Experimental studies of parasite transmission can help to elucidate life cycles, measure the success of infective stages under different conditions, or test the efficacy of vaccination or other forms of protection against parasitic infection. By combining the results of experiments on a particular parasite taxon, one may also answer questions such as how experimental infection doses are chosen,...

Bird schistosomes and cases of human cercarial dermatitis occur worldwide, but the number of cases is not monitored. Experiments with two schistosomes, namely Trichobilharzia szidati and T. regenti, show that they possess potent tools to penetration bird and mammalian skin, as well as exhibit species-specific migration patterns within vertebrate bodies. Therefore, the infections may affect diff...

Schistosomes have a well developed nervous system that coordinates virtually every activity of the parasite and therefore is considered to be a promising target for chemotherapeutic intervention. Neurotransmitter receptors, in particular those involved in neuromuscular control, are proven drug targets in other helminths but very few of these receptors have been identified in schistosomes and li...

Schistosomes are intravascular helminths that infect over 200 million people worldwide. Deposition of eggs by adult schistosomes stimulates Th2 responses to egg antigens and induces granulomatous pathology that is a hallmark of schistosome infection. Paradoxically, schistosomes require host immune function for their development and reproduction and for egress of parasite eggs from the host. To ...

Schistosomiasis is a waterborne, parasitic disease, found in much of the Third World. The World Health Organization (WHO) ranks schistosomiasis as one of the predominant tropical diseases in terms of socioeconomic and public health importance. I It is endemic in 74 countries and threatens as many as 600 million people as they perform daily activities related to water such as swimming, fishing, ...

P arasites that live in intimate contact with the immune system of their hosts require specialized adaptations to survive in such exposed environments. Once adapted to these demanding environments, it seems such parasites could not easily switch to distantly related hosts [1], and, thus, would be good candidates to diversify congruently with their hosts, i.e., cospeciation. One of the best-know...

It is well known that geographic strains of MATERIALS AND METHODS schistosomes vary in infectivity for their host snails2 6 . l Z z 2 . This is of importance not only for Snail Strains. the introduction of schistosomes into previously uninfected areas, but because of the potential for the spread of drug resistant strains of worms. B. glabrata, an albino strain of Puerto Rican origin, has been m...