Introduction: Cysticercus fasciolaris is the larval stage of the cestode Taenia taeniaeformis, whose definitive hosts are cats. Rodents and very rarely humans act as intermediate hosts. Here, we investigated the rate of infection among urban rats in the north of Khuzestan province, southwest of Iran, and described the histopathological changes in the liver of infected animals. Methods: One hund...

Toxoplasma gondii was first identified more than 100 years ago in the tissues of birds and mammals. In 1908 Nicolle and Manceoux described it for the first time in the gundi (Ctenodactylus gundi), a North African rodent, in tachyzoite forms. At the same time, Splendore in Brazil, identified the parasite in rabbit tissues. Due to its bow-like shape (Greek: Toxo = Arc) the genus was named Toxopla...

Infection with Dicrocoelium dendriticum in humans is rarely reported in the medical literature. This liver fluke, which commonly infects ruminants, has a complex life cycle with two intermediate hosts--the land snail and the ant. True human infection occurs by ingestion of the second intermediate host, but spurious infections have occurred after consumption of undercooked animal liver. The pres...

Infection with Dicrocoelium dendriticum in humans is seldom to be reported in Egypt. This liver fluke, which commonly infects ruminants, has a complex life cycle with two intermediate hosts; the land snail and the ant. Human infection occurs by accidental ingestion of the second intermediate host. The present reported a patient suffered from recurrent acute chole-cystitis with chronic urinary s...

Eosinophilic meningitis caused by the parasitic nematode Angiostrongylus cantonensis is an emerging infectious disease with recent outbreaks primarily in tropical and subtropical locations around the world, including Hawaii. Humans contract the disease primarily through ingestion of infected gastropods, the intermediate hosts of Angiostrongylus cantonensis. Effective prevention of the disease a...

BACKGROUND Fascioloides magna is a pathogenic fluke introduced to Europe ca 140 years ago. As it is spreading over the continent, new intermediate and definitive hosts might be involved in transmission of the parasite. In Europe, several studies reported potential new intermediate snail hosts (Radix spp.) for F. magna, and also several cases of fascioloidosis of wild and domestic animals were p...

Heritable symbioses can have important ecological effects and have triggered important evolutionary innovations. Current predictions for long-term symbiont prevalence are based on their fitness benefits and vertical transmission rates but ignore nonlinear competitive feedbacks among symbiotic and symbiont-free hosts. We hypothesized that such feedbacks function as stabilizing mechanisms, promot...

This study focuses on the geographic distribution of the snail of the genus Biomphalaria and evaluates its infectivity by Schistosoma mansoni in 5264 specimens collected in the municipality of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Of the 31 locations studied, 6 were reservoirs, 11 rudimentary holding ponds, 7 irrigation ditches, 5 lakes, 1 ornamental pond, and 1 waterfall. Intermediate hosts were...

Echinococcosis (hydatid disease) is a zoonosis caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus (or Taenia echinococcus). The adult form of the parasite lives in the gut of the dog, while the intermediate hosts, where the tapeworm develops to larval stage are cats, cattle, pigs and humans(considered to be accidental intermediate hosts). The parasite has a worldwide distribution, but the en...

Toxoplasma gondii is obligate coccidian zoonotic parasite. Felidae family is definitive and wide ranges of warm-blooded vertebrates are intermediate hosts for the parasite. Rodents are measured as an important source of T. gondii infection for the definitive host. Thus, this study aimed to investigate Toxoplasm infection in rodents of Ahvaz district, southwest of Iran. A total of 100 rodents (7...