during a search of burrows for the purpose of capturing rodents in 1972, a number of soil samples were inspected for the collection of sand fly larvae. in this study, a total of 472 plastic bags of soil samples were collected from different depths of 30 rodent burrows. fourteen of these samples were found positive, from which 27 larvae were removed. most of the larvae were found in the depths o...

Evolutionary theories explaining virulence-the fitness damage incurred by infected hosts-often focus on parasite strategies for within-host exploitation. However, much virulence can be caused by the host's own immune response: for example, pro-inflammatory cytokines, although essential for killing malaria parasites, also damage host tissue. Here we argue that immune-mediated virulence, or 'immu...

Protein export into the host red blood cell is one of the key processes in the pathobiology of the malaria parasite Plasmodiumtrl falciparum, which extensively remodels the red blood cell to ensure its virulence and survival. In this study, we aimed to shed further light on the protein export mechanisms in the rodent malaria parasite P. berghei and provide further proof of the conserved nature ...

background: zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis (zcl) is a neglected disease with public health importance that is common in many rural areas of iran. in recent years, behavioral resistance and/or bait shyness against the common rodenticide among reservoir hosts of zcl have been reported. the aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of klerat® and zinc phosphide against natural reservoi...

Choanotaenia atopa (Cestoda: Dilepididae) is described (host: domestic cat from the vicinity of Manhattan, Kansas); its natural host is presumed to be a rodent. Choanotaenia atopa is morphologically similar to cestodes of 6 species, all from rodents, formerly placed in the genus Rodentotaenia Matevosian, 1953, and subsequently removed to the genera Choanotaenia Railliet, 1986, or Monopylidium F...

Many parasites infect multiple sympatric host species, and there is a general assumption that parasite transmission between co-occurring host species is commonplace. Such between-species transmission could be key to parasite persistence within a disease reservoir and is consequently an emerging focus for disease control. However, while a growing body of theory indicates the potential importance...

The Echinococcus organisms, the cause of echinococcosis (hydatid disease), are parasitic helminths with life cycles involving a carnivorous definitive host (usually dog or fox) and an intermediate host (human, ungulate, or rodent). They are complex multicellular pathogens that, despite being under constant barrage by the immune system, are able to modulate antiparasite immune responses and pers...