OBJECTIVE The long-eared hedgehog (Hemiechinus auritus) is a nocturnal animal living in Central and Southeast Iran. However, there are few studies concerning endoparasites, some of which are zoonotic, of the hedgehogs in the north and northwest of Iran. The aim of the present study is to investigate endoparasites in long-eared hedgehogs, living in Zabol district, Southeast Iran. MATERIALS AND...

A female four-toed hedgehog probably imported from Africa and kept as a pet by a family suffered from depilation and mite (Caparinia tripilis) infection. Depilated quills were inoculated on a commercially available medium and an isolate of the dermatophytes was obtained. A giant colony after 14 days incubation on yeast extract Sabourauds agar had a central umbo with white granular surface and a...

BACKGROUND Hedgehogs are small, nocturnal mammals which become popular in the world and have important role in transmission of zoonotic agents. Thus, the present study aimed to survey ectoparasite infestation from April 2010 to December 2011 in urban and suburban parts of Urmia and Tabriz Cities, Northwest of Iran. METHODS A total number of 84 hedgehogs (40 females and 44 males) were examined...

The carbohydrate moieties of larval sparganum proteins in two different species, the snakes, Elaphe rufodorsata, the Balb/c mouse and those of the adult worm, Spirometra erinacei, were compared using five different lectins including GNA, SNA, MAA, PNA and DSA. The GNA positive 53 kDa molecule, which is excretory-secretory protease in the sparganum from the snake showed a stage specific and deve...

BACKGROUND Ixodid ticks (Acari: İxodidae) and fleas (Siphonaptera) are the major vectors of pathogens threatening animals and human healths. The aim of our study was to detect the infestation rates of East Hedgehogs (Erinaceus concolor) with ticks and fleas in Van Province, eastern region of Turkey. METHODS We examined fleas and ticks infestation patterns in 21 hedgehogs, collected from three...

Novel neutral glycosphingolipids isolated from the plerocercoids of a tapeworm, Spirometra erinacei, may be expected to be involved in host-parasite interactions. We have synthesized this glycosphingolipid analogue containing 2-branched fatty alkyl residue in place of ceramide. Glycosylation of nonreducing-end trisaccharide derivative 15 with the reducing-end disaccharide derivative 17 in the p...