One of the most common problems in breeding of ostriches in captivity is the control of parasitic diseases. This work presents keys for the identification of adult nematodes and infective larvae by morphologic and morphometric characteristics. These keys will allow the scientific community to identify the species that infect the ostriches either based on the characteristics of the posterior end...

Helminths have evolved to become experts at subverting immune surveillance. Through potent and persistent immune tempering, helminths can remain undetected in human tissues for decades. Redirecting the immunomodulating "talents" of helminths to treat inflammatory human diseases is receiving intensive interest. Here, we review therapies using live parasitic worms, worm secretions, and worm-deriv...

Sparganosis is a parasitic infection caused by the plerocercoid tapeworm larva of the genus Spirometra. Although the destination of the larva is often a tissue or muscle in the chest, abdominal wall, extremities, eyes, brain, urinary tract, spinal canal, and scrotum, intramuscular sparganosis is uncommon and therefore is difficult to distinguish from a soft tissue tumor. We report a case of int...

Polyamines are substances involved in many aspects of cell growth, division, and differentiation. Because of the metabolic differences between host cells and parasite cells, polyamine metabolism has been considered as a potential target for the chemotherapy of parasitic diseases. The aim of this work was to evaluate the schistosomicidal activity of different N-alkylated diamines (3a-3h), amino ...

Angiostrongylus costaricensis is a parasitic nematode that can cause severe gastrointestinal disease, known as abdominal angiostrongiliasis, in humans. This paper presents the characterization of first- and third-stage larvae and male and female adult worms of A. costaricensis by scanning electron and light microscopy. Several novel anatomical structures were identified by scanning electron mic...

Electron microscopy has proved to be a very helpful those at posterior end consisting of powerful adhesive instrument in the study of biology in general. Since it has disks usually provided with chitinoid hooks or anchors; been invented a lot of information has accumulated in with single host, parasites of cold-blooded aquatic different aspects of biology. Studying the ultrastructure vertebrate...

Immune-mediated diseases (e.g. inflammatory bowel disease, asthma, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune diabetes) are increasing in prevalence and emerge as populations adopt meticulously hygienic lifestyles. This change in lifestyles precludes exposure to helminths (parasitic worms). Loss of natural helminth exposure removes a previously universal Th2 and regulatory immune biasing imparted by the...

C-type lectins (C-TLs) are a family of carbohydrate-binding proteins intimately involved in diverse processes including vertebrate immune cell signalling and trafficking, activation of innate immunity in both vertebrates and invertebrates, and venom-induced haemostasis. Helminth C-TLs sharing sequence and structural similarity with mammalian immune cell lectins have recently been identified fro...

The abundance and distribution of parasitic helminths in populations of African buffaloes, Syncerus caffer, have not been well documented. A total of 28 buffaloes of different ages and sexeswere sampled in the Kruger National Park, South Africa, for nematodes of the small intestine. Three nematode species were identified, namely Cooperia fuelleborni, Cooperia hungi and Trichostrongylus deflexus...

Restrictions on nematicide usage underscore the need for novel control strategies for plant pathogenic nematodes such as Globodera pallida (potato cyst nematode) that impose a significant economic burden on plant cultivation activities. The nematode neuropeptide signalling system is an attractive resource for novel control targets as it plays a critical role in sensory and motor functions. The ...