Helminth infection was analysed at necropsy and coprology in a total of 54 roe deer from the province of Grosseto (central Italy) between 2018 - 2020. Age and sex data were recorded for each deer for a total of 31 adults (23 females, 8 males) and 23 juveniles (11 females, 12 males). The results on the small intestine (51 samples) highlighted that nematodes belonging to the species Trichostrongylus colubriformis were the most prevalent parasite (41.2 %), followed by the cestode Moniezia expansa (7.8 %). The large intestine results (52 samples) showed Trichuris spp. (53.8 %), Oesophagostomum venulosum (50 %) and Chabertia ovina (26.9 %). In the abomasum, only Ostertagia ostertagi (17.9 %) was found. Of the 34 samples analysed by bronchopulmonary, only the lung of an adult female was positive for Dictyocaulus spp. In two livers out of 33 samples analysed, nematodes of the species Setaria tundra were found on the surface. Copropositivity was observed in 45 of the 52 faecal samples analysed. The results of the present study indicate that the roe deer is host to several species of parasites, which are also common in other cervids and domestic ruminants. Statistical testing highlighted a significant difference between mean intensities in males and females.

Several studies have demonstrated parasitism by monogenoids in characiform fish in the Neotropics. During studies on the helminth fauna of curimatids from the Tocantins River, specimens of Psectrogasteramazonica Eigenmann & Eigenmann, 1889 were examined and species of Curvianchoratus Hanek, Molnar & Fernando, 1974 were found. Species of the genus are characterized mainly by the complex shape of haptoral anchors with a modified dorsal anchor, composed by two subunits, dorsal-median and dorsal. To date, two species of Curvianchoratus are known to parasitize curimatid fishes: the type species Curvianchoratushexacleidus Hanek, Molnar & Fernando, 1974 and Curvianchoratussingularis (Suriano, 1980). During examination of specimens of P.amazonica collected in the Tocantins River, Embiral, Imperatriz, Maranhão State, Brazil, two new species of Curvianchoratus were found and are described herein. Curvianchoratuspsectrogasterisp. nov. and Curvianchoratusdominguesisp. nov. are characterized by possessing the male copulatory organ formed by a long cirrus and a claw-shaped accessory piece, connected to the base of the male copulatory organ by a ligament. The new species differs from the two known congeneric species mainly by the morphology of the dorsal-median and dorsal subunits of the dorsal anchor. Curvianchoratuspsectrogasterisp. nov. also differs from other species of the genus by the absence of the ventral bar and Curvianchoratusdominguesisp. nov. by the size and shape of the ventral bar. An amendment to the diagnosis of Curvianchoratus is provided to accommodate the new species. The present study increases the number of Curvianchoratus species to four and extends the occurrence of the genus to the Tocantins-Araguaia Basin.

BACKGROUND: Squamate reptiles cohabiting with companion animals may represent a source of helminth infections, especially through predation by dogs and cats with an outdoor lifestyle.
METHODS: In order to assess the role of reptiles as intermediate/paratenic hosts of trophically transmitted helminths, synanthropic reptiles (n = 245) captured from different ecological settings (i.e., households, dog shelters, urban, peri-urban and rural areas or natural parks) of southern Italy were examined for endoparasites. Parasitic cysts (i.e., larval forms of acanthocephalans, cestodes and nematodes) and free helminths (i.e., adult nematodes and digeneans) were morphologically and molecularly identified, and statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate the correlations between reptiles, infections, and ecological settings.
RESULTS: Overall, 31% of reptiles were positive for at least one helminth, with Podarcis siculus (18.7%) and Tarentola mauritanica (8.1%) being the most frequently infected species. Among the parasites of medical interest, Joyeuxiella echinorhyncoides showed the highest prevalence (19.7%), followed by Diplopylidium acanthotetra (10.5%), Joyeuxiella pasqualei, Mesocestoides lineatus (5.6%) and Physaloptera sp. (3.9%). Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus was detected once. Podarcis siculus and T. mauritanica were associated with cestode infections.
CONCLUSIONS: The wide range of helminths detected here in reptiles living in sympatry with pets and the fact that many of these helminth species are parasitic and may infect companion animals (e.g., J. pasqualei, J. echinorhyncoides, D. acanthotetra, Physaloptera sp.) and humans (i.e., Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus, Mesocestoides lineatus) indicate the potential health risk associated with pets preying on these small vertebrates. Our results indicate the need for complementary investigations of trophically transmitted parasites in dogs and cats living in sympatry with reptiles.

This study aimed to analyze helminth assemblage in Rhinella dorbignyi regarding host gender, size and mass in two sampling sites in southern Brazil, and to report new parasite associations. Anurans (n = 100) were collected in two localities from Rio Grande do Sul (RS) state, Brazil, from 2017 to 2020. Nineteen taxa (adults and larval forms) belonging to Nematoda, Acanthocephala, Digenea, and Cestoda were found in different infection sites. Cosmocercidae gen. spp., Physaloptera liophis, Catadiscus sp., and Cylindrotaenia americana were the dominant taxa in helminth assemblage. Female anurans showed higher helminth species richness than males considering the total sample (two localities) or one of the two localities. However, prevalence and mean intensity of infection did not show any significant difference between genders. Mean intensity of infection was significantly higher (19.52) in Laranjal locality. Host body size does not influence helminth abundance, as infections did not show significant correlation snout-vent length (SVL) nor body mass (BM) of anurans. The findings reveal anurans of R. dorbignyi may be intermediate, paratenic and definitive host for these parasites. Plagiorchioidea helminths (Digenea), Physaloptera liophis, larvae of Acuariidae and Spiroxys sp. (Nematoda), and cystacanth of Lueheia sp. (Acanthocephala) constitute new records for R. dorbignyi. Additionally, this is the first record of Cylindrotaenia americana larvae in this host species. Resulting information increases the knowledge on biodiversity and parasite-host relations and may help future conservation programs developed in ecosystems in the extreme south of Brazil.

The helminth fauna of 105 sika deer (Cervus nippon centralis) captured in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Nagano Prefectures, Japan was investigated during 2014-2019. As a result, 12 helminthes, i.e. 3 digeneans (Ogmocotyle sikae, Dicrocoelium chinensis and D. dendriticum), 8 nematodes (Gongylonema pulchrum, Dictyocaulus sp., Pygarginema sp., Spiculopteragia houdemeri, Chabaudstrongylus ninhae, Trichuris discolor, Oesophagostomum sikae and Oes. asperum), and 1 cestode (Moniezia sp.) were detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Pygarginema sp., Cha. ninhae, and Oes. asperum from sika deer in Japan. Some helminthes detected in the present study can infect livestock. Considering the possibility of the spread of the helminthes to livestock through deer excrement, it is important to promote understanding the parasite fauna in wild deer.

The Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is a strictly protected species of large carnivore in Poland. It inhabits forest complexes in north-eastern Poland and the Carpathian region in southern Poland. The status of the lynx within Poland requires special attention because its range decreased between 1980 and 2001 and has not yet recovered. One of the factors negatively affecting lynx populations is diseases, particularly parasites. The helminth fauna of the Eurasian lynx is not fully known in Poland. Previous coprological studies revealed that Polish lynx have been infected with seven species of nematodes, three species of cestodes, and one species of trematode. In this study, we present new data based on examination of opportunistically collected lynx carcasses. The aim of the study was to complement data on the helminth fauna of Eurasian lynx inhabiting Poland based on morphological and molecular analysis of parasites. Four species of cestodes-Taenia lynciscapreoli, Mesocestoides lineatus, Spirometra sp., and Taenia krabbei-were found for the first time in Eurasian lynx from Poland and three previously reported species of nematodes-Ancylostoma tubaeforme, Toxascaris leonina, and Toxocara cati-were confirmed. Larvae of Trichinella britovi were also detected in Eurasian lynx in Poland for the first time.

Large oceanic sharks represent a suitable model to investigate the influence of a host\'s oceanic conditions on the structure of its helminth communities. In this study, we describe the intestinal helminth fauna, and investigate determinants of infracommunity structure, in 39 specimens of shortfin mako Isurus oxyrinchus collected in the NE Atlantic. Six cestode species were found in the spiral valve of makos: 3 are typical from lamnid sharks, namely, gravid specimens of Clistobothrium montaukensis, Gymnorhynchus isuri and Ceratobothrium xanthocephalum, and 3 are immature specimens of cestode species common to several elasmobranchs, namely, Dinobothrium septaria, Nybelinia lingualis, and Phyllobothrium cf. lactuca. In addition, L3 larvae of Anisakis sp. type I were detected. Infracommunities were species poor and had low total helminth abundance. The result of Schluter\'s variance ratio test was compatible with the hypothesis of independent colonization of helminth taxa. These results conform to previous studies on oceanic predators that have hypothesized that these hosts should have depauperate and unpredictable helminth infracommunities because oceanic conditions hamper parasite transmission. However, mean species richness and mean total abundance of cestodes of shortfin mako and other oceanic sharks did not significantly differ from those of elasmobranchs from other habitats. This suggests that the large body size and prey consumption rates of oceanic sharks offset the negative \'dilution\' effect of oceanic habitat on transmission rates. Additionally, or alternatively, parasites of oceanic sharks may have expanded the use of intermediate hosts through the trophic web to spread out the risk of failure to complete their life cycles.

Parasitological examinations of 102 specimens of the lesser great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis (Blumenbach) from two nesting regions in the Czech Republic (South Bohemia and South Moravia) were carried out at the Institute of Parasitology, Czech Academy of Sciences (previously the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences) in the years 1987-1992. In them, a total of 19 species of helminth parasites was found, including Trematoda (11 species), Cestoda (2), Nematoda (4) and Acanthocephala (2), which can be divided into three main groups regarding their host specificity: parasites specific for cormorants (Phalacrocorax spp.) (37%), those parasitic mainly in cormorants (16%) and non-specific parasites (47%). Of the 19 species recorded, 100% were found in South Moravia, but only 47% of these 19 species in South Bohemia. The higher number of helminth species in cormorants from South Moravia and a higher proportion of non-specific species may be associated with the presence of the large Nové Mlýny water reservoir, in addition to better ecological and environmental conditions in this warmer region. Scanning electron microscopical examination of three common nematode species parasitising cormorants, Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964, Desmidocercella incognita Solonitsin, 1932 and Syncuaria squamata (von Linstow, 1883), revealed some taxonomically important, previously unreported morphological features, such as the cephalic structures, numbers and distribution of male caudal papillae or the shapes of spicules.