The degree of host specificity, its phylogenetic conservativeness and origin are virtually unknown in Eimeria. This situation is largely due to the inadequate sample of eimerian molecular data available for reliable phylogenetic analyses. In this study, we extend the data set by adding 71 new sequences of coccidia infecting 16 small-mammal genera, mostly rodents. According to the respective fea...

background: biting habit of mosquitoes plays an important role in the epidemiology of mosquito-borne diseases. mosquitoes use a set of elaborate sensory modalities to find their preferred hosts by exploiting cues emanating from a nearby host. it has been suggested that the chemical profile of skin can provide further support for anthropophilic mosquito species to find their suitable hosts. this...

BACKGROUND Rodents with a population greater than the entire population of other mammals on earth are the source of economic losses and health conflicts. One of the major health problems with the rodents is their role as reservoir hosts of zoonotic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess the infestation of commensal rodents with ectoparasites in Hamedan City, Western Iran. METHODS The s...

I studied the relationship between sex and infestation with ectoparasites in the water rat Scapteromys aquaticus from La Plata river marshland, Argentina. The Relative Density's Index (RDI) for males was 3.90% (females 3.60%). A total of 2653 ectoparasites were collected on 33 male hosts, and 1945 on 31 females. Ectoparasite specific richness (S) and diversity (H) were S = 14, H = 1.17 on males...

Analysis of hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome cases in Zibo City, China, during 2006-2014 showed that it occurred year-round. Peaks in spring and fall/winter were caused by Hantaan and Seoul viruses, respectively. Rodent hosts were the striped field mouse for Hantaan virus and the brown rat and house mouse for Seoul virus.

To date, 21 species of the genus Angiostrongylus (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae) have been reported around the world, 15 of which are parasites of rodents. In this study, new host, geographic records, and histopathologic studies of Angiostrongylus spp in sigmodontine rodents from Argentina, with an updated summary of records from rodent hosts and host specificity assessment, are provided. Records...

Four phenotypic xanthomonad groups have been identified that are pathogenic to pepper, tomato, or both hosts. These include groups A and C which are found in Xanthomonas axonopodis pv. vesicatoria, group B found in X. vesicatoria, and group D found in 'X. gardneri'. We present DNA:DNA hybridization data in which X. axonopodis pv. vesicatoria group A and C strains have less than 70% DNA relatedn...

A full understanding of the immune system requires full characterization of the cells, and its subsets, which play a role in the process of host defense. The expression pattern of cell surface molecules serves as a major criterion for assigning cells into discrete subsets. The availability of monoclonal reagents, specific fluorescent probes and compatible instrumentation over the past years has...

South American histricognath rodents Thrichomys apereoides laurentius and Thrichomys pachyurus are natural hosts of Trypanosoma cruzi, agent of Chagas disease. We established breeding colonies of these species to serve as experimental models in various parasitological studies. Both species of Thrichomys have all the requirements necessary to become excellent laboratory models: they can be easil...

Different parasite taxa exploit different host resources and are often unlikely to interact directly. It is unclear, however, whether the diversity of any given parasite taxon is indirectly influenced by that of other parasite taxa on the same host. Some components of host immune defences may operate simultaneously against all kinds of parasites, whereas investment by the host in specific defen...