Search

The Nagoya Daruma pond frog (Pelophylax porosus brevipodus) is an endangered anuran species endemic to the semi-aquatic environment of Japan. On June 11, 2021, four of the six Nagoya Daruma pond frogs captured from the wild and kept in an aquarium died in rapid succession. Pathological and/or parasitological examinations of two of the four carcasses revealed protozoan infection in their kidneys. The pathogen identified as Hyaloklossia kasumiensis (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae: Hyaloklossiinae) based on their morphological and molecular characterization. This is a new host record of H. kasumiensis. Mitochondrial cox1 sequence analysis suggest that the present species detected from Nagoya Daruma pond frog belongs to the same lineage as those found in the Tokyo Daruma pond frog (P. p. porosus) from Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. This particular lineage may be prevalent among Pelophylax porosus ssp. distributed in Japan.

This study describes a subcutaneous proliferative cysticercosis in a pet steppe lemming, Lagurus lagurus (Rodentia: Cricetidae), bred and imported from Czech Republic into Japan. Numerous metacestodes were collected from the subcutaneous cystic lesion of the left medial thigh. Four surgical removals were coupled with anthelmintic treatment but ended with recurrence. Based on morphological features and mitochondrial DNA sequences, the metacestodes were identified as the larval stage of Taenia crassiceps (Zeder, 1800). This is the first case of infection with larval T. crassiceps in rodents of the genus Lagurus, and becomes the third case of the parasite detected from imported animals in Japan. Related public health concerns are discussed.

The coccidian genus Eumonospora Allen, 1933 is re-established. Despite morphological features and host preference among species, coccidian with octasporozoic and monosporocystic oocysts are traditionally consider to belonging in the genus Caryospora Leger, 1904 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae). Recently, the genus Avispora Schuster et al., 2016 was proposed for above caryosporoids parasitizing birds based on combined morphological and phylogenetic analyses. However, diagnostic morphological characters of the genus Avispora, the absence of Stieda and substieda bodies, has already been mentioned in the description of the genus Eumonospora Allen, 1933 (Apicomplexa: Sarcocystidae), and thus Avispora is considered to be a junior synonym of Eumonospora. In this study, caryosporoid coccidians were detected from five owl species; Bubo scandiacus, Ptilopsis leucotis, Athene noctua, Strix nebulosa, and Pulsatrix perspicillata (Strigiformes: Strigidae) and identified as Avispora henryae (Yakimoff & Matikaschwaili, 1932) described from Bubo bubo (Strigiformes: Strigidae). Eumonospora henryae (Yakimoff & Matikaschwili, 1932) comb. nov. is redescribed for this species based not only on morphological features but also on phylogenetical analyses. The key of the genus Eumonospora and a list to the species known at present are also provided.

There is limited knowledge about parasites of the endangered Ryukyu long-furred rat, Diplothrix legata (Murinae, Rodentia) endemic to Okinawa, Tokunoshima, and Amami-Oshima Islands in Japan. In the present study, postmortem histopathological examination of an individual found on Amami-Oshima Island revealed a mixed helminth infection of Calodium hepaticum, Hydatigera taeniaeformis, and Angiostrongylus cantonensis. These helminths are considered non-native to Amami-Oshima Island and are maintained by invasive mammals, such as non-native rats and outdoor cats. This observation presents a new host record for C. hepaticum and H. taeniaeformis and the first record of A. cantonensis in Ryukyu long-furred rat on Amami-Oshima Island.