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In order to diagnose gnathostomiasis immunologically, Gnathostoma doloresi was evaluated for the antigenicity in comparison with G. hispidum which was recently reported in Japan by using micro-ELISA. The study revealed that G. doloresi can be used as the alternate source of antigen in the test. A significant increase of specific IgG antibodies was seen in 22 (73.3%) out of 30 gnathostomiasis cases. Although double diffusion was slightly less sensitive than ELISA, it was considered more specific than the latter method.

In order to confirm that the third larvae stage found in fresh water fish and that the adult parasite found in definitive hosts, corresponded to different stages of the same parasite life cycle (G. spinigerum), we proceeded to the experimental infestation with the following finding of the adult parasite. We were able to confirm in a definitive way the identify of the larva found in fresh water fish.

Four females and a male nematode isolated from 2 patients who visited eye clinics in Seoul were identified as Thelazia callipaeda and their ultrastructures were observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). General features of the worms were slender and attenuated at both ends. Vaginal opening was located at 0.27 mm from the anterior end, and in front of the esophago-intestinal junction. In the body cuticle transverse striations varied characteristically through the body. The number of cuticular transverse striations was 400-650/mm at head portion, 250/mm at middle portion and 300-350/mm at tail portion. The SEM observation of the mouth part of the females showed 6 cord-like cuticular thickenings in hexagonal arrangement and an amphid was observed. A lateral line, a vaginal opening, a pair of phasmids, and an anus were identified in the body portion. A pair of papillae and 6 cord-like cuticular thickenings were on the mouth part of the male. It was difficult to observe structures at the tail of the male except wrinkle-like structures. Most of the larvae isolated from the uterus of a female worm were sheathed and thus cuticular striations were not seen. Others were un-sheathed and revealed cuticular striations. The oval membrane which encysted sheathed larvae was also observed. These are the 18th and 19th record of human thelaziasis in Korea as the literature are concerned.

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) infects the eyes of humans and rabbits as well of domestic and wild carnivores (i.e., dogs, cats, and foxes). The first three cases of infection by T. callipaeda eyeworms in wolves (Canis lupus) are here described with up to 96 nematodes collected from a single animal. The host competence of wolf was demonstrated by the retrieval of adult worms in the eyes of all examined animals. All nematodes collected were evaluated by morphologic and molecular techniques. Sequence analysis of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox1) confirmed that only one haplotype of T. callipaeda was present. The competence of wolves as a definitive host for T. callipaeda is discussed in view of the relevance of wild fauna in maintaining and spreading eyeworm infection in humans and domestic animals.

Thelazia callipaeda (Spirurida, Thelaziidae) is a nematode that lives in the conjunctival sac of domestic and wild carnivores, rabbits and humans causing mild to severe symptoms (e.g., conjunctivitis, lacrimation, epiphora, blepharospasm, keratitis and even corneal ulceration) in infected animals. This report describes an autochthonous case of thelaziosis in a cat from the central region of Portugal, representing the most occidental record of thelaziosis in Europe. Adult nematodes recovered from alive animal were morphological identified as T. callipaeda. A portion of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene (cox 1) from nematode specimens was amplified by PCR. Cox1 sequences of all specimens were identical to T. callipaeda haplotype 1. Additionally to these findings, a recent description of thelaziosis in the northern region of Portugal suggests that T. callipaeda has successfully established in Portugal.

Thelazia callipaeda eyeworm is a nematode transmitted by drosophilid flies to carnivores in Europe. It has also been reported in the Far East in humans. We report T. callipaeda infection in 4 human patients in Italy and France.

Spirocerca lupi (Rudolphi 1809) is a cosmopolitan nematode of dogs and wild carnivores. In the past it has been reported in Italy, mainly in southern regions and in Sicily, where the parasite was observed in foxes in 2005. The parasite typically produces nodular masses in the oesophagus and thoracic aorta. During the 2003-2004 hunting season, the authors investigated a total of 55 foxes (Vulpes vulpes) hunted or killed by car accidents in the provinces of Palermo and Agrigento. All the foxes were subjected to necropsy and 6 (9.16%) had S. lupi nodules located exclusively in the gastric wall. The nature of the nodules was determined by opening them and detecting the nematodes inside, which were identified as S. lupi. Some of the nodules were characterized anatomopathologically and histopathologically. The formation of the parasitic nodule in the stomach only suggests a deviation from the route commonly followed by the nematode to reach the oesophagus, the elective anatomical site for completion of its lifecycle. This survey gives a contribution to the epidemiology of this parasite which is severely outdated in Italy and highlights some distinctive features of the life cycle and parasite migration.

Editor,—We report five cases of thelaziasis, including a rare case of infection of a hospital inpatient. Thelaziasis is a nematode infection of ocular tissue that is caused by Thelazia callipaeda , which is found in China, India, Thailand, Korea, and Japan. This parasite has been identified in the conjunctival sac, and lacrimal gland and canal of dogs, cats, cows, badgers, rabbits, foxes, and monkeys in Asia.1 Thelaziasis results when flies ingest embryonated eggs in the ocular tissue of an infected host; the eggs develop into larvae and are deposited onto the conjunctiva of a new host. Drosophilae—namely, Amioto okadai , A magna , …

A patient with chronic conjunctivitis was found to have a parasitic nematode infection of the conjunctiva. The parasite was found within the cul-de-sac of the conjunctiva, entirely motile. The treatment of the conjunctivitis was simple removal of the organism, and periodic follow up.

ASmTRAcr: Two human cases of gnathostomiasis from ingestion of raw native Japanese loaches, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, are reported. Seven early third-stage larval Gnathostoma nipponicum were recovered from 3,098 loaches in the same district in which 2 human patients had obtained and eaten raw loaches. Encapsulated G. nipponicum larvae were also recovered from loaches infected under laboratory conditions. All 6 weasels captured in the same district in which the naturally infected loaches were found and where the humans had become infected were infected with adult worms of the same species. This is the first report of M. anguillicaudatus serving as a second intermediate host of G. nipponicum. Human gnathostomiasis is a well-known zoonotic disease caused by nematodes of the genus Gnathostoma. Almost all of the Japanese human cases in the past have been associated with Gnathostoma spinigerum. Since 1980, however, there has been a considerable increase in the number of human gnathostomiasis cases in Japan (Demitsu and Aizawa, 1985), presumably caused by ingesting raw loaches, Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, imported from southeast Asia. Larval G. hispidum Fedtschenko, 1872, were recovered from the viscera of these loaches (Akahane et al., 1982), but strangely no G. hispidum have been found yet in human patients. We have recently treated 2 human gnathostomiasis from ingestion of raw native Japanese loaches, M. anguillicaudatus. The brief case re

Metathelazia naghiensis (Nematoda: Pneumospiruridae) is described from the bronchi, bron- chioles, and subpleural parenchyma of the lung of the marsupial long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta Geoffroy 1804 from Naghi State Forest, New South Wales, Australia. The nematode is distinguished from other species in the family Pneumospiruridae by the presence of a well-developed, well-sclerotized buccal capsule with six prominent denticles, three pairs of large, salient lips, three to seven irregular, longitudinal cuticular ridges over the lateral cord area, subcuticular tuberculations over the body, a vulva located well anterior to the anus, and by the distribution of caudal papillae in male worms. Morphological features of this species suggest that only one genus should be recognized in the Pneumospiruridae. The Pneumospiruridae (Thelazioidea) oc- cur in the respiratory system of a variety of mammals in widely scattered regions of the world. During studies of the helminth para- sites of native mammals in southeastern New South Wales, Australia, pneumospirurid nem- atodes were recovered from the bronchi, bronchioles, and subpleural lung parenchyma of the long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles na- suta Geoffroy 1804 an insectivorous, polypro- todont marsupial (Peramelidae). The parasite described herein represents the first record of a pneumospirurid nematode from a marsupial and from Australia. It also highlights the ne- cessity for a thorough and critical review of the systematics of the Pneumospiruridae. MATERIALS AND METHODS

A face fly (Musca autumnalis) population near Wetaskiwin, central Alberta, Canada, was sampled 9 times from 26 July to 29 September 1988 for the early larval stages of Thelazia spp. Of 426 female flies examined, 159 (37%) contained Thelazia spp. (almost exclusively T. skrjabini), with an average worm burden of 4.2 larvae per infected fly. Prevalence ranged from 17 to 56% over 9 collections. This is the first report of Thelazia skrjabini in flies from western North America and the highest Thelazia prevalence in face flies yet reported in North America. The face fly population was also parasitized by Heterotylenchus autumnalis, with a prevalence of 5.5%.

CHABAUD, A. G. 1975. Keys to genera of the order Spirurida. Part 1. Camallanoidea, Dracunculoidea, Gnathostomatoidea, Physalopteroidea, Rictularioidea and Thelazioidea. In R. C. Anderson, A. G. Chabaud, and S. Willmott (eds.), CIH Keys to the Nematode Parasites of Vertebrates, No. 3. Pp. 1-27. Commonwealth Agricultural Bureaux. Slough, England. DEBLOCK, S., A. CAPRON, AND E. R. BRYGOO. 1962. Trematodes de cameleons de Madagascar. II. Description de trois especes nouvelles des genres Lecithodendrium, Pneumatophilus et Paradistomoides. Annales de Parasitologie Humaine et Comparee 37:81-96. FITZSIMMONS, W. M. 1961. A new nematode Pharyngodon morgani sp. nov., intestinal parasite of a lizard, Mabuya striata, in Nyasaland. Parasit. 51:395-399.

Background Thelazia callipaeda eyeworms are transmitted by the non-biting insect vector Phortica variegata in Europe and infest the conjunctiva(s) of several mammalians, including dogs and humans. Infested hosts might remain asymptomatic or display clinical manifestations characterized by variable degrees of severity. Methods From July to November 2011, nine dogs were detected with eyeworms at two veterinary clinics in Chaves and Bragança (North of Portugal). Nematodes collected from dogs were morphologically and molecularly characterized at species level. Results Nematodes were identified as T. callipaeda. The number of worms collected from each dog ranged from three to 76 (average = 17.9 ± 26.8) and was not associated with the severity of clinical signs. Ocular discharge and conjunctivitis were observed in all dogs and ocular pruritus occurred in six of them. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing of a portion of target cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene further identified all nematodes as haplotype 1. Conclusions This is the first report of T. callipaeda and associated ocular disease in dogs from Portugal, suggesting that thelaziosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of canine ocular affections. The risk of the infestation spreading from Spain and France to Portugal, through domestic dogs or wild mammals, is realistic.