxa aegyptiaca Yemmenı Martonı Eszterbauer and Bahriı 2012 from solea aegyptiaca Chabanaud (Pleuronectiformes: Soleidae) from a Tunisian coastal lagoon. Ceratomyxa pallida appears larger than C. tunisiensis (28.5 vs 23 µm) and smaller than C. aegyptica (28.5 vs 51.3 µm). Regarding the host fishı Thélohan in 1894 recorded Ceratomyxa pallida from the gall bladder of the bogue Boops boops (L)ı in the Mediterranean (France) and the Adriatic Sea (Croatia). Based on the myxospore measurements and host speciesı we considered the present Ceratomyxa species identical to C. pallida. About this speciesı no data were known regarding myxospore morphologyı vegetative stages or molecular characteristics until now.Published as part of Thabet, Aouatef, Abdel-Baki, Abdel-Azeem S., Harrath, Abdel Halim & Mansour, Lamjed, 2019, Morphological and molecular aspects of Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis n. sp. and C. pallida Thélohan 1894 infecting the bogueı Boops boops (l.), pp. 541-556 in Journal of Natural History 53 (9) on pages 545-548, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1597202, http://zenodo.org/record/367573

Morphological and molecular aspects of Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis n. sp. and C. pallida Thélohan 1894 infecting the bogueı Boops boops (l.)

Thabet, Aouatef, Abdel-Baki, Abdel-Azeem S., Harrath, Abdel Halim, Mansour, Lamjed (2019): Morphological and molecular aspects of Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis n. sp. and C. pallida Thélohan 1894 infecting the bogueı Boops boops (l.). Journal of Natural History 53 (9): 541-556, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.159720

Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis Thabet, Abdel-Baki, Harrath & Mansour, 2019, n. sp.

Ceratomyxa ghannouchensisn. sp. (Figure 1) Myxospores morphology The myxospores were typical of the genus Ceratomyxa. Mature myxospores were stubby with convex anterior and almost straight to slightly concave posteriorı 5.8 ± 0.3 (5 – 7) µm in length and 11.7 ± 0.4 (11 – 13) µm in thickness. The valves were unequal in sizeı with one occasionally tapering to a greater degree than the other. The myxospores could be mixed with the plasmodia and myxospores of Ceratomyxa pallida. The sporoplasm almost filled the entire myxospores cavity. The polar capsules were equal in sizeı spherical in shape and measured 2 ± 0.2 (1.8 – 2.8) µm in diameter. A schematic drawing of the myxospore and plasmodiaı based on the LM observationsı is shown in Figure 1. Vegetative stage Monosporous plasmodia were rarely observed (Figure 1). SSU rDNA sequence A consensus sequence of 1425 bp of the SSU rDNA was generated from four sequenced cloned PCR products and was submitted to GenBank under accession number KT932821. The sequence of C. ghannouchensis differs from all deposited sequences of Ceratomyxa in GenBank. The maximum of similarity was 94.8% observed with C. tunisiensis Thabetı Mansourı Al Omar and Tlig-Zouariı 2015 and 90.1% with C. leatherjacketi Fialaı Hlavničkováı Kodádkováı Freemanı Bartošová-Sojková and Atkinsonı 2015 ı reported from the marine fish unicorn leatherjacket Aluterus monoceros (L.) (Tetraodontiformes: Monacanthidae) on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. For the remaining Ceratomyxid speciesı the nucleotide similarity was very low and varied between 85% with C. vermiformis and 67.7% with C. aegyptiaca. Taxonomic summary Type host. Bogueı Boops boops (Linnaeus) (Perciformes: Sparidae). Location in the host. Coelozoicı in the bile. Prevalence. Twenty-one per cent (33 out of 157 examined specimens). Type location. Ghannouch in Gulf of Gabès. Type material. Syntype – air-dried slides stained with Giemsa no ZS145 were deposited in the parasitological collection of the Museum National d ’ Histoire Naturelleı Parisı collection. Molecular data. The small subunit ribosomal DNA sequence (1452) was deposited in GenBank under the accession number KT932821. Etymology. The specific name refers to the locality: Ghannouch in the Gulf of Gabès. Remarks Compared to other Ceratomyxa speciesı some similarities were observed with Ceratomyxa arabica Al-Qahtaniı Mansourı Al-Quraishyı Abdel-Bakiı 2015 from Saudi Arabiaı Ceratomyxa buri Yokoyama and Fukudaı 2001 from Japanı Ceratomyxa castigastoides Meglitschı 1960 from New Zealandı Ceratomyxa obesa Jamesonı 1929 from Clinocottus analis from the USA and Ceratomyxa recta Meglitschı 1960 from Genypterus blacodes from New Zealand (Table 1). The species found in this study can be distinguished from C. buri and C. castigastoides by its narrower myxospores. Additionallyı C. castigastoides and C. obesa have shorter myxospores and both C. buri and C. recta have larger polar capsules. The measurements of C. arabica (7.0 – 9.0 × 10.0 – 14.0) are in the same range for myxospores length and thickness of C. ghannouchensis n. sp. (5.0 – 10.0 × 8.0 – 16.0)ı and both measurements overlap. Howeverı C. arabica have unequal and subspherical polar capsules.Published as part of Thabet, Aouatef, Abdel-Baki, Abdel-Azeem S., Harrath, Abdel Halim & Mansour, Lamjed, 2019, Morphological and molecular aspects of Ceratomyxa ghannouchensis n. sp. and C. pallida Thélohan 1894 infecting the bogueı Boops boops (l.), pp. 541-556 in Journal of Natural History 53 (9) on pages 544-545, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1597202, http://zenodo.org/record/367573