Po koupání v přírodních nádržích se v létě 2023 na několika místech v České republice objevila u lidí, zejména u dětí, cerkáriová dermatitida. Jde o imunitní reakci na průnik larvy motolice – ptačí krevničky – do kůže nesprávného hostitele. Mezi hostiteli parazita jsou plicnatí vodní plži – plovatky a okružáci – a definitivní hostitelé vodní ptáci, zejména kachny. Hodiny až dny po koupání se vyvine svědivá vyrážka, následně s puchýřky. Hojení trvá dva týdny, symptomy lze tišit antihistaminiky. Čisté vodní nádrže bez plžů jsou bezpečné a v některých přírodních nádržích po nahlášení onemocnění přistoupila samospráva nebo provozovatel koupaliště k fyzické likvidaci plžů.
After swimming in natural reservoirs in the summer of 2023, cercarial dermatitis or Swimmer's itch appeared in several places in the Czech Republic in people, especially in children. It is an immune reaction to the penetration of a fluke larva – a bird blood fluke into the skin of the wrong host. The intermediate hosts of the parasite are pulmonate aquatic gas- tropods – pond snails and ramshorns – and the definitive hosts are waterfowl, especially ducks. An itchy rash develops hours to days after bathing, followed by blisters. Healing takes two weeks symptoms can be calmed by antihistamines. Clean water reservoirs without snails are safe, and in some natural ones, after the disease has been reported, the municipality or the operator of the swimming pool proceeded to physically dispose of the snails.
- MeSH
- Cercaria * pathogenicity MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Host-Parasite Interactions MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Skin Diseases, Parasitic * diagnosis prevention & control therapy MeSH
- Ponds MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
BACKGROUND: In Europe, avian schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia are the most common etiological agents involved in human cercarial dermatitis (swimmer's itch). Manifested by a skin rash, the condition is caused by an allergic reaction to cercariae of nonhuman schistosomes. Humans are an accidental host in this parasite's life cycle, while water snails are the intermediate, and waterfowl are the final hosts. The study aimed to conduct a molecular and phylogenetic analysis of Trichobilharzia species occurring in recreational waters in North-Eastern Poland. METHODOLOGY: The study area covered three water bodies (Lake Skanda, Lake Ukiel, and Lake Tyrsko) over the summer of 2021. In total, 747 pulmonate freshwater snails (Radix spp., Lymnaea stagnalis) were collected. Each snail was subjected to 1-2 h of light stimulation to induce cercarial expulsion. The phylogenetic analyses of furcocercariae were based on the partial sequence of the ITS region (ITS1, 5.8S rDNA, ITS2 and 28SrDNA). For Radix spp. phylogenetic analyses were based on the ITS-2 region. RESULTS: The prevalence of the Trichobilharzia species infection in snails was 0.5%. Two out of 478 (0.4%) L. stagnaliswere found to be infected with Trichobilharzia szidati. Moreover, two out of 269 (0.7%) snails of the genus Radix were positive for schistosome cercariae. Both snails were identified as Radix auricularia. One of them was infected with Trichobilharzia franki and the other with Trichobilharzia sp. CONCLUSIONS: Molecular identification of avian schistosome species, both at the intermediate and definitive hosts level, constitutes an important source of information on a potential threat and prognosis of local swimmer's itch occurrence, and helps to determine species diversity in a particular area.
- MeSH
- DNA, Helminth genetics MeSH
- Phylogeny * MeSH
- Snails parasitology MeSH
- Trematode Infections parasitology veterinary epidemiology MeSH
- Lakes parasitology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Schistosomatidae * genetics MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Poland MeSH
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Schistosoma mansoni infection is one of the worldwide leading causes of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether polyhydroxylated bile acids (BAs), known to protect mice from the development of acquired cholestatic liver injury, counteract S. mansoni-induced inflammation and fibrosis. METHODS: Adult FVB/N wild type (WT) and Abcb11/Bsep-/- mice were infected with either 25 or 50 S. mansoni cercariae. Eight weeks post infection, effects on liver histology, serum biochemistry, gene expression profile of proinflammatory cytokines and fibrotic markers, hepatic hydroxyproline content and FACS analysis were performed. RESULTS: Bsep-/- mice infected with S. mansoni showed significantly less hepatic inflammation and tendentially less fibrosis compared to infected WT mice. Despite elevated alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels in infected Bsep-/- mice, inflammatory cells such as M2 macrophages and Mac-2/galectin-3+ cells were reduced in these animals. Accordingly, mRNA-expression levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4 and IL-13) were increased in Bsep-/- mice upon infection. Furthermore, infected Bsep-/- mice exhibited decreased hepatic egg load and parasite fecundity, consequently affecting the worm reproduction rate. This outcome could arise from elevated serum BA levels and lower blood pH in Bsep-/- mice. CONCLUSIONS: The loss of Bsep and the resulting changes in bile acid composition and blood pH are associated with the reduction of parasite fecundity, thus attenuating the development of S. mansoni-induced hepatic inflammation and fibrosis.
- MeSH
- Cytokines metabolism MeSH
- Fertility MeSH
- Liver Cirrhosis prevention & control etiology MeSH
- Liver pathology MeSH
- Mice MeSH
- Parasites * MeSH
- Schistosoma mansoni MeSH
- Schistosomiasis mansoni * complications MeSH
- Inflammation pathology MeSH
- Bile Acids and Salts metabolism MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Mice MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
- MeSH
- Cercaria microbiology pathogenicity MeSH
- Cestode Infections diagnosis etiology drug therapy MeSH
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Nematode Infections diagnosis etiology drug therapy MeSH
- Parasitic Diseases * drug therapy classification prevention & control MeSH
- Protozoan Infections diagnosis etiology drug therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Child MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Publication type
- Review MeSH
- Geographicals
- Czech Republic MeSH
- Keywords
- cerkáriová dermatitida,
- MeSH
- Cercaria MeSH
- Dermatitis etiology parasitology MeSH
- Trematode Infections transmission prevention & control MeSH
- Carps MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Parasitic Diseases, Animal MeSH
- Parasitic Diseases * MeSH
- Skin Diseases, Parasitic * transmission prevention & control MeSH
- Parasites MeSH
- Ponds MeSH
- Schistosomiasis etiology transmission prevention & control MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Review MeSH
- MeSH
- Cercaria MeSH
- Helminthiasis etiology therapy MeSH
- Mite Infestations diagnosis epidemiology MeSH
- Ixodes MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Myiasis diagnosis etiology therapy MeSH
- Skin Diseases, Parasitic * diagnosis epidemiology etiology therapy MeSH
- Bedbugs MeSH
- Trombiculidae MeSH
- Trombiculiasis epidemiology etiology therapy MeSH
- Tunga MeSH
- Tungiasis therapy MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
The inactivation of Schistosoma mansoni cercariae and miracidia was achieved by exposure to plasma produced by the positive, negative, and axial negative corona discharges. The positive discharge appeared as the most effective, causing the death of cercariae and miracidia within 2-3 min of exposure. The negative discharge was less effective, and the axial discharge was ineffective. The water pre-activated (PAW) by the discharges showed similar efficiency, with the exception of the significantly effective PAW activated with axial discharge. These facts, together with the observation of various reactions among plasma-damaged schistosomes, suggest that the mechanisms of inactivation by different types of discharges are different.
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
We found unusual digenean intramolluscan stages, sporocysts and cercariae, in gastropods Sulcospira dautzenbergiana (Morelet) (Caenogastropoda: Pachychilidae) from Southern Vietnam and named them Cercaria cattieni 1. These cercariae have a stylet and thus belong to the Xiphidiata. However, such combination of characters as extremely large body size and I-shaped excretory bladder has not been found before in any other xiphidiocercariae. We obtained COI, ITS1, 5.8S + ITS2, and 28S rDNA sequences for C. cattieni 1. The latter allowed us to specify the phylogenetic position of the discovered cercariae: C. cattieni 1 falls within the superfamily Microphalloidea and is most closely grouped to Pachypsolus irroratus (Rudolphi, 1819) (Pachypsolidae), the sea turtle parasite. Information on the family Pachypsolidae is limited. Judging from the molecular phylogeny, C. cattieni 1 might be the larva of the Pachypsolidae, documented for the first time.
- MeSH
- Cercaria genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Genes, Helminth MeSH
- Classification MeSH
- Electron Transport Complex IV genetics MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal genetics MeSH
- Trematoda genetics isolation & purification classification MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Vietnam MeSH
Human cercarial dermatitis is a parasitic disease that causes an allergic reaction in the skin (swimmer's itch) as a consequence of contact with cercariae of bird schistosomes present in water, mainly of the genus Trichobilharzia Skrjabin et Zakarow, 1920. The main objective of the study was to confirm the presence of the zoonotic disease agent following reports of human infections in recreational water in Slovakia. We identified two species of freshwater snails at Košice Lake, Radix auricularia (Linnaeus, 1758) and Physa acuta (Draparnaud, 1805). Trematode infections were observed only in R. auricularia. Of the 62 snails collected, 11 (17.7%) were infected with 5 different species of larval stages of trematodes. The blood fluke Trichobilharzia franki was found in 2 (3.2%) of the examined snails. The present record provides the first evidence that T. franki from the pulmonate snail R. auricularia represents a source of human cercarial dermatitis in recreational water in Slovakia. Our finding complements the easternmost records of both swimmer's itch and the confirmed occurrence of a bird schistosome in a waterbody in Europe. The present work suggests that the health risks associated with trichobilharziasis need to be further studied by detailed monitoring of the occurrence of the major causative agent of human cercarial dermatitis, T. franki.
- MeSH
- Dermatitis epidemiology parasitology MeSH
- Disease Outbreaks MeSH
- Snails parasitology MeSH
- Trematode Infections epidemiology parasitology transmission MeSH
- Lakes parasitology MeSH
- Humans MeSH
- Skin Diseases, Parasitic parasitology transmission MeSH
- Schistosomatidae classification genetics isolation & purification MeSH
- Schistosomiasis epidemiology parasitology transmission MeSH
- Zoonoses epidemiology parasitology transmission MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Humans MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Slovakia MeSH
Microcercous cercariae possess a very short tail and are produced by digenean species of several families including medically important species, such as members of the genera Paragonimus Braun, 1899, Nanophyetus Chapin, 1927 and Troglotrema Odhner, 1914. During our survey of cercariae of Paragonimus spp. in Vietnam, we found microcercous cercariae from ten (0.29%) out of 3,400 snails of Triculinae gen. sp. 2. They were morphologically and molecularly analysed for species identification. The molecular analysis, based on ITS2 sequences, revealed two distinct species: four specimens were identical to Paragonimus proliferus Hsia et Chen, 1964 (Paragonimidae Dollfus, 1939), and the other six specimens were closest to members of the family Troglotrematidae Odhner, 1914 and were temporarily named Troglotrematidae gen. sp. Morphologically, cercariae of the two species found in this study are similar to each other in their gross characteristics but can be distinguished from one another by subtle morphological details. The cercaria of P. proliferus has an I-shaped excretory bladder and does not have mucous gland cells. In contrast, that of Troglotrematidae gen. sp. has a Y-shaped excretory bladder and mucous gland cells. Besides, the redia of P. proliferus is elongate with a short intestine and contains 5-6 cercariae whereas that of Troglotrematidae gen. sp. is more round with a longer intestine and harbours 3-4 cercariae. Our results have shown the importance of the shape of the excretory bladder and the presence/absence of mucous gland cells of the cercaria as well as the shape and size of the redia, and its intestinal length as valuable taxonomic characters of intramolluscan trematode larvae. In addition, the finding of similar microcercous cercariae of different species in the same snail species suggests that careful attention to morphological details is required in the differentiation of Paragonimus cercariae and those of closely related species.
- MeSH
- Cercaria classification genetics growth & development isolation & purification MeSH
- DNA, Helminth analysis MeSH
- Phylogeny MeSH
- Snails parasitology MeSH
- DNA, Ribosomal Spacer analysis MeSH
- Paragonimus classification growth & development isolation & purification MeSH
- Sequence Analysis, RNA MeSH
- Troglotrematidae classification genetics growth & development isolation & purification MeSH
- Animals MeSH
- Check Tag
- Animals MeSH
- Publication type
- Journal Article MeSH
- Geographicals
- Vietnam MeSH
