Janina Dziekońska-Rynko

EFFECTS OF IVERMECTIN AND ALBENDAZOLE AGAINST ANISAKIS SIMPLEX IN VITRO AND IN GUINEA PIGS

The activity of ivermectin and albendazole against larval Anisakis simplex was tested in vitro and in experimentally infected guinea pigs. Before drug exposure the medium for half of the larvae was adjusted to pH 2.0 with 1 N HCl, whereas the other half was held at pH 7.0. To these solutions, ivermectin was added to full concentrations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, or 200 μg/ml, and for albendazole, 300, 400, and 500 μg/ml. Animals from group I were given 0.1 ml of 1% (3.3 mg/kg) ivermectin, whereas guinea pigs from group II were each given 5–7 mg (16.6–23.3 mg/kg) of albendazole orally. The efficacy of both drugs against L3 A. simplex was high in vitro and in vivo against the larvae in different organs of guinea pigs.

Parasites of an Asian Fish, the Chinese Sleeper Perccottus glenii, in the Włocławek Reservoir on the Lower Vistula River, Poland: In Search of the Key Species in the Host Expansion Process

Abstract We investigated the parasite fauna of the Chinese (Amur) sleeper Perccottus glenii Dybowski, 1877 (Perciformes: Odontobutidae) in the Włocławek Reservoir on the lower Vistula River in Poland over 4 yr (2006–2010). Chinese sleeper was unintentionally introduced from eastern Asia to the European part of Russia (near St. Petersburg) in 1916 and has since spread spontaneously throughout Asia and Europe. It is now a frequent component of the ichthyofauna in the Vistula River drainage. In total, 168 seasonally caught individuals of P. glenii were examined for parasites. The parasite community consisted of 18 taxa, including 2 core species, Trichodina domerguei and Nippotaenia mogurndae, and 3 intermediate species, Diplostomum spathaceum (metacercaria [met.]), Echinochasmus spinosus (met.), and Eustrongylides excisus (larvae), with overall prevalence 47.6%, 38.7%, 16.7%, 10.7%, and 12.5%, respectively. Poland is a new locality record for Diplostomum paracaudum (met.), Eustrongylides tubifex (larvae), and Holostephanus luehei (met.). Due to the pathological effects of infection, larvae of Eustrongylides spp. may be a factor that limits Chinese sleeper population growth in the study area.

Pathology associated with Contracaecum rudolphii (Nematoda: Anisakidae) infection in the great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (L. 1758)

SummaryThis is a report of lesions associated with the nematode Contracaecum rudolphii (Nematoda: Anisakidae) from the proventriculus of the great cormorant, Phalacrocorax carbo (L. 1758). The study was undertaken as part of a health monitoring program for P. carbo, which is endangered and thus protected within the European continent. Cormorants were collected by gun-shot from north-eastern Poland in the spring of 2006, four birds were necropsied on site and the gastrointestinal tract was examined for the presence of nematodes. The birds came from a region with noted increases in the cormorant population over the last decade. Esophageal and gastric sections with parasites in situ were fixed in formalin and processed routinely for paraffin embedding, stained with H&E and examined by brightfield microscopy. Parasite associated lesions consisted of severe, ulcerative gastritis at the attachment sites, and diffuse granulomatous gastritis in adjacent areas. Eosinophilic material speculated to be the parasite-derived excretory-secretory product was consistently forming the parasite-host boundry at the attachment points. Although the parasite-associated gastric lesions were focally severe, all examined birds appeared in good body condition. Because only four birds were investigated in this study, the potential contribution of C. rudolphii to morbidity and mortality in great cormorants needs to be examined further.

Development of larval Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 (Ascaridida: Anisakidae) in experimentally infected goldfish (Carassius auratus L., 1758).

Laboratory-bred goldfish were experimentally infected with Contracaecum rudolphii, either directly (with nematode larvae) or indirectly via infected zooplankton. Intensity and prevalence of infection were markedly higher in fish exposed to the infected zooplankton than in goldfish exposed to nematode larvae. When transmitted to fish via the zooplankton, larvae developed much faster and, after 8 weeks, became firmly encysted in the intestine wall. The digestive tract of larvae isolated from the intestine wall showed a well-developed ventriculus, ventricular appendix and intestinal caecum. The mouth was surrounded by three lips. When free-living larvae induced infection, they rapidly penetrated the intestine wall and migrated to internal organs (e.g. liver). The primordial lips of those larvae were poorly visible, the ventricular appendix was short, and the intestinal caecum was absent. During the 10-week experiment, no encysted larvae were found in fish infected with free-living larvae.

Parasitic helminths in grey heron (Ardea cinerea) chicks

Abstract Parasitological studies were carried out on pulli (n = 20) collected on a breeding colony near the Włocławski Reservoir on the Vistula River (Central Poland). Larvae of the nematode Contracaecum rudolphii (mean intensity of infection 9.3) were detected in the stomachs of all chicks, with adult worms present in two chicks. Larvae of the nematode Porrocaecum ardeae (mean intensity 3.1), the tapeworm Paradilepis scolecina (58.5) and flukes of five genera: Tylodelphys, Posthodiplostomum, Apharyngostrigea, Paryphostomum and Echinochasmus (mean intensity in total 28.1) were found in the intestines of all chicks. The studies demonstrated that grey heron chicks are infected with parasites very early in life, which may adversely impact their health. The presence of adult C. rudolphii nematodes indicates a transfer of parasites from adult birds to chicks during feeding.

Anisakidae in beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas from Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait

A total of 190 nematodes was isolated from the stomachs of 13 beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas from the Arctic part of Hudson Bay and Hudson Strait. Infection intensity ranged from 1 to 57 specimens and prevalence was 84.62%. Morphological examination of the nematodes revealed the presence of 3 species: Pseudoterranova decipiens sensu lato, Contracaecum osculatum s.l., and Anisakis simplex s.l. Molecular analysis by PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) resulted in the identification of 4 species: Pseudoterranova bulbosa, Contracaecum osculatum A and C, and Anisakis simplex sensu stricto. The nematodes were present in 3 developmental stages: L3 (159 specimens), L4 (16 larvae), and adults (15 worms: 11 males and 4 females).

Activity of selected hydrolytic enzymes from leeches (Clitellata: Hirudinida) with different feeding strategies

Hydrolase activities of extracts from different parts of the bodies of parasitic (Theromyzon tessulatum, Piscicola geometra) and predatory (Erpobdella octoculata, Glossiphonia complanata) leeches were examined. The highest activity was detected in the extracts from sections containing the intestine. Hydrolase activities in the crop and intestine of parasitic leeches were higher than in predatory leeches. The high activity of most of hydrolases in those segments may indicate the intensity of digestion and absorption processes in leeches. A lack of trypsin activity and low chymotrypsin activity are likely to result from the presence of inhibitors of these enzymes. The high activity of the majority of the analyzed hydrolases in extracts derived from the head segment of predatory leeches enables, through digestion of tissues, their easy access to physiological fluids of a host. In turn, in extracts from the head segment of predatory leeches, only four hydrolases were shown to be active. Lipase activity was not found in any of the samples, while α-galactosidase activity was found only in extracts from the head segment of T. tessulatum and P. geometra. Trypsin activity was detected in the extract from the intestine contents of H. sanguisuga and in the extract from the head segment of P. geometra. The results demonstrate the presence of majority of hydrolases occurring in other animals in the alimentary tract of leeches. The study also shows that the crop of leeches is not only a food reservoir, but also the site where digestion and absorption processes take place.

Dermacentor reticulatus ticks (Acari: Ixodidae) distribution in north-eastern Poland: an endemic area of tick-borne diseases

Dermacentor reticulatus is the second most important tick species in Poland. Although the north-eastern region of Poland is considered typical for D. reticulatus and is treated as a contiguous area of Eastern populations of the meadow ticks, the occurrence of this tick species in this region to date has been recorded as separate foci. The present report supplements data on the geographical distribution of D. reticulatus in urban and natural biotopes of north-eastern Poland (Warmia and Mazury province). In 2015–2017 (during the springtime activity of ticks) adult questing D. reticulatus were found in 13 of 25 monitored localities. Six sites are located in urbanized areas, within the administrative borders of the city of Olsztyn and seven sites are in natural biotopes in the central part of Warmia and Mazury. A total of 398 adult D. reticulatus ticks, including 257 females and 141 males, were collected. A comparison of data grouped according to urban and natural type of area revealed no statistical differences between them. Taking into account the habitat type, the mean tick density was the highest in open landscapes. The identification of new foci D. reticulatus in the endemic areas of Lyme borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis and canine babesiosis is crucial for determining the risk of diseases transmitted by ticks and taking proper preventive measures.

Helminths of European smelt Osmerus eperlanus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Lake Hańcza and the Vistula Lagoon, with special regard to their zoonotic threats

Reports published in recent years on the increased risk in the Baltic Sea of fish infection with larvae of nematodes potentially pathogenic to humans have prompted a study of European smelt Osmerus eperlanus with respect to the presence of these parasites in the Vistula Lagoon. Additionally, samples of this fish from Lake Hańcza were comparatively considered. The body cavity, the surface of internal organs, the alimentary tract and the swimbladder of fish from two environmentally different water bodies were taken into account in the analysis. Only the tapeworm Proteocephalus longicollis was found in the alimentary tract of the fish from Lake Hańcza. Depending on the period of study, the prevalence ranged from 60% to 100%, and the mean intensity from 11.5 to 42.0. The helminth fauna of smelt from the Vistula Lagoon was more diverse: Cystidicola farionis occurred with a prevalence from 25.9 to 75.0% and a mean intensity of infection from 2.7 to 66.0%, Proteocephalus longicollis and cystacanths of Corynosoma with a prevalence ranging in different years from 12.0 to 44.0% and from 14.8 to 50.0%, respectively. Zoonotic parasites, such as nematode larvae of the Anisakidae family (Contracaecum sp., Anisakis simplex), occurred in the intestine with a prevalence of 31%, 72% and 22% in consecutive years of the study.

Occurrence of Nematodes in the alimentary tract of great cormorants [Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758)] in colonies located in the upper and lower Vistula River

Abstract The occurrence of nematodes in the alimentary tract of great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (L., 1758) nestlings was studied in the Włocławek Reservoir located on the Vistula in central Poland and in adult birds wintering in the south of Poland, with the food base in the upper Vistula. Mixed (max 4 species) nematode infections were found in all birds. Apart from Contracaecum rudolphii Hartwich, 1964 found in all studied birds, the third- and fourth-stage larvae as well as adult individuals of the following species were also present: Eustrongylides excisus Jägerskiöld, 1909, Anisakis simplex (Rudolphi, 1809), Hysterothylacium aduncum (Rudolphi, 1802), Desmidocercella numidica Seurat, 1920, Synquaria squamata (Linstow, 1883), Cosmocephalus obvelatus (Creplin, 1825), Baruscapillaria carbonis (Dubinin et Dubinina, 1940). The overall mean intensity of infection with nematodes was 23.4 ± 11.6 in nestlings and 175.7 ± 110.9 in adult cormorants. The most common species was C. rudolphii with the mean infection intensity of 12.5 ± 5.9 in nestlings and 154.6 ± 111.4 in adults. The second most common species was E. excisus. S. squamata, C. obvelatus and D. numidica were less common in both age groups. A. simplex and H. aduncum were found only in nestlings, while B. carbonis only in adults.