ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The stray cats are considered as the sources of emerging humans and domestic livestock pathogens and the zoonoses of public health importance. The present study was aimed to elucidate intestinal helminth infections and infestation with ectoparasites of the stray cats of Ahar City, northwestern Iran. METHODS: Totally, 51 stray cats were randomly trapped from different parts of the city between Mar and Nov 2013. The cats were assessed for ectoparasites by hair brushing, skin scraping, acetate tape preparation and othic swabs. They were euthanized and inspected for helminths infection. RESULTS: Overall prevalence of helminths and flea were 44/51 (86.3%) and 31/51 (60.78%), respectively. The infection rates were significantly different among different age groups (P<0.05). Of the 282 isolated helminths, three species of nematodes (Toxocara cati (86.3%), T. leonina (11.77%), Ancylostoma tubaeforme (5.9%)) and four species of cestodes (Taenia taeniaeformis (64.7%), Mesocestoides lineatus (49.02%), Dipylidium caninum (29.41%), T. hydatigena (19.6%)) were identified. The predominant infectious helminths in all the infected cats were T. cati (86.3% with egg per gram of feces 27.75±9). Of the 270 collected fleas, two species of Ctenocephalides felis (80%) and C. canis (20%) were notably frequent in the cats aged 2-3-year-old. The average number of fleas per each infected cat was recorded as 5.29, with no incidence of cross-infection. CONCLUSION: The results indicated the high rate of helminths infections and flea infestation in the urban stray cats of which Toxocara cati and Ctenocephalides felis may play important roles as zoonotic agents in the region.
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BACKGROUND: The present study was carried out to detect the infection of larval stages of Trichobilharzia species in the snail Lymnaea auricularia in northwestern Iran based on DNA analysis. METHODS: A total number of 320 snails of L. auricularia were sampled from four water-bodies located in the suburb of Urmia City, North West Iran, during May to November 2011. The snails were first microscopically inspected for the infection with larval stages of trematodes. Genomic DNA was extracted from the snails and PCR was performed to amplify a fragment of the ribosomal DNA of Trichobilharzia species in the infected snails. RESULTS: Microscopic examinations indicated that 11.25% (36 out of 320) of the snails were infected with larval stages of trematodes, while the PCR patterns showed a much higher infection rate (31.25%, 100/320). According to the PCR, the infections were caused by the larval stages of T. szidati (21.56%, 69/320) and T. franki (9.69%, 31/320) or both of them (8.44%, 27/320). The infected snails were observed in three out of the four studied sites. The highest infection rate in a single site was 50% (25/50). Only 7.81% (25 out of 320) of the infected snails were from the plain areas, while the remaining was from high altitudes. CONCLUSION: Results of this study contribute the utility of the employed technique for quick and accurate detection of the infection with trichobilharzian species in their intermediate host snails, which may have potential zoonotic role in the region.
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BACKGROUND: The trematodes of the genus Fasciola (the liver flukes) are among the well-known instances of food-borne parasites worldwide. Differentiation of Fasciola species is important because of their different transmission and epidemiological characteristics. The current study was undertaken to discriminate Fasciola species in the domestic ruminants of Urmia city, Iran. METHODS: Adult flukes were isolated from the naturally infected livers of the slaughtered water buffaloes and sheep. The flukes were initially identified based on morphological and morphometric parameters. A 618-bp-long fragment of the 28SrRNA gene of Fasciola was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplified fragment was digested by DraII or AvaII enzymes for a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis and sequenced for the phylogenetic tree construction. RESULTS: Based on the morphometric examination, the flukes belonged to F. hepatica, F. gigantica and an intermediate Fasciola form. The PCR-RFLP analysis was able to differentiate F. hepatica from F. gigantica. While the phylogenetic reconstruction justified, to some extent, the morphological diagnosis, it failed to segregate F. hepatica from F. gigantica identified in this and the previous studies. CONCLUSION: To resolve fully the problem of taxonomy and evolution in Fasciola species, employing a broad range of molecular and morphological approaches is necessary. This is crucial for epidemiological surveys and successful clinical management of their infection.
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BACKGROUND: Fasciolosis in livestock is a crucial concern in the globe, mainly due to its impact on human health. The aim of this study was to determine the rate of infection with Fasciola gigantica (Cobbold, 1855) larvae in the field-collected snails of Lymnaea auricularia (Linnaeus, 1785) from northwestern Iran using a molecular approach. METHODS: A total of 6,759 pond snails were collected from 28 freshwater bodies in West Azarbaijan. PCR was performed to amplify a 618-bp fragment of the nuclear 28 SrRNA gene of Fasciola. The PCR products were digested by AvaII restriction enzyme to create restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) patterns specific for the detection of F. gigantica. RESULTS: Of the total collected snails 496 (7.34 %) were L. auricularia, among which 4.64% (23 out of 496) were infected with a Fasciola species according to the PCR analysis. Only 2.22% (11 out of 496) of the infected snails were from the mountainous areas. The highest Fasciola infection rate recorded in the snails of a single site was 1.81% (9 out of 496 snails). Based on the RFLP pattern, F. gigantica accounted for 2.42% of the infection rates in the study sites. CONCLUSION: Application of PCR-RFLP was proven to be a useful approach for valid and robust detection of the infection with F. gigantica in its intermediate host snails. These findings may therefore be applicable for establishment of the control programs against dissemination of the infection in different regions.
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BACKGROUND: Infection with Ornithobilharzia turkestanicum has been reported in a wide range of animals worldwide. This study was undertaken to assess the utility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for detecting the infection with O. turkestanicum larvae stages in Lymnaea gedrosiana. METHODS: A total of 6,759 Lymnaeidae snails were collected from six aquatic habitats in West Azarbaijan, northwest Iran. Of these, the snails of L. gedrosiana were identified. To detect infected L. gedrosiana with the larval stages of O. turkestanicum, they were subjected for cercarial shedding and molecular examinations. The genomic DNA was extracted and PCR was performed to specifically amplify a fragment of the nuclear 28SrRNA gene of O. turkestanicum. RESULTS: Of all collected snails, 5.4% (365/6,759) were the snails of L. gedrosiana. The cercarial shedding method revealed that 23.56% (86/365) of the snails were infected. The PCR patterns confirmed that 28.77% (105/365) snails of L. gedrosiana were infected with larval stages of O. turkestanicum. The infected snails were observed in five studied sites. The highest infection rate (66.66%, 20/30) was recorded in the snails of Ghargologh in the northern part. Only 35.24% (37/105) of the infected snails were from the plain areas, whereas the remaining existed in high altitudes. CONCLUSION: It was concluded PCR method could be an efficient and fast method for uncovering the actual rate of infection with larval stages of O. turkestanicum in the snails of L. gedrosiana. This method can be also useful for the domestic animals and public health management programs in the country.
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BACKGROUND: Trematodes are a diverse group of endoparasites which require molluscan and vertebrate animals as intermediate and definitive hosts in their life cycle. The present study was carried out to determine the diversity and geographic distribution of infection with trematodes'cercariae in the snail Lymnaea gedrosiana from north-west Iran. METHODS: A total number of 6759 Lymnaeidae snails were collected from 28 snail habitats; of these L. gedrosiana was the prevalent snail (74.37%) which examined for cercarial infection by shedding method. RESULTS: The overall infection rate was 8.03%. The most frequent trematodes cercariae in the snail were xiphidiocercariae (81.98%), furcocercariae (32.26%), echinostome cercariae (5.19%), and monostome cercariae (1.24%). The highest infection rate in L. gedrosiana (100%) was with echinostome cercariae from Golestaneh in autumn. CONCLUSION: Due to the important role of pond snails in transmission of cercariae to fish as a source of zoonotic diseases, it is essential to estimate the distribution and abundance of the snails and the rate of their infection with different trematodes' cercariae, and establish control programs in each region.
ABSTRACT
Fasciolosis is an important disease in veterinary medicine worldwide, and is a cause of great economic loss in livestock husbandry in Iran. This study was aimed to determine prevalence of Fasciola gigantica infection in field-collected snails of Radix gedrosiana in northwestern Iran. The snails were collected from 28 perennial and seasonal freshwater habitats from May to December 2010 and identified. A fragment of 618 bp of 28s rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The PCR products were subjected to restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) using DraII and AvaII enzymes. PCR-RFLP patterns revealed that 3.12% of the snails were infected with F. gigantica. It was also found that the infected snails had a limited distribution over the water bodies located in the central part of the region. It was concluded that PCR-RFLP was a reliable approach to detect Fasciola infection in pond snails and may be useful to establish control measures for livestock and humans' fasciolosis in the region.
