The host-protective immune response to infection with gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes involves a range of interacting processes that begin with recognition of the parasite's antigens and culminate in an inflammatory reaction in the intestinal mucosa. Precisely which immune effectors are responsible for the loss of specific worms is still not known although many candidate effectors have been pro...

Using a yeast one-hybrid assay, Deplancke et al. (2006) report in this issue a protein-DNA interaction network for 72 gene promoters and 117 regulatory proteins expressed in cells of the nematode digestive tract. This study is a first step toward mapping transcriptional regulatory networks in distinct metazoan cell lineages and organs using a "gene-centered" approach.

The most challenging obstacles to testing products for their anthelmintic activity are: (1) establishing a suitable nematode in vitro assay that can evaluate potential product use against a parasitic nematode of interest and (2) preparation of extracts that can be redissolved in solvents that are miscible in the test medium and are at concentrations well tolerated by the nematode system used fo...

Recent epidemiological observations from field studies indicated that sheep selected for resistance to digestive nematodes were more infected than susceptible ones with the nasal bot fly, Oestrus ovis. The present study was undertaken to verify these informations and to explore the possible associated mechanisms. After a whole grazing season and an anthelmintic drench, two groups of 6 rams belo...

Gastrointestinal tract is one of the organ systems which infected by different pathogenic organisms specifically predilection sites for parasites (helminthes and protozoa) absorb nutrient predispose to another infection. The aim this review was provide an overview published information regarding epidemiology diagnostic approaches chicken helminthes infection coccidiosis. disease main constraint...

Anisakiasis is a parasitic infection caused by larval stages of nematodes of the genus Anisakis, Pseudoterranova and Contracaecum, of the Anisakidae family. The lifecycle of these nematodes develops in aquatic organisms and their final hosts are marine mammals. However, humans can act as accidental hosts and become infected with infective stage larvae (L3) by consuming raw or undercooked fish o...

We examined the hypothesis that the interaction between concomitant infecting parasites modifies host susceptibility, parasite intensity and the pattern of parasite distribution within the host population. We used a 26 year time series of three common parasites in a natural population of rabbits: two gastrointestinal nematodes (Trichostrongylus retortaeformis and Graphidium strigosum) and the i...

A strain of Trichostrongylus colubriformis from Nottingham Road, in Natal, was found to be solidly resistant to levamisole and morantel at the recommended dose levels. Untreated control sheep in fact harboured fewer worms at slaughter than either of the 2 treated groups. In contrast, the benzimidazoles and ivermectin were more than 99.9% effective against this worm strain. The possible implicat...

BACKGROUND In Guangxi, a province of southern China, an important number of dogs and cats roam freely in rural settings, and the presence of these animals in proximity of people may represent a risk of parasitic zoonoses. The objective of the present study was to investigate the presence and identify gastrointestinal helminths in feral carnivores in Guangxi province. Therefore, post mortem exam...

Gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) are a major health and economic risk factor in ruminant production in organic and conventional farms (Thamsborg et al., 1999). Fattening of organic beef cattle (OBC) on pasture is an emerging area for organic farmers in Switzerland, which partly compensates the declining development in dairy production. So far, there are no data available about the parasitic sta...