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Cysticercosis, caused by larval stage of Taenia (T.) hydatigena is a disease of veterinary concern which causes major economic losses in livestock sector globally. Although livestock is the most productive part of Pakistan's economy, the epidemiological prevalence and genetic diversity of T. hydatigena has not been studied in great detail. Current study was undertaken for the estimation of the prevalence and genetic diversity of T. hydatigena among the goats and sheep of Multan in South Punjab, Pakistan. A PCR protocol targeting the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of T. hydatigena revealed an overall prevalence of 31.33 % among the small ruminants with higher prevalence in females (40.86 %) and older age group of >3-≤5 years (40.74 %). A total of 30 isolates were sequenced for partial mitochondrial cox1 gene which yielded 12 haplotypes with a haplotype diversity of 0.798 ± 0.68 and nucleotide diversity of 0.0046 ± 0.00183. A star like configuration was demonstrated in the haplotype network with a centrally positioned haplotype. Neutrality indices like Tajima's D and Fu's Fs were also biased towards negativity, a characteristic which suggests an expanding parasitic population. Moreover, the genetic diversity of T. hydatigena was also computed for the partial cox1 gene sequences available on GenBank, NCBI. A total of 415 sequences were retrieved out of which 142 haplotypes were identified having a haplotype diversity of 0.9150 ± 0.012 coupled with a nucleotide diversity of 0.00830 ± 0.00043. The haplotype profile of T. hydatigena population displayed an absence of a central haplotype, however, considerable genetic variation was ascertained. All the populations except Africa had a high haplotype diversity (>0.9), however, high Fst values were observed for a few populations which elucidated limited gene flow among the populations of Central/East Asia, Middle East, Europe and South Asia., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Authors confirm that they have no conflict of interest of any sort with any one., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND Taeniasis is a helminthic infection caused by the Taenia species, specifically T. solium, T. saginata, and T. asiatica. Generally, the parasites infect the small intestine; however, instances of atypical migration have also been reported. CASE REPORT A 47-year-old Thai woman presented to Nan Hospital with epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting. Physical examination revealed tenderness in the right upper quadrant, and laboratory analysis revealed mild direct hyperbilirubinemia. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed multiple gallstones and acute cholecystitis. During an elective cholecystectomy, a 70-cm-long tapeworm was found in the gallbladder. Histological examination confirmed the presence of parasitic infection suggestive of Taenia spp., with acute inflammation and focal mucosal necrosis of the gallbladder. Microscopic examination revealed 20 to 22 uterine branches in each of the 5 gravid proglottids, with 42 to 55 uterine twigs and an average ratio of uterine twigs to branches of 2.41, confirming that the parasite in question was possible for T. saginata or T. asiatica. The patient's symptoms resolved after surgery. She was prescribed an oral antibiotic and antiparasitic drug after the operation and experienced no post-surgical complications. CONCLUSIONS Certain parasitic worms can migrate from the intestine to the biliary system. Although less common, T. solium, T. saginata, and T. asiatica can also be detected in the gallbladder and cause acute cholecystitis. This case stresses the potential for misdiagnosis in imaging studies and advises clinicians in endemic areas to consider Taenia spp. infections in the biliary system.

Background: Dogs are the most important definitive hosts of zoonotic taeniid helminths worldwide. Different Echinococcus and Taenia species of domestic and wild carnivores pose a potential risk to human population. High populations of free-roaming dogs (FRDs) in urban areas of Iran and widespread contamination of the environment with dog feces is a potential source of infecting people living in the urban regions with cystic echinococcosis (CE). Our knowledge on the risk of CE transmission in the urban settings in the endemic regions is limited. The present study surveyed the species and genotypes of E. granulosus sensu lato and other taeniids by examining feces of free-roaming dogs in the urban areas in the city of Kerman, southeastern Iran., Methods: The city was divided into 100 consecutive blocks of which 25 blocks were randomly selected. Fecal samples of FRDs were counted, mapped and fresh samples were collected. Then Zinc chloride flotation, and sequential sieving was performed, and the samples were examined under an inverted microscope. Single individual taeniid eggs were isolated, partial nad1 gene was amplified and sequenced to identify species and genotypes., Results: In total 5607 fecal samples of dogs were mapped and 83 fresh samples were collected. Taeniid eggs were detected in nine fecal samples (10.8%) from seven out of the 25 city blocks (28.0%). Echinococcus eggs were found in four samples (4.8%) from three city blocks, two samples containing E. granulosus sensu stricto (2.4%), two samples containing E. canadensis G6/7 (2.4%). In addition, three samples contained eggs of Taenia hydatigena (3.6%), and one sample of Taenia serialis (1.2%)., Conclusions: This study documented the potential risk of CE transmission to humans resulting from the feces of dogs roaming freely in urban areas., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To develop a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of four intestinal parasites, including Giardia duodenalis , Cryptosporidium parvum , Enterocytozoon bieneusi and Moniezia , and to preliminarily evaluate its detection efficiency., Methods: Four pairs of specific primers were designed based on the conserved sequences of the corresponding genes of G. duodenalis (GenBank accession number: XM_001710026.2), C. parvum (GenBank accession number: XM_626998.1), E. bieneusi (GenBank accession number: KJ719492.1) and Moniezia (GenBank accession number: OM296991.1) retrieved from the GenBank database, and a multiplex PCR assay for simultaneous detection of G. duodenalis , C. parvum , E. bieneusi and Moniezia was developed and optimized. A total of 116 fresh goat stool samples were collected from four goat farms in Zhanjiang City, Guangdong Province during the period from October to December 2022, including 96 samples used for evaluating the detection efficacy of the multiplex PCR assay, and 20 samples as baseline controls for sample testing. Genomic DNA extracted from 96 goat stool samples was tested using the single-target PCR assay and the developed multiplex PCR assay, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the multiplex PCR assay were evaluated for detection of G. duodenalis , C. parvum , E. bieneusi and Moniezia DNA in goat stool samples with the single-target PCR assay as the gold standard., Results: The multiplex PCR assay developed in this study allowed simultaneous amplification of specific gene fragments of G. duodenalis , C. parvum , E. bieneusi and Moniezia , with 1 400, 755, 314 bp and 585 bp in sizes, respectively, and the detection limit was 10 2 and higher copies of parasite DNA clones, while the multiplex PCR assay was negative for gene amplification of Schistosoma japonicum , Fasciola hepatica , Echinococcus granulosus , Blastocystis hominis and Homalogaster paloniae . Single-target PCR assay and the developed multiplex PCR assay were employed to test DNA samples extracted from 96 goat stool samples, and single-target PCR assay tested positive in 40 goat stool samples (41.67%), including 39 positive samples tested with the multiplex PCR assay, with a mean coincidence rate of 97.50% (39/40). The multiplex PCR assay tested positive for G. duodenalis DNA in 26 goat stool samples (27.10%), C. parvum DNA in 22 samples (22.90%), E. bieneusi DNA in 24 samples (25.00%), and Moniezia in 9 samples (9.40%), which was consistent with the detection using the single-target PCR assay. The sensitivity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value of the multiplex PCR assay were 96.15%, 95.83%, 100.00% and 100.00%, 98.90%, 98.92%, 100.00% and 100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00%, 100.00% and 100.00% for detection of G. duodenalis , C. parvum , E. bieneusi and Moniezia DNA in goat stool samples, respectively, if the single-target PCR assay served as the gold standard., Conclusions: A highly sensitive and specific multiplex PCR assay has been developed for simultaneous detection of G. duodenalis , C. parvum , E. bieneusi and Moniezia in goats, which is suitable for rapid, large-scale screening of intestinal parasites in sheep stool samples.

Objectives: The diagnosis of larval cestodiases in humans primarily depends on using imaging techniques in combination with serological tests. However, in case of atypical imaging results, negative serology results due to immunosuppression, or infection with rare taeniid species, traditional diagnostic tools may not provide a definitive species-level diagnosis. We aimed to validate a rapid, reliable, and cost-effective single-step real-time PCR method that can identify and differentiate larval cestodiases from biopsy material., Methods: We validated a real-time PCR technique able to distinguish Echinococcus multilocularis, E. granulosus sensu lato (s.l.), and Taenia spp. from biopsy or cytology material in a single-step analysis. Further Sanger sequencing of E. granulosus s.l. and Taenia spp. amplicons enables differentiation of various Echinococcus and Taenia species. The assay was validated on (a) a reference sample collection of 69 clinical and veterinary cases confirmed by imaging, serology, and morphological analysis, (b) 38 routine human patient samples confirmed for aforementioned pathogens by a conventional end-point PCR, and (c) 127 samples from patients with suspected echinococcosis that were submitted to our laboratory for diagnostic analysis., Results: Compared to a conventional reference end-point PCR approach, the quadruplex real-time PCR exhibited a lower limit of detection in a serial dilution with 5-log dilutions for all three targets (2 log for E. multilocularis, 1 log for E. granulosus s.s., and 1 log for T. saginata). We were able to detect DNA from E. multilocularis, E. granulosus s.l. (E. granulosus s.s., E. canadensis, E. ortleppi, and E. felidis), a wide range of Taenia spp., as well as from non-echinococcal metacestodes such as Hydatigera taeniaformis, Hymenolepis spp., Versteria sp., and Spirometra erinaceieuropaei., Discussion: We suggest that the presented real-time PCR method is a suitable tool to be routinely used in a clinical microbiology laboratory to rapidly detect and identify larval cestodiases in human tissue., (Copyright © 2023 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A total of 13 metacestodes were collected from the lung and parietal pleura from a red brocket deer (Mazama americana) from the Peruvian Amazon. All metacestodes were identified as cysticerci of Taenia omissa by morphological and molecular analyzes. Cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 sequences from the new isolate T. omissa had more than 96.8% identity with other Peruvian isolates of the species previously sequenced. Lower similarities (93.8-95.8%) were verified between Peruvian and Canadian isolates. This finding adds a new intermediate host for T. omissa and also expands its geographical distribution., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Tapeworm infections are among the tropical neglected parasitic diseases endemically occurring in Ethiopia. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims at estimating the pooled prevalence and distribution of Taenia and Echinococcus infections in humans and animals from reports from Ethiopia., Methods: The systematic search was conducted in four bibliographic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, Africa Journal Online and Science Direct). Additional data were retrieved from grey literature. Studies that met the inclusion criteria were considered for the systematic review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis was conducted using MetaXL add-in for Microsoft Excel. Heterogeneity and inconsistency were evaluated using Cochran's Q and I 2 statistics, respectively., Results: The study provides a country-based database of Taenia and Echinococcus infections consisting of 311 datasets from 201 publications which were mostly abattoir surveys; of these, 251 datasets were subjected to meta-analysis. Most of the studies were from Oromia (32.8%) followed by Amhara (22.9%) regional states. The pooled prevalence of cystic echinococcosis in intermediate and accidental hosts was calculated as 22% (95% CI 18-26%) and high study variability (Q = 24,420.65, I 2  = 100%, P = 0.000). Moreover, a pooled prevalence of Echinococcus infections in final hosts was calculated as 33% (95% CI 20-48%) and low study variability (Q = 17.24, I 2  = 65%, P = 0.001). Similarly, study subjects (human, cattle, sheep, goat and wolf) were infected by Taenia spp. with pooled prevalence of 3% (95% CI 2-4%) and moderate study variability (Q = 279.07, I 2  = 89, P = 0.000). Meanwhile, the pooled prevalence of Taenia hydatigena, T. ovis and T. multiceps infections in intermediate hosts were calculated as 38%, 14% and 5%, respectively. The random effect meta-analysis of bovine cysticercosis showed a pooled prevalence of 7% (95% CI 5-9%) and high study variability was of (Q = 4458.76; I 2  = 99%, P = 0.000). Significant differences in prevalence of Taenia and Echinococcus infections between study sites or different livestock origins have been reported., Conclusion: The study evidenced a comprehensive dataset on the prevalence and distribution of Taenia and Echinococcus infections at different interfaces by regions and hosts and hence can aid in the design of more effective control strategies., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Taenia hydatigena is a globally distributed canine tapeworm. The canine tapeworm results in economic impacts for farmers owing to organ condemnation. T. hydatigena utilizes dogs and other carnivores as definitive hosts while swine and ruminants serve as intermediate hosts. T. hydatigena is endemic in Vietnam; however, information on the prevalence and risk factors associated with infection is scarce. This cross-sectional study aims to identify the prevalence of T. hydatigena taeniasis in dogs and T. hydatigena cysticercosis in pigs and cattle. The risk factors associated with taeniasis in dogs were identified using a fixed effects logistic regression model and quantified using population attributable fractions. The prevalence of T. hydatigena taeniasis in dogs and T. hydatigena cysticercosis in pigs and cattle was 10.31% (95% CI 8.21 to 12.84%), 7.60% (95% CI 6.34 to 9.08%), and 11.11% (95% CI 7.63 to 11.81%), respectively; these levels were lower than those reported in other regions of Vietnam. The population attributable fraction of risk factors associated with T. hydatigena taeniasis in dogs for dogs living in proximity of an abattoir, those having access to raw pork or beef viscera, and those living in multi-dog households were 80%, 19%, and 7%, respectively. This current study identified and quantified the risk factors for taeniasis in dogs thus advocating for targeted community intervention programs to break the lifecycle of T. hydatigena in Dak Lak province., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

This report describes 33 confirmed cases of "Taenia asiatica" taeniosis in Tokyo, Japan, and six adjacent prefectures between 2010 and 2019. Of the 33 cases, 28 were domestic infections. Thirty patients had histories of eating raw pork and/or beef liver. It was highly suspected that the sources of infection were foreigners from T. asiatica-endemic countries who had worked on pig farms in these prefectures. We postulated that the rate of domestic infection has decreased as a result of legal regulations that have banned the serving of raw and undercooked pig and cattle viscera in restaurants in Japan. Haplotype analyses of genetic markers revealed that "T. asiatica" in Japan are the descendants of hybrids of T. asiatica and Taenia saginata that originated from the Philippines and/or Taiwan. It is critical that close attention continues to be paid to domestic recurrences and imported cases of T. asiatica taeniosis, with the goal of communicating information on risk factors for this infection to consumers, pig farmers, restaurant owners, physicians, and visitors coming to Japan., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Human infection with Taenia asiatica or a hybrid between Taenia saginata and T. asiatica has not been reported in Cambodia. We detected for the first time a hybrid form between T. saginata and T. asiatica in Preah Vihear Province, Cambodia. An adult tapeworm specimen, i.e., 75 cm long strobila without scolex, was expelled from a 27-year-old man after praziquantel medication and purging. It was morphologically indistinguishable between T. saginata and T. asiatica. Several proglottids were molecularly analyzed to confirm the tapeworm species. The mitochondrial gene encoding cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) and nuclear genes encoding elongation factor-1α (ef1) and ezrin-radixin-moesin (ERM)-like protein (elp) were sequenced, and a single-allele analysis was performed to confirm the haploid genotype. The results revealed that our sample showed a discrepancy between the mitochondrial and 2 nuclear genes. It possessed homozygous sequences typical of T. saginata at cox1 and ef1 loci. However, it was heterozygous at the elp locus, with 1 allele in T. asiatica (elpA) and 1 in T. saginata (elpC), which indicates that it is a hybrid between T. saginata and T. asiatica. The present results confirmed the presence of a hybrid between T. saginata and T. asiatica in Cambodia and strongly suggest the existence of also 'pure' T. asiatica in Cambodia.

We intended to describe a case of cerebral coenurosis in a long-tailed goral, Naemorhedus caudatus, from Hwacheon-gun, Gangwon-do (Province), in the Korea. The goral, a 10-year-old male, was suffering from neurological symptoms, such as turning the circle to one side without lifting the head straight, and died at 30 days after admission to the wildlife medical rescue center in Chuncheon-si, Gangwon-do. A fluid-filled cyst was detected in the left cerebral hemisphere by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The cyst removed from the deceased goral was transparent, about 3×3 cm in size, contained a clear fluid and approximately 320 protoscolices invaginating from the internal germinal layer. The protoscolex had 4 suckers and a rostellum with 28 hooklets arranged in 2 rows. By the present study, a case of cerebral coenurosis was first confirmed in a long-tailed goral, N. caudatus, from Gangwon-do, in Korea. The residents frequently exposed in the sylvatic environment should be careful the accidental infections of zoonotic metacestode of Taenia multiceps, Coenurus cerebralis, in Korea.

Taenia spp. are responsible for a substantial health and economic burden in affected populations. Knowledge of the fate of the eggs of Taenia spp. in the environment and of other factors facilitating the transmission of eggs to intermediate hosts is important for the control/elimination of infections caused by Taenia spp. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize current knowledge of the factors influencing the survival and dispersal of Taenia spp. eggs in the environment. Publications retrieved from international databases were systematically reviewed. Of the 1465 papers initially identified, data were ultimately extracted from 93 papers. The results of this systematic review indicate that survival is favoured at moderate temperatures (0-20 °C). Humidity seems to affect the survival of Taenia spp. eggs more than temperature. Under field circumstances, Taenia spp. eggs have been found to survive for up to 1 year. Taenia spp. eggs are commonly found on vegetables (0.9-30%) and in soil and water samples (0-43%), with their presence posing a risk to the consumer. Invertebrates may act as transport hosts, transferring the infection to an intermediate host, but the importance of this route of transmission is still open to question. Wastewater treatment systems are not capable of entirely eliminating Taenia spp. eggs. Access to surface water and the use of sewage sludge as fertilizer on pastures are important risk factors for bovine cysticercosis. Although information on the survival and spread of Taenia spp. eggs is available, in general the data retrieved and reviewed in this article were old, focused on very specific geographical regions and may not be relevant for other areas or not specific for different Taenia spp. Furthermore, it is unknown whether egg survival differs according to Taenia sp. Future studies are necessary to identify sustainable methods to identify and inactivate parasite eggs in the environment and reduce their spread.

Pigs act as the intermediate hosts of the zoonotic tapeworms Taenia solium and Taenia asiatica, as well as of the non-zoonotic Taenia hydatigena. In Vietnam, human taeniasis and cysticercosis have been reported throughout the country; however, data on porcine cysticercosis are scarce. Our study aimed to estimate the prevalence of Taenia spp. in slaughtered pigs in two districts in Phu Tho, a mountainous province in northern Vietnam from where neurocysticercosis patients commonly originate. The carcasses of 399 pigs from 51 small-scale abattoirs were checked for cysticerci, while tongue, liver, masseter muscles, diaphragm and heart were sliced and examined. Retrieved cysticerci underwent polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and sequencing for species confirmation. Blood was also collected to detect antibodies by lentil lectin-purified glycoprotein enzyme-linked immunoelectrotransfer blot (LLGP-EITB) and recombinant T24H antigen (rT24H)-EITB and circulating antigens by B158/B60 Ag-ELISA. In two pigs, T. asiatica cysticerci were found, confirming the presence of the parasite in pigs in Vietnam at a low prevalence (0.5%; 95% exact confidence interval (CI): 0-1.19%). Cysticerci of T. solium were found in none of the pigs, although one serum sample was positive for antibodies in both LLGP-EITB and rT24H-EITB. Furthermore, a high prevalence of T. hydatigena cysticercosis was observed (18.0%; 95% Wilson score CI: 14.6-22.1%). In more than half of the T. hydatigena-positive pigs, circulating antigens were detected by Ag-ELISA, confirming that this test cannot be used to diagnose T. solium cysticercosis in this region. Finally, Spirometra erinaceieuropaei was found in one pig liver. It is the first record of this zoonotic cestode species in pigs in Vietnam. Overall, the findings confirmed the complex epidemiology of Taenia spp. in pigs in Vietnam.

Background: Fecal examination is an important component of routine companion animal wellness exams. Sensitivity and specificity of fecal examinations, however, are influenced by sample preparation methodologies and the level of training and experience of personnel who read fecal slides. The VETSCAN IMAGYST system consists of three components: a sample preparation device, a commercially available scanner, and an analysis software. The VETSCAN IMAGYST automated scanner and cloud-based, deep learning algorithm, locates, classifies, and identifies parasite eggs found on fecal microscopic slides. The main study objectives were (i) to qualitatively evaluate the capabilities of the VETSCAN IMAGYST screening system and (ii) to assess and compare the performance of the VETSCAN IMAGYST fecal preparation methods to conventional fecal flotation techniques., Methods: To assess the capabilities of VETSCAN IMAGYST screening components, fecal slides were prepared by the VETSCAN IMAGYST centrifugal and passive flotation techniques with 100 pre-screened fecal samples collected from dogs and cats and examined by both the algorithm and parasitologists. To determine the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of the VETSCAN IMAGYST sample preparation techniques, fecal flotation slides were prepared by four different techniques (VETSCAN IMAGYST centrifugal and passive flotations, conventional centrifugal flotation, and passive flotation using OVASSAY® Plus) and examined by parasitologists. Additionally, required sample preparation and scanning times were estimated on a subset of samples to evaluate VETSCAN IMAGYST ease-of-use., Results: The algorithm performance of the VETSCAN IMAGYST closely matched that of the parasitologists, with Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) ranging from 0.83-0.99 across four taxa of parasites, Ancylostoma, Toxocara, Trichuris and Taeniidae. Both VETSCAN IMAGYST centrifugal and passive flotation methods correlated well with conventional preparation methods on all targeted parasites (diagnostic sensitivity of 75.8-100%, specificity of 91.8-100%, qualitative agreement between methods of 93.8-94.5%). Sample preparation, slide scan and image analysis were completed within 10-14 min by VETSCAN IMAGYST centrifugal and passive flotations, respectively., Conclusions: The VETSCAN IMAGYST scanning system with the VETSCAN IMAGYST sample preparation methods demonstrated a qualitative match in comparison to the results of parasitologists' examinations with conventional fecal flotation techniques. The VETSCAN IMAGYST is an easy-to-use, next generation qualitative and possibly quantitative diagnostic platform that brings expert clinical results into the hands of veterinary clinics.

The objective of this study was to identify and treat carriers of adult Taenia solium present in two rural Venezuelan communities through examination of faecal samples by coproscopical analysis, and by the application of a polyclonal and a monoclonal (VP-1) coproantigen ELISA. Both the polyclonal and monoclonal ELISA's were negative when tested with soluble extracts of adults of Ascaris lumbricoides, Hymenolepis nana and Trichuris trichura. The polyclonal ELISA was positive for soluble extracts adults of T. solium and T. saginata, whereas the monoclonal ELISA, which recognizes a glycoprotein, was restricted to T. solium, and was also negative with faecal samples from five cases of T. saginata adult infections. In the first community studied, Potrero Largo (Total population: 300), of 248 faecal samples examined, 2 individuals were positive for Taenia spp eggs by coproscopical analysis and the VP-1 ELISA, and yielded T. solium adults upon purging. In contrast, when the polyclonal coproAg ELISA was applied to the same 248 faecal samples, there were a considerable number of positives. Indeed, seven patients highly positive in the polyclonal ELISA did not yield a Taenia spp upon purging and were negative in the VP-1 ELISA. In the second community studied La Yuca (Total population 560), none of the 333 individuals who donated faeces was positive for Taenia spp eggs. Many, however, were infected with a range of intestinal helminth and protozoan parasites. A total of 76 faecal samples with representative intestinal parasite were then tested in the polyclonal and VP-1 assays. Of these, many gave an unacceptable number of significant optical densities in the polyclonal coproAg ELISA. In contrast, all were negative in the VP-1 ELISA, thus providing evidence for the species specificity of the VP-1 ELISA in faecal samples. These results with the VP-1 coproAg ELISA, although preliminary, justify further validation through the testing of more faecal samples from T. solium and T. saginata adult infected individuals., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Taenia saginata is an important zoonotic parasite, causing taeniosis in humans and cysticercosis in bovines, the latter being a significant concern for the global beef industry. Many countries in East, Southeast and South Asia are experiencing rapid economic growth, and an increasing number of people in these countries are dependent on the livestock industry. Currently, however, an overview of the prevalence of T. saginata in this region is lacking. In this review, we analysed the available literature on T. saginata taeniosis and bovine cysticercosis for East, Southeast and South Asia., Methods: A systematic review was conducted, based on both published and grey literature. Articles published between 1990 and 2017 were mined for information on the occurrence, prevalence, and geographical distribution of T. saginata taeniosis and bovine cysticercosis in East, Southeast and South Asia., Results: The presence of T. saginata was described in 15 of 27 countries of the region, including Afghanistan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. The only country that reported an absence of T. saginata is Japan, although sporadic reports of imported cases and unconfirmed reports of autochthonous infections were identified. Nationwide surveys of taeniosis with systematic sample collection and high sample numbers were available for Cambodia, China, Lao PDR, and South Korea, although speciation of Taenia was not always performed. Regional prevalence of taeniosis and bovine cysticercosis in endemic regions ranged between 0.02-42.6%, and 0.76-46.7%, respectively. However, data for bovine cysticercosis were only available for five countries (Japan, Lao PDR, Mongolia, Pakistan and Vietnam)., Conclusions: The data indicate a widespread occurrence of T. saginata throughout East, Southeast and South Asia. Identification of Taenia spp. in human infections was frequently not performed, leading to gaps in knowledge about the distribution of human tapeworm infections, mainly in regions where different human Taenia species co-occur. A high prevalence of T. saginata taeniosis and bovine cysticercosis may reflect insufficiencies in sanitation, limited health education standards, and insufficient food safety measures. Therefore, there is a need to improve local surveillance, notification, and overall control systems.

Human neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a worldwide neglected disease caused by Taenia solium metacestode and responsible for various complications and neurological disorders. This study aimed to evaluate the use of specific immunoglobulin Y (IgY) produced by laying hens immunized with a hydrophobic fraction of Taenia crassiceps metacestodes (hFTc) in NCC diagnosis. Egg yolk IgY antibodies were fractionated, purified and characterized. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was carried out to evaluate the production kinetics and avidity maturation of anti-hFTc IgY antibodies throughout the IgY obtention process. Antigen recognition tests were carried out by Western blotting and immunofluorescence antibody test using purified and specific anti-hFTc IgY antibodies for detection of parasitic antigens of T. crassiceps and T. solium metacestodes. Sandwich ELISA was performed to detect circulating immune complexes formed by IgG and parasitic antigens in human sera. The results showed high diagnostic values (93.2% sensitivity and 94.3% specificity) for immune complexes detection in human sera with confirmed NCC. In conclusion, specific IgY antibodies produced from immunized hens with hFTc antigens were efficient to detect T. solium immune complexes in human sera, being an innovative and potential tool for NCC immunodiagnosis.

The cestode Taenia hydatigena uses canids, primarily dogs, as definitive hosts, while the metacestode larval stage cysticercus infects a range of intermediate hosts, including domestic animals such as goats, sheep, and pigs. Cysticercosis due to T. hydatigena has large veterinary and economic drawbacks. Like other taeniids, e.g., Echinococcus, intraspecific variation is found among the members of the genus Taenia. In Africa, few studies are available on the epidemiology and distribution of T. hydatigena, and even fewer studies are available on its genetic variation. In this study, we molecularly identified 11 cysticerci from sheep in Sudan and demonstrated the genetic variation based on the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mitochondrial genes. The isolates were correctly identified as T. hydatigena with more than 99% similarity to those in the GenBank database. Low diversity indices and insignificant neutrality indices were observed, with 3 and 2 haplotypes for the nad1 and cox1 genes, respectively. The results suggest the presence of unique T. hydatigena haplotypes in Sudan, as haplotypes with 100% similarity were not found in the GenBank database. With few available studies on the genetic variation of T. hydatigena in Africa, this report represents the first insights into the genetic variation of T. hydatigena in Sudan and constitutes useful data.

Background: Zoonotic taeniid cestodes are amongst the most important food-borne parasites affecting human health worldwide. Contamination of fresh produce with the eggs of Echinococcus granulosus (s.l.), Echinococcus multilocularis, and some Taenia species pose a potential food safety risk. However, very few studies have attempted to investigate the potential contamination of fresh produce with taeniid eggs and the available methods are not standardized for this purpose. Established protocols do exist for testing leafy greens and berries for contamination with protozoan parasites and are used in national surveillance programmes. This methodology could be suitable for the detection of taeniids. The objective of this project was to develop and standardize a sensitive and reliable method to detect contamination of leafy greens and berries with eggs of zoonotic taeniids and to differentiate between E. multilocularis, E. granulosus (s.l.) and Taenia spp., Methods: We compared the efficacy of different wash solutions to remove Taenia spp. eggs from spiked produce, assessed two DNA extraction kits for their performance on Taenia spp. eggs, and adapted a published conventional multiplex PCR into a real-time PCR with fluorescence melting curve analysis (MCA) that was optimized for use on produce washes. Analytical specificity of this protocol was assessed using non-spiked produce washes as well as a variety of other potentially contaminating parasites., Results: The protocol as established in this study had an analytical sensitivity of detecting five eggs per spiked sample for both romaine lettuce and strawberries. Unequivocal identification of E. multilocularis, E. granulosus (s.l.) and Taenia spp. was possible through MCA. Amplicon sequencing allowed identification of Taenia to the species level. The real-time PCR also amplified DNA from Dicrocoelium sp., but with a clearly discernable melting curve profile., Conclusion: The new protocol for screening produce for taeniid contamination was highly sensitive. Melting curve analysis and the possibility of amplicon sequencing made this assay very specific. Once further validated, this method could be employed for surveillance of produce for contamination with taeniid parasites to assess potential risks for consumers.

Background: Real-time PCR coupled with high resolution melting curve analysis is a practical technique that could be employed in multipurpose studies. During the recent decade, this technique has been practiced for different targets, worldwide., Methods: In the current study three major database centers consisted of PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were searched until Aug 2019 for applications of HRM real-time PCR in parasitology studies using terms: "Parasite" AND "HRM real-time PCR" OR "High Resolution Melting curve analysis" OR "Real-time PCR", "Protozoan parasites" AND "HRM real-time PCR" OR "High Resolution Melting curve analysis" OR "Real-time PCR", "Helminth" AND "HRM real-time PCR" OR "High Resolution Melting curve analysis" OR "Real-time PCR"., Results: Totally, 83 papers met our criteria and were included in our study. This method was more frequently used for protozoan parasites (52/83; 62.65%), while lower (31/83; 37.35%) studies were incorporated on helminths parasites. Furthermore, Plasmodium spp., and Leishmania spp., were the most prevalent protozoan parasites, and Taenia spp., and filers were the most frequent helminths that were studied by HRM real-time PCR., Conclusion: HRM real-time PCR is a sensitive, flexible and cost-effective method that could be used for multipurpose studies., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

To enable the detection of taeniid eggs in environmental samples, a sensitive technology is required. In this study, we validated the effectiveness of a digital droplet Polymerase Chain Reaction (ddPCR) assay for detection, identification and absolute quantification of taeniid DNA from artificially contaminated soils with varying numbers of taeniid eggs using a set of universal primers, JB3 & JB4.5. The results showed that the number of cox1 copies detected increased gradually for both species with the number of taeniid eggs added to the different soil types. The highest cox1 DNA copies recovery for Taenia solium and T. lynciscapreoli was from the sand soil with lowest recovery being observed in clay soils. Therefore, ddPCR is a promising technology for screening of taeniid eggs from soil samples collected in the environment irrespective of the soil type and the number of eggs. The potential of the ddPCR protocol to detect taeniid egg DNA in spiked soil samples has great practical application for taeniid egg screening in soils from endemic areas. However, when universal primers are used in screening environmental samples, the identity of ddPCR positive samples must be confirmed by sequencing. In addition, more validation studies using species-specific primers and field soil samples is recommended., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Cysticercosis caused by the metacestode larval stage of Taenia hydatigena is a disease of veterinary and economic importance. A considerable level of genetic variation among isolates of different intermediate hosts and locations has been documented. Generally, data on the genetic population structure of T. hydatigena is scanty and lacking in Nigeria. Meanwhile, similar findings in other cestodes like Echinococcus spp. have been found to be of epidemiological importance. Our aim, therefore, was to characterize and compare the genetic diversity of T. hydatigena population in Nigeria based on three mitochondrial DNA markers as well as to assess the phylogenetic relationship with populations from other geographical regions., Methods: In the present study, we described the genetic variation and diversity of T. hydatigena isolates from Nigerian sheep and goats using three full-length mitochondrial genes: the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1), and NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5)., Results: The median-joining network of concatenated cox1-nad1-nad5 sequences indicated that T. hydatigena metacestodes of sheep origin were genetically distinct from those obtained in goats and this was supported by high F ST values of nad1, cox1, and concatenated cox1-nad1-nad5 sequences. Genetic variation was also found to be higher in isolates from goats than from sheep., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, the present study described the genetic variation of T. hydatigena population for the first time in Nigeria using full-length mitochondrial genes and suggests the existence of host-specific variants. The population indices of the different DNA markers suggest that analysis of long mitochondrial DNA fragments may provide more information on the molecular ecology of T. hydatigena. We recommend that future studies employ long mitochondrial DNA sequence in order to provide reliable data that would explain the extent of genetic variation in different hosts/locations and the biological and epidemiological significance.

As part of the international joint projects working towards the control of taeniosis/cysticercosis in Asia Pacific, epidemiological studies on Taenia solium cysticercosis have been carried out in high-incidence populations, such as minority groups in Thailand. To assess the epidemiology of cysticercotic infections in pigs in the hill-tribe minority villages (Karen) in Tak province, Thailand, we conducted serological screening and necropsies. The patterns of antibody response to T. solium antigens were then investigated using immunoblot assays. Of the 188 pig serum samples tested for antibody responses to partially purified low-molecular-weight antigens of T. solium cyst fluid, positive responses were detected in 37 samples (19.7%). Based on these results, 16 pigs (10 seropositive and 6 seronegative) were necropsied for investigation of cysticerci and intestinal parasites. All seropositive pigs were coinfected with both T. solium and Taenia hydatigena cysticerci, except one, which was infected with T. hydatigena alone. Three of the six seronegative pigs were confirmed to be infected with T. hydatigena. Pigs infected with T. solium showed much stronger antibody responses than those infected with T. hydatigena. Our results demonstrate the co-occurrence of two swine cysticercoses due to T. solium and T. hydatigena in the studied areas. This study also reveals the importance of direct confirmation of the presence of cysticerci by necropsy after serological screening. In addition to the prevalence of swine cysticercosis in these endemic areas, our findings also reveal potential implications for the development of serological diagnostic assays for swine cysticercosis.

The metacestodes of Taenia solium and Taenia hydatigena are the cause of cysticercosis in pigs. T. solium is also responsible of the taeniosis/neurocysticercosis complex in humans, constituting a main cause of epilepsy cases across endemic countries. T. hydatigena is non-zoonotic, but its occurrence in pigs contributes significantly to false positive reactions should genus-species serological methods be used for diagnosis of T. solium porcine cysticercosis. T. hydatigena is often considered not common in pigs in Africa compared to T. solium. On the basis of the evidence that these two cestodes coexist in Cameroon, we examined the viscera of 305 pigs for the identification of the metacestodes of T. hydatigena in Bénoué division, North Region of Cameroon. Tongue, masticatory muscles and heart were sliced for the identification of T. solium cysticerci (TMH dissection test). Twenty seven (8.85%) and 16 (5.24%) pigs were found infected with the metacestodes of T. solium and T. hydatigena, respectively. The difference between the two rates of infection was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Serum samples were also collected for the evaluation of an inhibition ELISA (i-ELISA) specific to antibodies anti- T. solium or anti-T. hydatigena cysticerci. After incubation of these sera with cyst fluid of T. solium, T. hydatigena, T. multiceps multiceps, T. multiceps gaigeri and T. saginata to eliminate cross-reactions among cestodes parasites, the i-ELISA indicated that 26.56% and 28.52% slaughtered pigs had predominant specific antibodies to cyst fluid of T. solium and T. hydatigena, respectively. Combination of TMH dissection test, i-ELISA and a standard indirect ELISA in a Bayesian simulation approach revealed a true prevalence of 19.27% (0.7-49.27, CI 95%) and 24.85% (5.17-48.34, CI 95%) of porcine cysticercosis due to T. solium and T. hydatigena, respectively. These results indicated that T. hydatigena is as prevalent as T. solium in pigs in the North of Cameroon., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Coenurosis is an important zoonotic helminthic disease caused by the larval stage of the tapeworm Taenia multiceps. This parasite typically infects the brain of the intermediate hosts, including sheep, goat, cattle and even humans. We report a case of T. multiceps infection in a yak confirmed by clinical symptoms, morphological characteristics, and molecular and phylogenetic analyses. The coenurus was thin-walled, whitish, and spherical in shape with a diameter of 10 cm. The parasite species was identified as T. multiceps by PCR amplification and sequencing of the 18S rRNA, cox1 and nad1 genes. Three gene sequences all showed high homology (all above 97%) with the reference sequences from different hosts. Moreover, phylogenetic reconstructions with the 3 published Taenia gene sequences confirmed that the Qinghai yak isolate was closely related to T. multiceps. Although there are advanced diagnosis and treatment methods for coenurosis, early infection is difficult to diagnose. Importantly, the findings of yak infection case should not be ignored due to its zoonotic potential.

This study documented the first outbreak of cerebral coenurosis in goats in Salalah, southern Oman. Deaths of 130 (16.6%) adult native goats in a herd (n=780) were reported from January to June 2017. Affected goats showed various nervous signs ended by death. Investigations for thiamine deficiency, polioencephalomalacia, caprine arthritis encephalitis, and listeriosis were negative. Upon necropsy, multiple (1-4) thin-walled cysts 2-3.5 cm in diameter containing clear fluid with numerous clusters of protoscolices in the cerebrum and cerebellum had replaced the brain parenchyma, causing space-occupying lesions. Parasitologically, the recovered cysts were Coenurus cerebralis, based on the arrangement of protoscolices, and the number and size of their hooks. Morphologically, each protoscolex had four suckers and a rostellum with double-crown hooks. The large and small hooks were 157.7±0.5 µm and 115±0.6 µm in length, respectively. Histopathologically, the parasite destroyed the affected tissues associated with multifocal to diffuse lymphocytic, non-suppurative meningoencephalitis; ischemic neuronal necrosis; and malacia. This is the first report of cerebral coenurosis in livestock in Oman, which should alert the local public health authorities for the application of prevention and control measures.

Taenia solium, a zoonotic tapeworm species of human and pigs, has been targeted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for elimination in endemic areas of Africa, Latin America and some parts of Asia. Unfortunately, the assessment of control measures against T. solium is complicated by the lack of specificity of current immunodiagnostic techniques for diagnosis of porcine cysticercosis. Many authors have concluded that the prevalence of T. hydatigena in pigs in Africa is low and extensive epidemiological studies on T. solium cysticercosis in pigs have been carried out using serological tests that cannot differentiate the taeniid species. To estimate and compare the prevalence of T. solium and T. hydatigena in pigs in Cameroon, we examined 416 slaughtered pigs at a pig abattoir in Yaoundé city with the animals originating from several parts of the country. At post-mortem inspection, 35 pigs (8.4%; 95% Confidence Interval (CI), 5.9-11.5 %) were found infected exclusively with T. solium and 27 (6.5%; 95% CI, 4.3-9.3 %) infected exclusively with T. hydatigena metacestodes. One animal was infected with T. solium and T. hydatigena. A stochastic simulation model which took into account the sensitivity of dissection of the tongue, external masseters and heart for diagnosis of T. solium porcine cysticercosis (TMH dissection test) and examination of mesentery, surfaces of the intestines and liver to identify T. hydatigena cysticerci in slaughtered pigs was developed to estimate the prevalence of these taeniid species. The results revealed that the actual prevalence of T. solium and T. hydatigena in Cameroon were 24.8% (95% CI, 20.1-30.5%) and 19.2% (95% CI, 15.1-24.1%), respectively. This study reports the highest porcine T. hydatigena prevalence ever in Africa and adjusted the prevalence of porcine T. solium infection obtained with genus-specific Ag-ELISA (Dorny et al., 2000) in Cameroon due to the presence of T. hydatigena., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Alveolar echinococcosis is a dangerous zoonotic disease caused by larval forms of Echinococcus multilocularis. In its life-cycle, the principal definitive host is the red fox; however, domesticated carnivorous animals (dogs and cats) can also act as definitive hosts. Until now, there were no data concerning this infection in cats in Poland. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of E. multilocularis in cats and dogs originating from rural areas and animal shelters in a region characterised by a high prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes., Methods: Samples of faeces were collected from 67 cats and 268 dogs from a rural area (villages and animal shelters) of a highly endemic region in southeastern Poland. Samples were examined using nested PCR (E. multilocularis), multiplex PCR (E. multilocularis, Taenia spp.) and PCR [E. granulosus (s.l.)]. Additionally, faeces were examined microscopically (flotation). Moreover, intestines from 110 red foxes shot in the investigated area were examined (sedimentation and counting technique)., Results: Positive PCR results for E. multilocularis were obtained in 4 cats (6.0%) and 4 dogs (1.5%). There were no significant differences between groups of animals (from a shelter and with an owner) concerning the prevalence of E. multilocularis in both cats and dogs. Taenia spp. were found in 10 cats (14.9%) (Taenia taeniaeformis and T. hydatigena) and 26 dogs (9.7%) (T. hydatigena, T. serialis, T. taeniaeformis, T. crassiceps, T. pisiformis and T. ovis) and Mesocestoides litteratus was found in 4 cats (6.0%) and 3 dogs (1.1%). All samples were negative for E. granulosus by PCR. Taking into consideration PCR and flotation results, 29 cats (43.3%) and 73 dogs (27.2%) were infected with helminths (26.9 and 11.9%, respectively, were infected with tapeworms). The highly endemic status of the investigated area was confirmed by examination of red foxes: 48.2% of examined red foxes were infected with E. multilocularis., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this study reports the presence of E. multilocularis in cats for the first time in Poland and confirms the role of dogs in this infection in highly endemic areas.

The purpose of this study was 2-fold: 1) to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasite infection in cats reared in Daegu, Republic of Korea and 2) to assess the efficacy and safety of a topical emodepside/praziquantel formulation for cats with parasitic infections. The gastrointestinal parasite infections were examined microscopically using the flotation method. Of 407 cats, 162 (39.8%) were infected by at least one gastrointestinal parasite, including Toxocara cati (63.0%), Toxascaris leonina (31.5%), Taenia taeniaeformis (3.7%), and Cystoisospora felis (1.9%). None of the infected animals had multiple infections. When the data were analyzed according to sex, age, and type of cat, stray cats showed statistically higher prevalence than companion cats (P<0.05). On the 5th day after treatment, no parasitic eggs were detected using microscopic examination. In addition, no adverse effects, such as abnormal behaviors and clinical symptoms, were observed in the cats treated with the drug. These results quantify the prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in cats in Daegu, Republic of Korea, and show that topical emodepside/praziquantel is a safe and effective choice for treating the parasitic infections in cats.

Potential role of wild forest berries as a transmission vehicle for taeniid eggs was examined using non-zoonotic Taenia laticollis eggs as a model. The berries studied were bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) (1 m 2 plot, n = 10) and lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) (1 m 2 plot, n = 11). The plots in the managed forest were evenly sprayed with 30,000 or 60,000 T. laticollis eggs suspended in water, and berries were collected 24 h after spraying. The berries were rinsed with water, and the water was sieved through a 1-mm and a 63-μm sieve to remove coarse material and through a 20-μm sieve to collect possible eggs. A small proportion of the sieved material was examined by microscopy after treatment with fluorescent Calcofluor White stain, which binds to eggshell chitin. In the recovery tests in artificially spiked samples, the detection limit was 5 eggs in 100 g of commercial frozen bilberries and lingonberries. Taeniid eggs were detected in all of the 10 experimentally contaminated bilberry samples and in 10 of 11 lingonberry samples. The sieved debris was also analyzed for T. laticollis DNA using semi-quantitative PCR. All samples were positive in quantitative SYBR Green real-time PCR using a T. laticollis-specific primer pair amplifying a short fragment of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 gene. This indicates that forest berries contaminated in shrubs contained T. laticollis eggs, and that berries can serve as a vehicle for taeniid eggs and may pose a possible risk to humans., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In order to develop a method of identification and discrimination of Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto from faecal samples of dogs infected with taeniid eggs (Echinococcus spp., Taenia spp.), a combined strategy of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) and Restriction Fragments of Lenght Polymorphisms (RFLP) was proposed. Initially, a pair of primers was designed to amplify a fragment of the 12 Subunit of ribosomal RNA gene (12SrRNA) from mitochondrial DNA. The amplified product was digested by SspI restriction enzyme, which in E. granulosus kept the intact fragment of 160 basis pairs (bp), while in Taenia spp. produced two fragments (62 bp and another of 98 bp). The method was tested using positive controls of DNA, in faecal samples experimentally contaminated with eggs of E. granulosus and Taenia spp. and in dogs naturally infected. In all of them, reproducible results were obtained and the primers were specific to amplify only Taeniidae DNA. The sensitivity of the technique was tested, achieving amplification of DNA extractions with a single egg. In conclusion, the technique developed was optimal and easy to identify patent infections by E. granulosus s.s., constituting a possible alternative for epidemiological studies in dogs, especially in endemic areas where this infection occurs., (Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of soil transmitted helminthes among primary school children. School based cross-sectional study design was employed. A total of six hundred study subjects were selected by a multistage sampling method. Fresh stool specimens were collected using clean, dry and wide mouthed labeled stool cups. It was processed by Kato-Katz technique. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 and p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Result: The overall prevalence of soil transmitted helminthes was 57 (9.5%). Hookworm was the most prevalent helminthes species isolated (4.2%) followed by A. lumbricoide (3%). The prevalence of Taenia species, T. trichiura, H. nana and E. vermicularis were; 1.2%, 0.5%, 0.7% and 0.8% respectively. The prevalence of the Soil transmitted helminthes infection was low and all cases of Soil transmitted infections in this study were with low infection intensity. This might be due to the preventive chemotherapy given to the school children.

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) surveillance in Italy is based on detection of its larval stage (hydatic cysts) at the slaughterhouse. In northern Italy, a hypo-endemic area, local health authorities investigate each individual farm with positive animals to treat their dogs with cestocidal drugs, but this system is time-consuming and poorly effective for bovine farms. The study applied a new approach based on targeted epidemiological surveys in areas with aggregation of bovine CE cases, and compared the outcome with that of two control areas with farms individually investigated. The presence of territorial cluster of bovine farms with CE cases was investigated for 3 consecutive years (2013-2014-2015) in a high-risk area of Veneto Region (north-eastern Italy), using a spatial scan statistic. Epidemiological investigations, consisting of a questionnaire survey and canine faecal samples collection, were conducted in cluster and control areas. All faecal samples were analyzed for taeniids eggs and positive samples were sequenced and identified. In total, 99 farms were surveyed and 208 faecal samples were retrieved from dogs. Sixty-two farms (42 bovine and 20 sheep) were investigated in cluster areas and 37 farms (33 bovine and 4 sheep) in control areas. Based on the results of the cestode egg isolation procedure, 14 animals (6.7%) were positive to taeniid eggs. For molecular analysis, two dogs resulted positive to Echinococcus granulosus, and seven to Taenia hydatigena. Twelve positive dogs were found in targeted survey areas and ten of these dogs were shepherd dogs, belonging to transhumant sheep flocks known to pass in cluster areas. The new approach demonstrated to successfully identify the probable source of infection of CE positive bovines. Most of positive dogs belonged to transhumant flocks, underlining the importance to include shepherd dogs in the surveillance system for CE., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Endoparasitic infections represent relevant causes of respiratory and gastrointestinal diseases in cats. The aim of the study was to investigate the occurrence of endoparasites in Swiss cats in order to evaluate the risk of onset of parasitic diseases and potential correlated zoonoses. Therefore 664 faecal samples from privately owned (n = 299), shelter (n = 197) and stray (n = 168) cats were investigated by sedimentation-flotation and 468 samples additionally by the Baermann technique. Overall, 77.4% (n = 130), 21.8% (n = 43) and 11.7% (n = 35) of stray, shelter and privately owned cats, respectively, were positive, with significant differences between the groups. Among infected cats, 58.7% (n = 122) harboured a single, 30.8% (n = 64) two and 10.6% (n = 22) more than two parasite species. Toxocara cati, with an infection rate of 18.5% (n = 123), was the most frequently detected parasite. The rates for other intestinal parasites were: Taenia sp. 11.1% (n = 74), Isospora sp. 8.1% (n = 54), Capillaria sp. 4.7% (n = 31), hookworms 1.1% (n = 7), Giardia duodenalis 0.8% (n = 5), Dipylidium caninum 0.6% (n = 4), Toxoplasma gondii 0.6% (n = 4), Hammondia hammondi 0.5% (n = 3), Sarcocystis sp. 0.2% (n = 1) and Diphyllobothrium latum 0.2% (n = 1). First-stage larvae of the lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus were found in 2.3% (n = 15) of all samples. The morphological identification of Taenia sp., T. gondii, H. hammondi and A. abstrusus was confirmed by molecular techniques. Overall, cats younger than one year and intact animals were more frequently infected with parasites than older and neutered animals. The observed infection rates were comparable to those from other European studies, except for Taenia sp. showing a significantly higher occurrence. This implicates that there is a persistent risk of environmental contamination with parasitic stages especially by stray cats, and a risk of infection for cat owners with potential zoonotic pathogens, emphasizing the need for appropriate parasite control measures., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

A 46-years-old man from Indonesia, resides in Nagori Dolok Village, Silau Kahaean Subdistrict, Simalungun District, Sumatra Utara Province, had of spontaneous discharge of tapeworm segments (proglottids) from anus almost every day for ten years. There were 1-5 segments which can move actively discharge per day. Although he feels embarrassed about the condition, no significant symptoms were found, and physical examination was within normal limits. Clinical diagnosis of Taeniasis was made on October 20, 2017, and subsequently received oral Praziquantel 600 mg tablet single dose and 5 mg of oral Bisacodyl. Four hours later, the patient was defecated. The stool was collected in plastic and filtered with a filter device to collect any tapeworm segments.A full segment of tapeworm as long as 2.86 meters were found. Microscopic examination was done to identify the egg worms, proglottids, and scolex. Dye substance was injected into a mature gravid proglottid through the genital pore and pressed in two object-glasses to identify the reproductive organs. Microscopic examination (400x magnification) of this sample revealed that the number of uterine branches and testes in a proglottid were 16 pairs. The number of uterine branches in T. solium are 8-12 pairs and T. saginata are 18-32 pairs.The filtered stool was moved into a container and carefully observed. A soft yellowish-white material of 1.5 mm in diameter was found, which turned out to be the head of the tapeworm called Scolex. Microscopic examination of scolex revealed that the rostellum was absent. A segment called 'snout' was found at the apex. The functions were probably as a sense of smell and vacuum organ.The patient was lived in Simalungun, North Sumatera, some tribe in that area has a long tradition of culinary called 'Hinasumba', consist of raw pork liver and meat, and 'Naiholat' consist of poorly cooked pork.Even though pig was determined as an intermediate host, the type of tapeworm was not consistent with T.solium. The patient had the long history of infection but never had sign or symptoms of neurocystecercosis. Based on etno-geographical condition, the patient was infected by T.asiatica. Microscopic examination of the uterus and scolex indicate that the tapeworm had most similarity to T.asiatica.Amin et al.8 from Bangladesh in 2009 reported a case of T. asiatica in human with total strobila length was 1.5 meters. Macroscopic morphology (length:width) of gravid proglottid segment of T.saginata is 3:1, T. solium 1.5:1. The tapeworm that we discovered had 1-1.5:1 ratio (2.5 cm length and 2 cm width).Some features of the tapeworm (no rostellum, present of the snout, and fix number of theuterus in every proglottid) were not found in three existing type of Taenia species. Further microscopic and molecular study should be done to determined type or subtype of the tapeworm. A case of taeniasis asiatica who had completed treatment was reported. Macroscopic and microscopic was done to support the clinical diagnosis.

The article examines the presence of metacestodes on the liver capsule in two wild boars and on the liver capsule and mediastinum in moose. Cysticerci were identified as Taenia hydatigena metacestodes by morphological features-size and shape of rostellar hooks and molecular analysis of the partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. Molecular analysis revealed similarities between the metacestodes isolated from the wild mammals in the present study to T. hydatigena in European wolves. It is possible that infection of moose and wild boar with T. hydatigena metacestode is related to the growth in the wolf population in Europe.

This study aimed to investigate the endoparasite fauna of wild European gray wolves, which are currently recolonizing Germany. In total, 69 fecal samples of wild wolves were collected in Lower Saxony, Germany, from 2013 to 2015, analyzed by the sedimentation-flotation and McMaster techniques and compared to previous results on captive European Gray wolves living in zoological gardens in Germany. In addition to coproscopy, taeniid-positive samples from wild as well as captive wolves were differentiated by amplification and sequencing of small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU rRNA) and NADH dehydrogenase 1 (nad1) gene fragments. Missing Taenia krabbei SSU rRNA reference sequences were generated from two T. krabbei specimens. Overall, 60.87% (42/69) of wild wolve samples were microscopically positive for at least one of seven egg types. Capillaria/Eucoleus spp. showed the highest frequency (31.88% [22/69]), followed by Taeniidae (21.74% [15/69]), Ancylostomatidae (20.29% [14/69]), Alaria alata (15.94% [11/69]), Toxocara canis (13.04% [9/69]), and Toxascaris leonina and Trichuris vulpis (each 5.80% [4/69]). Amplification of SSU rRNA was successful for 7/15 Taeniidae-positive samples from wild and 20/39 samples from captive wolves, revealing T. hydatigena in two and 14 samples, respectively. Taenia krabbei was detected in two further samples of wild and three samples of captive wolves, while for the remaining samples, no differentiation between T. serialis/T. krabbei was possible. Echinococcus spp. were not detected. Sequence comparisons revealed that the SSU rRNA gene fragment was not suitable to differentiate between T. serialis and T. krabbei. Therefore, the use of this fragment alone cannot be recommended for species identification in future studies.

Background: Dermatophytosis are the most common types of cutaneous fungal infection seen in human and animals affecting skin, hair and nails caused by dermatophytes. The diagnosis of dermatophytes is based on the clinical observation and laboratory diagnosis by direct microscopic examination and fungal cultures. The present study is undertaken to isolate different type of dermatophytes causing fungal infection., Methods: A prospective cross-sectional study design was used in a total of 90 clinically suspected cases of dermatophytic infection attending the out patient department of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching hospital (KMCTH). Skin scraping, hair and nail samples were collected from the patients and were processed by direct microscopy and culture using standard protocol. Dermatophytes were identified based on the microscopic arrangement of microconidia and macroconidia., Results: Dermatophytosis was more common in the age group of 21-40 years and was more predominant among male with male to female ratio of 1.7: 1. Among the total clinically suspected cases of dermatophytosis, 53 were positive in direct microscopy and only a total of 20 were positive by culture. Most common clinical type observed in our study was Tinea corporis(25%) followed by Tinea cruris. Trichophyton rubrum(50%) was the commonest aetiological agent in majority of clinical types followed by Trychophyton mentagrophytes(35%)., Conclusions: The study highlighted T. corporis followed by T. cruris and T. unguim as the most common clinical pattern of dermatophytosis with a male predominance and 21-40 years being the most affected age group. T. rubram was the most common aetiological agent causing dermatophytosis.

Background: Several cases of infections due to Echinococcus multilocularis, Taenia martis and Taenia crassiceps were recently described in various species of captive non-human primates (NHPs) harbored in the Strasbourg Primate Center (SPC). Furthermore, one of the first cases of human cysticercosis due to T. martis was described in the Strasbourg region. These data suggest the existence of zoonotic cycles of tapeworm infections in the direct environment of the SPC. The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of larval cestode infections among intermediate and definitive hosts in the close neighborhood of the center. We analyzed carnivore mammal fecal samples as well as rodent carcasses, collected inside or near the SPC, using PCR. Furthermore, we performed serology for Echinococcus spp. and Taenia spp. on NHP sera., Results: We found that 14.5% (95% CI [8.6; 20.4]) of 138 carnivore feces were positive for E. multilocularis-DNA, as well as 25% (95% CI [5.5; 57.2]) of 12 rodent carcasses, and 5.1% (95% CI [1.4; 8.7]) for T. martis or T. crassiceps. Of all NHPs tested, 10.1% (95% CI [3.8; 16.4]) were seropositive for Echinococcus spp. and 8.2% (95% CI [1.3; 15.1]) for Taenia spp., Conclusions: Our data support the existence of zoonotic cycles of larval cestode infections in the direct environment of the primatology center affecting NHPs harbored in the SPC, potentially threatening the human population living in this area. Since this zoonotic risk is borne by local wildlife, and given the severity of these infections, it seems necessary to put in place measures to protect captive NHPs, and further studies to better assess the risk to human populations., (© V. Greigert et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2019.)

Coyotes (Canis latrans) are resilient, adaptable, cosmopolitan omnivores that are increasingly prevalent in urban environments, where they interact with both humans and domestic dogs. Coyotes potentially transmit zoonotic parasites, including the tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis, which appears to be increasing in prevalence in western North America. In this study, we analysed the carcasses of 23 urban coyotes in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Focusing primarily on the helminth community, we recovered three tapeworm species (E. multilocularis, Taenia pisiformis, T. serialis), four nematodes (Toxascaris leonina, Uncinaria stenocephala, Capillaria sp., Physaloptera sp.), and two trematodes (Alaria arisaemoides and A. americana). Compared to previous studies of urban coyotes conducted in North America, we report one of the highest levels of E. multilocularis infection in North America: 65.2% infection prevalence. These results amplify concerns expressed by others about the increasing prevalence of this zoonotic parasite and the role coyotes may play in parasite transmission. More research is needed to better understand how various ecological factors, urbanization and wildlife management practices influence the transmission of potentially zoonotic parasites such as E. multilocularis.

Background: Due to the relative short life span and the limited spatial movement, porcine cysticercosis is an excellent indicator of current local active transmission. The aim of this study was to map at province-level, the occurrence of T. solium and T. asiatica in pigs and areas at risk of transmission to pigs in East and Southeast Asia, based on the density of extensive pig production systems and confirmed reports of porcine cysticercosis., Methods: This study covered East and Southeast Asia, which consist of the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, China, East Timor, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Vietnam. Literature searches were carried out to identify current epidemiological data on the occurrence of porcine cysticercosis caused by T. solium and T. asiatica infections. Modelled densities of pigs in extensive production systems were mapped and compared to available data on porcine cysticercosis., Results: Porcine cysticercosis was confirmed to be present during the period 2000 to 2018 in eight out of the 16 countries included in this study. Taenia solium porcine cysticercosis was confirmed from all eight countries, whereas only one country (Laos) could confirm the presence of T. asiatica porcine cysticercosis. Province-level occurrence was identified in five countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, and Vietnam) across 19 provinces. Smallholder pig keeping is believed to be widely distributed throughout the region, with greater densities predicted to occur in areas of China, Myanmar, Philippines and Vietnam., Conclusions: The discrepancies between countries reporting taeniosis and the occurrence of porcine cysticercosis, both for T. solium and T. asiatica, suggests that both parasites are underreported. More epidemiological surveys are needed to determine the societal burden of both parasites. This study highlights a straightforward approach to determine areas at risk of porcine cysticercosis in the absence of prevalence data.

Background: As a result of epidemiological transition, the health systems of low- and middle-income countries are increasingly faced with a dual disease burden of infectious diseases and emerging non-communicable diseases. Little is known about the mutual influence of these two disease groups. The aim of this study was to investigate the co-occurrence of helminth infections and diabetes mellitus in adults in Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR)., Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study among 1600 randomly selected adults aged 35 and older from four different socio-economical and ecological provinces. Information on socio-demographics, risk factors and health conditions was obtained from personal interviews. Clinical assessments including anthropometry (height, weight, waist and hip circumference) and blood pressure measurements were also conducted. Diabetes was classified based on self-reported diagnoses and a point-of-care glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) test from finger prick blood samples. Stool samples for helminth diagnosis were examined with formalin-ether concentration technique for intestinal parasitic infections. The independent associations of helminth infections with diabetic status and HbA1c were assessed using multiple regression analyses., Results: The prevalence of pre-diabetes and diabetes was 37.3% and 22.8%, respectively. Fifty-six percent of diabetic cases were undiagnosed and 85% of diagnosed diabetic cases had poor glycemic control. Participants from rural areas and from southern parts of the country had higher infection rates, with Opisthorchis viverrini, being the most common helminth infection (30.5%). We found a positive association between Taenia spp. infections and HbA1c (β = 0.117; 95% CI: 0.042-0.200) and diabetes mellitus risk (OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.10-8.05). No other helminth species was associated with glycated hemoglobin., Conclusions: Hyperglycaemia and diabetic rates in Lao PDR are alarmingly high, but consistent with other high rates in the region. Given the high rates of under-diagnosis and poorly-controlled glycaemia in diabetes mellitus patients, routine diabetes screening and treatment is essential for the local healthcare system. Large longitudinal cohorts integrating biomarkers are warranted in the search of causal diabetes mellitus risk factors in the region. Common intestinal helminth infections, including O. viverrini, are unlikely to explain the high diabetes mellitus rates observed.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the presence of Taenia solium eggs in beetles collected from sources within the natural environment through molecular techniques. Fifty-four pools of beetles were collected in three villages in Piura, Peru. DNA was extracted using the FastDNA spin kit for soil. Molecular identification of Taenia species was then performed through partial amplification of the mitochondrial cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene. Finally, positive samples were sequenced to determine the tapeworm species. Seven positive samples were obtained through polymerase chain reaction amplification. Sequencing confirmed that two samples were from T. solium and three samples were from Taenia hydatigena . The other two samples could not be specifically identified. Our findings demonstrate that dung beetles ingest T. solium and T. hydatigena eggs under natural conditions and suggest that beetles may play a role in the dynamics of transmission of these cestodes.

The aim of this study was to develop and validate an innovative protocol for the diagnosis of Echinococcus granulosus and other Taeniidae in dogs. For this purpose, three experiments were performed, using faecal samples from naturally infected dogs. Firstly, the FLOTAC technique was calibrated with five flotation solutions: saturated sodium chloride (specific gravity, s.g. = 1.20), zinc sulphate (s.g. = 1.35), zinc chloride (s.g. = 1.45), Breza (s.g. = 1.30) and modified Breza (s.g. = 1.40). Then, FLOTAC was compared with four techniques of flotation in centrifuge using: zinc sulphate (s.g. = 1.20), Breza (s.g. = 1.30), modified Breza (s.g. = 1.40), and zinc chloride (s.g. = 1.45). Finally, four different protocols of DNA extraction were compared for Taeniidae identification: QIAamp Tissue Kit and QIAamp Stool from eggs; QIAamp Stool and Wizard Magnetic Purification System for Food from faeces. FLOTAC with zinc sulphate was the most efficient method to detect Taeniidae eggs, showing highest mean of eggs per gram (EPG) of faeces. The QIAamp Stool, using eggs concentrated by FLOTAC, was the best method for DNA extraction. The combination of these protocols provided the highest number of positive samples with PCR, i.e., 47/50 (94.0%). The three negative samples showed a low faecal egg count (2 EPG) below the detection limit (4 EPG) of the protocol. From sequencing of the 47 positive samples: 6 samples were identified as E. granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.), 28 as Taenia hydatigena and 6 as T. pisiformis. A co-infection between different genera of Taeniidae was found in 7 samples.

Herein, we examined the brain of adult ewes and lambs less than 30 days old which were found affected by neurological signs in a flock located in Sardinia (Italy). Gross anatomo-pathological examination of all brains of the animals revealed multiple linear reddish-yellow foci of necrotic purulent inflammation due to oncosphere migration. Histologically, we confirmed a multifocal pyo-granulomatous meningo-encephalitis both in ewes and in lambs, confirming acute coenurosis. Morphological examination and DNA sequencing identified the Taenia multiceps we isolated as Tm1 strain. This report describes for the first time a natural acute coenurosis infection in suckling lambs under 30 days of age.