Effects of land use history and inoculation with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> f. sp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">cucumberinum</Emphasis> Owen on soil nematodes communities

Summary  A pot culture experiment was carried out to study the effects of land use history and inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cucumberinum Owen (Foc) on soil nematodes communities during the cucumber growing season in 2007. The results showed that land use history and inoculation had significant effects on the abundance and diversity of soil nematodes. Bacterivores were found to be the most dominant group in this study. Irrespective of inoculation, numbers of fungivores, plant-parasites and values of trophic diversity index (TD) and plant-parasites index (PPI) were greater in greenhouse soils (GH) than in open field vegetable soils (OF) during the growth period of cucumber. While, the number of omnivores-predators and values of richness (SR) and maturity index (MI) presented an opposite trend. Foc inoculation had noticeable effects on numbers of plant-parasites and some taxa, such as Helicotylenchus, Epidorlaimus at flowering stage and Aphelenchus, Tobrilus at fruiting stage. Besides, inoculation significantly affected values of PPI at flowering stage and TD at fruiting stage, respectively. The faunal analysis showed that soil food web in GH was highly disturbed and in OF was degraded.     

First evidence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paraheligmonina gracilis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hymenolepis sulcata</Emphasis> among fat dormice (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Glis glis</Emphasis> L.) from Croatia

Summary The present study reports for the first time on the helminth species occurring in the gastro-intestinal system of fat dormice (Glis glis) in Croatia. Out of 55 dormice, 63.7 % harboured helminths belonging to two species, the nematode Paraheligmonina gracilis (syn. Longistriata elpatievskii) (Heligmonellidae, Trichostrogyloidea) in the prevalence of 52.7 %, and the cestode Hymenolepis sulcata (Hymenolepididae, Cyclophyllidea) in the prevalence of 32.7 %. Concurrent infections of both parasites were found in 12 fat dormice, P. gracilis alone was detected in 17 hosts and H. sulcata alone in 6 samples. No influence of parasitic infestation on animal weight was observed. Glirid helminths do not represent zoonotic pathogens despite the fact that dormice occasionally inhabit cottages and village houses, and are used in human nutrition.     

Occurrence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema</Emphasis> species in grapevine areas of Tyrnavos with comments on the distribution of <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. italiae</Emphasis> in Greece

Summary A survey for presence of Xiphinema species was undertaken in the viticulture areas of Tyrnavos, Thessally, Greece. Soil samples were collected from existing vineyards and from fields where grapevines had been uprooted and were currently under fallow or a cereal crop. The species X. index, X. italiae and X. pachtaicum were present in 37% of the samples with a prevalence of the last two species in uprooted fields. The occurrence of X. italiae in association with light sandy soils is discussed and compared with similar findings from other Greek grapevine areas.     

Occurrence of the root-knot nematode <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne arenaria</Emphasis> on balm and in a mixed population with <Emphasis Type="Italic">M. javanica</Emphasis> on grapevine in Greece

Summary The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne arenaria was found in Greece infecting balm (Melissa officinalis L.) and grapevine (Vitis vinifera L.). The isolate from balm was M. arenaria while the one from grapevine was a mixture of M. arenaria and M. javanica (prevalent species). This is the first report of the M. arenaria species in the country in which identification was based on biochemical methods and its occurrence on balm is a new host record.     

The effect of soil compost treatments on potato cyst nematodes <Emphasis Type="Italic">Globodera rostochiensis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Globodera pallida</Emphasis>

A pot experiment on potato was carried out to verify the nematicidal effect of four composts of different origin (C1: 70 % horse manure + 15 % sugar beet pomace + 5 % poultry manure + 10% grape pomace; C2: 100 % pig manure decomposed by juveniles of Musca domestica; C3: 100 % vermicompost from medical plants wastes; C4: 100% vermicompost from cattle manure) on the potato cyst nematodes G. rostochiensis (Ro1) and G. pallida (Pa2 and Pa3). Composts at different rates (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 % w/w) were mixed with the nematode infested soils. Pots with unamended soils were used as control. Pots (4 l) were arranged in a glasshouse according to a randomized block design with four replications per each treatment. A significant reduction in number of cysts, eggs and juveniles/cyst and eggs and juveniles/g soil was observed in each compost in comparison to unamended soil. The suppressive nematode effect increased according to the compost NH₄⁺ content and compost rate.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphanocladium album</Emphasis> by via sub-irrigation in the control of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pyrenochaeta lycopersici</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Meloidogyne incognita</Emphasis> on tomato in a plastic-house

Summary  Two experiments were carried out to assess the efficacy of different chemicals (azoxystrobin, fosthiazate, metham-sodium) and of the chitinolytic fungus Aphanocladium album (isolate MX-95), that could be alternatives to methyl bromide, against the soil borne pathogen Pyrenochaeta lycopersici and the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita on tomato in a plastic house in southern Italy. In the first trial, the treatments were azoxystrobin (1.25 l a.i. /ha), fosthiazate (1.5 l a.i. /ha) and biological control agent Aphanocladium album isolate MX-95 (2.5 l/plot at 2×10⁷ CFU/ml; plot surface 96 m²). In the second experiment, treatments were metham-sodium (1000 l c.p./ha) and A. album (5 l/plot at 1×10⁷ CFU/ml). In both trials, chemicals and the fungus were applied by via sub-irrigation. Satisfactory control of the corky root and the root-knot nematode attack and a significant yield increase were obtained by application of azoxystrobin, fosthiazate and metham-sodium. A significant reduction of M. incognita soil population density occurred in plots treated with A. album. Also, high positive correlations were found between the symptoms caused on tomato roots by M. incognita and P. lycopersici.     

Helminth parasites of the pupfish <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cyprinodon meeki</Emphasis> (Pisces: Cyprinodontiformes), an endemic freshwater fish from North-Central Mexico

Summary A total of 21 pupfish Cyprindon meeki was collected from the spring Abraham González, Durango, Mexico. Seven helminth taxa were recovered: Salsuginus angularis, Posthodiplostomum minimum, Clinostomum complanatum, Bothriocephalus acheilognathi, Cyclustera cf. ralli, Atactorhynchus duranguensis and Spiroxys sp. Among them, B. acheilognathi and A. duranguensis were the most frequent and abundant species. The remaining species were rare and found at low mean abundance. The observed species richness, individual parasite abundance, and diversity were low at component community and infracommunity levels. These features are in accordance with those recorded for other freshwater fish species in the Nearctic part of Mexico. Host feeding habits, along with its role as intermediate host, are suggested as the main factors in determining the helminth community structure in this fish species.     

The helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mus spretus</Emphasis>, in a post-fire regenerated Mediterranean ecosystem

Summary The helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse, Mus spretus, was analysed in a post-fire regenerated Mediterranean ecosystem. The study was carried out in the Spanish Natural Park of the Serra Calderona and comprised a 13 year period, from the 2^nd to the 14^th year after a wildfire. A total of 121 host individuals was analysed, 66 mice from the burned area and 55 from the non-burned area used as control. The results show a helminth community consisting of 10 helminth species, characterised by low diversity, with Syphacia obvelata as the only dominant helminth species. The helminth infracommunity, determined by its origin of capture, burned or non-burned areas, shows some significant differences. It is concluded that the helminth community of the Mediterranean mouse could be considered as a potential biological tag of the post-fire regeneration in Mediterranean ecosystems and therefore might explain some of the changes occurring and their repercussions in perturbed areas.     

Note on morphology of two nematode species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ascaridia hermaphrodita</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ascaridia platyceri</Emphasis> (Nematoda): scanning electron microscope study

Summary  Morphological features of adult specimens of Ascaridia hermaphrodita and A. platyceri (Nematoda: Ascaridida), parasitizing parrots (Psittaciformes), were studied for the first time using scanning electron microscopy. The morphology of A. hermaphrodita, the type species of Ascaridia, coincides fully with the generic diagnosis. The shape of the labial inner structure (two spoon-like projections), cervical alae and spicule with cuticular wings were typical for this species. A. hermaphrodita has been found in the Czech Republic for the first time in a new host, Amazona pretrei, from Brazil. The morphology of Ascaridia platyceri does not correspond with the generic diagnosis in all aspects, as some variation was found, mainly in the presence of interlabia, small teeth in the inner ribbon of the lips and long lateral alae. These morphological characteristics in other species of Ascaridia are discussed. The generic diagnosis is to include the statement “interlabia very rarely present”.     

Study of the 49 kDa excretory-secretory protein gene of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichinella nativa</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trichinella spiralis</Emphasis>

Summary To study the function of the 49 kDa excretory-secretory (ES) protein gene (P49) of Trichinella, the genes was amplified by RT-PCR from RNA of Trichinella spiralis and Trichinella nativa and several Chinese Trichinella isolates of domestic animals, and sequenced after being cloned. The amplified products of these parasites produced bands of about 950 bp. The 97.2 % to 100 % nucleotides identity and 94.3 % to 100 % identity of deduced amino acids among P49 gene of these Trichinella strains showed the close relationship of these parasites. The P49 gene of T. nativa was cloned into the BamHI site of the prokaryotic expression vector pET-30a, and the recombinant vector was expressed. The expressed product was 40.8 kDa in size. In Western blot analysis, the expressed product was reactive to sera of mice infected with T. nativa, T. spiralis and their Chinese geographical strains.     

Infection with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crenosoma vulpis</Emphasis> lungworm in a dog in the Czech Republic

A one-year-old female Shetland Sheepdog was presented with chronic cough. The patient exhibited tachypnea and moist cough, bronchoscopic examination revealed a hyperaemic trachea and mucopurulent exudate affecting the lower bronchi. Nematode parasites were observed during bronchoscopy and were collected by bronchoalveolar lavage. Microscopic examination of the collected fluid confirmed C. vulpis infection; L1 larvae were found in during coproscopy. Although other cases of canine C. vulpis infection have been previously recorded in Europe, the case reported herein is the first in a dog from Czech Republic.     

Occurence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Echinococcus multilocularis</Emphasis> in red foxes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vulpes vulpes</Emphasis>) in southern Poland

Summary The prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in 214 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the southern part of Poland (Małopolskie voivodship) was evaluated post mortem in 2005. Infected foxes were found in 8 districts within 17 examined, with the prevalence from 10.0 % to 63.9 % (a mean 20.1 % in the whole study area). The highest prevalence (41.2 % and 63.9 %) was revealed in two districts, in the south and the east of the province, respectively. The high prevalence of E. multilocularis in red foxes in the region previously recognised as that of low parasite endemicity provides evidence for the need of regular screening of the current epidemiological situation in foxes as well as the monitoring of humans from risk groups for early recognition of possible AE cases.     

Metacercariae of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Centrocestus formosanus</Emphasis> in goldfish (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Carassius auratus</Emphasis> L.) imported into Croatia

Summary The presence of metacercariae of Centrocestus formosanus was detected on the gills of goldfish (Carassius auratus L.) imported from Singapore and obtained from two pet shops. This is the first report of the parasite in Croatia. The histopathological changes observed lead to the conclusion that the infection could be one of the reasons for the death of goldfish.     

Molecular genotyping of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Anisakis</Emphasis> Dujardin, 1845 (Nematoda: Ascaridoidea: Anisakidae) larvae from marine fish of Balinese and Javanese waters,Indonesia

Summary The genetic identification and distribution of Anisakis larvae in Indonesia is described. 110 Auxis rochei rochei and 45 Decapterus russellii were sampled from fish markets in North (Anturan) and South (Kedonganan) Bali. Nematode larvae from A. rochei rochei, Caesio cuning and Epinephelus areolatus from Kedonganan and from Coryphaena hippurus from Pelabuhan Ratu, South Java, were identified using sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS-1, ITS-2) and 5.8S region of rDNA. The larvae belonged to Anisakis typica with an identical sequence to this species from the spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) from Brazil, and to 2 further genotypes that differed from that sequence by 0.24–0.47 %. A. typica occurred in the migratory A. rochei rochei and C. hippurus, while Anisakis sp. 1 and 2 were isolated from the same fish species and the non-migratory C. cuning and E. areolatus. The latter genotype is distinguishable by 4 positions in the ITS-1 region (1.1 %), a genetic distance that indicates the presence of an Indonesian A. typica sibling species. The musculature infection in A. rochei rochei was low (2.5 %), indicating no major risk for the fish consumers. The much higher A. typica infection of fish intermediate hosts in the northern Bali coast is suggested to be dependent on the large dolphin population (nematode final hosts) in the waters off Lovina Beach (North Bali).     

The first record of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dracunculus mulbus</Emphasis> (Nematoda: Dracunculidae) in the Papuan olive python <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apodora papuana</Emphasis> (Ophidia: Boidae)

Summary A male specimen of Dracunculus (Nematoda: Dracunculidae), collected in 1973 from the lung of the Papuan olive python Apodora papuana (Peters et Doria) and now deposited in the helminthological collection of the Natural History Museum in London, is identified as Dracunculus mulbus Jones et Mulder, 2007, a species recently described from the water python Liasis fuscus Peters in northern Australia. Apodora papuana is a new host record for D. mulbus and Papua New Guinea is apparently a new geographical record.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Echinococcus multilocularis</Emphasis> is a frequent parasite of red foxes (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Vulpes vulpes</Emphasis>) in Latvia

Summary  45 red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from various regions of Latvia were examined by necropsy between 2003 and 2008 for the presence and infection intensity of Echinococcus multilocularis. The overall prevalence was 35.6 %, with the intensity of infection ranging from 1 to 1438. Although a limited number of foxes were examined, the prevalence was high and infected animals were found throughout the country. Considering the increasing number of humans infected with echinococcosis in Latvia since 2002, the situation is highly suggestive of a recent emergence of E. multilocularis. DNA sequences of four fox isolates were examined by multilocus analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear genes (cox1, nad1, rrnS, atp6, actII). All isolates were allocated to the predominant genetic form in Europe, with partial affinity of one isolate to a genotype that had previously been reported from southern Germany.     

Occurence of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pomphorhynchus laevis</Emphasis> (Acanthocephala) in the Marsh Frog (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Rana ridibunda</Emphasis> Pallas, 1771), from Turkey

Summary   Pomphorhynchus laevis (Müller, 1776) was recovered from Marsh frogs (Rana ridibunda), collected in three localities, Yesilirmak River (Amasya Province), Civril Isikli Lake and Bagbasi district (Denizli Province) from Turkey. This is the first report of Pomphorhynchus laevis from a frog in Turkey.     

Morphometrical and molecular characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bursaphelenchus</Emphasis> species from Slovenia

Summary The environmental conditions in Slovenia are relatively favourrable for the colonisation and spread of the pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a very dangerous pathogenic species which was recently identified in Europe in Portugal. To determine the presence of B. xylophilus in Slovenia and to introduce proper measures against its emergence and spread, a survey of Bursaphelenchus species was conducted in Slovenia from 2002 to 2005. Approximately 120 ha of conifer forests in Slovenia were surveyed for the presence of Bursaphelenchus species. In total, 206 wood samples were taken from the conifer forests. B. hofmanni, B. mucronatus were found for the first time in Slovenia, while B. xylophilus was not detected. Additionally, the species Aphelenchoides stammeri which is morphologically very similar to Bursaphelencus was found. All species have been described morphologically and characterized by ITS-RFLP analysis. Sequences of ribosomal DNA for B. hofmanni, B. mucronatus were analysed.