Helminth parasites of cats from the Vientiane Province, Laos, as indicators of the occurrence of causative agents of human parasitoses

A total of 55 domestic cats (Felis calus f. domestico) and one wild (Bengal) cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) from the Vientiane Province, central Laos, were examined for helminth parasites with emphasis given to potential human parasites. The following species were found (parasites infective to man marked with an asterisk): Opisthorchis viverrini*, Haplorchis pumilio*,H. laichui*,H. yokogawai*, Stellantchasmus falcatus* (Digenea); Spirometra sp.*, Dipylidium caninum*, Taenia taeniaeformis (Cestoda); Capillariidae gen. sp., Toxocara canis*, T. cati*, Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, A. tubaeforme, Gnathostoma spinigerum*, Physaloptera preputials (Nematoda); and Oncicola sp. (Acanthocephala). This study demonstrated that examination of cats may provide useful data on the occurrence of helminths which are potential causative agents of human diseases

Study on the surface morphology of the developmental stages of the liver fluke,

The external morphology of some developmental stages of the fluke Opisthorchis viverrini (Trematoda: Opisthorchiidae), parasitizing humans in Southeast Asia was studied for the first time using electron microscopy. The surface structure of the egg, as well as the rediae, cercaria, metacercaria, and adult found in naturally infected hosts from Laos are described herein and their morphological characteristics discussed

Larval stages of medically important flukes (Trematoda) from Vientiane province, Laos.

Metacercariae of five small flukes transmitted to humans, Opistorchis viverrini (family Opisthorchiidae), Centrocestus formosanus, Haplorchis pumilio, H. taichui and Stellantchasmus falcatus (family Heterophyidae), were found in fish from Laos. All metacercariae, recorded from Laos for the first time, are described in detail and figured with special attention to the armature of ventrogenital complex of heterophyid larvae. Fish Hampala macrolepitoda and Cyclo-cheilichthys repasson represent new second intermediate hosts for O. viverrini; Esomus longimana for C. formosanus; H. macrolepidota and E. longimana for H. pumilio, H. macrolepidota, H. dispar and Mystacoleucus marginatus for H. taichui, and Xenentodon concila for S. falcatus

Change of isoenzyme pattern during long-term polyxenic cultivation of

Isoenzymes of phosphoglucomutase and hexokinase were repeatedly evaluated using starch gel electrophoresis in polyxenic cultures of Entamoeba histolytica. In two out of 18 strains spontaneous changes of isoenzyme patterns were recorded. While originally they were categorized into virulent group of zymodemes, following isoenzyme analysis classified them as non-virulent. The relation between virulence and isoenzyme pattern is questionable

Helminth parasites of cats from the Vientiane Province, Laos, as indicators of the occurrence of causative agents of human parasitoses

A total of 55 domestic cats (Felis calus f. domestico) and one wild (Bengal) cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) from the Vientiane Province, central Laos, were examined for helminth parasites with emphasis given to potential human parasites. The following species were found (parasites infective to man marked with an asterisk): Opisthorchis viverrini*, Haplorchis pumilio*,H. laichui*,H. yokogawai*, Stellantchasmus falcatus* (Digenea); Spirometra sp.*, Dipylidium caninum*, Taenia taeniaeformis (Cestoda); Capillariidae gen. sp., Toxocara canis*, T. cati*, Ancylostoma ceylanicum*, A. tubaeforme, Gnathostoma spinigerum*, Physaloptera preputials (Nematoda); and Oncicola sp. (Acanthocephala). This study demonstrated that examination of cats may provide useful data on the occurrence of helminths which are potential causative agents of human diseases

Larval stages of medically important flukes (Trematoda) from Vientiane province, laos. Part II. cercariae

The cercariae of five flukes, which are potential human parasites, Opisthorchis viverrini (family Opisthorchiidae), Haplorchis taichui (Heterophyidae), Schistosoma spindale (Schistosomatidae), Fasciolopsis buski, and Fasciola gigantica (Fasciolidae) were found in freshwater snails from Laos. The cercariae of the above species, recorded in Laos for the first time, are illustrated and their morphology is briefly described. The snail Helicorbis umbilicalis represents a new intermediate host of F. buski. The occurrence of medically important snails in the Vientiane province will also be discussed