Many zoonotic parasitic diseases, including Toxocara cati, may be spread by stray cat populations. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of parasites by performing parasitological and histopathological examinations on stray cats in Shiraz, Iran. A total of 106 stray cats from different geographical areas of Shiraz, southern Iran, were examined for the presence of parasites. The overall prevalence was found to be 83.02% (88/106), and eight parasites were found. The parasites included three genera of cestodes [Joyeuxiella echinorhynoides (52.83%), Taenia taeniaeformis (21.70%), and Dipylidium caninum (1.89%)], three nematodes [Physaloptera praeputialis (23.59%), Toxocara cati (15.09%), and Rictularia sp. (1.89%)], one protozoa [Isospora spp. (6.60%)], and one arthropod [Ctenocephalides felis (5.66%)]. The prevalence did not significantly differ between males and females. It did appear, nevertheless, that the age of cats may be regarded as a risk factor for these parasitic infections. Histopathological examination revealed some parasite-induced lesions in the intestine and stomach, including hyperemia, hemorrhage, mucosal destruction and inflammation. The lung tissues showed some histopathological lesions such as hemorrhage, edema, emphysema and mild inflammation, and dormant larvae were found in one tongue sample. The results of the present study showed that parasitic infections and, more importantly, T. cati are relatively prevalent in stray cats, and the people living in this area are at serious risk of this zoonotic disease. The cats in this region need to be monitored, and specific preventive measures should be developed by public health officials.

Parasitic infections in pigeons are very important due to their adaptability to different environmental conditions, as well as their relationship with human society. In this study, 250 samples of domestic and wild pigeons (Columba livia) were collected from different areas in Samawah, Al-Muthanna province, Iraq, from March 2020 to January 2021. Clinical examination of external parasites was conducted by screening fecal samples for intestinal parasitic infections and preparing direct swabs from the beaks. Out of the 250 pigeon samples (125 domestic and 125 wild pigeons), 65 pigeons were found infected (26%), including 40 domestic (32%) and 25 wild pigeons (20%) (P≤0.05). The results showed that these parasitic infections belong to three major groups of bird parasites: 1) Protozoa, such as Eimeria species (spp.) oocyst, Cryptosporidium spp., and Trichomonas gallinae, with prevalence rates of 21 (16.8%), 14 (11.2%), 19 (15.2%), 11(8.8%), 7 (5.6%), and 2 (1.6%), 2) Helminths, such as cestodes (Raillietina tetragona) and nematodes (Ascaridia columbae) with prevalence rates of 5 (4%), 4 (3.2%), 4 (3.2%), and 2 (1.6%), as well as Arthropods, including lice (Menacanthus stramineus) with prevalence rates of 5 (4%) and 3 (2.4%) in domestic and wild pigeons, respectively. Additionally, no significant difference was found between male and female pigeons in their infection rate (P≤0.05). The findings also revealed that the highest percentage of infection in both genders of domestic and wild pigeons was caused by one spp. of parasites (62.5% and 64% in domestic and wild pigeons, respectively), followed by two spp. (24% and 27.5% in domestic and wild pigeons, respectively), and three spp. of parasites (10% and 12% in domestic and wild pigeons, respectively). However, there was no significant difference between domestic and wild pigeons regarding their infections with one, two, or three spp. of parasites (P≤0.05). It is thus concluded that differences in the prevalence of these parasites in different regions are partly due to differences in nutrition, feeding habits, and geographical environment.

Scant information is available on the immunological aspect of Linguatula serrata causing linguatulosis in humans and animals. The present study aimed to analyze the content of crude somatic extracts and excretory-secretory products of L. serrata nymphs to detect the immune response of sheep and immunogenic proteins of the parasite. After collecting the nymphs, somatic extracts were prepared by sonication. Excretory secretory products were prepared by the incubation of nymphs in RPMI medium at 37°C with 5% CO2. Somatic and excretory-secretory proteins were isolated using SDS-PAGE. The immunogenic properties of the resulting proteins were determined using immunoblotting and positive sera from sheep infected with visceral linguatulosis. The total content of somatic extracts and excretory-secretory products of L. serrata nymphs analyzed by SDS-PAGE (12% gel) revealed two protein patterns with more than 18 and 9 strong bands, respectively. Immunoblots using sera samples of sheep infected with the parasite, somatic extracts and excretory-secretory products demonstrated 12 and 3 antigenic proteins with molecular weights mostly in the range of 24-100 kDa and an antigen more than 180 kDa. Three common immunodominant antigenic proteins with molecular weights of 38 and 57, as well as an antigen of more than 180 kDa, were detected in the somatic extracts and excretory-secretory products of L. serrata nymphs in sheep with visceral linguatulosis. These antigens can be considetered prime candidates for future serodiagnosis and immunoprotective studies of the parasite.

BACKGROUND: A randomised, blinded, positive controlled, multicentre, Good Clinical Practice-compliant, pivotal field study was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of a new combination of lotilaner + milbemycin oxime tablets (Credelio® Plus; Elanco Animal Health) administered orally to client-owned dogs naturally infected with intestinal nematodes.
METHODS: Client-owned dogs presenting to veterinary clinics from households in France, Hungary and Germany were screened for intestinal nematodes. Dogs with an initial positive faecal egg count that was subsequently confirmed with a follow-up faecal examination to demonstrate the presence of naturally occurring mixed or mono-infections with Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Trichuris vulpis or Ancylostoma caninum were enrolled on Day 0 into the study. Households were randomised in an approximately 2:1 ratio to receive either an investigational product (IP; Credelio Plus tablets) or control product (CP; Nexgard Spectra® tablets) as treatment. Dogs were administered the IP (n = 278) or CP (n = 117) once on Day 0 at a dose rate of 0.75-1.56 mg/kg bodyweight milbemycin oxime and 20.0-41.5 mg/kg bodyweight lotilaner (IP) or as recommended (CP). Effectiveness of the IP and CP treatments was based on the post-treatment reduction in geometric mean faecal egg counts on Day 8 (range Day 7-10) after treatment as compared to their pre-treatment nematode faecal egg counts.
RESULTS: Geometric mean (GM) faecal egg counts for T. canis, A caninum and T. vulpis were reduced by ≥ 97.2% in the Credelio Plus group and  by ≥ 95.3% in the afoxolaner + milbemycin oxime group. There were insufficient data to calculate a percentage reduction in GM faecal egg counts between Day 0 and Day 8 for T. leonina due to low prevalence. Credelio Plus was well tolerated in this field study. Of the 355 total doses administered, 82.3% were accepted free choice in the IP group compared to 80.8% in the CP group.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated effectiveness (≥ 97.2% reduction), safety and tablet acceptance of a combination of milbemycin oxime and lotilaner (Credelio Plus) administered orally to dogs with natural intestinal infections of T. canis, A. caninum and T. vulpis.

BACKGROUND: In more recent years, international travel with cats has increased. The distribution of cat parasites can change with this movement. Already, subtropical and tropical parasites have been reported by veterinarians in areas where they are not naturally present. Understanding the prevalence of tropical and subtropical parasites in Caribbean islands and the risk of importation to temperate areas could enable improved prevention recommendations and border control import requirements.
METHODS: We present a study focused on cat owning students enrolled in a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) programme on St Kitts. Owners were interviewed about their cats and their use of parasiticides. Cats were examined for Trichuris felis and Platynosomum fastosum using sugar flotation, Lynxacarus radovskyi using an adhesive tape test, and Dirofilaria immitis using commercial antigen and antibody tests.
RESULTS: Data on 115 cats owned by 87 DVM students were collected and 90 cats, all expected to travel to the USA, were examined. Most of the cats were adults and born in St Kitts. Prevalence was reported as 6.8% (95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2-15.1%) for T. felis, 16.2% (95% CI: 8.7-26.6%) for P. fastosum and 6.8% (95% CI: 2.5-14.3%) for L. radovskyi. All D. immitis tests were negative. DVM students reported a high level of deworming (83.3% of the cats), but the number of cats treated per recommendations were low (56.1% for endoparasites and 70.8% for ectoparasites). Also, there was a lack of clarity regarding the purpose of the treatments used and treatments did not appear to be targeted for the parasites present.
CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate a low prevalence of the parasites of interest in the DVM student cat population compared to other prevalence studies from the Caribbean. However, a degree of non-compliance with parasiticide uses and the high number of cats traveling to the USA indicate a medium risk of importation of tropical and subtropical cat parasites to temperate areas. We recommend stronger health inspections and health screening requirements at the borders including the development of specific parasiticide protocols for cat importation.

Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae (Myxozoa: Malacosporea) is the causative agent of proliferative kidney disease (PKD), which affects both wild and farmed salmonid fish. The objective of this study was to outline differences in susceptibility to PKD in different salmonid species, hybrids and breeding lineages. Susceptibility to T. bryosalmonae infection was established based on cumulative mortality, pathological findings and detection of T. bryosalmonae in the kidney using immunohistochemistry and molecular methods. Determination of pure and hybrid individuals of different species in the genus Salvelinus, and dissimilarity of rainbow trout lineages, was performed using traditional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microsatellite analyses. Rainbow trout displayed higher disease severity compared with brook trout and Alsatian charr. Moreover, the results indicated differences in infection susceptibility, not only among different salmonid species but also among different lineages of charr and rainbow trout. Our study indicated that some salmonid species and even different lineages of the same species are more suitable for farming under PKD pressure.

Kudoa septempunctata, a myxosporean parasite infecting the trunk muscles of olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus), is reported to cause food poisoning in humans. The molecular mechanisms underlying the toxicity of K. septempunctata spores remain largely unknown. In the present study, we examine the molecular basis of such toxicity using DNA microarray analysis of K. septempunctata-inoculated human colon adenocarcinoma cells (Caco-2). We observed that the transepithelial resistance of the K. septempunctata-inoculated Caco-2 cell monolayers decreased markedly. DNA microarray analysis revealed that the mRNA expression profiles of control and inoculated cells clearly differed. Inflammatory and bacteria-related pathways, such as interleukin-8 (IL-8) production and MAPK/NF-kappa B pathway, were enriched. The concentrations of IL-8 and serotonin (5-HT) were higher in inoculated cells than in controls. K. septempunctata invasion damages the human intestinal epithelium, causing increased production of IL-8 and 5-HT, which likely results in the vomiting associated with K. septempunctata invasion.Abbreviations: AP-1: activator protein 1; DAVID: Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery; ENS: enteric nervous system; FARMS: Factor Analysis for Robust Microarray Summarization; FDR: false discovery rate; GO: Gene Ontology; 5-HT: 5-hydroxytryptamine; IL-8: Interleukin-8; KEGG: Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes; K. septempunctata: Kudoa septempunctata; NF-kappa B: nuclear factor-kappa B; TJ: tight junction; TER: transepithelial electrical resistance.

Although many studies on the frequency of endoparasites in dogs and cats in Canada have been reported, seasonal and/or annual patterns are often not evaluated. The frequency and risk factors of endoparasite infections from fecal samples of cats and dogs submitted to the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island-Canada were determined, using univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Investigated predictors of endoparasitism available in the 2000-2017 database included sex, age, geographic origin and seasonality. A total of 15,016 dogs and 2,391 cats were evaluated for endoparasite status using specific diagnostic tests: direct smear, Baermann, and/or 33 % zinc sulfate solution in a standardized centrifugal flotation method. Overall, twelve and eight parasite genera were detected in dogs and cats, respectively. The overall proportional infection was 14.6 %, and the cat population showed a higher frequency of positivity to parasites compared to the dog population (P < 0.001). The most frequent genera recovered in the whole population (dogs and cats), were Giardia duodenalis (5.2 %), Cystoisospora spp. (3.3 %) and Toxocara spp. (3.2 %). Endoparasitism levels were diagnosed more in feces submitted from young, female intact dogs from PEI compared to the baselines of mature, sterilized male dogs from other provinces, respectively, and diagnoses occurred more often in autumn months than in winter months. There was no significant diagnostic trend across the years for the individual parasites models. The frequency of detected potentially zoonotic parasites in this study highlights the veterinary public health and One Health context of parasitic infections in pets. Although the presented results are not from a random sample and therefore frequency results should be interpreted with caution, the model relationship results may still be relevant. In addition, results are of value to estimate parasite impact and to assist researchers, veterinarians and pet-owners with suitable information to control parasites.

Abattoirs are vital for gathering information on animal diseases and protecting the public from consuming infected or unhygienic meat. To assess the major reasons for organ and carcass condemnations and their financial implications, we reviewed 10-year abattoir records of slaughtered bovines between January 2005 and December 2014 at Kombolcha ELFORA abattoir, north-east Ethiopia. Of the 46,913 cattle slaughtered during that period, 17,963 (38.3%) had at least one disease condition. Lungs (10.67%) and liver (25%) were the most affected and condemned organs, followed by heart (1.53%), head (0.56%), tongue (0.17%) and kidney (0.32%). The major conditions responsible for condemnation were fasciolosis (49.89%), hydatid cyst (55.55%), pericarditis (78.2%), hydronephrosis (35.8%), abscess (71.7%) and abscess (43.9%), in liver, lung, heart, kidneys, head and tongue, respectively. The direct financial losses incurred from organ and carcass condemnation over the 10-year period amounted to ETB 1,219,399 (USD 61,946.9), with parasitic diseases such as fascioliasis and hydatidosis accounting for ETB 256,837.5 (USD 13,047.64) and ETB 170,827.5 (USD 8678.23) in losses, respectively. This study describes a significant loss of cheap and reliable sources of protein due to non-utilization of infected organs or carcasses, emphasizing the need to implement integrated approaches in disease surveillance and control programmes.

The aim of the present study was to examine the parasite fauna present in mountain viscacha Lagidium viscacia (Caviomorpha, Chinchillidae) fecal pellets collected from \'Cueva Peligro\', a cave located in Chubut province, Patagonia, Argentina, throughout the last 1200 years. A total of 84 samples were examined for parasites. Each pellet was whole processed: rehydrated, homogenized, sediment and examined using light microscopy. The samples and eggs of parasites present were described, measured and photographed. Thirty-eight samples tested positive for the nematodes Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae Sutton & Hugot, 1989, Helminthoxys effilatus Schuurmans-Stekhoven, 1951 (Oxyurida: Oxyuridae), Trichuris sp. Roederer, 1761 (Trichinellida: Trichuridae) and one anoplocephalid species (Cestoda: Anoplocephalidae). This is the first time that H. effilatus is reported from ancient times. Significant differences of parasite occurrences through this temporal period were recorded. Parasitic life cycles and their presence along the studied period are so discussed.