The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) is the most widely used method to assess treatment efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). Information on genera composition of the GIN community is not available with this test and it is commonly obtained by identifying cultured third-stage larvae (L3) or through molecular assays in the post-treatment survey, but results provided are usually only qualitative or semi-quantitative. The updated WAAVP guidelines now recommend assessing anthelmintic efficacy for each GIN genus/species separately (genus-specific FECRT), but this approach is poorly employed in Europe and in goats especially.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA non-native nematode has emerged in captive fallow deer in Central and Eastern Europe over the last decade. Although this parasite has been spreading in the wild outside it's native distributional range and colonising local European host species since the middle of the last century, limited information has been published on the seasonality of and its susceptibility to anthelmintics. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a study to investigate seasonal dynamics of the non-native parasite in the current Central European climate conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFasciola hepatica is a global parasite of livestock which also causes a neglected zoonosis in humans. The parasite's communication with the host during its complicated lifecycle is based on an ingenious enzymatic apparatus which includes a variety of peptidases. These enzymes are implicated in parasite migration, pathogenesis of the disease, and modification of host immune response.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEurasian beaver (Castor fiber) is a well-established faunal element in the Czech Republic, even though, historically, its populations were almost eradicated in this region. Nowadays, its distribution and population density are well monitored; nonetheless, the beaver's parasites, as potential threats to the environment, are often neglected in wildlife management. Therefore, we investigated the endoparasitic helminth diversity of 15 beaver individuals from three collection sites in the Czech Republic.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infections in ruminants is routinely based on morphological/morphometric analysis of parasite specimens recovered by coprological methods, followed by larval culture (LC) techniques. Such an approach is laborious, time-consuming, requires a skilled expert, and moreover suffers from certain limitations. Molecular tools are able to overcome the majority of these issues, providing accurate identification of nematode species and, therefore, may be valuable in sustainable parasite control strategies.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAmong gastrointestinal nematodes, haematophagous strongylids Haemonchus contortus and Ashworthius sidemi belong to the most pathogenic parasites of both domestic and wild ruminants. Correct identification of parasitic taxa is of crucial importance in many areas of parasite research, including monitoring of occurrence, epidemiological studies, or testing of effectiveness of therapy. In this study, we identified H.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFToxoplasma gondii is an important ubiquitous protozoan parasite, which can infect almost all warm-blooded vertebrates, including humans. The diagnosis of T. gondii infection is crucial for the prevention, surveillance, and control of its transmission.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHigh resolution melting analysis (HRMA) is a single-tube method, which can be carried out rapidly as an additional step following real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). The method enables the differentiation of genetic variation (down to single nucleotide polymorphisms) in amplified DNA fragments without sequencing. HRMA has previously been adopted to determine variability in the amplified genes of a number of organisms.
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