The group of haemosporidian parasites is of general interest to basic and applied science, since several species infect mammals, leading to malaria and associated disease symptoms. Although the great majority of haemosporidian parasites appear in bird hosts, as in the case of Leucocytozoon buteonis, there is little genomic information about genetic aspects of their co-evolution with hosts. Consequently, there is a high need for parasite-enrichment strategies enabling further analyses of the genomes, namely without exposure to DNA-intercalating dyes. Here, we used flow cytometry without an additional labelling step to enrich L. buteonis from infected buzzard blood. A specific, defined area of two-dimensional scattergramms was sorted and the fraction was further analysed. The successful enrichment of L. buteonis in the sorted fraction was demonstrated by Giemsa-staining and qPCR revealing a clear increase of parasite-specific genes, while host-specific genes were significantly decreased. This is the first report describing a labelling-free enrichment approach of L. buteonis from infected buzzard blood. The enrichment of parasites presented here is free of nucleic acid-intercalating dyes which may interfere with fluorescence-based methods or subsequent sequencing approaches.

Two distinct species have been ascribed to the genus Ityogonimus: I. lorum (Dujardin 1845) and I. talpae (Goeze 1782). The difference between these two species was pointed out by Dujardin in 1845. In the case of I. talpae the ventral sucker is about one-third the diameter of the oral sucker, and is situated behind the anterior termination of the yolk glands. In I. lorum the ventral sucker is larger than the oral and lies completely in front of the yolk glands. Dujardin named the former Distoma ocreatum and the latter I. lorum. Witenberg (1926), in further researches on the species, came to the conclusion that the first-named was identical with Distoma talpae of Goeze (1782), and as a result of his work there now exist two species of Ityogonimus occurring in the mole, namely I. talpae and I. lorum. The synonyms of I. talpae (Goeze 1782) between the dates of 1782 and 1910 are as follows: Distoma talpae (Goeze 1782), Cucullanus talpae Müller 1787, C. ocreatus Shrank 1873, Monostomum ocreatum Zeder 1800, Distoma ocreatum Duj. 1845, D. lorum Melnikow 1865, Dolichosomum lorum Looss 1900, Ityogonimus lorum Looss 1907, and I. lorum Gonder 1910.

Parkin (1975) considered that the water content of the unhatched 3rd-stage larva of Nematodirus battus increased as it approached hatching, and then fell immediately after the larva escaped from the egg-shell, to the very low value for estimated water content for hydrated individuals of 43·7%. A repetition of this work suggests that these results are in error. Prior to hatching, the water content of larvae remained constant; after hatching there was a marked increase in water content to an estimated value for fully hydrated individuals of 74·5%, a value more in keeping with other findings.

Some time ago Mr E. Wilson, of the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen, brought to notice the abnormal appearance of the cranial cartilage in a plaice (Pleuronectes platessa L.) which had been tagged (in St Andrews Bay) and subsequently recaptured (24 miles south-south-east of Arbroath). The fish was a 44·5 cm. long female, 6 years old, with mature ovary and in good condition generally. The cartilage, exposed by the opening of the cranium to remove the otoliths, seemed hypertrophied and full of whitish splotches giving it a mottled appearance. These ‘splotches’ were formed by irregular, vein-like branching canals, in many places along their length swelling into cyst-like, subspherical cavities up to 3 mm. in diameter. They were filled by a mass of soft substance which was found to be an accumulation of Cnidosporidian spores. Small granules of the substance were also found inside the otic capsules. It is possible, however, that these granules were displaced into the capsules during the opening of the cranium.

Since 1925, when Leigh-Sharpe described Lernaea elegans, the first Asiatic species from Anguilla japonica, four more species were recorded from China and Japan. The species described in the present paper, while differing from these and other known species, forms the first record of the genus from India. Five parasites attached to three fishes (Osphronemus goramy) and twelve removed from their hosts, together with two fish (Catla catla) infested by about eighteen parasites formed the material examined. Colonies of a vorticellid (Carchesium sp.) were found attached to the external portions of the parasites. In some the stalks of the epizoans were woven through by Algae such as Oscillaria, Lyngbya and Calothrix, enmeshing other algae like Cosmaria, Oedogonium and diatoms, and a matted covering was thus formed round the bodies of the parasites.

The parasite which I have here described has a life-history containing two distinct stages: a vegetative stage and a sporogonic stage. During the vegetative period multinucleate individuals divide by irregular schizogony producing young uni- or paucinucleate individuals. During the sporogonic period, a number of trophozoites unite to form an aggregation which becomes encysted. In the encysted individuals (the pansporoblasts) there is an increase of nuclear substance and a reduction of plasmatic substance. The nuclei become arranged in pairs and by successive unequal divisions the pansporoblasts produce thesporoblasts which contain a pair of nuclei each. During the formation of the sporoblasts there is an increase of protoplasmatic substance. The sporoblasts become spores by the thickening of their pelliculae.

At first the spores contain two nuclei, finally they become mononucleate. This must be explained by the fusion of the two nuclei.

This nuclear fusion is probably to be interpreted as a paedogamous autogamy (in accordance with the nomenclature of Hartmann, 1909).

From the Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda, the author received a number of tubes containing mites collected from small mammals in the course of yellow fever investigations. One of the tubes with mites taken from a hyrax (Procavia ahyssinica meneliki Neumann) contained two new species of larval Trombiculidae which are described in this paper under the names Schöngastia haddowi sp.n. and Eutrombicula lumsdeni n.sp. in honour of the donors, Drs A. J. Haddow and Russell M. Lumsden.

Nos connaissances sur le cycle chromosomique et la meïose des Grégarines conduisent à deux interprétations tout à fait opposées, et il est difficile, à l'heure actuelle, de décider laquelle est exacte. II est vraisemblable que l'une et l'autre contiennent une part de vérité, et que, à cet égard, les Grégarines ne présentent peut-être pas une homogénéité complète. Si l'on ne tient pas compte de la chronologie de nos connaissances concernant la réduction chromatique des Grégarines, on peut classer comme suit les conclusions des quelques auteurs qui ont entrepris cette étude.

To evaluate their protective potential, excretions and secretions of adult female Angiostrongylus cantonensis were prepared from an in vitro culture fluid and injected together with Freund's complete and incomplete adjuvants into rats and mice. Under appropriate conditions, judging from reduced mortality rates and/or prolonged survival periods, these animals were protected against a lethal challenge infection with 3rd-stage larvae. Although both ‘immunized’ and unimmunized mice died following such a lethal infection, the survival period for the ‘immunized’ group was significantly longer than that of unimmunized controls (40·8 compared with 26·7 days). On the other hand, the mortality rate of ‘immunized’ rats was reduced to 25% as compared with 100% in unimmunized controls. There was also evidence of adverse effects on parasite development in these ‘immunized’ rats. The number of young adult worms recovered from the brain 21 days after challenge infection and both the number and size of mature male and female worms in the lungs 60 days after infection were significantly reduced in the ‘immunized’ rats. Moreover, the reproductive activity of female worms was depressed, as evident from the output of 1st-stage larvae in the faeces and the number of eggs released during maintenance in vitro. The quantity of proteins released during in vitro maintenance of adult worms in a chemically defined serum-free medium was 0·2–0·5 μ/worm/day. The concentrated culture fluid contained at least 7 different antigenic components when analysed with hyperimmune rabbit antiserum to female excretions and secretions (FES) antigen. Polyacrylamidegelelectrophoresis in sodium dodecylsulphate showed the presence of 3 major and at least 12 minor protein components with molecular weights varying from 24000 to 115000 daltons. Different lines of evidence presented in this study show immunological cross-reactivity among antigens from different developmental stages.

The Programme to Eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF), launched in 1997, is a public-sector/private- sector partnership organized as a Global Alliance, with the World Health Organization serving as secretariat. Its principal purpose is to carry out the mandate of the 50th World Health Assembly (1997) to eliminate lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem worldwide, but its tools and strategies for achieving this end also have important additional public health benefits. Foremost among these are the effects the Programme can have on the control of intestinal helminth infections in treated populations, largely because of certain similarities, or overlaps, of the drugs and strategies used in the public health approaches to these parasitic infections. The principal health benefits from treating these intestinal helminth infections are reviewed in detail below, but in addition there might even be an entirely new justification for aggressive treatment and control of these infections if the recently described effects they have on potentiating HIV infections in affected populations can also be further substantiated and extended.

Angiostrongylus cantonensis (A. cantonensis) is the most common cause of parasitic eosinophilic meningitis worldwide. By using an animal model of BALB/c mice infected with A. cantonensis, previous studies indicated that the anthelmintic drug, albendazole, could kill A. cantonensis larvae and prevent further infection. However, the dead larvae will induce severe immune responses targeting at brain tissues. To alleviate the detrimental effects caused by the dead larvae, we administered curcumin, a traditional anti-inflammatory agent, as a complementary treatment in addition to albendazole therapy, to determine whether curcumin could be beneficial for treatment. The results showed that although curcumin treatment alone did not reduce worm number, combined treatment by albendazole and curcumin helped to reduce eosinophil count in the cerebrospinal fluid, better than using albendazole alone. This alleviating effect did not affect albendazole treatment alone, since histological analysis showed similar worm eradication with or without addition of curcumin. Nevertheless, curcumin treatment alone and combined albendazole-curcumin treatment did not inhibit MMP-9 expression in the brain tissue. In conclusion, curcumin, when used as a complementary treatment to albendazole, could help to alleviate eosinophilic meningitis through suppression of eosinophil count in the cerebrospinal fluid.

The adult stage and nymph 2 of Hoplopleura johnsonae sp.nov. and the nymphal stages of H. captiosa Johnson are described. The morphology of Hoplopleura nymphs and the infraspecific variations of H. captiosa Johnson are discussed, and a key to the seven species of Hoplopleura Enderlein known in Thailand is also presented.

I am grateful to Dr K. C. Emerson, Arlington, Virginia, and Dr Zofia Wegner, Gdansk-Wrzeszcz, Poland, for the loan of materials on which this work was based. I am also indebted to Dr Phyllis T. Johnson, University of California at Irvine, and Dr Edwin F. Cook, University of Minnesota, for their suggestions as to this species complex and reading the manuscript.

Polycercus lumbrici, previously described only by Metchnikov (1868) in Russia, has been found in Scotland in the earthworm Allolobophora terrestris.

Experimental infestation of earthworms with Polycercus lumbrici as a result of feeding them with the eggs of Paricterotaenia paradoxa shows that the proliferating cysts are the larvae of the latter as suggested by Joyeux and Baer (1939).

There is evidence that Polycercus may induce parasitic castration of the earthworm in which it occurs.

Metchnikov's description of the development of the larva is confirmed for the most part but is modified to include a retroversion of the larva in its early stages of development. The development of the scolex is shown to follow a pattern similar to that of Cysticercus fasciolaris in that the hooks are borne on a ‘prebulb’ which later invests a ‘bulb’, the former giving rise to the muscles of the walls of the double sac of the rostellum, the latter to the hook-elevator muscles.

The rostellar hooks of P. paradoxa are elevated by the action of a double layer of muscles which radiate from a conical invagination of the bulb. These muscles, in association with the muscles of the wall of the rostellum, elevate the hooks by modifying the shape of the rostellum rather than by direct action on the hooks.

The nervous system and the excretory system in the scolex of P. paradoxa are briefly described and the nature of the ‘glandular’ structure of the rostellum is discussed.

I wish to record my gratitude to Professor H. G. Callan for affording me the facilities for my work and to the many persons, too numerous to mention by name, who helped me to obtain my material. I am particularly indebted to Mr D. R. R. Burt for guidance and constructive criticism at all stages of my work and to Mr I. M. Sandeman for much helpful advice.

The work was carried out during the tenure of Research Grants from Madras College, St Andrews, and from the D.S.I.R., to whom I would express my appreciation for their aid.

Molecular methods have been developed for the detection and quantification of Trypanosoma cruzi DNA in blood samples from patients with Chagas disease. However, aspects of sample processing necessary for quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), such as the addition of guanidine hydrochloride to whole blood samples, may limit timely access to molecular diagnosis. We analysed 169 samples from serum and guanidine-EDTA blood (GEB) obtained from patients in acute and chronic phases of Chagas disease. We applied qPCR targeted to the satellite DNA region. Finally, we compared the parasite loads and cycle of threshold values of the qPCR. The results confirmed the usefulness of serum samples for the detection and quantification of parasite DNA in patients with Chagas disease, especially in the acute phase. However, the parasite loads detected in serum samples from patients in the chronic phase were lower than those detected in GEB samples. The epidemiological implications of the findings are herein discussed.

The following is a report on a collection of four species of parasitic nematodes from some mammals of Kwangtung Province, South China.

Chondracanthus yanezi Atria and Neobrachiella amphipacifica sp. nov. are described based on material collected from Psychrolutes phrictus Stein and Bond trawled off northern California. N. amphipacifica is also recorded from Psychrolutes sio Nelson trawled off northern Chile. Both host species are deep water forms of Psychrolutes.

There seems little reason to doubt that most blood-sucking invertebrates harbour in their digestive tract natural flagellate parasites, which have erroneously been described by various authors as part of the life-cycles of blood-parasites from vertebrates. Among arthropods such natural flagellates have now been observed in ticks, lice, bugs, mosquitoes, biting and non-biting flies, and fleas; and the list of such hosts steadily grows.

A comparison of F2 and F6/7 inter-cross lines of mice, derived from CBA and SWR parental strains, has provided strong evidence for several previously undetected quantitative trait loci (QTL) for resistance to Heligmosomoides bakeri. Five QTL affecting average faecal egg counts and/or worm burdens in week 6 were detected on mouse chromosomes 5 (Hbnr9 and Hbnr10), 8 (Hbnr11) and 11 (Hbnr13 and Hbnr14). Three QTL for faecal egg counts in weeks 4 and 6 were found on both chromosomes 5 (Hbnr9) and 11 (Hbnr13 and Hbnr14). Two QTL for the mucosal mast cell protease 1 (MCPT1) response were located on chromosomes 8 (Hbnr11) and 11 (Hbnr13), two for the IgG1 antibody response to adult worms on chromosomes 5 (Hbnr10) and 8 (Hbnr11), two for PCV in week 6 on chromosomes 5 (Hbnr9) and 11 (Hbnr13), and two for the granulomatous response on chromosome 8 (Hbnr12) and 11 (Hbnr15). Our data emphasize that the control of resistance to H. bakeri is multigenic, and regulated by genes within QTL regions that have a complex range of hierarchical relationships.

The following is a description of a new species of Grillotia from the intestine of Hexanchus grisens (Gmelin) caught on the Porcupine Bank in July 1939 (Rees & Llewellyn, 1941). Unfortunately, only two specimens were obtained, but, as it is unlikely that any more will be available for some time to come, it was thought advisable that the species should be put on record. The scolex includes some distinctive characters, but the strobila in both worms was immature, so that no description of the arrangement of the genitalia can be given beyond the position of the genital pore and the approximate number of testes.