Search results for "Infectious"

Influence of trematode parasitism on the growth of a bivalve host in the field.

1998

Abstract Trematode-induced gigantism of molluscs, enhanced growth of trematode-parasitised individuals, has been observed in many laboratory studies. This study reports the effect of the sterilising trematode, Rhipidicotyle fennica , on the growth of the freshwater clam Anodonta piscinalis under field conditions. In addition to single infections (prevalence 44%), a few clams (3%) were infected with both R. fennica and Rhipidocotyle campanula . Parasite-induced gigantism was not found; parasites lowered host growth. The decrease in growth was correlated with the quantity of parasite material. Clams with double infections grew the least, although they did not differ significantly from hosts w…

Yeast Killer Toxin-Like Candidacidal Ab6 Antibodies Elicited through the Manipulation of the Idiotypic Cascade

2014

A mouse anti-anti-anti-idiotypic (Id) IgM monoclonal antibody (mAb K20, Ab4), functionally mimicking a Wyckerhamomyces anomalus (Pichia anomala) killer toxin (KT) characterized by fungicidal activity against yeasts presenting specific cell wall receptors (KTR) mainly constituted by β-1,3-glucan, was produced from animals presenting anti-KT Abs (Ab3) following immunization with a rat IgM anti-Id KT-like mAb (mAb K10, Ab2). MAb K10 was produced by immunization with a KT-neutralizing mAb (mAb KT4, Ab1) bearing the internal image of KTR. MAb K20, likewise mAb K10, proved to be fungicidal in vitro against KT-sensitive Candida albicans cells, an activity neutralized by mAb KT4, and was capable of…

Parasite-induced aggression and impaired contest ability in a fish host

2010

Abstract Background Success of trophically transmitted parasites depends to a great extent on their ability to manipulate their intermediate hosts in a way that makes them easier prey for target hosts. Parasite-induced behavioural changes are the most spectacular and diverse examples of manipulation. Most of the studies have been focused on individual behaviour of hosts including fish. We suggest that agonistic interactions and territoriality in fish hosts may affect their vulnerability to predators and thus the transmission efficiency of trophically transmitted parasites. The parasite Diplostomum spathaceum (Trematoda) and juvenile rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss, were used to study whe…

Robinia aurata n. g., n. sp. (Digenea: Hemiuridae) from the mugilid Liza aurata with a molecular confirmation of its position within the Hemiuroidea.

2006

Robinia aurata n. g., n. sp. is described from Liza aurata (Mugilidae), the golden grey mullet, from the Ebro Delta, Spanish Mediterranean. The new genus differs from all other hemiurid genera in the combined possession of muscular flanges and a vestigial ecsoma. Within the Bunocotylinae, which currently accommodates 2 genera, Bunocotyle and Saturnius, the new genus exhibits a unique combination of blind caeca, Juel's organ, post-ovarian bulk of the uterus in the hind-body, and tegumental papillae surrounding the oral and ventral sucker apertures. Furthermore, Robinia n. g. differs from both Bunocotyle and Saturnius in the nature of the muscular extensions around the oral sucker, with the s…

Usutu virus activity in Austria, 2001–2002

2003

Usutu virus (USUV), a member of the mosquito-borne clade within the Flaviviridae family, was responsible for avian mortality in Austria in 2001. In 2002, the virus continued to kill birds, predominantly blackbirds. High numbers of avian deaths were recorded within the city of Vienna and in surrounding districts of the federal state of Lower Austria, while single die-offs were noticed in the federal states of Styria and Burgenland. A total of 72 birds were submitted for laboratory examination, 30 of which tested positive for USUV by immunohistochemistry and/or polymerase chain reaction. Laboratory-confirmed cases of USUV infection originated from the federal states of Vienna and Lower Austri…

Combination therapy in a model of pulmonary aspergillosis

2009

Summary. The current treatment for pulmonary aspergillosis, amphotericin B, is toxic and not always effective. This study was done to evaluate combinations of amphotericin B with other agents in an animal model of pulmonary aspergillosis. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated with cortisone acetate, infected intratracheally with 106 spores of Aspergillus fumigatus, and followed daily for survival. Mortality among controls started on day 2, and it was 80% by day seven, whereas therapy with amphotericin B resulted in survival of all animals. When given alone, ketoconazole, 5-fluorocytosine and rifampin did not improve survival. The combination of ketoconazole with amphotericin B resulted in comple…

Rickettsiae of the spotted fever group in dog fleas (Ctenocephalides spp.) in Western Sicily

1989

Identification ofCandida albicansclinical isolates by PCR amplification of anEFB1gene fragment containing an intron-interrupted open reading frame

2000

The use of a single pair of primers, deduced from the intron and exon nucleotide sequences of the Candida albicans EFB1 gene, in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays performed with whole cells of both laboratory strains and clinical isolates of Candida species, resulted in the species-specific amplification of a 785 bp DNA fragment in C. albicans strains. Clinical C. albicans isolates were tested, and 85 out of 86 generated the expected PCR-amplified product; other Candida species, both laboratory strains and clinical isolates, as well as laboratory strains belonging to other fungal genera, including medically relevant taxa, failed to amplify any DNA fragment. In addition, unusual C. albi…

2014

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are non-enveloped DNA tumor viruses that infect skin and mucosa. The most oncogenic subtype, HPV16, causes various types of cancer, including cervical, anal, and head and neck cancers. During the multistep process of infection, numerous host proteins are required for the delivery of virus genetic information into the nucleus of target cells. Over the last two decades, many host-cell proteins such as heparan sulfate proteoglycans, integrins, growth factor receptors, actin and the tetraspanin CD151 have been described to be involved in the process of infectious entry of HPV16. Tetraspanins have the ability to organize membrane microdomains and to directly influenc…

Pathophysiology of Campylobacter jejuni infections of humans.

2000

Campylobacter jejuni and closely related organisms are major causes of human bacterial enteritis. These infections can lead to extraintestinal disease and severe long-term complications. Of these, neurological damage, apparently due to the immune response of the host, is the most striking. This review examines current knowledge of the pathophysiology of the organism. Diversity of C. jejuni isolates in genotypic and phenotypic characteristics now is recognized and clinically relevant examples are presented. Expected future directions are outlined.