Dietary profiles of wild carnivores and Blastocystis occurrence: The case of the endangered Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus) and systematic review.

Recent molecular and metagenomic studies have revealed that the obligate anaerobic protist Blastocystis is found more prevalently and with higher subtype diversities in herbivore species than in carnivore species. However, information on wild carnivore species is scarce. Here, we investigated the presence of Blastocystis by molecular methods in fecal DNA samples of free-ranging and captive Iberian lynxes from Spain (n = 243) and Portugal (n = 30).

Asymptomatic carriage of intestinal protists is common in children in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

Background: PCR-based screenings on the presence of diarrhoea-causing intestinal protist species are limited in Zambia, resulting in inaccurate current prevalence and epidemiological data. Sensitive PCR-based methods are particularly well suited for detecting subclinical infections in apparently healthy carriers.

Methodology: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we investigated the occurrence of the most common intestinal protists in an apparently healthy paediatric population (5-18 years) in Lusaka Province, Zambia.

Free-Ranging Wolves (Canis lupus) are Natural Reservoirs of Intestinal Microeukaryotes of Public Health Significance in Southwestern Europe.

Introduction: Intestinal microeukaryote parasites are major contributors to the burden of diarrhoea in humans and domestic animals, but their epidemiology in wildlife is not fully understood. We investigated the frequency, genetic diversity and zoonotic potential of protists of animal and public health significance in free-ranging grey wolf (Canis lupus) populations in south-western Europe.

Methods: Individually formed faecal samples collected from necropsied wolves or scat trails in Italy (n = 47), Portugal (n = 43) and Spain (n = 225) during the period 2011-2023 were retrospectively analysed using molecular (PCR and Sanger sequencing) methods.

A human-like model of aniridia-associated keratopathy for mechanistic and therapeutic studies.

Aniridia is a rare congenital condition of abnormal eye development arising principally from heterozygous mutation of the PAX6 gene. Among the multiple complications arising in the eye, aniridia-associated keratopathy (AAK) is a severe vision-impairing condition of the cornea associated with a progressive limbal stem cell deficiency that lacks suitable treatment options. Current mouse models of aniridia do not accurately represent the onset and progression dynamics of human AAK, hindering therapy development.

Why an Integrated Approach to Tick-Borne Pathogens (Bacterial, Viral, and Parasitic) Is Important in the Diagnosis of Clinical Cases.

Tick-borne diseases have emerged as a major global public health problem in recent decades. The increasing incidence and geographical dissemination of these diseases requires the implementation of robust surveillance systems to monitor their prevalence, distribution, and public health impact. It is therefore not unexpected that tick-borne pathogens coexist in the same vectors, but the interactions of these agents between vectors and vertebrate hosts, including humans, remain poorly understood.