The transmission of parasites takes place under exposure to a range of fluctuating environmental factors, one being the changing levels of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR). Here, we investigated the effects of ecologically relevant levels of UVR on the transmission of the intertidal trematode Maritrema novaezealandensis from its first intermediate snail host (Zeacumantus subcarinatus) to its second intermediate amphipod host (Paracalliope novizealandiae). We assessed the output of parasite transmission stages (cercariae) from infected snail hosts, the survival and infectivity of cercariae, the susceptibility of amphipod hosts to infection (laboratory experiments) and the survival of infected and uninfected amphipod hosts (outdoor experiment) when exposed to photo-synthetically active radiation only (PAR, 400–700 nm; no UV), PAR+UVA (320–700 nm) or PAR+UVA+UVB (280–700 nm). Survival of cercariae and susceptibility of amphipods to infection were the only two steps significantly affected by UVR. Survival of cercariae decreased strongly in a dose-dependent manner, while susceptibility of amphipods increased after exposure to UVR for a prolonged period. Exposure to UVR thus negatively affects both the parasite and its amphipod host, and should therefore be considered an influential component in parasite transmission and host-parasite interactions in intertidal ecosystems.

Objective. Maternal infection has been considered to be a risk factor for filarial infection in offspring. In order to examine the influence of maternal infection in neonates, we have determined the prevalence of circulating filarial antigen (CFA) and anti-filarial antibodies in 119 maternal and corresponding cord blood samples collected from an area endemic for bancroftian filariasis. Method. Prevalence of antigenaemia was detected using Og4C3 circulating filarial antigen enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The presence of microfilariae was determined by filtration of a 1 ml sample through a Nuclepore membrane. Antibody isotypes (IgG, IgM, and IgE) to filarial antigen (Setaria digitata antigenic extract) were determined by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results. Microfilariae were detected in 14 cases (11·8%), whereas the Og4C3 assay could detect filarial antigen in 44·5% of pregnant mothers. Interestingly, 24·5% of samples born from CFA-positive mothers were found positive for CFA. None of the cord samples from CFA-negative mothers were found positive for CFA. No significant difference was observed in prevalence of filarial-specific IgG, IgM and IgE antibodies in CFA-positive and negative mothers. IgG antibody was detected in 60·5% of maternal and 21·8% of cord samples. IgG antibody in the cord does not differ with the antigen status of the mother. In contrast IgM and IgE antibody prevalence was significantly higher in cord from infected mothers than non-infected mothers (11·3% vs 0 for IgM, 24·5% vs 3·03% for IgE). Conclusion. Our study demonstrates the transplacental transfer of circulating filarial antigen from mother to cord. Filaria-specific IgM and IgE antibodies were higher in cord blood from infected mothers than from non-infected mothers. The findings of the study provide additional circumstantial evidence for pre-natal sensitization to filarial antigens developed in utero.

The 13 636 bp mitochondrial (mt) genome sequence of the trichostrongylid nematode Cooperia oncophora was determined.Sequence data have been deposited in the EMBL/GenBank Data libraries under Accession number AY265417. The single nucleotide polymorphisms have been deposited in the dbSNP Database (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/SNP) under ID numbers ss8485731-ss8486156. Like the mt genomes of other nematodes it is AT rich (76·75%) and cytidine is the least common nucleoside in the coding strand. There are 2 ribosomal RNA (rrn) genes, 22 transfer RNA (trn) genes and 12 protein coding genes. The relatively short AT-rich region (304 bp) and the lack of a non-coding region between two of the NADH dehydrogenase genes, nad3 and nad5, makes the mt genome of C. oncophora one of the smallest known to date, having only 525 bp of non-coding regions in total. The majority of the C. oncophora protein encoded genes are predicted to end in an abbreviated stop codon like T or TA. In total, 426 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) were mapped on the mt genome of C. oncophora, which is an average of 1 polymorphism per 32 bp. The most common SNPs in the mt genome of C. oncophora were G/A (59·2%) and C/T (28·4%) transitions. Synonymous substitutions (86·4%) were favoured over non-synonymous substitutions. However, the degree of sequence conservation between individual protein genes of different parasitic nematode species did not always correspond to the relative number of non-synonymous SNPs. The mt genome sequence of C. oncophora presents the first mt genome of a member of the Trichostrongyloidea and will be of importance in refining phylogenetic relationships between nematodes. The, still limited, SNP map presented here provides a basis for obtaining insight into the genetic diversity present in the different protein coding genes, trn, rrn and non-coding regions. A more detailed study of the more variable regions will be of use in determining the population genetic structure of C. oncophora. Ultimately this knowledge will add to the understanding of the host–parasite relationship.

Three nucleotide data sets, one nuclear (ITS-2) and two mitochondrial (COI and l-rRNA), have been investigated in order to determine relationships among species of Strongylinae and Cyathostominae, intestinal parasites of the horse.Nucleotide sequence data reported in this paper are available in the NCBI, GenBank, accession numbers: AF263472 to AF263472 and AF268479. The data exhibited a strong mutational bias towards A and T and in the COI gene, silent sites appeared to saturate rapidly partly due to this substitution bias. Thus, the COI gene was found to be less phylogenetically informative than the l-rRNA and ITS-2 genes. Combined analysis of the l-rRNA and ITS-2 genes supported a monophyletic clade of the cyathostomes with Tridentoinfundibulum gobi, which had previously been classified as a nematode of ‘uncertain origin'. The Strongylinae grouped consistently outside the clade containing the cyathostomes and T. gobi. Molecular analysis failed to provide strong evidence for the separation of cyathostomes into classical genera, as previously defined by morphological classification.

Regular distribution of ivermectin reduces onchocerciasis transmission and morbidity by killing, within humans, the microfilarial stage of the parasite (microfilaricidal effect). In addition, ivermectin exerts a so-called embryostatic effect by which microfilarial production by the adult female worm becomes suppressed during a number of weeks after treatment. To assess the overall effect of ivermectin on onchocerciasis transmission and evaluate the likelihood of local elimination of the infection it is important to estimate the magnitude of the anti-fertility effect over the course of a treatment programme. Estimates of the effect of repeated drug treatments on the production of microfilariae by adult Onchocerca volvulus were obtained by developing a model that was fitted to data collected from three hyperendemic communities in Guatemala, where eligible residents received ivermectin twice per year for two and a half years. The data consist of microfilarial load measurements in the skin, collected just before each six-monthly treatment during the programme. The model that is developed describes the dynamics of an individual host's expected microfilarial load over the 30-month study period. We adopt a Bayesian approach and use Markov chain Monte Carlo (McMC) techniques to fit the model to the data. Combining estimates from the three villages, average microfilarial production in the first six months post-treatment was reduced by ~64% of its pre-treatment level, regardless of values chosen for the pre-ivermectin fertility rate within plausible ranges. Increased adult worm death rate after treatment (to mimic removal of macrofilariae via nodulectomy during the programme) resulted in a smaller estimated magnitude of the embryostatic effect (rate of microfilarial production was reduced by ~58% of pre-ivermectin value). After subsequent treatments, the rate of microfilarial production appeared to be similarly decreased. The data and analyses therefore do not support the hypothesis of a cumulative effect of multiple ivermectin treatments on microfilarial production by female worms.

To investigate the prevalence of Cyclospora cayetanensis in a longitudinal study and to conduct a population genetic analysis, fecal specimens from 6579 patients were collected during the cyclosporiasis – prevalent seasons in two urban areas of central China in 2011–2015. The overall incidence of C. cayetanensis infection was 1·2% (76/6579): 1·6% (50/3173) in Zhengzhou and 0·8% (26/3406) in Kaifeng (P < 0·05), with infections in all age groups (P > 0·05). All the isolates clustered in the C. cayetanensis clade based on the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene sequence phylogenetic analysis. There were 45 specimens positive for all the five C. cayetanensis microsatellite loci, and formed 29 multilocus genotypes (MLGs). The phylogenetic relationships of 54 distinct MLGs (including 25 known reference MLGs), based on the concatenated multilocus sequences, formed three main clusters. A population structure analysis showed that the 79 isolates (including 34 known reference isolates) of C. cayetanensis produced three distinct subpopulations based on allelic profile data. In conclusion, we determined the frequency of C. cayetanensis infection in humans in Henan Province. The clonal population structure of the human C. cayetanensis isolates showed linkage disequilibrium and three distinct subpopulations.

Ecological immunology is based upon the notion that activation and use of the immune system is costly and should thus be traded off against other energy-demanding aspects of life history. Most of the studies on insects that have examined the possibility that mating results in trade-offs with immunity have shown that mating has immunosuppressive effects. The connection between mating and immunity has traditionally been investigated using indirect measures of immunity. However, studies that have assessed the effects of mating on the resistance against real pathogens have had conflicting results. A previous study on Tenebrio molitor showed that copulation decreases phenoloxidase activity in the haemolymph, and concluded that copulation corrupts immunity in this species. In the present study we tested whether mating also affects the ability of T. molitor to resist the entomopathogenic fungus, Beauveria bassiana. Interestingly, we found that mating enhanced resistance against the fungal infection and that the effect was stronger on males than females. Furthermore, we found that male beetles were overall more susceptible to the fungal infection than were females, indicating an immunological sex difference in immunity. Our study highlights the importance of the use of real pathogens and parasites in immuno-ecological studies.

Harnessing the full utility of extensive gene sequences recently available for the economically important sea louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, requires the adaptation of modern molecular biology approaches to this non-model organism. Using a putative microsomal prostaglandin E synthase type-2 (PGES2) as a candidate gene, we investigated gene-knockdown by double-stranded RNA interference (dsRNAi) in the small free-living and the larger parasitic stages of L. salmonis. dsRNA was administered to nauplius and copepodid stages by immersion for 7 h. Pre-adult and adults received dsRNA by intra-haemocoelic injection. The extent, speed and persistence of the knockdown effects were determined by RT-PCR. LsPGES2 was abundantly expressed in all life stages, including the non-parasitic stages. Administration of dsRNA to nauplius and copepodids by immersion had no effect on mortality rates and moulting through to copepodids was observed. Dramatic knockdown of LsPGES2 was observed within 7 h and persisted for at least 48 h. Injection of dsRNA had no effect on mortality in pre-adults and adults, but knockdown of LsPGES2 was apparent within 24 h, reaching 95% over the 72 h and was persistent for at least 120 h. The methods developed resulted in rapid and persistent knockdown in L. salmonis suitable for studies in the different stadia.

The muscular system is so highly developed in the Ixodoidea, that it is no matter of surprise that it has been the subject of more or less detailed treatment in most of the publications dealing with tick anatomy; but, with a single exception, the existing descriptions do not extend beyond a general classification of the various muscles, with the addition of brief remarks, in some instances, on the histological structure of the muscle fibres. In the majority of cases, also, the observations only apply to the Ixodid ticks, and although the general arrangement of the musculature in the two families of the Ixodoidea is not fundamentally different, the comparative anatomy of the muscles offers some difficulty, owing to the great morphological differences which the two families present.

The trematode and cestode parasites of fishes inhabiting British coastal waters have been the subject of several studies in the past, but the parasites of deep-sea fishes have received comparatively little attention due probably to the difficulty of obtaining fresh material. In order that such material might be obtained, excursions were made by the junior author in a commercial trawler to some of the deep-sea fishing grounds lying to the west of Ireland, namely, the Irish Atlantic Slope and the Porcupine Bank. Two excursions were made, the first in August 1938 and the second in July 1939, each extending over a period of about 12 days. In addition, a study has been made of the parasites of some fishes from the Irish Sea from 1936 to 1939. The results of both surveys are incorporated in this paper, and the areas investigated are indicated in Table 1.

The mini-exon gene repeats from three different strains of Endotrypanum schaudinni have been amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Sequence analysis of the cloned products shows the gene and intergenic region to be identical in two of the strains (LV86 and M6159); the intergenic region from the mini-exon gene of the third strain (LV59) is significantly different. The LV86 gene and an intergenic probe from the LV59 mini-exon gene do not cross-hybridize with the mini-exon gene from New World Leishmania species. These data provide the basis of a PCR assay to detect E. schaudinni and distinguish it from New World Leishmania species, and which should be applicable to epidemiological studies in insect vectors and mammalian reservoirs. The identification of two different mini-exon gene repeats in E. schaudinni isolates is indicative of further strain variation within this species.

Five new species of Myxosporidia are described and figured. They are: Ceratomyxa auerbachi, Davisia longibrachia, Myxidium laticurvum, Parvicapsula unicornis and Sphaerospora irregularis. The first two are parasitic in the gall-bladders, while the remaining three in the urinary bladders of various teleosts in the North Sea.

1. Entamoeba moshkovskii was isolated from a sewage plant in North London.

2. The morphology and metacystic development is similar to that of E. histolytica and other histolytica-like amoebae, but with differences in minor details.

3. The cysts of E. moshkovskii remain viable when kept at 4° C. for periods up to 10 months providing they are not allowed to dry.

4. If the amoebae are placed in hypotonic solution, the amoebae attempt to eliminate excess water by means of contracting vacuoles, but they eventually die.

5. Experiments have shown that E. moshkovskii is an anaerobe.

6. The optimum temperature for growth is about 24° C. as encystation does not occur at 37° C.

7. E. moshkovskii is not infective to rats or to larvae of the common frog (Rana temporaria) and Salamandra maculosa.

We have isolated a cDNA (SKvl. 1) encoding a Shaker-related K+ channel from an adult cDNA library of the human parasitic trematode Schistosoma mansoni. The deduced amino acid sequence (512 aa, 56·5 kDa) contains 6 putative membrane-spanning domains (S1–S6) and a pore-forming domain (H5). SKv1.1 is grouped in the Shaker family, but forms a unique branch within this family, on the basis of dendrogram analysis. SKv1.1 shows significant sequence identity with most other Shaker channels, with 64—74% identity in the core region (S1–S6). It has the highest sequence identity with the K+ channel (Ak01a) from Aplysia. Northern blot analysis detected a single primary transcript of 2·8 kb. Southern blot analysis indicated that SKv1.1 is present as a single copy in the genomic DNA of S. mansoni. Expression of SKv1. 1 in Xenopus oocytes produced a rapidly activating and inactivating outward K+ current which is highly sensitive to 4-aminopyridine, but is insensitive to tetraethylammonium, mast cell degranulating peptide, dendrotoxin and charybdo-toxin. The presence of a Shaker homologue in Schistosoma suggests that Sh subfamilies may exist in other lower invertebrates as well as platyhelminths.

1. The morphology and histochemistry of the genitalia concerned in the formation of the egg in Multiceps smyihi n.sp. are described.

2. The vitelline cells are devoid of the phenolic protein globules, which occur in the vitelline cells of the Pseudophyllidea; this result is correlated with the absence of a true external egg-shell.

3. The hardened embryophore (often mistakenly termed the egg-shell) gives none of the reactions of sclerotin (tanned protein) or chitin, but gives a strong P.F.A.S. reaction for disulphide bonds, suggesting that it is a ‘keratin’ type of protein.

4. The cells of Mehlis' gland secrete a material which is intensely P.A.S.-positive and is not digested by saliva, α-amylase or hyaluronidase. This suggests that it may be secreting a mucopolysaccharide or muco- or glycoprotein.

1. Leucine aminopeptidase has been detected, histochemically, in the intestine, in the walls of the anterior part of the excretory canals and in the hypodermis of Ascaris lumbricoides.

2. The possible significance of leucine aminopeptidase in the walls of the excretory canal is discussed.

I wish to thank Dr Tate, in whose department this work was carried out, for his advice and encouragement during this investigation and Mr A. Page for technical assistance.

The growth curve, rate of neutral unbound lipid synthesis, and relationship between morphogenesis and lipid reserve have been studied at 30 °C. The feeding process, including a theoretical calculation of bacterial requirements of preinfective larvae, is presented, together with some measurements of the most important variables in ingestion, expulsion of water through the anus, and its dependence on larval posture is described.

Larval stages have been tracked on agar; L1 are so inactive that no tracks were obtained; L2 show short, irregular tracks, and infective larvae strong, long and straighter tracks. The locomotory activity of L2s is primarily for feeding, whereas L2s are adapted for dispersion and host location.

I thank Mr J. M. Smith for tracking the larvae and Mrs Helen Foreman for staining them, Dr Elizabeth U. Canning for making available the scanning microdensitometer and Professor G. S. Nelson and Dr D. A. Denham for enabling us to establish A. tubaeforme in cats. Finally the generous support of the British Medical Research Council is appreciated.

The feeding behaviour of parasitic 3rd-stage larvae (L3) of the hookworms Ancylostoma caninum, A. ceylanicum and Necator americanus was examined. Less than 11% of A. caninum L3 recovered from the small intestines of dogs infected orally were feeding at 4–48 h post-infection (p.i.). and none of the A. ceylanicum L3 recovered from the intestines of orally infected hamsters had resumed feeding. All L4 of both species recovered at 36 and 48 h p.i. had resumed feeding. On the other hand, approximately 16% of the A. ceylanicum L3 recovered from the skin of percutaneously infected hamsters at 18 h were feeding, and the percentage feeding increased to nearly 58% at 44 h p.i. Necator americanus L3 recovered from the skin of percutaneously infected neonatal hamsters resumed feeding at 6–12 h p.i. and reached 90–94% by 18 h. Feeding began to decline at 66 h, and reached 29% at 120 h p.i. This decrease was associated with the migration of larvae from the skin to the lungs. By 192 h p.i. over 95% of the larvae had reached the small intestine, and all had moulted to the L4. The results indicate that parasitic L3 resume feeding in the skin during percutaneous infections, and suggest that feeding by hookworm L3 correlates with the resumption of development.

Representatives of a total of twenty fish species, most of them marine, from the Black Sea coast in Rumania were investigated. Of these, ten species were found to harbour ectoparasitic trichodinids on their skin and gills. Three of them, Trichodina rectuncinata Raabe, 1959, from Gaidropsis mediterranaeus and Crenilabrus griseus, T. caspialosae (Dogiel, 1940) mihi from Alosa braschnikowi meotica and T. d. f. latispina from Gasterosteus aculeatus, were already known.

Three species could be established as new ones: T. puytoraci sp.nov. from Mugil auratus, M. cephalus and M. saliens, T. raabei sp.nov. from Pleuronectes flesus and T. lepsii sp.nov. from M. auratus. They are clearly differentiated from other species.

The following trichodinids were provisionally classified as forms (including one new one) of T. domerguei, thus enlarging this most complicated Trichodina species: T. domerguei, cf. latispina from Gobius syrman, T. domerguei f.n. maris-negri from Gaidropsis mediterranaeus, and T. domerguei f. partidisci from Mugil cephalus. Other populations of T. domerguei could not be properly classified because of lack of material.

The description of the new species of Tripartiella which have been mentioned in the introduction, will be given in a separate paper.

A short survey on marine trichodinids recorded up to the present is given.

This paper reviews naturally occurring and synthetic compounds that either enhance immune defences or lower both natural and acquired immunity. Immunomodulatory agents used both for laboratory study and clinically for the management of immunologically based diseases are considered