Background Giardiasis remains a globally prevalent neglected parasitic disease, and limitations associated with conventional therapies highlight the need for alternative and complementary strategies. In this context, microalgae biocompounds have emerged as promising sources of antiparasitic agents. Objective This study aims to evaluate the in vitro preliminary screening activity...
Bovine anaplasmosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease of significant sanitary and economic importance to livestock, particularly in tropical and subtropical regions, and is associated with high morbidity and reduced productivity. However, data on its molecular prevalence in cattle from semiarid and transitional areas of the Northeast region of Brazil remain scarce. This study...
Introduction Toxoplasma gondii (T. gondii) is a globally prevalent parasite that poses significant medical and veterinary challenges. Although current therapies such as pyrimethamine and sulfadiazine are effective, they often cause severe adverse effects, including myelosuppression, highlighting the need for safer and more effective alternatives. In this study, we evaluated the...
Purpose The aim of this study was to describe the occurrence and phylogenetic diversity of Hepatozoon spp. in small mammals from the Emilia-Romagna region, northern Italy, and to assess their genetic relationships with previously described lineages. Methods Tissue samples (spleen and ear) from wild animals belonging to eight small mammal species were examined. Molecular screening...
Background Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) remains a neglected tropical disease that disproportionately affects indigenous populations, where transmission is shaped by complex socioenvironmental conditions. Our objective is to describe and analyze the sociodemographic, environmental, clinical, and therapeutic characteristics of CL cases in the Xakriabá indigenous population, and to...
Purpose Blastocystis sp. is an opportunistic intestinal protist frequently associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). Its immunomodulatory influence within the immunosuppressive milieu of chemotherapy-treated CRC remains largely unexplored. This study investigated the effects of Blastocystis solubilized antigen (BSA) from subtypes ST1–ST5 on the metabolic activity and cytokine gene...
Introduction Human dirofilariasis, an emerging mosquito-borne zoonosis, is increasing, particularly in Europe. While subcutaneous presentations are the most common infections, genital presentations are rare and can pose significant diagnostic challenges. Purpose This review aims to provide an updated synthesis of all detailed published cases of genital dirofilariasis analyzing...
Purpose Echinococcosis remains a major neglected zoonosis with limited therapeutic options. Thymol and carvacrol have emerged as experimental anti-echinococcal candidates, yet their mechanistic basis, translational relevance, and major limitations including the absence of clinical evidence remain incompletely defined. This review critically evaluates available evidence on their...
The fish fauna of the basin of the Amazon River is one of most diverse of any region on Earth and hosts a parasite fauna that is poorly studied. One group of fish parasites is the Myxosporea, a class of the phylum Cnidaria, which are obligate endoparasites. The present study investigated myxozoans found in specimens of the Neotropical catfish Ageneiosus inermis collected in...
Hookworm infections continue to impose a substantial burden on human and animal health, but the early host responses that influence parasite establishment are not fully characterized. Experimental models that reproduce key features of hookworm biology and host-parasite interactions remain essential for advancing translational research. In this study, we examined hematological...
Purpose Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato (s.l.). Istanbul’s large stray dog population represents a significant risk for human CE transmission. However, prevalence and genotype studies about E. granulosus s.l. in dogs remain limited. This study aimed to determine the presence and genotypes of E...
Purpose Hepatopulmonary hydatidosis (HPH) is a clinically relevant presentation of hepatic cystic echinococcosis (CE) in which pulmonary involvement is present at the time of diagnosis. Reliable identification of patients at risk remains challenging, and indiscriminate thoracic imaging may lead to unnecessary investigations. This study aimed to identify hepatic predictors...
Introduction To explore the distribution characteristics of sympathetic and vagal nerves in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE). By analyzing pathological specimens from patients, we focused on the differential distribution of nerves in lesions, perilesional zones, and normal liver tissues and revealed their correlation with clinical local staging, hepatic fibrosis and...
Background A significant challenge in the treatment of trichinellosis is addressing theencysted larvae. The efficacy of albendazole on larvae appears to be limited, underscoring theurgent necessity for developing effective alternatives. Recently, marine biotoxins have beeninvestigated as possible substitutes for traditional medications. In the present work, we assessedthe...
Background Cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COX1) DNA sequences are widely used as a means of identifying Eukaryotic species, but in some taxonomic groups, such as the louse flies (Diptera: Hippoboscidae), there are many species that have not been sequenced. Until very recently (Wawman, 2025), Pseudolynchia garzettae (Rondani, 1897) had no sequences in either of the two main...
Purpose Oswaldofilaria bacillaris is the type species of the genus, but its morphology remains little known and partially contradictory. Moreover, there are no genetic data and scanning electron microscopical observations on the species, like in most Oswaldofilaria spp. The phylogenetic relationships among Oswaldofilaria spp. are practically unknown. This study aimed to evaluate...
Toxoplasma gondii is a highly successful intracellular pathogen. Its success is largely achieved by the parasite’s ability to avoid the host immune response. During T. gondii infection lymphocytes play an active role in host defense and purinergic signaling has been shown to contribute to parasite control. Several studies have demonstrated the importance of ATP (adenosine...
Purpose Toxoplasma gondii and Neospora caninum are protozoan that infect animals worldwide. Dogs act as sentinels of these infections, indicating potential risks to human health, particularly in the case of T. gondii due to its zoonotic nature. Therefore, we aimed to determine the seroprevalence and associated factors for T. gondii and N. caninum infections in dogs living in the...
Purpose Dirofilaria immitis, a mosquito-borne zoonotic nematode, has worldwide distribution and causes infections in domestic and wild animals. Microscopic, serological, and molecular diagnostic methods are used to investigate this parasite in the hosts. Molecular diagnostic methods are outstanding for their sensitivity and specificity. The LAMP method, which has been used in...
Purpose This study provides the first molecular assessment of the two species of the genus Whittingtonocotyle, parasites of the erythrinid fish Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus. The main objective was to evaluate the phylogenetic cohesion of Whittingtonocotyle and to explore its preliminary phylogenetic affinities within Dactylogyridae based on available molecular and morphological...
Purpose The current treatment for Chagas disease, caused by Trypanosoma cruzi, presents significant limitations due to its variable efficacy depending on the stage of the disease and its associated adverse effects. This issue has driven research and the development of new therapeutic and preventive strategies, with a particular emphasis on vaccine design. Materials and methodsIn...