Infection of the mammalian host by the parasitic helminth Schistosoma mansoni is accompanied by the release of excretory/secretory molecules (ES) from cercariae which aid penetration of the skin. These ES molecules are potent stimulants of innate immune cells leading to activation of acquired immunity. At present however, it is not known which cells take up parasite antigen, nor its intracellul...

To examine the interactions of disease and pollution on amphibian populations around the world, I investigated the effect of infection on contaminant susceptibility in pickerel frog, Rana palustris, larvae. I conducted standard 48-hr toxicity tests to examine effect of trematode parasite, Echinostoma trivolvis, infection (0, 10, or 30 cercaria) on the susceptibility of pickerel frog tadpoles to...

BACKGROUND Opisthorchis viverrini infection is a major public health problem in northern and northeastern Thailand. The chronic infection of O. viverrini is related to cholangiocarcinoma which causes high mortality in endemic areas. Therefore, the diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention of O. viverrini infection are necessary. The morphology of the egg is very similar to that of other spec...

Ultraviolet (UV) light is an electromagnetic radiation below the visible wavelengths. Their use in cercariae attenuation needs to be examined. In the present work, Schistosoma mansoni cercariae was exposed to UV radiation. Few studies showed previously an inflicted damage seen on the adult schistosome worms developed from irradiated cercariae. The aim of the study was to find out whether this d...

Figure 2. A hatching Dicrocoelium dendriticum miracidium from the patient's stool sample (original magnification, ϫ20). Figure 1. A Dicrocoelium dendriticum egg. The dark brownish egg is thick-walled and relatively small when compared with other helminthic eggs found in human feces (size, 40 mm ϫ 20 mm). A not-very-prominent operculum is marked by arrows (original magnification, ϫ20). Diagnosis...

Fasciolosis is a parasitic disease caused by Fasciola gigantica. The freshwater snail Lymnaea acuminata is the intermediate host of F. gigantica which cause endemic fasciolosis in the northern part of India. To investigate larvicidal activity of pure and laboratory extracted pheophorbide a (Pa) against cercaria larvae of F. gigantica, data were analyzed in different spectra of visible light, su...

A survey of freshwater snail, Bithynia funiculata, was conducted in four locations, Doi Saket, Mueang, Saraphi and Mae Rim Districts of Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand, between June and October, during the rainy season of 2004. A total of 2,240 snails was collected and classified into 7 families and 15 genera; of which 352 B. funiculata were obtained. B. funiculata was found most abundan...

Schistosome infection begins with the penetration of cercariae through healthy unbroken host skin. This process leads to the transformation of the free-living larvae into obligate parasites called schistosomula. This irreversible transformation, which occurs in as little as two hours, involves casting the cercaria tail and complete remodelling of the surface membrane. At this stage, parasites a...

Human schistosomiasis caused by Schistosoma japonicum and Schistosoma mekongi is a chronic and debilitating helminthic disease still prevalent in several countries of Asia. Due to morphological similarities of cercariae and eggs of these 2 species, microscopic differentiation is difficult. High resolution melting (HRM) real-time PCR is developed as an alternative tool for the detection and diff...

D icrocoelium dendriticum is the most widespread liver fluke in cattle and sheep in Italy [1]. Adult forms live in the gall bladder and bile ducts of their final hosts (ruminants). Eggs are passed in faeces and ingested by land snails which excrete cercaria in mucous balls, which are eaten by ants. Infestation usually occurs by ingestion of ants that carry metacercariae by animals and occasiona...