The genome of Schistosoma mansoni contains a proviral form of a retrovirus-like long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposon, designated BOUDICCA: Sequence and structural characterization of the new mobile genetic element, which was found in bacterial artificial chromosomes prepared from S. mansoni genomic DNA, revealed the presence of three putative open reading frames (ORFs) bounded by direct L...

Since 1986, 364 tuco-tucos (Ctenomys spp.) representing 7 species were collected from 16 major collecting areas representing at least 4 distinct ecological habitats in Bolivia, South America. All were examined for coccidia, and 125 (34%) had oocysts in their feces including 84 of 236 (36%) Ctenomys boliviensis from tropical palm/savanna habitats; 1 of 3 (33%) Ctenomys conoveri from a chaco thor...

The purpose of this study was to characterize Eimeria bateri oocysts and to evaluate the aflatoxin effect in the morphometry of sporulated oocysts in Japanese quails infected naturally. Of a total of 50 quails naturally infected by E. bateri were randomly divided into two groups with 25 birds each. In one of them, quails were orally administered with aflatoxin in dose of 0.04 mg/kg body weight ...

Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurologic syndrome in horses from the Americas and is usually caused by infection with the apicomplexan parasite, Sarcocystis neurona. Little is known about the role of immunobiological mediators to this parasite. Nitric oxide (NO) is important in resistance to many intracellular parasites. We, therefore, investigated the role of inducible and endo...

Schistosoma mansoni eggs, miracidia and primary sporocysts were labelled with phalloidin-rhodamine to visualize filamentous actin structures. Analysis of these forms by confocal fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of previously well-defined circular and longitudinal muscle layers. Besides these muscular layers that sustain and provide motility to these parasite forms, we found in thes...

Blood films and fecal samples of the lesser prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) were examined for parasites when we surveyed specimens captured during a radio-tracking study conducted in Chaves County, New Mexico (USA). All birds were captured on the Caprock Wildlife Habitat Management Area, administered by the Bureau of Land Management. Samples were collected in late March, April, and...

Forty (93%) of 43 northern pocket gophers (Thomomys talpoides) from the Jemez Mountains, Sandoval County, New Mexico (USA), had coccidian oocysts in their feces when examined. We describe this parasite, Eimeria jemezi, n. sp. Sporulated oocysts were subspheroidal, 13.3 by 12.2 (10 to 17 by 9 to 15) microns, with sporocysts ellipsoidal, 7.1 by 4.4 (5 to 9 by 4 to 5) microns; micropyle and oocyst...

Three new species of Eimeria are described from iguanid lizards of Central and South America. The oocysts of each species have no micropyles or residua and the sporocysts lack Stieda bodies, but all have a sporocyst residuum. Eimeria sanctaluciae n.sp. was found in the St. Lucia tree lizard, Anolis luciae, collected from the Maria Islands, Lesser Antilles. The oocysts are spherical to subspheri...

The feces of 212 sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) collected in central New Mexico from October 1982 to January 1983 and from October 1983 to January 1984 were examined to determine the prevalence of coccidial oocysts. One hundred forty-five granulomatous nodules from the viscera of 64 cranes and samples of lung, small intestine, and large intestine from 58 birds were examined by light and tran...

Fasciolosis is a parasitic helminthes disease caused by Fasciola gigantica. The different larval stage (sporocyst, redia and cercaria) are found in intermediate host snail Lymnaea acuminata. In the present study it has been tried to kill the F. gigantica larvae in vitro/ in vivo condition by the use of ferulic acid there is no mortality of snails. Mortality of larvae in in vivo and in vitro con...