Morphological characteristics of Mesocestoides lineatus tetrathyridia collected from Chinese snakes and their adults recovered from experimental animals were studied. The tetrathyridia were detected mainly in the mesentery of 2 snake species, Agkistrodon saxatilis (25%) and Elaphe schrenckii (20%). They were 1.73 by 1.02 mm in average size and had an invaginated scolex with 4 suckers. Adult tapeworms were recovered from 2 hamsters and 1 dog, which were orally infected with 5-10 larvae each. Adults from hamsters were about 32 cm long and those from a dog were about 58 cm long. The scolex was 0.56 mm in average width with 4 suckers of 0.17 by 0.15 mm in average size. Mature proglottids measured 0.29 by 0.91 mm (av.). Ovaries and vitellaria bilobed and located in the posterior portion of proglottids. The cirrus sac was oval-shaped and located median. Testes were follicular, distributed in both lateral fields of proglottids, and 41-52 in number per proglottid. Gravid proglottids were 1.84 by 1.39 mm (av.) with a characteristic paruterine organ. Eggs were 35 by 27 microm in average size with a hexacanth embryo. These morphological characteristics of adult worms were identical with those of M. lineatus reported previously. Therefore, it has been confirmed that the tetrathyridia detected in 2 species of Chinese snakes are the metacestodes of M. lineatus, and 2 snake species, A. saxatilis and E. schrenckii, play the role of intermediate hosts.
Animals ; Cestode Infections/*parasitology ; Cricetinae ; Dogs ; Larva ; Mesocestoides/anatomy & histology/*classification/isolation & purification ; Snakes/*parasitology

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of intestinal helminth parasitic infections and associated risk factors for the human infection among the people of Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Infection status of helminths including Echinococcus granulosus was surveyed in domestic and wild animals from 4 sites in the Samarkand region, Uzbekistan during 2015–2018. Fecal samples of each animal were examined with the formalin-ether sedimentation technique and the recovery of intestinal helminths was performed with naked eyes and a stereomicroscope in total 1,761 animals (1,755 dogs, 1 golden jackal, and 5 Corsac foxes). Total 658 adult worms of E. granulosus were detected in 28 (1.6%) dogs and 1 (100%) golden jackal. More than 6 species of helminths, i.e., Taenia hydatigena, Dipylidium caninum, Diplopylidium nolleri, Mesocestoides lineatus, Toxocara canis, and Trichuris vulpis, were found from 18 (1.0%) dogs. Six (T. hydatigena, Toxascaris leonina, Alaria alata, Uncinaria stenocephala, D. caninum, and M. lineatus) and 2 (D. nolleri and M. lineatus) species of helminths were also detected from 5 Corsac foxes and 1 golden jackal, respectively. Taeniid eggs were found in 2 (20%) out of 10 soil samples. In the present study, it was confirmed that the prevalences of helminths including E. granulosus are not so high in domestic and wild animals. Nevertheless, the awareness on the zoonotic helminth infections should be continuously maintained in Uzbekistan for the prevention of human infection.
Adult ; Ancylostomatoidea ; Animals ; Animals, Wild ; Dogs ; Echinococcus granulosus ; Eggs ; Foxes ; Helminths ; Humans ; Jackals ; Mesocestoides ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Soil ; Taenia ; Toxascaris ; Toxocara canis ; Trichuris ; Uzbekistan

Parasitic diseases of the Korean people have remarkably changed in terms of the kinds of major parasites and the prevalence of each parasite species. In particular, after the 1970~ 80s, the prevalence of soil-transmitted nematode infections became very low, and instead, those diseases that had been veiled by the soil-transmitted nematodes became unveiled and attention is paid to these parasitic infections. It is also of note that various kinds of new parasitic infections emerged, and malaria that disappeared in the late 1970s re-emerged after 1993. The number of parasite species that emerged or re-emerged since 1980 is at least 36 species. Among them, protozoan species include Acanthamoeba spp., Babesia spp., Plasmodium vivax, Cryptosporidium hominis, and Cryptosporidium parvum. Nematode species are Capillaria hepatica, Toxocara canis, Toxocara cati, Ancylostoma caninum, Ancylostoma braziliense, Mammomonogamus laryngeus, Pseudoterranova decipiens, Trichinella spiralis, and Capillaria philippinensis. The emerged trematode species include Centrocestus armatus, Stictodora lari, Heterophyopsis continua, Metagonimus miyatai, Plagiorchis vespertilionis, Neodiplostomum seoulense, Stellantchasmus falcatus, Heterophyes nocens, Echinostoma cinetorchis, Clinostomum complanatum, Echinochasmus japonicus, Stictodora fuscata, Plagiorchis muris, Gymnophalloides seoi, Pygidiopsis summa, Metagonimus takahashii, Acanthoparyphium tyosenense, and Echinostoma hortense. Cestode species newly reported from humans are Spirometra erinacei, Taenia asiatica, Diphyllobothrium yonagoense, and Mesocestoides lineatus. Most of these species are, with the exception of P. vivax and several others, food-borne parasites. For prevention of these parasitic infections, consumption of well-cooked food is essential.
Acanthamoeba ; Ancylostoma ; Babesia ; Capillaria ; Cestoda ; Cryptosporidium ; Cryptosporidium parvum ; Diphyllobothrium ; Echinostoma ; Heterophyidae ; Humans ; Korea* ; Malaria ; Mesocestoides ; Nematode Infections ; Parasites ; Parasitic Diseases* ; Plasmodium vivax ; Prevalence ; Spirometra ; Taenia ; Toxocara ; Toxocara canis ; Trematoda ; Trichinella spiralis