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An efficient method for collecting the full-length adults, fragments, and eggs of Trichobilharzia spp. from the liver of definitive hosts

  • Helminthology - Short Communication
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Abstract

Precise identification of avian schistosomes in the genus Trichobilharzia at the species level is difficult and requires both traditional morphological and molecular techniques. To obtain satisfactory results by traditional methods, the characteristics of the intact adults or large fragments of male and females are necessary. The present study aimed to introduce a more efficient method for collecting eggs and both fragments and intact worms for morphological identification of visceral Trichobilharzia spp. Thirty-eight domestic ducks (twenty-eight fresh and ten frozen) were studied. For fresh samples, warm saline (40–45 °C) was injected into the portal vein or liver tissue, followed by slicing of the liver to small pieces in a large Petri dish. All materials were then transferred into the laboratory sieves arranged from the largest to the smallest mesh size and while crushed with the hand, washed, and filtered using a trigger water sprayer. The collected materials were studied under a stereomicroscope for parasite eggs, fragments, and full-length worms. Out of 28 freshly killed ducks, 19 (67.9%) and of 10 frozen ducks 6 (60%) were positive for visceral Trichobilharzia spp. The full-length worms and large fragments of male worms were mostly recovered with the mesh no. 150 (diameter of 106 μm) and small fragments, especially of females, and eggs with the mesh no. 270 (diameter of 53 μm). In addition to large numbers of fragments, 15 full-length adults were obtained from fresh and 2 from frozen ducks. The number of collected full-length adults was related to the worm burden. Since morphological description of different species of the genus Trichobilharzia is primarily based on the availability of adult worms, the application of methods that provide a higher number of intact males and females will result in better characterization of the species and deposition of appropriate voucher specimens. These results show the present method as a suitable tool for the collection of quality adults of visceral Trichobilharzia spp. in ducks.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful to Dr. Petr Horák from Charles University, Prague, for his helpful comments on this method and Dr. Saied Reza Nadaf from Pasteur Institute of Iran for his kind help in editing the manuscript. We also thank Dr. Meysam Sharifdini, Mrs. Behnaz Rahmati, and Mr. Alireza Noroosta for their assistance in performing this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Parasitology and Mycology, School of Medicine, Guilan University of Medical Sciences, Rasht, Iran

    K Ashrafi

  2. Museum of Southwestern Biology, Division of Parasites, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, 1 University of New Mexico MSC03 2020, Albuquerque, NM, 87131, USA

    SV Brant

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  1. K Ashrafi
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  2. SV Brant
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Correspondence to K Ashrafi.

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Ashrafi, K., Brant, S. An efficient method for collecting the full-length adults, fragments, and eggs of Trichobilharzia spp. from the liver of definitive hosts. Parasitol Res 119, 1167–1172 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06573-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-019-06573-7

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