Parasite diversity has important implications in several research fields including ecology, evolutionary biology and epidemiology. Wide-ranging analysis has been restricted because of the difficult, highly specialised and time-consuming processes involved in parasite identification. In this study, we assessed parasite diversity in wild rats using 18S rDNA-based metagenomics. 18S rDNA PCR produc...

For the first time, a jar of embalming rejects was studied in search for helminth parasite eggs. This kind of jar was used to put discarded material by Egyptian embalmers during mummification process. Ascaris lumbricoides and Taenia saginata eggs were found in the linen and strip fragment contents of the jar, dated of 2,715-2,656 years ago.

The Onchocerca lupi nematode is an emerging helminth capable of infecting pets and humans. We detected this parasite in 2 dogs that were imported into Canada from the southwestern United States, a region to which this nematode is endemic. We discuss risk for establishment of O. lupi in Canada.

BACKGROUND Many different intestinal parasite species can co-occur in the same population. However, classic diagnostic tools can only frame a particular group of intestinal parasite species. Hence, one or two tests do not suffice to provide a complete picture of infecting parasite species in a given population. The present study investigated intestinal parasitic infections in Beira, Mozambique,...

The evolutionary diversi®cation of living organisms is a central research theme in evolutionary ecology, and yet it remains dicult to infer the action of evolutionary processes from patterns in the distribution of rates of diversi®cation among related taxa. Using data from helminth parasite communities in 76 species of birds and 114 species of mammals, the in ̄uence of four factors that may eit...

Twenty-three southern African working donkeys (Equus asinus) were allocated to eight experimental groups. The aim of the study was to determine what e:lfuct alternative helminth control methods have on the internal parasite burdens and the condition of working donkeys. Three

On the archaeological site of Menez-Dregan in Brittany, France, dated 300,000-500,000 years-old, paleoparasitological analysis of cave deposits led to the detection of well-preserved helminth eggs, which morphology and morphometry pointed to the diagnosis of Toxocara canis eggs, a parasite of carnivore mammals. Paleolithic remains suggested a parasitism of the hyena Crocuta spelaea or other can...

BACKGROUND Soil Transmitted Helminth infection is one of most prevalent health problems worldwide, especially in environments with poor sanitation. Based on World Health Organisation (WHO) data, more than 2 billion people, or 24% of the world's population, are infected with intestinal parasite. The highest prevalence is located in areas of poor sanitation and unsafe water supplies. In Indonesia...

Helminth parasites of vertebrates have been studied in Costa Rica for more than 50 years. Survey work on this group of parasites is far from complete. We assembled a database with all the records of helminth parasites of wild and domestic vertebrates in Costa Rica. Information was obtained from different sources such as literature search (all published accounts) and parasite collections. Here w...

Infection with helminth parasites has been explored as a treatment for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. As helminth antigens have potent immunomodulation properties capable of inducing regulatory programs in a variety of cell types, transferring cells treated with helminth antigens represents a novel extension to helminth therapy. Previous work determined that transfer of bone marrow-deriv...