In this study, we assessed the impact of sampling method on the results of fish ectoparasite studies. Common roach Rutilus rutilus were sampled from the same gravel pit in the River Dyje flood plain (Czech Republic) using 3 different sampling methods, i.e. electrofishing, beach seining and gill-netting, and were examined for ectoparasites. Not only did fish caught by electrofishing have more of the most abundant parasites (Trichodina spp., Gyrodactylus spp.) than those caught by beach seining or gill-netting, they also had relatively rich parasite infracommunities, resulting in a significantly different assemblage composition, presumably as parasites were lost through handling and 'manipulation' in the net. Based on this, we recommend electrofishing as the most suitable method to sample fish for parasite community studies, as data from fish caught with gill-nets and beach seines will provide a biased picture of the ectoparasite community, underestimating ectoparasite abundance and infracommunity species richness.

• MeSH
• Cyprinidae * MeSH
• infestace ektoparazity parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• nemoci ryb parazitologie   MeSH
• parazitární nemoci u zvířat parazitologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

Úvod: V 70.–80. rokoch minulého storočia sme sa stretávali iba sporadicky s výskytom ploštice posteľnej (Cimex lectularius Linné, 1758) v bytoch, rodinných domoch a v ubytovacích zariadeniach na Slovensku aj v Čechách. Pravidelným monitorovaním tohto ektoparazita hygienikmi z oddelení DDD (dezinfekcie, dezinsekcie a deratizácie) sa podarilo jeho výskyt nielen eliminovať, ale v 80. rokoch dokonca až eradikovať. V súčasnosti je potrebné znova riešiť tento celosvetovo významný zdravotný problém. Cimex lectularius sa opäť vracia do príbytkov človeka. Jej biologický vývoj a pôsobenie sa viaže na jeho biotop. Živí sa prevažne krvou človeka. Bodnutia plošticou sú vzhľadom a príznakmi podobné žihľavke (urtica cimicina), takže výskyt kožných problémov nie je často s týmto ektoparazitom spájaný. Kožné reakcie sú len ťažko odlíšiteľné od poštípania iným bodavým hmyzom (blchy, vši, komáre a i). Materiál a metódy: V období rokov 2006–2015 sme v diagnostickom laboratóriu humánnej parazitológie na Lekárskej fakulte UK v Bratislave vyšetrili 102 pacientov s podozrením na ektoparazitózu. Odborní a praktickí lekári pre deti a dospelých nám posielali na konzultačné parazitologické vyšetrenie pacientov s rôznymi neliečiteľnými kožnými, silne svrbiacimi červenými eflorescenciami. V diferenciálnej diagnostike sme uvažovali nad poštípaním od hmyzu (blchy, vši, komáre, ploštice a i), prípadne nad nákazou črevnými geohelmintami, ktorých toxíny môžu spôsobiť alergickú reakciu v podobe rôznych kožných zmien (urtika, makula, papula). Niektoré nejasné prípady sme preto vyšetrili aj koprologicky na črevné parazity. Parazitologickým vyšetrením pacientov a entomologickým vyšetrením pacientami prineseného hmyzu sme u viacerých jednoznačne potvrdili, že ide o kožnú ektoparazitózu (cimikózu) spôsobenú Cimex lectularius a v jednom prípade Oeciacus hirudinis. Výsledky: Zo 102 parazitologicky vyšetrených pacientov s podozrením na ektoparazitózu bolo 62 (60,8 %) dospelých a 40 (39,2 %) detí. Zo 62 dospelých bolo na cimikózu pozitívnych 57 (91,9 %) pacientov. U 5 (8,1 %) sme cimikózu nepotvrdili, avšak u 4 z nich sme diagnostikovali črevného geohelminta Ascaris lumbricoides a u jednej pacientky Sarcoptes scabiei. Z 57 pacientov s cimikózou mali 3 anémiu, 6 astmu a 10 pacientov sa liečilo u imunoalergológa na rôzne formy alergie. Pacienti okrem svrbenia kože trpeli nespavosťou, únavou, podráždenosťou a depresiami. Zo 40 detí bolo pozitívnych na cimikózu 34 (85 %). U 6 (15 %) sme ektoparazitózu nepotvrdili. U 4 detí sme koprologickým vyšetrením zistili črevného geohelminta Ascaris lumbricoides a u jedného dvojitú nákazu Ascaris lumbricoides a Enterobius vermicularis. Jedna pacientka mala diagnostikovanú zákožku svrabovú (Sarcoptes scabiei). Z 34 detí s cimikózou mali 2 anémiu, 8 astmu a 15 sa liečilo u imunoalergológa na rôzne formy alergie. Aj deti trpeli svrbením kože, nespavosťou, únavou a podráždenosťou. Záver: V súčasnosti neexistujú žiadne eradikačné plány v boji proti plošticiam. Ploštica posteľná by mala znova podliehať hlásnej službe úradom verejného zdravotníctva, ako v minulosti, čím by sa lepšie podchytilo monitorovanie jej výskytu a šírenie v populácii. Je opäť potrebné, aby sa tejto ektoparazitóze venovala rovnaká pozornosť ako iným endoparazitózam, aby sa nepodceňovala a nezabúdalo sa na ňu ani v lekárskej praxi.

Introduction: In the 1970s and 1980s we noticed the occurrence of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius Linné, 1758) in flats, family houses and accommodation facilities in Slovakia and only sporadically in the Czech Republic. Under regular monitoring of this ectoparasite by hygienists from a department of disinfection, disinsection, and deratization, it was possible not only to eliminate the occurrence of the parasite but in the 1980s even to eradicate it. Today, it is necessary again to address this major global health issue. Cimex lectularius has once again returned to human habitats. Its biological development and activity are bond to its habitat. It feeds mainly on human blood. Bed bug bites are in their appearance and symptoms similar to hives (urticaria cimicina), so the occurrence of skin problems is not being associated with this ectoparasite. Skin reactions are hardly distinguishable from bites by other biting insects (fleas, lice, mosquitoes, and others). Material and methods: Over the period 2006–2015, we examined 102 patients with suspected ectoparasitosis in the diagnostic laboratory of human parasitology at the Faculty of Medicine CU in Bratislava. Specialists and general practitioners for children and adults sporadically referred patients with various incurable skin heavily itching red efflorescences to a consultation parasitological examination. Within differential diagnosis, we considered insect bites (fleas, lice, mosquitoes, bed bugs, and others), or infestation by intestinal geohelminths whose toxins can cause allergic reactions in the form of various skin changes (urticaria, macula, papula). Therefore, we examined some unclear cases for intestinal parasites using a coprological method. By parasitological examination of patients and entomologic analysis of insects brought by patients, we managed to clearly confirm in many of them that it was skin ectoparasitosis caused by Cimex lectularius and in one case Oeciacus hirudinis. Results: A total number of 102 parasitologically examined patients with suspected ectoparasitosis included 62 (60.8%) adults and 40 (39.2%) children. Out of 62 adults, there were 57 (91.9%) patients positive for cimicosis. In 5 (8.1%) patients, cimicosis was not confirmed. However, in 4 of them, we diagnosed an intestinal geohelminth Ascaris lumbricoides and in one female patient Sarcoptes scabiei. Out of the 57 adult patients with cimicosis, there were 3 patients with anaemia, 6 patients with asthma, and 10 patients with various forms of allergy were treated by an allergist/immunologist. Patients in addition to itching skin suffered from insomnia, fatigue, irritability, and depression. Out of 40 children, there were 34 (85%) positive for cimicosis. In 6 (15%) children, ectoparasitosis was not confirmed. In 4 children, a coprological examination revealed an intestinal geohelminth Ascaris lumbricoides and in one child a double infection with Ascaris lumbricoides and Enterobius vermicularis. One female patient was diagnosed with the itch mite (Sarcoptes scabiei). Out of 34 children with cimicosis, there were 2 children with anaemia, 8 children with asthma and 15 children were treated with various forms of allergy by an allergist/immunologist. Children also suffered from itching skin, insomnia, fatigue, and irritability. Conclusion: Today, there are no eradication plans in the struggle against bed bugs. Bed bugs should again be subject to the reporting service to public health authorities, as it was in the past, and thus better record monitoring of its incidence and spread in the population. It is again essential to pay the same attention to this ectoparasitosis as to other ectoparasitoses in order it not to be underestimated nor forgotten in medical practice.

• MeSH
• environmentální zdraví MeSH
• kousnutí a bodnutí hmyzem * patologie   prevence a kontrola   MeSH
• kožní nemoci etiologie   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• štěnice * MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Slovenská republika MeSH

Ectoparasites are an important factor in bat health due to emergent diseases and their associated threats to global public health. The diverse foraging habits of bats expose them to different surfaces which may influence ectoparasite infestations. In spite of these, most studies often overlook dietary specialisations when observing ectoparasite loads. The present paper quantitatively investigates whether foraging strategies as well as other host characteristics (sex, age, trunk and patagial area) influence ectoparasite (nycteribiids and mites) loads of bats. Ectoparasite counts and morphometric data were taken from mist net captures of bats. We then developed and compared models for modeling bat ectoparasite abundance under various distributions using generalised linear models. The negative binomial distribution consistently proved to be adequate for modeling mite, nycteribiid and total ectoparasite abundance based on information-theoretic approaches. Generally, females and frugivores had higher ectoparasite loads conditional on bat sex and diet, respectively. Contrary to nycteribiid abundance, mite abundance was positively related to patagial area. Thus, our findings suggest that dietary guild, sex and patagia of hosts (as well as age-nycteribiid abundance) are significant determinants of ectoparasite abundance.

• Klíčová slova
• patagium,
• MeSH
• binomické rozdělení MeSH
• Chiroptera * parazitologie   MeSH
• Diptera MeSH
• fyziologie výživy * MeSH
• kůže parazitologie   MeSH
• lineární modely MeSH
• parazitární zátěž MeSH
• Poissonovo rozdělení MeSH
• roztoči MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• statistika jako téma MeSH
• věkové faktory MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

• MeSH
• ekosystém MeSH
• infekce červy třídy Trematoda epidemiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• infestace ektoparazity epidemiologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita fyziologie   MeSH
• roční období MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH

Abiotic and biotic factors determine success or failure of individual organisms, populations and species. The early life stages are often the most vulnerable to heavy mortality due to environmental conditions. The deer ked (Lipoptena cervi Linnaeus, 1758) is an invasive insect ectoparasite of cervids that spends an important period of the life cycle outside host as immobile pupa. During winter, dark-coloured pupae drop off the host onto the snow, where they are exposed to environmental temperature variation and predation as long as the new snowfall provides shelter against these mortality factors. The other possible option is to passively sink into the snow, which is aided by morphology of pupae. Here, we experimentally studied passive snow sinking capacity of pupae of L. cervi. We show that pupae have a notable passive snow sinking capacity, which is the most likely explained by pupal morphology enabling solar energy absorption and pupal weight. The present results can be used when planning future studies and when evaluating possible predation risk and overall survival of this invasive ectoparasite species in changing environmental conditions.

• Klíčová slova
• kloš jelení, přezimování, hloubka,
• MeSH
• Diptera * růst a vývoj   MeSH
• fotoperioda MeSH
• kukla MeSH
• nízká teplota MeSH
• paraziti růst a vývoj   MeSH
• počasí MeSH
• ponoření MeSH
• sníh * parazitologie   MeSH
• stadia vývoje MeSH
• statistika jako téma MeSH
• vysoká zvěř parazitologie   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

We studied the effects of early weaning on immunocompetence and parasite resistance in a precocial rodent Acomys cahirinus. We hypothesized that if parasite resistance is energetically expensive and nutritional and immunological support from mothers are necessary for the long-term health of offspring, then early weaned animals would be immunologically weaker and less able to defend themselves against parasites than later weaned animals. We weaned pups at 14, 21 or 28 days after birth and assessed their immunocompetence and resistance against fleas Parapulex chephrenis when they attained adulthood. Immunocompetence was assessed using leukocyte concentration (LC) and a phytohaemagglutinin injection assay (PHA test). To estimate resistance against fleas, we measured performance of fleas via the number of produced eggs and duration of development and resistance to starvation of the flea offspring. We found a significant positive effect of weaning age on the PHA response but not on LC. The effect of age at weaning on flea egg production was manifested in male but not female hosts, with egg production being higher if a host was weaned at 14 than at 28 days. Weaning age of the host did not affect either duration of development or resistance to starvation of fleas produced by mothers fed on these hosts. We conclude that even in relatively precocial mammals, weaning age is an important indicator of future immunological responses and the ability of an animal to resist parasite infestations. Hosts weaned at an earlier age make easier, less-resistant targets for parasite infestations than hosts weaned later in life.

• MeSH
• fytohemaglutininy imunologie   MeSH
• hladovění MeSH
• imunokompetence fyziologie   MeSH
• infestace blechami imunologie   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita imunologie   MeSH
• kladení vajíček fyziologie   MeSH
• leukocyty imunologie   MeSH
• Murinae růst a vývoj   imunologie   parazitologie   MeSH
• odstavení * MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• Siphonaptera fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH

In this study we examine differences in the occurrence of life history stages of the destructive fish ectoparasite Argulus foliaceus (L., 1758) on eight fish species (stickleback, rudd, roach, gudgeon, bream, tench, crucian carp and common carp) sampled from a mixed-species recreational fishing lake on nine occasions during late spring and summer. Total numbers of A. foliaceus, as well as the number of larval, juvenile and adult parasite stages, from each fish were recorded along with the fish species. Lice generally exhibited an aggregated distribution approximating a negative binomial distribution. Significant differences in the prevalence, intensity and intensity frequency distribution were observed between life history stages and between host species. In general, all life history stages of A. foliaceus exhibited an over-dispersed distribution. However, larval lice did show some degree of aggregation particularly within the stickleback samples. Infection data for parasite larval stages suggested that sticklebacks are more likely to be infected than other host species. For adult lice, however, carp appeared to be the main host. We propose that A. foliaceus infection characteristics are predominantly determined by the level of host exposure to the parasite and its life history stages (larval, juvenile and adult) rather than by an innate difference in host susceptibility related to individual host factors such as immune responses. We conclude that host exposure is determined by the parasite-host behavioural interplay related to species-specific ecology and behavioural traits such as microhabitat preference and normal swimming speed.

• MeSH
• Arguloida růst a vývoj   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita MeSH
• larva růst a vývoj   MeSH
• nemoci ryb patofyziologie   MeSH
• ryby MeSH
• zavšivení parazitologie   veterinární   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH

• MeSH
• infestace ektoparazity přenos   MeSH
• nemoci ptáků parazitologie   přenos   MeSH
• Phthiraptera fyziologie   MeSH
• přenos infekční nemoci veterinární   MeSH
• sexuální faktory MeSH
• vertikální přenos infekce veterinární   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• zvířata MeSH

Protease inhibitors (PIs) are ubiquitous regulatory proteins present in all kingdoms. They play crucial tasks in controlling biological processes directed by proteases which, if not tightly regulated, can damage the host organism. PIs can be classified according to their targeted proteases or their mechanism of action. The functions of many PIs have now been characterized and are showing clinical relevance for the treatment of human diseases such as arthritis, hepatitis, cancer, AIDS, and cardiovascular diseases, amongst others. Other PIs have potential use in agriculture as insecticides, anti-fungal, and antibacterial agents. PIs from tick salivary glands are special due to their pharmacological properties and their high specificity, selectivity, and affinity to their target proteases at the tick-host interface. In this review, we discuss the structure and function of PIs in general and those PI superfamilies abundant in tick salivary glands to illustrate their possible practical applications. In doing so, we describe tick salivary PIs that are showing promise as drug candidates, highlighting the most promising ones tested in vivo and which are now progressing to preclinical and clinical trials.

• MeSH
• inhibitory proteas izolace a purifikace   terapeutické užití   MeSH
• interakce hostitele a parazita genetika   imunologie   MeSH
• klíšťata metabolismus   MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• slinné žlázy metabolismus   MeSH
• sliny chemie   metabolismus   MeSH
• transkriptom genetika   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• přehledy MeSH

A new species of the genus Lemuralges Fain, 1963 (Acariformes: Psoroptidae: Makialginae) is described from the Malagasy lemur Propithecus diadema (Bennett) (Primates: Indriidae) based on all postembryonic instars. This new species differs from the only known species in this genus, Lemuralges intermedius Fain, 1963, by the following features: both sexes of L. propithecus sp. n. show a pair of medioventral projections of the subcapitulum (vs without projections in L. intermedius) and the propodonotal shield is slightly ornamented (vs unornamented); in males the hysteronotal shield is completely covered by longitudinal striae (vs median part without striae), setae c2 are 120-140 µm long (vs 200-210 µm long), and femur III has a short transverse furrow dorsally (vs a longitudinal furrow); in females, setae h2 are, at least, 2 times shorter than h3 (vs slightly longer, or subequal to, h3), tibia IV has a ventro-apical projection (vs without projection). Larvae and protonymphs of the new species show some unique developmental delays. Female and male tritonymphs differ by their external morphology.

• MeSH
• Indriidae * parazitologie   MeSH
• mikroskopie MeSH
• Psoroptidae * anatomie a histologie   růst a vývoj   MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Geografické názvy
• Madagaskar MeSH