The changing patterns of goblet cell hyperplasia, intestinal epithelial cell turnover, and intestinal motility were studied in ICR and C57BL/6 mice infected with Gymnophalloides seoi (Digenea: Gymnophallidae). Whereas ICR mice retained G. seoi worms until day 7 post-infection (PI), C57BL/6 mice showed a rapid worm expulsion within day 3 PI. Immunosuppression with Depo-Medrol significantly delayed the worm expulsion in C57BL/6 mice. Goblet cell counts were increased in both strains of mice, peaking at day 1 PI in C57BL/6 mice and slowly increasing until day 7 PI in ICR mice. In C57BL/6 mice infected with G. seoi, newly proliferating intestinal epithelial cells were remarkably increased in the crypt, and the increase was the highest at day 1 PI. However, in ICR mice, newly proliferating intestinal epithelial cells increased slowly from day 1 to day 7 PI. Intestinal motility was increased in G. seoi-infected mice, and its chronological pattern was highly correlated with the worm load in both strains of mice. Meanwhile, immunosuppression of C57BL/6 mice abrogated the goblet cell proliferation, reduced the epithelial cell proliferation, and suppressed the intestinal motility. Goblet cell hyperplasia, increased intestinal epithelial cell turnover, and increased intestinal motility should be important mucosal defense mechanisms in G. seoi-infected C57BL/6 mice.
Animals ; *Cell Proliferation ; Disease Models, Animal ; Epithelial Cells/*physiology ; *Gastrointestinal Motility ; Helminthiasis/*physiopathology ; Hyperplasia ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/*physiopathology ; Intestinal Mucosa/*physiopathology ; Male ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Mice, Inbred ICR ; Trematode Infections/*physiopathology

BACKGROUND: Permethrin shampoo is currently the first-line treatment for pediculosis capitis. However, its widespread use has resulted in the development of resistance.
OBJECTIVE: To compare aromatic oil shampoo and 1% permethrin shampoo in terms of efficacy and safety
METHOD: One hundred fifty-hour patients with active infestation were treated in this randomized, assessor-blind, controlled trial using aromatic oil or permethrin shampoo, applied once weekly for three weeks. Evaluations were conducted at baseline and a week after shampoo application. Complete cure was defined as the absence of live louse on day 21.
RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of complete cure, changes in patient's quality of life and pruritus at day 21. Neither group reported any diverse effects.
CONCLUSION: The efficacy and safety of the aromatic oil shampoo was comparable to that of 1%permethrin shampoo in treating pediculosis capitis.

Animal ; Anoplura ; Lice Infestations ; Parasitic Diseases ; Permethrin ; Pruritus ; Quality Of Life

Feline intestinal tritrichomoniasis by Tritrichomonas foetus was first recognized in USA in 1999 and has so far been reported from UK, Norway, Switzerland, and Australia, but not from the Far East Asian countries. In November 2008, 2 female and male littermate Siamese cats, 6-month old, raised in a household in Korea were referred from a local veterinary clinic with a history of chronic persistent diarrhea. A direct smear examination of fecal specimens revealed numerous trichomonad trophozoites which were isolated by the fecal culture in InPouch(TM) TF-Feline medium. A PCR testing of the isolate based on the amplification of a conserved portion of the T. foetus internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions (ITS1 and ITS2) and the 5.8S rRNA gene, and the molecular sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed infection with T. foetus. This is the first clinical case of feline intestinal trichomoniasis caused by T. foetus in Korea.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Cat Diseases/*parasitology ; Cats ; Feces/parasitology ; Female ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/parasitology/*veterinary ; Male ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Protozoan Infections, Animal/*parasitology ; Republic of Korea ; Tritrichomonas foetus/genetics/*isolation & purification

The present study was performed to investigate the infection status of intestinal parasites in pigs and beef cattle in rural areas of Chungcheongnam-do, Korea. From November 2009 to April 2010, a total of 241 fecal samples of pigs and beef cattle (136 and 105, respectively) were examined by direct smear and centrifugal sedimentation methods. The overall positive rates of intestinal parasites among pigs and beef cattle were 73.5% and 4.8%, respectively, and the double-infection rate was 10.3% in pigs. Of 136 specimens from pigs, Balantidium coli, Ascaris suum, and Entamoeba spp. infections were found in 88 (64.7%), 24 (17.6%), and 5 cases (3.7%), respectively. Of 105 beef cattle, Entamoeba spp. infections were detected in 5 cases (4.8%). From these results, it is shown that pigs raised on rural farms in Chungcheongnam-do had a high B. coli infection rate and a moderate A. suum infection rate. These results demonstrate that environmentally resistant cysts or eggs could be widespread on the farms examined, and thus an effective hygienic management system is needed to prevent them from serving as the source of infection for human beings.
Animals ; Cattle ; Cattle Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology ; Feces/parasitology ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/epidemiology/*veterinary ; Korea/epidemiology ; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/*epidemiology ; Prevalence ; Rural Population ; Swine ; Swine Diseases/*epidemiology/parasitology

BACKGROUND: Several Philippine studies on selected neglected parasitic diseases cite major challenges in laboratory diagnosis that require review of standards, policies and practices.
OBJECTIVES: This review aims to: (1) describe the epidemiology of selected neglected parasitic diseases in the Philippines; (2) describe the current status of laboratory diagnosis of these diseases in terms of standards, policies and practices; and (3) identify challenges and opportunities for improvement of laboratory diagnosis.
METHODS: Epidemiologic data were collected from published scientific papers and monographs. International standards were gathered from journal articles and the World Health Organization (WHO). Philippine policies were obtained from interviews with the Department of Health (DOH) and other agencies. Recommendations for policy and practice were formulated based on evidence and feasibility.
RESULTS: High prevalence of neglected parasitic diseases in the country, coupled with lack of national policies on diagnosis and quality assurance guidelines specific to parasitology, pose significant challenges to accurate diagnosis.
CONCLUSION: Results of this review merit the development of a comprehensive Philippine policy on a quality assurance scheme for parasitology laboratories and stronger licensing standards. This policy should be supported through a network of reference centers that coordinate parasitology training, staff certification, and laboratory accreditation.

Human ; Animal ; Male ; Female ; Parasitic Diseases ; Laboratories ; Diagnosis ; Epidemiology ; Quality Control ; Parasitology

Zoonotic parasites are animal parasites that can infect humans. The major zoonotic protozoa in the Republic of Korea are Babesia bovis, Chilomastix mesnili, Cryptosporidium parvum, Endolimax nana, Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba hitolytica, Giardia lamblia, Iodamoeba butschlii, Pneumocystis carinii, Sarcocystis cruzi, and Toxoplasma gondii. The major zoonotic helminths in Korea include trematodes, cestodes, and nematodes. Trematodes are Clonorchis sinensis, Echinostoma hortense, Echinostoma spp., Fasciola hepatica, Heterophyes nocens, Metagonimus yokogawai, and Paragonimus westermani. Cestodes are Diphyllobothrium latum, Dipylidium caninum, Echinococcus granulosus, Hymenolepis nana, Raillietina tetragona, sparganum (Spirometra spp.), Taenia saginata, T. solium, and T. asiatica. Nematodes are Ancylostoma caninum, Brugia malayi, Capillaria hepatica, Dirofilaria immitis, Gnathostoma dololesi, Gnathostoma spinigerum, Loa loa, Onchocerca gibsoni, Strongyloides stercoralis, Thelazia callipaeda, Trichinella spiralis, Trichostrongylus orientalis, Trichuris trichiura, and Trichuris vulpis. The one arthropod is Sarcoptes scabiei. Many of these parasites have disappeared or were in decline after the 1990's. Since the late 1990's, the important zoonotic protozoa have been C. parvum, E. nana, E. coli, E. hitolytica, G. lamblia, I. buetschlii, P. carinii and T. gondii. The important zoonotic helminths have been C. sinensis, H. nocens, M. yokogawai, P. westermani, D. latum, T. asiatica, sparganum, B. malayi, T. orientalis, T. callipaeda and T. spiralis. However, outbreaks of these parasites are only in a few endemic areas. The outbreaks of Enterobius vermicularis and head lice, human parasites, have recently increased in the kindergartens and primary schools in the Republic of Korea.
Animals ; Humans ; Parasites/classification/*isolation & purification/physiology ; Parasitic Diseases/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology ; Zoonoses/*parasitology

Myiasis is most prevalent in Mexico, central and south America, tropical Africa, and the southwestern United States. Although dermal myiasis is rare in most of the United States, it is a disorder that may be seen in international travelers. In the United States, external myiasis is usually caused by the cattle botfly. We report here a case of ophthalmomyiasis involving the left upper eyelid of a child. We examined a six-year-old boy who presented to the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (MEEI) in September 1998. He complained of persistent swelling of his left upper eyelid for the previous ten days. The edema and erythema were unresponsive to warm compresses and oral antibiotics. Ocular examination revealed a mild preseptal cellulitis of the left upper eyelid with a small draining fistula. On slit-lamp examination, we found one larva protruding intermittently from the fistula site. The larva was extracted with forceps, wrapped in a moist towel and sent in a jar to the parasitology laboratory. The specimen was identified as a Cuterebra larva by a parasitologist at the Harvard School of Public Health. One week later, the patient's eyelid edema and erythema had completely resolved.
Animal ; Case Report ; Child ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Diptera* ; Eye Infections, Parasitic*/surgery ; Eye Infections, Parasitic*/parasitology ; Eye Infections, Parasitic*/diagnosis ; Eyelid Diseases/surgery ; Eyelid Diseases/parasitology* ; Eyelid Diseases/diagnosis ; Eyelids/parasitology* ; Human ; Larva ; Male ; Myiasis*/surgery ; Myiasis*/parasitology ; Myiasis*/diagnosis

An epidemiological study on canine intestinal parasites was undertaken to evaluate changes in the prevalence among private household dogs from the Hachinohe region of Aomori prefecture, Japan, in 1997, 2002 and 2007, using the formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation technique. The risk of zoonotic transmission from household dogs to humans was also discussed. All intestinal parasites detected in the present study (Giardia intestinalis, Isospora spp., Toxocara canis, Ancylostoma caninum, Trichuris vulpis and Strongyloides stercoralis) showed no changes in prevalence over the past 10 years based on analysis considering canine epidemiological profiles. In particular, prevalence of Giardia intestinalis in dogs under 1 year old, derived from pet shops/breeding kennels and kept indoors was unchanged, remaining at a high level of >15.0% at each time point. Toxocara canis also showed no changes in the group of dogs under 1 year old, bred by private owners and kept outdoors, and the prevalence was >10.0% every year. The present results indicate that the prevalence of Giardia intestinalis and other intestinal parasites in private household dogs has not always decreased, and the potential for direct parasitic zoonotic transmission from dogs to humans may be relatively high level, than from the environment (indoors and outdoors). We recommend careful surveillance of intestinal parasites and aggressive use of anthelminthic in private household dogs under considering the epidemiological factors.
Animal Husbandry ; Animals ; Anthelmintics/*therapeutic use ; Dog Diseases/drug therapy/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Dogs ; Giardia lamblia/*isolation & purification ; Humans ; Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic/drug therapy/epidemiology/parasitology/*veterinary ; Japan/epidemiology ; Parasitic Diseases, Animal/drug therapy/epidemiology/*parasitology ; Prevalence ; Time Factors ; Zoonoses

Objectives: The study was performed in order compare the antihelminthic efficacy of pineapple fruit versus mebendazole in schoolchildren. Design: The study performed was a single, blinded randomized control trial. Subjects: Ninety subjects aged 5 to 13 years old and positive for soil-transmitted helminthiases were included in the study. Methods: Eligible participants were subjected to Kato-Katz for diagnosis and quantitative ova count. Those positive for soil-transmitted helminthes were randomized to Group A (pineapple) and Group B (mebendazole). After 7 days of treatment, stool samples were subjected to another Kato Katz for quantitative ova analysis. Seven hundred fifty ml of puree made from one pineapple, with approximate weight of 750g, was given in divided amounts within 24 hours (250 ml 3x a day) for group A. Results: Majority (77.78%) were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides. Pineapple exhibited a significant improvement in egg reduction rate (RR) with a p-value of < 0.001 at 95% CI. This showed 83.5 % egg per gram (epg) of feces reduction and a cure rate of 68.9%. Mebendazole also revealed a significant egg reduction with p-value of < 0.001 at 95% CI. It also showed a remarkable egg per gram reduction rate of 92.25% and cure rate of 88.9%. There were no adverse events reported. Conclusion: Mebendazole, as an antihelminthic, is a better choice; but pineapple fruit may be beneficial as it had a high egg reduction rate and an acceptable cure rate.
Human ; Animal ; Male ; Female ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child Preschool ; ANANAS ; ASCARIASIS ; TRICHURIS ; PLANTS ; FRUIT ; PARASITIC DISEASES ; TREATMENT OUTCOME

OBJECTIVETo examine the effect of isopod parasite Catoessa boscii (C. boscii) on Carangoides malabaricus (C. malabaricus).

METHODSThe host fish C. malabaricus infested by C. boscii were collected directly from the trawlers landed at Parangipettai coast during December 2008 to November 2009. Data regarding the total length, width, weight and sex of the host fish were recorded. Effect of infestation on C. malabaricus, the length and weight data were analysed and host specificity of isopods was also examined.

RESULTSDuring the sampling period, 585 C. malabaricus were examined. Among them, 218 specimens were found to carry 243 parasites. Three pairs of isopods (one male with one female) were recorded from the host fish and each pair was attached to the tongue in the buccal cavity of the host. Another pair was also found where the male and male, female and female isopod had settled on the tongue in the buccal cavity. Gross lesions observed in the buccal cavity of infested fish showed small pin-holes in the tongue region, through which dactyls of pereopod's penetrating claws dig into the host tissues. The maximum weight loss was reported in females (5.43%) than in males (3.75%) of C. malabaricus. Due to infestation of different isopod parasites in both male and female fish, the effects on the length-weight relationship of C. malabaricus were compared. The rate of increased growth in weight in uninfested female fish was found to be higher than that of the infested. The weight gain is faster in uninfested fish than in the infested fish.

CONCLUSIONSFrom the above mentioned observations, it is clear that the worst of fish on account of the infestation of isopods are the C. malabaricus succumbed to the attack of isopod parasites. Although, the infestation did not cause immediate death, it had affected the normal growth of the host fish.

Animals ; Body Size ; Body Weight ; Female ; Fish Diseases ; pathology ; Host Specificity ; India ; Isopoda ; physiology ; Male ; Mouth ; parasitology ; Parasitic Diseases, Animal ; pathology ; Perciformes ; parasitology