S. Abdul Basith

Molecular prevalence of Cryptosporidium spp. in dairy calves in Southern states of India.

Dung samples were collected from dairy calves of south Indian states viz., Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and union territory, Puducherry and are subjected to nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) targeting 18S rRNA gene for detection of Cryptosporidium infection. Of the 459 dung samples screened 182 were found positive with a prevalence of 39.65%. Highest prevalence of Cryptosporidium was observed in Puducherry (86.67%) and lowest in Kerala (17.65%). Genotyping by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and sequence analysis revealed the presence of all the four major Cryptosporidium species of cattle viz., Cryptosporidium andersoni, Cryptosporidium ryanae, Cryptosporidium parvum and Cryptosporidium bovis. C. andersoni was widely distributed in calves of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Puducherry whereas in Andhra Pradesh C. ryanae was the major species. Of the 64 samples subjected to PCR-RFLP, 39 (60.94%) could be classified as C. andersoni, 18 (28.13%) as C. ryanae, 4 (6.25%) as C. parvum and 3 (4.69%) were confirmed as C. bovis. The results were also confirmed by sequencing of 19 Cryptosporidium DNA samples.

In vitro evaluation of anthelmintic property of ethno-veterinary plant extracts against the liver fluke Fasciola gigantica

The present study was envisaged to evaluate the efficacy of ethno-medicinal plant aqueous extracts such as Allium sativum, Lawsonia inermis, and Opuntia ficus indica in vitro in comparison with the chemotherapeutic agent, Oxyclozanide on Fasciola gigantica adults. The efficacy was evaluated by gross visual motility and mortality of F. gigantica with score index, light microscopic examination of carmine stained flukes and histopathology of treated flukes. Based on the in vitro trials conducted using above plant extracts at 1 percent, 2.5 percent and 5 percent concentration, the extracts of O. ficus indica showed flukicidal effect at 2.5 and 5% concentration. However A. sativum and L. inermis were effective at 5% concentration only. The study indicated the potential for developing herbal-based anthelmintics to control F. gigantica in livestock.

Development and evaluation of flow through technique for diagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in sheep

A novel in vitro flow through technique was developed and evaluated for immunodiagnosis of cystic echinococcosis in sheep using hydatid specific non-cross reactive 8-kDa protein. The 8-kDa protein was prepared from hydatid cyst fluid by DEAE-Sepharose fast flow anion exchange chromatography. In this flow through technique, the 8-kDa antigen was coated on the nitrocellulose membrane of flow through device. Protein A colloidal gold was used as detector. The evaluation of the technique was performed by comparing 150 known positive hydatid serum and known negative serum collected from sheep. The test was shown to be high sensitivity and specificity that were closely correlated with those of EITB. Furthermore the immunofiltration-based assay is rapid (2 min) and easy to perform with no requirement of special skill, reagent and instrumentation. This suggests the flow through technique is an acceptance alternative to be used in clinical laboratories lacking specialized equipments as well as large scale screening of cystic echinococcosis both in the field with animal and human populations.

Kalicephalus sp. in a captive Russell's viper: a case report.

The occurrence of Kalicephalus sp. of hookworms in a Russell’s viper snake maintained in Chennai snake park trust, Chennai is reported. These worms were found in the stomach and intestine. They were cylindrical, thread like and had an elongate body. Anterior end was obliquely truncated with bivalvular buccal capsule. Short, thick and muscularised oesophagus ending in a rounded bulb was observed. In males, a well developed trilobed bursa was observed and the spicules were short and equal. Typical strongyle type eggs were found in the uterus of female worms as well as in the intestinal contents.

In vitro production of Toxocara canis excretory-secretory (TES) antigen

Toxocara canis is a widespread gastrointestinal nematode parasite of dogs and cause Toxocara larva migrans, an important zoonotic disease in humans on ingestion of infective eggs. Toxocarosis is one of the few human parasitic diseases whose serodiagnosis uses a standardized antigen, T. canis excretory secretory antigen (TES). The present study describes collection of T. canis adult worm, collection and embryonation of T. canis eggs, hatching and separation of T. canis larvae, in vitro maintenance of T. canis second stage larvae for production of TES, concentration of culture fluid TES and yield of TES in correlation with various methods cited in literature.

Sparganosis in Russell’s viper snake: a case report

The occurrence of the plerocercoid larva, Sparganum of Sparganum spp. in two Russell’s viper snakes maintained in Chennai snake park trust, Chennai is reported for the first time from Southern India. The cestode larvae were found in the sub cutis and were flat, solid, wrinkled, ribbon like creamy white in colour with peudosegmentation with anterior end possessing bothria. The cuticles, subcuticular cells and parenchymatous tissue stained by acetic alum carmine further confirmed the cestode larvae.

Occurrence of Laemobothrion maximum in Greater Coucal

External examination of free range abandoned dead Greater Coucal in a veterinary dispensary, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India revealed presence of a large sized louse in the feathers and was identified as Laemobothrion maximum on the basis of morphology and size of the louse.