Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi: Snail intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines.

Oncomelania hupensis quadrasi is the snail intermediate host of Schistosoma japonicum in the Philippines. It was discovered by Dr. Marcos Tubangui in 1932 more than two decades after the discovery of the disease in the country in 1906.

Current status of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in the Philippines.

In the Philippines, ten NTDs are prevalent, but only six namely LF, schistosomiasis, STH, food-borne trematodiases, rabies and leprosy are considered to be of public health importance. The 81 provinces in the country are endemic for at least one of these NTDs. Others may be endemic for two or even more of these diseases.

Molecular phylogeny of the Achatinoidea (Mollusca: Gastropoda).

This study presents a multi-gene phylogenetic analysis of the Achatinoidea and provides an initial basis for a taxonomic re-evaluation of family level groups within the superfamily. A total of 5028 nucleotides from the nuclear rRNA, actin and histone 3 genes and the 1st and 2nd codon positions of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene were sequenced from 24 species, representing six currently recognised families. Results from maximum likelihood, neighbour joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference trees revealed that, of currently recognised families, only the Achatinidae are monophyletic.

Characterization of an isolate of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Nematoda: Heterorhabditidae) from the Northern Territory, Australia, using morphology and molecular data.

An entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis H39, was found in Darwin, Australia. Based on morphological and morphometric similarities, and molecular characterisation, it is an isolate of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora. Males, hermaphrodites, females and juveniles showed important similarities on most characters that define H.