In vitro radioisotopic labeling of the L-3 stage of Brugia malayi

Ten radioisotopes (133Ba, 207Bi, 109Cd, 51Cr, 59Fe, 203Hg, 54Mn, 125Sb and 75Se) were used to label the L-3 stage of Brugia malayi. The in vitro uptake at 4 hours in a buffered salt solution was greatest for 207Bi and exceeded that of 203Hg, by a factor of 6 and the rest of the radionuclides by factors of 26 or more. Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (1%) in the medium only slightly enhanced the uptake of 207Bi but increased 203Hg uptake by a factor of 2.5. After incubation in non-radioactive medium only 2% of the 207Bi was retained; for 203Hg the retention was 70% or better. Increasing the labeling time increased total uptake and retention of the radionuclides. The retention of the 203Hg injected intraperitoneally into jirds (Meriones unguiculatus) in the form of labeled L-3s was followed over a 16 day period by counting the jirds in a whole animal NaI crystal detector. One L-4 stage of B malayi was recovered at the end of this period.     

Eurytrema procyonis in a New York fox

A fox infected with canine distemper virus had multiple Eurytrema procyonis trematodes within the major pancreatic duct. The ductal epithelium was slightly hyperplastic and there was mild periductal fibrosis present. There was dilatation of the pancreatic duct containing the parasites. Numerous eosinophilic intracytoplasmic inclusions were present in the epithelium of multiple organs, including the pancreatic ducts.     

Interactions between the introduced fungal pathogen Entomophaga maimaiga and indigenous tachinid parasitoids of gypsy moth Lymantria dispar in Bulgaria

Interactions between the gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Erebidae), pathogenic fungus Entomophaga maimaiga, and the tachinid parasitoid (Diptera: Tachinidae) complex in gypsy moth larvae were investigated in Bulgaria, where E. maimaiga was recently released as a biological control agent. Gypsy moth larvae were collected in oak stands where E. maimaiga was originally introduced (nine sites) and in sites where the pathogen has invaded by natural extension of the range (ten sites). In total, 4,375 host larvae were examined and 401 tachinid larvae emerged from parasitized hosts. Host mortality caused by tachinids varied from 0 to 48.5% among sites, with an overall average of 9.2%. Emerging adult tachinid parasitoids included 54 individuals belonging to six species: Compsilura concinnata, Exorista larvarum, Senometopia separata, Senometopia excisa, Drino incospiqua and Zenilia libatrix; the remaining parasitoids (86.5%) died in the pupal stage. E. maimaiga azygospores were observed on puparia surfaces, an indication that the gypsy moth host larvae were infected with the fungus. No azygospores were observed in parasitoid tissues. The high parasitoid mortality may be the result of the competition with E. maimaiga during development in the same host.