Unveiling the Interplay Between Dendritic Cells and Natural Killer Cells as Key Players in Infection.

Leishmaniasis is a group of parasitic diseases whose etiological agent is the protozoa . These diseases afflict impoverished populations in tropical and subtropical regions and affect wild and domestic animals. Canine leishmaniasis is a global disease mostly caused by .

Molecular Survey of Hemosporidian Parasites in Owls in Mainland Portugal.

Owls play an important role as avian hosts for hemosporidians via overlap in habitat use and activity with these arthropod vectors, thereby resulting in susceptibility to morbidity and, in some cases, mortality upon infection. This study analyzed the hemosporidians in tissues collected from individual dead owls (n=240) in various regions of mainland Portugal; the owls were primarily obtained from wildlife rehabilitation centers (WRCs). Hemosporidian species were detected using nested PCRs, targeting the cytochrome b gene of the mitochondria.

Detection of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania amazonensis in Bats From Endemic and Non-endemic Areas of São Paulo State, Brazil.

Aims: Leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in several regions of Brazil, a tropical country that presents specific environmental conditions that contribute to the development of phlebotomine vectors. This study aimed to detect Leishmania species in naturally infected bats from 17 municipalities in the São Paulo state.

Methods And Results: Spleen and liver samples from 203 bats were analysed by real-time PCR and confirmed by conventional PCR followed by gene sequencing.

Chagas Disease: A Silent Threat for Dogs and Humans.

Chagas disease (CD) is a vector-borne Neglected Zoonotic Disease (NZD) caused by a flagellate protozoan, , that affects various mammalian species across America, including humans and domestic animals. However, due to an increase in population movements and new routes of transmission, infection is presently considered a worldwide health concern, no longer restricted to endemic countries. Dogs play a major role in the domestic cycle by acting very efficiently as reservoirs and allowing the perpetuation of parasite transmission in endemic areas.

Predicting the distribution of Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus in Europe: a comparison of climate niche modelling approaches.

Background: The ticks Ixodes ricinus and Dermacentor reticulatus are two of the most important vectors in Europe. Climate niche modelling has been used in many studies to attempt to explain their distribution and to predict changes under a range of climate change scenarios. The aim of this study was to assess the ability of different climate niche modelling approaches to explain the known distribution of I.

The potential role of scavenging flies as mechanical vectors of Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2.

The European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) populations of the Iberian Peninsula have been severely affected by the emergence of the rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) Lagovirus europaeus/GI.2 (RHDV2/b). Bushflies and blowflies (Muscidae and Calliphoridae families, respectively) are important RHDV vectors in Oceania, but their epidemiological role is unknown in the native range of the European rabbit.

Insights on Host-Parasite Immunomodulation Mediated by Extracellular Vesicles of Cutaneous and .

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic disease caused by different species of and transmitted through the bite of sand flies vector. Macrophages (MΦ), the target cells of parasites, are phagocytes that play a crucial role in the innate immune microbial defense and are antigen-presenting cells driving the activation of the acquired immune response. Exploring parasite-host communication may be key in restraining parasite dissemination in the host.

Size does matter: intraspecific geometric morphometric analysis of wings of the blowfly Chrysomya albiceps (Diptera: Calliphoridae).

Blowflies have forensic, sanitary and veterinary importance, as well as being pollinators, parasitoids and ecological bioindicators. There is still little work with real data and from experiments assessing the relationship between blowflies' morphologic features and environmental and demographic factors. The present work tests whether the variation, in the shape and size, of Chrysomya albiceps (Wiedemann, 1819) wings is influenced by the following factors: 1) time; 2) temperature; 3) sex and; 4) different types of carcasses (pig, dog/cat and whale).

Presence of one ecto- and two endoparasite species of the black stork (Ciconia nigra) in Portugal.

Background: The black stork (Ciconia nigra Linnaeus, 1758) is a recognized endangered species in Europe and most of the specimens from the Western Palearctic region breed in the Iberian Peninsula. Available works regarding parasites in black storks are scarce. This work reports the presence one ecto- and two endoparasite species from a black stork in Portugal.

Meglumine Antimoniate and Miltefosine Combined With Allopurinol Sustain Pro-inflammatory Immune Environments During Canine Leishmaniosis Treatment.

Canine leishmaniosis (CanL) caused by is a zoonotic disease of global concern. Antileishmanial drug therapies commonly used to treat sick dogs improve their clinical condition, although when discontinued relapses can occur. Thus, the current study aims to evaluate the effect of CanL treatments in peripheral blood, lymph node, and bone marrow cytokine profile associated with clinical recovery.

An Overview of Zoonotic Disease Outbreaks and its Forensic Management Over Time.

Most emerging or re-emerging infections are vector-borne or zoonotic and can be disseminated worldwide by infected humans or animals. They are a major public health problem and cause a great impact on economy. Zoonotic outbreaks began to be characterized in the 90s, after the creation of Europol and the FBI.

Canine neutrophils activate effector mechanisms in response to Leishmania infantum.

Canine leishmaniosis caused by L. infantum is a severe zoonotic disease. Although macrophages are the definitive host cells, neutrophils are the first cells to encounter the parasite soon after its inoculation in the dermis by the phlebotomine vector.

Geographical distribution of Culicoides (DIPTERA: CERATOPOGONIDAE) in mainland Portugal: Presence/absence modelling of vector and potential vector species.

Vector-borne diseases are not only accounted responsible for their burden on human health-care systems, but also known to cause economic constraints to livestock and animal production. Animals are affected directly by the transmitted pathogens and indirectly when animal movement is restricted. Distribution of such diseases depends on climatic and social factors, namely, environmental changes, globalization, trade and unplanned urbanization.

Occurrence of helminth parasites in the gastrointestinal tract of wild birds from Wildlife Rehabilitation and Investigation Centre of Ria Formosa in southern Portugal.

This study was carried out in southern Portugal to determine the prevalence of parasitic helminths infecting wild birds. Between September and December of 2013, adult parasites were collected from the gastrointestinal tract of 22 bird specimens (belonging to 12 species) that died in Wildlife Rehabilitation and Investigation Centre of the Ria Formosa. Identified gastrointestinal parasites include the nematodes (Contracaecum sp.

Chewing lice (Phthiraptera) from wild birds in southern Portugal.

This study was carried out to determine chewing louse species of wild birds in the Ria Formosa Natural Park, located in southern Portugal. In addition, the hypothesis that bird age, avian migration and social behaviour have an impact on the louse prevalence was tested. Between September and December of 2013, 122 birds (belonging to 10 orders, 19 families, 31 genera and 35 species) captured in scientific ringing sessions and admitted to the Wildlife Rehabilitation and Investigation Centre of Ria Formosa were examined for lice.

Characterisation of Isospora lusitanensis n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula Linnaeus (Passeriformes: Turdidae) in mainland Portugal.

A new coccidian species (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is described from a specimen of the Eurasian blackbird Turdus merula Linnaeus held for rehabilitation and reintroduction into the wild in a centre for research and recovery of wild animals in Quinta de Marim, Olhão, Portugal. Isospora lusitanensis n. sp.

Natural infection of synathropic rodent species Mus musculus and Rattus norvegicus by Leishmania infantum in Sesimbra and Sintra--Portugal.

Background: Canine leishmaniosis caused by Leishmania infantum is a parasitic zoonotic disease transmitted by phlebotomine sandflies (Diptera: Psychodidae). Genus Phlebotomus is the biological vector in the Old World and Lutzomyia in the New World. The dog is the domestic reservoir host but other animals like the fox (Vulpes vulpes) and rodents are known to maintain the infection in both sylvatic and domestic cycles.

Canine leishmaniosis. Modulation of macrophage/lymphocyte interactions by L. infantum.

Canine leishmaniosis, caused by Leishmania infantum, is a systemic disease with variable clinical signs and a progressive evolution. This disease is characterized by impaired T cell-mediated immune response, which has been associated with disease chronicity and high mortality. Protective immunity against leishmaniosis is thought to be mediated by T cell and cytokine production.

Canine leishmaniasis. Immunophenotypic profile of leukocytes in different compartments of symptomatic, asymptomatic and treated dogs.

Canine visceral leishmaniasis (CanL) is an emerging disease, expanding in various parts of the world. The infection caused by Leishmania, an intracellular protozoan parasite, can show different clinical manifestations, from asymptomatic or subclinical to symptomatic dogs, in which a wide spectrum of clinical signs is evident. The fact that the parasite replicates in different organs raises the hypothesis that each organ may have a specific immune response.

Molecular and phylogenetic characterization of Theileria spp. parasites in autochthonous bovines (Mirandesa breed) in Portugal.

A survey was conducted during the months of April-June 2003 in the northeast Portugal (Bragança district) in order to characterize the hemoparasite population of an autochthonous Mirandesa breed of Bos taurus. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the bovine blood revealed that 3 out of 116 animals were infected with Theileria and/or Babesia parasites, while reverse line blot hybridisation (RLB) analysis showed that these animals were infected with Theileria buffeli/orientalis. Cloning and sequencing confirmed the RLB results.