Chaetotaxy of cercariae of Opisthioglyphe ranae (Fr?lich, 1791) (Trematoda: Plagiorchidae)

A detailed observation of the sensory apparatus of Opisthioglyphe ranae (Fr?lich, 1791) cercariae was carried out. The species was determined on the basis of an experimental study of the life cycle and morphology of sporocysts, cercariae, metacercariae, and adults. In contrast to other species of the family Plagiorchidae, no papillae were present in the positions CId1, CId2, CII0, CII3 and CII4. Papillae with markedly ventral situation on the postacetabular zone were found very rarely. Some of the cercariae possessed ventral papillae variously distributed in the preacetabular zone. A comparative analysis of the chaetotaxy revealed that the cercaria studied by us was very similar to Cercaria 4 of Richard, 1971, with the exception of the number of acetabular papillae and some groups of ventral papillae. Compared to the cercaria of O. ranae studied by Dobrovolskiy (1965). AID papillae and a part of ventral papillae were distributed differently. The chaetotaxy was identical with that of experimentally obtained cercariae of O. ranae from L. stagnalis and of cercariae of the same species obtained from Bulgaria.     

Systematic review of the distribution of the major vector-borne parasitic infections in dogs and cats in Europe

On the basis of a systematic review of the literature, this paper provides the first evidence-based maps of the distribution of the major vector-borne parasitic infections of dogs and cats in Europe. From an initial survey of 894 publications, data from 268 were analysed, summarised and collated. Prevalence data were used to calculate the force of infection to provide distribution and incidence maps for canine infections with Leishmania infantum, Dirofilaria immitis, Dirofilaria repens, Babesia canis and Ehrlichia canis. There was little information from some areas but, in spite of its acknowledged incompleteness, the study provides an evidence-based framework upon which to assess the risks of infection, and will provide a basis, by correlation with climatic and vegetation data, to derive more comprehensive risk assessment maps for Europe. To clinicians in both endemic and non-endemic countries, it will be of assistance in decision-making with respect to diagnosis and preventive measures.     

Lungworm disease in dairy cattle: symptoms,diagnosis, and pathogenesis on the basis of four case reports

Clinical lungworm disease appears to occur frequently in Dutch dairy herds. Because the clinical diagnosis is difficult to make in adult cattle, the clinical diagnosis, laboratory diagnosis, differential diagnosis, therapy, and prevention are discussed in this article. In addition, four cases of lungworm disease in adult cattle are presented. The main clinical complaints were coughing, decreased milk production, and weight loss. Several lactating cows died in one herd. The disease history of four herds revealed that introduction of susceptible cows or heifers to herds with cows with subclinical patent lungworm infections had resulted in a pasture infection, leading to clinical problems in both the newly introduced and 'resident' cows of the herd. Further history analysis of the fourth herd revealed that re-introduction of lungworm infection by newly purchased cows in a lungworm free herd resulted in clinical lungworm problems in adult and young animals. The fourth case led to the conclusion that lungworm infection must have been re-introduced by cows purchased from another farm.