This report describes the development of a SYBR Green I based real time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for detection on the ABI Prism 7000 instrument. Primers targeting the gene encoding the SSU rRNA were designed to amplify with high specificity DNA from Schistosoma mansoni, in a real time quantitative PCR system. The limit of detection of parasite DNA for the system was 10 fg of pur...

The biogenic amine serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine: 5HT) is a widely distributed neuroactive substance of vertebrates and invertebrates. Among parasitic flatworms, in particularly the bloodfluke, Schistosoma mansoni, 5HT is an important modulator of neuromuscular function and metabolism. Previous work has shown that schistosomes take up 5HT from host blood via a carrier mediated mechanism. This ...

A new echinostome cercaria, Cercaria kuwaitae XI sp.n., from the prosobranch gastropod Cerithidea cingulata (Gmelin) from Kuwait Bay is described. The new cercaria is characterized by 23 collar spines and primary excretory tubules with distinct diverticula. The cercaria encysts in the snail host and is similar to those of Acanthoparyphium sp. The surface topography of the redia, cercaria and me...

Trematode cercariae are commonly found in many freshwater gastropods. These cercariae can serve to identify the occurrence of such trematodes as Centrocestus formosanus, Haplorchis taichui, Haplorchoides sp, and Stellantchasmus falcatus, which are important parasites in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. As the species of these cercariae cannot be identified accurately based on morphology, this stu...

Overall 10389 snails were collected from four study areas of Punjab from November 2005 to October2006. The highest prevalence (38%) was found for Indoplanorbis followed by Physa (17%), Bellamaya(10.3%), Gyraulus (10%), Lymnaea (9.2%), Oncomelania (9%) and the lowest was found for Bulinus (6.7%).Only Indoplanorbis snails were found to be positive for Schistosoma bovis cercaria. Correlation betwe...

Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) is a worldwide spread pathogen which penetrates host skin and then induces several diseases in infected host, such as fibrosis, formation of granulomas, hepatocirrhosis, and hepatomegaly. In present study, for the first time, transcriptomic profiles of mouse livers and skins infected by fork-tailed S. japonicum cercaria or non-fork-tailed S. japonicum cercar...

penetration of the cercaria. It was known for more than ten years by tha name of•gKogan Byo•h(lake side disease) along side Lake Shinji in Shimane Prefecture. According to Tanabe (1951), Cercaria sturniae is the larval form of Giganlobilharzia sturniae Tanabe, 1951, infesting usually in the vein of Sturnia philippensis (Forster) and its first intermediate host being Segmenti na ni ti dell a (Po...

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...