Two species of blood protozoans were identified from blood smears collected from 15 specimens of the Chimango caracara (Milvago chimango) on Isla Grande de Chiloé in southern Chile. These included Leucocytozoon toddi in 13 birds, including all 5 of the 4-6 week old nestlings examined, and 8 of the subadults or adults. One of the nestlings also had a dual infection of L. toddi and Haemoproteus t...

Classical research on animal toxicity has focused on the role of toxins in protection against predators, but recent studies suggest these same compounds can offer a powerful defense against parasites and infectious diseases. Newts in the genus Taricha are brightly coloured and contain the potent neurotoxin, tetrodotoxin (TTX), which is hypothesized to have evolved as a defense against vertebrat...

The most useful definition of biodiversity is that given by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; biodiversity encompasses all life forms, ecosystems and ecological processes and acknowledges the hierarchy at genetic, taxon and ecosystem levels. Microbial diversity on the other hand includes the diversity of bacteria, protozoans, fungi, unicellular algae and ...

Pathogenic FLA are ubiquitous protozoans and despite frequent human contact remain a rare cause of often devastating infectionwith poor prognosis. Given changes in climate, human encroachment into the environment, increasing immunosuppression, and improving diagnostic capacity, it is likely we will see increased cases in the future. Early diagnosis is challenging but crucial to achieving a favo...

As a rule, all species of animals are regulated by other living organisms (antagonists) which are not under manipulation by man but they are naturally occurring in our surrounding environment. The process called natural biological control when man attempts to use naturally occurring antagonists to lower a pest population which would cause losses to plant or animals. Biological control is an eco...

Cells release extracellular vesicles in response to external factors or in a physiological way. Microvesicles and exosomes originate in cells in different ways and, depending on their contents, may have multiple biological effects on other cells and the environment. The host cell-parasite relationship could be changed dramatically by the plasticity of a new type of communication through extrace...

BACKGROUND Acute diarrhea is the second leading cause of mortality among children under 5 years of age in developing countries. The pathogen most strongly associated with diarrhea is rotavirus followed by enteric pathogens such as bacteria, helminthes and protozoan. Adequate sanitation and water supply contribute to decrease acute diarrhea incidence of most etiologic agents, although vaccinatio...

Leishmania species are the causative agents of leishmaniasis, a neglected tropical disease. These parasitic protozoans are usually transmitted between vertebrate hosts by the bite of blood sucking female phlebotomine sand flies. This review focuses on the two parasites causing most human visceral leishmaniasis (VL), which leads to substantial health problems or death for up to 400,000 people pe...