Most of our knowledge concerning the larval stages of the Strigeida is based on the studies of Canadian, American and European workers. One of the earliest descriptions of furcocercariae from British freshwaters was by Brown (1926, 1931) who recorded six new species from Cheshire. Later, Harper (1929) described three species and Hesse (1923) one un-named species, all from Scotland. During this period Matheson (1930) recorded the presence of Cercaria pseiidocellata Szidat, 1942 in an artificial lake at Roath Park, Cardiff, after reports of dermatitis from bathers. In 1932 Rees, during a general survey of Glamorgan, recorded an additional two species from the lake. These furcocercarial species were Cercaria X Baylis, 1930 and C. macrosoma which had been previously described by Brown in 1926.

Polyonchobothrium scleropagis (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) is described as a new species from the Australian osteoglossid fish Scleropages leichardti Günther.

Non-specific and specific phosphatases have been histochemically localized in the tissues of Avitellina lahorea, an intestinal parasite of sheep and goats. Large quantities of acid phosphatase, alkaline phosphatase and adenosine triphosphatase were observed in almost all organs except the parenchyma where there were moderate amounts of acid phosphatase and no alkaline phosphatase; the reproductive ducts contained moderate amounts of alkaline phosphatase. 5-nucleotidase was observed only in the uterus, egg pouches and eggs and glucose-6-phosphatase activity was restricted to the tegument. The probable functions of these moieties at different sites are discussed.

The influence of diet type and pre-treatment fasting on the kinetic disposition of albendazole was evaluated in Sahiwal heifers following oral and intra-ruminal administration of the drug. The anthelmintically active moiety albendazole sulphoxide appeared early and was eliminated early in cattle offered green fodder, with decreased maximum concentration (C max) and area under concentration–time curve (AUC) when the drug was administered both through oral and intra-ruminal routes. Further, the elimination half-life (t ½β) revealed significantly increased values for albendazole sulphoxide in cattle administered albendazole through the intra-ruminal route. An increased AUC and t ½β is reflective of increased bioavailability of albendazole in animals offered dry fodder. Increased values (P <  0.05) of C max, time to C max (T max), AUC and t ½β for albendazole sulphoxide occurred in cattle with a pre-treatment 24-h fast, resulting in its increased bioavailability. Extrapolation of data of the active metabolite albendazole sulphoxide levels in terms of drug–parasite contact revealed increased exposure of parasites to the drug in cattle administered albendazole through the intra-ruminal route and with 24-h pre-treatment fasting.

Owing to the comparative rarity of Paramphistomes in Britain the difficulties of attempting to work out the life cycle are very great. Upto the present the problem has been approached from two angles; firstly, where an infected animal has been found at the abattoir, and finally traced back to its farm of origin, extensive collection of snails has been carried out at the assumed site of infestation ; secondly, where it has been possible to collect large numbers of adult worms from slaughtered animals, these have been picked out of the rumen and placed in dishes containing boiled tap water for several hours, in which medium oviposition takes place rapidly. These eggs have been collected and cultured, and laboratory-bred snails have been exposed to the miracidia, but so far no infection has taken place. This has of necessity been sporadic and no concentrated systematic attempts at infection over long periods have been possible.

In the autumn of 19G6 the writer received two samples of nematodes, containing over a hundred specimens, which were found in the pancreatic ducts of the mustelid Arctonyx collaris. The two host animals arrived from Bangkok, one already dead; the other died in the Zoological Garden of Emmen a week after arrival.

Papaya latex has been demonstrated to be an efficacious anthelmintic against murine, porcine, ovine and canine nematode parasites, and even those infecting poultry, and it has some efficacy against rodent cestodes. The active ingredients of papaya latex are known to be cysteine proteinases (CPs). The experiments described in this paper indicate that CPs in papaya latex, and also those in pineapples, are highly efficacious against the equine cestode Anoplocephala perfoliatain vitro, by causing a significant reduction in motility leading to death of the worms. The susceptibility of A. perfoliata to damage by CPs was considerably greater than that of the rodent cestodes Hymenolepis diminuta and H. microstoma. Our results are the first to report anthelmintic efficacy of CPs against an economically important equine helminth. Moreover, they provide further evidence that the spectrum of activity of CPs is not restricted to nematodes and support the idea that these plant-derived enzymes can be developed into useful broad-spectrum anthelmintics.

In February, 1924, Dr. Walton recorded Anoplocephala perfoliata, Ascaris equi, Oxyuris equi (curvula), and Cylicostomum tetracanthum from horses in North Wales; and in January 1925, Mr. Bissett, M.R.C.V.S., found, in a horse from Duffryn Mountains (South Wales), a large number of parasitic worms, including Anoplocephala mammillana, Cylicostomum tetracanthum, Strongylus edentatus, S. vulgaris, S. equinus, and one specimen of Oxyuris. These, it seems, are the only recent records concerning helminthic parasites of horses in Wales. It was therefore thought desirable to examine a few horses very carefully.

The phylogenetic relationships of 42 species of cloacinine nematodes belonging to three tribes (Coronostrongylinea, Macropostrongylinea and Zoniolaiminea) were examined based on sequence data of the first and second internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1 and ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA. All nematodes examined are parasites of Australian macropodid marsupials. None of the three nematode tribes was monophyletic. Paraphyly was also encountered in three genera: Papillostrongylus, Monilonema and Wallabinema. Species within the genus Thallostonema were limited to a single host genus (i.e. Thylogale), whereas species within the five principal genera (Coronostrongylus, Macropostrongylus, Popovastrongylus, Wallabinema and Zoniolaimus) were found to occur in multiple host genera. Potential modes of evolution among these nematodes are discussed.

The prevalence Angiostrongylus cantonensis, a metastrongylid lungworm of rats, was investigated in three common species of rodents in the Greater Bombay area, namely, Rattus rattus, R. norvegicus and Bandicota bengalensis. In all, 737 R. norvegicus, 100 R. rattus and 100 B. bengalensis were examined and the presence of A. cantonensis infection was noticed in R. norvegicus (1·62%). About 800 slugs (Laevicaulis alte) were examined and were found to harbour third-stage larvae of Angiostrongylus.

The structure of the female reproductive tract, and the patterns of oogenesis, fertilization and embryogenesis were examined from two adult female Loa loa (Nematoda: Filarioidea) from Gabon. They were found to be indistinguishable in the two specimens, and almost indistinguishable from the pattern previously described from Dirofilaria immitis, except in chromosome number. Loa loa has 2n=10+X0.

Lymphatic filariasis is a parasitic disease of tropical countries. This is a disfiguring and painful disease contracted in childhood, but the symptoms become apparent only in later years. Diagnosis of filarial infection is very crucial for the management of the disease. The main objective of this study was to develop a filarial antigen-based immunological assay for the diagnosis and surveillance of the disease. Monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies were raised to the recombinant protein Brugia malayi vespid allergen homologue (VAH). Capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was standardized utilizing various combinations of antibodies and evaluated with serum samples of endemic normal (EN, n= 110), microfilaraemic (MF, n= 65), chronic pathology (CP, n= 45) and non-endemic normal (NEN, n= 10) individuals. Of the 230 samples tested, VAH capture assay detected circulating antigen in 97.91% of bancroftian and 100% of brugian microfilaraemic individuals, and 5% of endemic normal individuals, comparable to the earlier reported SXP-1 antigen detection assay. However, the combination of VAH and SXP-1 (VS) capture ELISA was found to be more robust, detecting 100% of microfilaraemic individuals and with higher binding values. Thus an antigen capture immunoassay has been developed, which can differentiate active infection from chronic infection by detecting circulating filarial antigens in clinical groups of endemic areas.

The present work forms a continuation of a survey undertaken three years ago, with a view to elucidating the nemic parasites commonly found in fishes of Canadian waters. These species have proved to be largely undescribed, and old species have always offered some new points of interest. The greatest difficulty has been encountered with the literature, much of which was difficult of access. Only those papers which have a definite bearing on the forms studied, and convey some pertinent information, are included in the appended bibliography.

The study describes methods developed for using video-imaging technology to record and measure the velocity of Schistosoma mansoni miracidia. The efficacy of the classical bioassay procedure (a qualitative behavioural assay) was compared with that of the new quantitative protocol, for assessing the sub-lethal impact of a larvicidal dichloromethane extract of the seeds of Millettia thonningii on miracidia. The new technique confirmed the efficacy of the classical bioassay for rapid determination of the lethal and sub-lethal impact of larvicides but also provided quantitative information on sub-lethal impacts on miracidial velocity and shape.

In the experiments carried out by Nishigori (1925) and Saito (1925) on the life-history of Hepaticola hepatica it was shewn that this parasite does not reach maturity when a rabbit is artificially infected with embryonated eggs. It is true that the worms shewed some development, but after a time they disappeared leaving only nodules of connective tissue. In view of these results it may be of interest to record a case, observed by the writer where a rabbit carried a natural infection.

1. Acanthostomum gymnarchi (Dollfus, 1950) is redescribed and the atrophy of the right caecum and the presence of an anal pore at the end of the left caecum were observed in this species.

2. The genera Atrophocaecum Bhalerao, 1940; Gymnatotrema Morosov, 1955; and Haplocaecum Simha, 1958 are considered synonyms of the genus Acanthostomum Looss, 1899 which is here divided into four subgenera.

3. Acanthostomum bagri Thomas, 1958 is considered a synonym of A. absconditum (Looss, 1901).

4. A key to the five species of Acanthostomum found in the Sudan is provided.

In 6 week-old Paramphistomum cervi, vitelline cells appear in the form of a few scattered cells, present below the body wall which divide mitotically to form vitelline follicles in 8 week-old worms. Small shell globules appear first in 10 week-old worms, the number and size of which continue to increase till the worm becomes adult. In the latter the vitelline follicles contain stem cells, immature, maturing and mature vitelline cells, which differ due to the distribution of shell globules as well as their histochemical nature. The shell globules are keratin in nature. The vitelline cells showed activities of various phosphatases but did not show the presence of any of the dehydrogenases studied.

Seasonal fluctuations in the prevalence and abundance of infection with intestinal helminths were studied in Apodemus sylvaticus (wood mouse, n = 399), from three contrasting habitats in southern England, to test the hypothesis that both intrinsic (host sex, age) and extrinsic (season, site) factors influence parasite species richness and abundance. Five species of helminths were recovered but only one of these (Capillaria murissylvatici) was site-specific (Dungeness). Total species richness was therefore 5 at Dungeness and 4 at the other two sites. Mean species richness was 1.4, but in adult mice there was a pronounced difference between the sites, and an independent highly significant effect of season. Syphacia stroma and Corrigia vitta both showed marked differences between sites in respect of prevalence and abundance of infection. Capillaria murissylvatici was encountered at Dungeness mostly in the spring whereas seasonal changes in abundance ofS. stroma were consistent across all three sites. Seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of Catenotaenia pusilla were compounded by differences between sites. Host sex was not a significant factor in any species, although a posteriorianalysis of S. stromaworm burdens for the Isle of Wight site revealed a moderate local sex effect. Overall the principal determinants of variation in helminth burdens were the extrinsic factors, site and season.

The use of 75Selenomethionine labelled cercariae of Schistosoma mansoni for ultrastructural localization of parasites in host tissues has been evaluated. Both gamma counting of tissue, and autoradiography of resin-embedded tissue were successful. The autoradiographic technique was more sensitive and schistosomula were readily located in pulmonary tissue up to 24 days post-infection.

Zygocotyle lunata adults grown in mice were treated in vitro with 3-H-adenosine to label sperm and then transplanted to the caecum of mice singly or with 6 to 8 unlabelled adults. After 6 to 10 days, worms were recovered, processed for autoradiography, and observed for radioactive sperm in their seminal receptacles. Adults would not incorporate radioactive thymidine into dividing cells. Tyrosine was utilized only by juvenile worms and then not enough to label germinal cells for mating studies. Four of 13 (31%) worms transplanted singly self-inseminated, whereas 9 of 10 (90%) labelled worms in multiple infections self-inseminated. When in groups, the labelled worms cross-inseminated with 14 of 43 (33%) unlabelled worms. This mating pattern was unrestricted in that both self- and cross-insemination took place in multiple infections, much like the mating pattern in another paramphistomatid, Megalodiscus temperatus, but unlike the restrictive pattern shown by three species of eyeflukes.