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Seasonal changes in parasite load and a cellular immune response in a colour polymorphic lizard Ghent University University of Antwerp

Katleen Huyghe, Annette Van Oystaeyen, Frank Pasmans, Zoran Tadic, Bieke Vanhooydonck, Raoul Van Damme
Permanent colour polymorphisms may be maintained by complex interactions between physiological traits (e.g. immunity) and environmental pressures. In this study we investigate morph specific variation in parasite load and cellular immune response (induced by a Phytohaemagglutinin, PHA injection) in a colour polymorphic population of the Dalmatian wall lizard (Podarcis melisellensis), where adult males have bright white, yellow or orange throats ...

A real-time PCR assay for detection and quantification of Leishmania (Viannia) in skin and mucosal lesions: an exploratory study of parasite load and clinical parameters Institute of Tropical Medicine

M. Jara, V. Adaui, B.M. Valencia, D. Martinez Medina, M. Alba, C. Castrillon, M. Cruz, I. Cruz, Gert Van der Auwera, A Llanos-Cuentas, et al.
Earlier histopathology studies suggest that parasite load may differ between cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) and mucosal leishmaniasis (ML) lesions, and between acute and chronic CL. Formal demonstration requires highly sensitive detection and accurate quantification of Leishmania in human lesional tissue. In this study, we developed a quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) assay targeting the minicircle kinetoplast DNA (kDNA) to detect and quantify ...

Quantification of Leishmania (Viannia) kinetoplast DNA in ulcers of cutaneous leishmaniasis reveals inter-site and inter-sampling variability in parasite load Institute of Tropical Medicine University of Antwerp

Milagros Suárez, Braulio M Valencia, Marlene Jara, Milena Alba, Andrea K Boggild, JC Dujardin, Alejandro Llanos-Cuentas, Jorge Arevalo, Vanessa Adaui

BACKGROUND: Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a skin disease caused by the protozoan parasite Leishmania. Few studies have assessed the influence of the sample collection site within the ulcer and the sampling method on the sensitivity of parasitological and molecular diagnostic techniques for CL. Sensitivity of the technique can be dependent upon the load and distribution of Leishmania amastigotes in the lesion.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL ...

Variation in phenotype, parasite load and male competitive ability across a cryptic hybrid zone University of Antwerp

Devi Stuart-Fox, Raquel Godinho, Joëlle Gouy de Bellocq, Nancy R. Irwin, José Carlos Brito, Adnan Moussalli, Pavel Široký, Andrew F. Hugall, Stuart J.E. Baird
Background Molecular genetic studies are revealing an increasing number of cryptic lineages or species, which are highly genetically divergent but apparently cannot be distinguished morphologically. This observation gives rise to three important questions: 1) have these cryptic lineages diverged in phenotypic traits that may not be obvious to humans; 2) when cryptic lineages come into secondary contact, what are the evolutionary consequences: ...

Monthly prevalence and parasite load of gastrointestinal nematodes and Fasciola hepatica in dairy cattle from two districts of the Mantaro Valley, Junin, Peru Ghent University

Andrea Briones Montero, Ivonne Salazar Rodriguez, Gonzalo Suarez Veirano, Peter Geldhof, Daniel Zarate Rendon
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and monthly parasitic load of gastrointestinal nematodes aid Fasciola hepatica in dairy cattle of the districts Nueve de Julio and Matahuasi el Mantaro Valley (Junin, Peru), as well as the epidemiological factors associated with these parasitosis. Monthly faecal samples were collected from 11 dairy farms in each district for one year. The samples were analysed with the modified Dennis ...

Maternal effects reduce oxidative stress in female nestlings under high parasite load Ghent University

Greet De Coster, Liesbeth De Neve, Simon Verhulst, Luc Lens
Mothers can adjust the phenotype of their offspring to the local environment through a modification of their egg investment and/or nestling provisioning. However, offspring health may be severely impaired if the conditions experienced by nestlings do not match with those anticipated by the mother. If maternal effects differentially affect the sexes or if one sex is more strongly affected by an environmental stressor, fitness benefits may also ...

Assessing L. donovani skin parasite load: a proof of concept study of a microbiopsy device in an Indian setting Institute of Tropical Medicine

Kristien Cloots, Om Prakash Singh, Abhishek Kumar Singh, Gert Van der Auwera, Prashant Kumar, Mallikarjuna Rao Gedda, Tulika Kumari Rai, Epco Hasker, Shyam Sundar, Marleen Boelaert, et al.

Background: In the endgame of the elimination initiative of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) on the Indian subcontinent, one of the main questions remaining is whether asymptomatically infected individuals also contribute to transmission. We piloted a minimally invasive microbiopsy device that could help answer this question. While the potential of this device has been previously illustrated in Ethiopia, no such information is available for the ...

The effect of infection with Toxoplasma gondii strains on the IFN-g production and parasitic load in tissues of experimentally infected pigs Ghent University

Malgorzata Jennes, Stephane De Craeye, Bert Devriendt, Pierre Dorny, K Dierick, Eric Cox
Objectives: Toxoplasma gondii is an intracellular parasite of humans and animals. The infection with this pathogen causes severe diseases in humans and has an important economic impact in domestic animals. One of the main sources of infection in humans is the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. The objective of this study was to determine the influence of subsequent infections of pigs with different T. gondii strains on the parasitic load of ...

T. gondii strains and their dosage influence the parasitic load in tissues of experimentally infected pigs Ghent University

Stéphane De Craeye, Malgorzata Jennes, Delfien Verhelst, Pierre Dorny, Katelijne Dierick, Vesna Melkebeek, Eric Cox
One of the major routes of a Toxoplasma gondii infection in humans is the consumption of raw or undercooked meat. In the present study, we compared the parasitic load induced by 2 different T. gondii strains in the tissues of experimentally infected 6 weeks old pigs. In the first experiment, pigs were orally infected with 3000 tissue cysts of IPB-Gangji strain. The pigs were euthanized 2 and 6 months after infection, and the following samples ...