Publications by authors named "Schnittger L"

Background/objectives: is a zoonotic enteroparasite causing severe diarrhea in newborn calves, leading to significant economic losses in dairy and beef farming. This study aimed to evaluate whether p23-specific IgY antibodies could control neonatal calf diarrhea caused by .

Methods: A recombinant immunogen comprising the p23 protein fused to the antigen-presenting cell homing (APCH) molecule was expressed using the baculovirus system.

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Article Synopsis
  • An outbreak of mange caused by Psoroptes sp. was identified in a llama herd in Jujuy province, Argentina, with symptoms including hair loss, skin inflammation, and ear drainage.
  • Microscopic analysis confirmed the presence of Psoroptes mites, and histological studies indicated an allergic reaction with mixed inflammatory cells.
  • The research also revealed genetic links between local llama infections and similar infections in rabbits and bighorn sheep, emphasizing the need for further studies to manage these parasitic issues in South American camelids.
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Vicuñas (Vicugna vicugna) are wild South American camelids (SACs) protected by law in Argentina, and information on pathogens that infect them is scarce. In this study, an adult vicuña found dead in the province of Salta was examined, and evidence of infection by Sarcocystis sp. protozoans was sought.

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  • Tick-borne diseases (TBD) are a significant concern for both human and animal health, particularly in Slovakia, where studies have mainly investigated small mammals as reservoirs for these pathogens.
  • Wild animals like ungulates, hedgehogs, and carnivores not only host ticks but also help monitor the presence of tick-borne pathogens (TBP) in the environment, especially as they expand into urban and suburban areas.
  • High infection rates of TBP have been found in certain wildlife populations, contributing to our understanding of how these animals act as carriers and reservoirs, which can aid in managing and reducing the risk of TBD.
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Hepatozoon spp. are tick-borne apicomplexan parasites of terrestrial vertebrates that occur worldwide. Tissue samples from small rodents and their parasitizing fleas were sampled for molecular detection and phylogenetic analysis of Hepatozoon-specific 18S rRNA gene region.

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spp. are coccidian protozoans belonging to the Apicomplexa phylum. As with other members of this phylum, they are obligate intracellular parasites with complex cellular machinery for the invasion of host cells.

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Article Synopsis
  • Sarcocystis are protozoa that require both a predator (like humans) and a prey (like pigs) in their life cycle, with S. suihominis specifically affecting pigs as intermediate hosts.
  • Ingesting raw or undercooked pork containing these parasites can cause gastroenteritis in humans, leading to symptoms like nausea and diarrhea, and can spread the parasite through feces.
  • This study is notable for identifying S. suihominis in Nigeria for the first time using genetic analysis, highlighting a public health risk linked to pigs and poor hygiene practices on local farms.
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Plants belonging to the genera , and often contain the toxin swainsonine (SW) produced by an associated fungal symbiont. Consumption of SW-containing plants causes a serious neurological disorder in livestock, which can be fatal. In this study, a fungal endophyte, section , was identified in seeds, using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by direct sequencing.

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spp. are enteroparasitic protozoans that cause cryptosporidiosis in newborn calves. Clinical signs of the infection are diarrhoea and dehydration leading to decreased productivity and economic losses in cattle farms around the world.

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Piroplasmids of the genera Babesia, Theileria, and Cytauxzoon are tick-transmitted parasites with a high impact on animals and humans. They have complex life cycles in their definitive arthropod and intermediate vertebrate hosts involving numerous processes, including invasion of, and egress from, host cells, parasite growth, transformation, and migration. Like other parasitic protozoa, piroplasmids are equipped with different types of protease to fulfill many of such essential processes.

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and are tick-borne hemoprotozoans that impact bovine health and are responsible for considerable fatalities in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. Both pathogens infect the same vertebrate host, are closely related, and contain similar-sized genomes; however, they differ in invertebrate host specificity, absence vs. presence of a schizont stage, erythrocyte invasion mechanism, and transovarial vs.

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The honeybee is highly appreciated worldwide because of its products, but also as it is a pollinator of crops and wild plants. The beehive is vulnerable to infections due to arthropods, fungi, protozoa, bacteria and/or viruses that manage to by-pass the individual and social immune mechanisms of bees. Due to the close proximity of bees in the beehive and their foraging habits, infections easily spread within and between beehives.

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Babesia bovis, a tick-transmitted apicomplexan protozoon, infects cattle in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. In the apicomplexans Toxoplasma gondii and Plasmodium falciparum, rhomboid serine protease 4 (ROM4) fulfills an essential role in host cell invasion. We thus investigated B.

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Babesia bovis and B. bigemina are tick-transmitted parasites causing bovine babesiosis, characterized by significant morbidity and mortality leading to economic losses to the livestock industry in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Animals that recover from acute infection remain carriers with low parasitemia acting as a source of transmission, and often escape detection.

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The order Piroplasmida, including the genera Babesia, Cytauxzoon, and Theileria is often referred to as piroplasmids and comprises of dixenous hemoprotozoans transmitted by ticks to a mammalian or avian host. Although piroplasmid infections are usually asymptomatic in wild animals, in domestic animals, they cause serious or life-threatening consequences resulting in fatalities. Piroplasmids are particularly notorious for the enormous economic loss they cause worldwide in livestock production, the restrictions they pose on horse trade, and the negative health impact they have on dogs and cats.

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Human babesiosis caused by the intraerythrocytic apicomplexan is an expanding tick-borne zoonotic disease that may cause severe symptoms and death in elderly or immunocompromised individuals. In light of an increasing resistance of to drugs, there is a lack of therapeutic alternatives. Species-specific proteases are essential for parasite survival and possible chemotherapeutic targets.

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, and are tick-borne apicomplexan parasites of the order Piroplasmida, responsible for diseases in humans and animals. Members of the piroplasmid rhoptry-associated protein-1 (pRAP-1) family have a signature cysteine-rich domain and are important for parasite development. We propose that the closely linked genes annotated as BMR1_03g00947 and BMR1_03g00960 encode two paralogue pRAP-1-like proteins named BmIPA48 and Bm960.

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The black-handed spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) is a platyrrhine primate distributed in southern Mexico, Central America, and part of South America. Two subspecies inhabit Mexico: Ateles geoffroyi vellerosus and Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis, both threatened with extinction. Serological evidence of exposure of spider monkeys to various groups of parasites such as Trypanosoma cruzi in México and Leishmania spp.

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Cryptosporidiosis of neonatal dairy calves causes diarrhea, resulting in important economic losses. In Argentina, prevalence values of Cryptosporidium spp. and other enteropathogens such as group A rotavirus (RVA), bovine coronavirus (BCoV) and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC, endotoxin STa), have been independently studied in different regions.

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Babesia, Theileria and Cytauxzoon are tick-borne apicomplexan protozoans of the order Piroplasmida, notorious for the diseases they cause in livestock, pets and humans. Host cell invasion is their Achilles heel, allowing for the development of drug or vaccine-based therapies. In other apicomplexans, cleavage of the transmembrane domain of adhesins by the serine rhomboid proteinase ROM4 is required for successful completion of invasion.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates -glycosylation in Piroplasmida, a group of tick-borne pathogens, finding three specific patterns of -glycosylation across different species.
  • - All analyzed piroplasmids have the necessary genes for producing -glycosylation substrates, with evidence showing its importance in the growth and survival of these pathogens.
  • - Ongoing transcription of -glycosylation-related genes in various life stages of the parasites highlights its significance, suggesting that understanding -glycans could lead to better control strategies against these diseases.
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Surface proteins bound to the cell membrane by glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors are considered essential for the survival of pathogenic protozoans. In the case of the tick-transmitted hemoparasite Babesia bovis, the most virulent causative agent of bovine babesiosis, the GPI-anchored proteome was recently unraveled by an in silico approach. In this work, one of the identified proteins, GASA-1 (GPI-Anchored Surface Antigen-1), was thoroughly characterized.

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Nosema ceranae is a ubiquitous microsporidian pathogen infecting the midgut of honey bees. The infection causes bee nosemosis, a disease associated with malnutrition, dysentery, and lethargic behavior, and results in considerable economic losses in apiculture. The use of a rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive DNA-based molecular detection method assists in the surveillance and eventual control of this pathogen.

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Introduction: Babesiosis is a protozoan tick-borne infection associated with anemia and life-threatening disease in humans, domestic and wildlife animals. Dogs are infected by at least six well-characterized Babesia spp. that cause clinical disease.

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