The gender of vertebrate hosts may affect the outcome of parasitic infections. An experimental murine infection with Angiostrongylus costaricensis was followed with determinations of body weight, fecal larval elimination, number and length of adult worms, number of macroscopic intestinal lesions, and mortality. Groups of male and female Swiss mice were infected with 10 3(rd)-stage A. costaricen...

5. Thiabendazole and other benzimidazole anthelmintics act by binding strongly to tubulin in the absorptive cells in the gut of parasitic worms. This interferes with the uptake of nutrients and the worms effectively starve to death. The host is less affected as the binding to mammalian tubulin is less strong and is reversible. Another pharmacological study showed that single oral doses of 25 to...

Schistosomiasis is a devastating parasitic disease caused by flatworms of the genus Schistosoma. The complex life cycles and developmental plasticity of these parasites have captured the attention of parsitologists for decades, yet little is known on the molecular level about the developmental underpinnings that have allowed these worms to thrive as obligate parasites. Here, we describe basic s...

A variety of parasites are commonly detected in tissue sections, including protozoa, arthropods, round worms (nematodes), tapeworms (cestodes) and flukes (trematodes).1,2,3 In addition to the true worms, a large number worm mimics may be encountered pose significant diagnostic challenge1 This case-based section will review key features their mimics, how they can recognised by anatomic pathologi...

Introduction: Helminthiasis is an endemic and chronic disease caused by parasitic worms with a high prevalence rate non-fatal, but it affects the health of human body reducing absorption nutrients proteins in infected individuals blood levels so that if occurs pregnant women, can affect pregnancy childbirth. This study aimed to examine influence findings on attitudes women towards prevention he...

Parasitic nematodes infect one quarter of the world's population and impact all humans through widespread infection of crops and livestock. Resistance to current anthelmintics has prompted the search for new drugs. Traditional screens that rely on parasitic worms are costly and labour intensive and target-based approaches have failed to yield novel anthelmintics. Here, we present our screen of ...

Parasitic nematode worms of the genus Strongyloides have an alternation of many asexual, all-female generations with a sexual generation composed of males and females. Males of S. papillosus have now been shown to be produced by elimination of chromosomal material that constitutes the X chromosome in its close relatives.

Eosinophilic leukocytes function in host protection against parasitic worms. In turn, helminthic parasites harbor specific molecules to evade or paralyze eosinophil-associated host immune responses; these molecules facilitate the migration and survival of parasitic helminths in vivo. This competition between eosinophil and worm leads to stable equilibria between them. An understanding of such d...

Background The WHO’s objective regarding schistosomiasis control is to maintain a low burden by maintaining lower parasitic charges in endemic regions. The schistosomiasis and helminthiasis control program was launched in 2004 in Niger. Although yearly praziquantel treatment does not clear entirely schistosomiasis worms in people, it allows reducing parasitic loads and thus avoids serious renal...