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Prevalence of infection (%) with ocellate furcocercariae in Radix peregra in late summer and autumn, 1997-2007, in the Family Park of Reykjavík (R).
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... In many cases, an etiological diagnosis of HCD at species level can be difficult to achieve, and it cannot be excluded that some cases could be due to A. visceralis. Swans are present in Japan and can transport their schistosomes during their migrations [15,23,27]. Indeed, A. visceralis has been already reported in swans either in Japan other than in North America and Iceland [13,[28][29][30]. ...
... In contrast, Brant (2007) [24] detected adult worms and egg-tissue debris in a nodule of the inferior mesenteric vein and suggested that, to identify the species of parasite, it is important to investigate the correlation between the pathological lesions and the general condition of the swans, as well as to determine the presence or absence of eggs. The disease features were similar to those described in several reports of schistosome infection in swans from Europe and Australia, including the black swan (Cygnus atratus) and the mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Australia [27,40] and the whooper swan in Europe [27]. Our results indicated that the number of young birds affected was higher than the numbers of adults, i.e., 61% (14/23) of affected swans were immature. ...
... In contrast, Brant (2007) [24] detected adult worms and egg-tissue debris in a nodule of the inferior mesenteric vein and suggested that, to identify the species of parasite, it is important to investigate the correlation between the pathological lesions and the general condition of the swans, as well as to determine the presence or absence of eggs. The disease features were similar to those described in several reports of schistosome infection in swans from Europe and Australia, including the black swan (Cygnus atratus) and the mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Australia [27,40] and the whooper swan in Europe [27]. Our results indicated that the number of young birds affected was higher than the numbers of adults, i.e., 61% (14/23) of affected swans were immature. ...
This study was carried out to investigate the pathology of environmental lead (Pb) poisoning in
Whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus). A number of 12 out 54 swans (22.2%) randomly collected from
Honshu, Japan from June 2005 to July 2007 were affected with Pb poisoning. Affected swans showed
stained vent with greenish watery diarrhoea and impacted crop. The presence of Pb shots in the gizzard
(50%) was confirmed by X-ray, and all cases showed a dark greenish coloured liver. Microscopically,
the pathology of Pb poisoning in swans was multisystemic. The severity of the lesions was
the highest in the CNS followed by the liver, kidney, spleen, lungs, gizzard, heart, bone marrow respectively
and was the least in the peripheral nervous system. CNS lesions were cerebral haemorrhage,
malacia, and spongiosis with astrocytic activation and increased neurofilaments accumulations.
In addition, there were hepatic and renal hemosiderosis and apoptosis, hepatic granuloma, interstitial
pneumonia, gizzard and myocardial necrosis and bone marrow hypoplasia. Chemical analysis of the
Pb content in liver and kidneys ranged from 8.18 to 60.6 μg/g, respectively. The extent and severity
of lesions varied among individuals and were mostly dose-dependent. Finally, these findings improved
the diagnostic procedure of Pb poisoning in free-living Whooper swans.
... In many cases, an etiological diagnosis of HCD at species level can be difficult to achieve, and it cannot be excluded that some cases could be due to A. visceralis. Swans are present in Japan and can transport their schistosomes during their migrations [15,23,27]. Indeed, A. visceralis has been already reported in swans either in Japan other than in North America and Iceland [13,[28][29][30]. ...
... In contrast, Brant (2007) [24] detected adult worms and egg-tissue debris in a nodule of the inferior mesenteric vein and suggested that, to identify the species of parasite, it is important to investigate the correlation between the pathological lesions and the general condition of the swans, as well as to determine the presence or absence of eggs. The disease features were similar to those described in several reports of schistosome infection in swans from Europe and Australia, including the black swan (Cygnus atratus) and the mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Australia [27,40] and the whooper swan in Europe [27]. Our results indicated that the number of young birds affected was higher than the numbers of adults, i.e., 61% (14/23) of affected swans were immature. ...
... In contrast, Brant (2007) [24] detected adult worms and egg-tissue debris in a nodule of the inferior mesenteric vein and suggested that, to identify the species of parasite, it is important to investigate the correlation between the pathological lesions and the general condition of the swans, as well as to determine the presence or absence of eggs. The disease features were similar to those described in several reports of schistosome infection in swans from Europe and Australia, including the black swan (Cygnus atratus) and the mute swan (Cygnus olor) in Australia [27,40] and the whooper swan in Europe [27]. Our results indicated that the number of young birds affected was higher than the numbers of adults, i.e., 61% (14/23) of affected swans were immature. ...
Cercarial dermatitis, or Swimmer’s itch, is one of the emerging diseases caused by the cercariae of water-borne schistosomes, mainly Trichobilharzia spp. Since the zoonotic potential of Allobilharzia visceralis is still unknown, studies on this schistosome would be helpful to add knowledge on its possible role in causing human infections. In the present study, 54 whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) from rescue/rehabilitation centers in Honshu, Japan, were necropsied to identify the cause of death. Grossly, 33 (61.11%) swans were severely emaciated and 23 (42.59%) had multiple reddened areas throughout the length of the intestine with no worms detected in the internal organs. Microscopically, adult schistosomes were found in the lumen of the mesenteric, serosal, portal, and testicular veins, in the capillaries of the intestinal lamina propria, and in the sinusoids of the adrenal gland, spleen, and liver of 23 (42.59%) swans. Hypertrophy of veins containing adult worms was identified in 15 (27.77%) swans, and vascular lumen obliteration was observed in 8 (14.81%) swans. Mild to severe villous atrophy and superficial enteritis were observed in 8 birds (14.81%), whereas bile pigments and hemosiderin were detected in the livers of 14 (25.92%) and 18 (33.33%) swans, respectively. In three swans (5.55%), schistosome parasites were found in the subcapsular veins of the testes. The schistosomes in the present study were assumed to be A. visceralis based on the microscopical and histological evidence of adult schistosomes found in the lumen of veins as well as the infection pathology, which was very similar to the schistosome-induced pathology previously reported in swans infected by A. visceralis in Europe and Australia. The swans examined herein most likely died from obstructive phlebitis associated with A. visceralis, but further molecular confirmation is required for identification of this species. However, the present study does not provide new data on the zoonotic potential, but only on the pathogenic potential of this schistosome in swans. Furthermore, our study provides a novel contribution to the description of the pathological effects of avian schistosomes infection in whooper swans in Japan.
... The swans spend the summer in Siberia or the Sea of Okhotsk and migrate to their wintering places in southern Europe and eastern Asia, including Japan. Of the known schistosomal infections, Trichobilharzia sp. was detected in the whooper swans for the first time in Iceland [7]. Since then, a study on schistosomes detected in whooper swans in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan has associated the parasites with venous hypertrophy of the swans. ...
Adult schistosomes were detected in the veins or capillaries of the large intestine, mesentery, liver, and adrenal glands in eight of 13 whooper swans (Cygnus cygnus) examined in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. However, neither eggs nor severe tissue injuries were observed in any of the swans. The schistosomes were definitively identified as Allobilharzia visceralis based on the nucleotide sequences of the ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. Allobilharzia visceralis infections have been reported in whooper swan in Iceland and tundra swan (Cygnus columbianus) in North America. These detections suggest that A. visceralis is distributed extensively along the swan flyways because the swans are migratory birds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of A. visceralis infection in Asia.
... For example, Anisakis simplex can be frequently transmitted to accidental hosts such as piscivorous birds and humans which, when infected, develop anisakidosis (Ishikura et al. 1992). On the other hand, O. intermedia may cause the human infection called "cercarial dermatitis" or "swimmer's itch" (Rind 1984), and both visceral and nasal schistosomes and paralysis can be developed in bird hosts (Kolářová et al. 2005). ...
We identified the ectoparasites and helminth fauna of yellow-legged gulls (Larus michahellis michahellis), breeding near to a solid waste landfill, and compared infection levels with those of other yellow-legged gull colonies. Moreover, we analysed correlations between parasites and sex and body condition of yellow-legged gulls, co-infections and the helminth community structure in order to propose the role of this species as reservoir of certain parasites. We also discuss the potential transmission of parasites between the yellow-legged gull and the endangered Audouin's gull, because interactions between these two species, such as kleptoparasitism and predation, occur frequently around colonies. The following species were recorded: Ornithodorus capensis (Arthropoda); Cosmocephalus obvelatus, Paracuaria adunca, Eucoleus contortus, Tetrameres skrjabini and Contracaecum sp. (Nematoda); Tetrabothrius cylindraceus (Cestoda); Acanthotrema armata, Cardiocephaloides longicollis and Ornithobilharzia intermedia (Digenea). Tetrabothrius cylindraceus, A. armata and O. capensis are new parasite records for this host. The dependence of yellow-legged-gulls on fishery discards is supported by the dominance of parasites transmitted through marine intermediate hosts with interest to fisheries in the study area. However, the shift in diet from natural resources to food derived from human activities seems not to affect the parasitic fauna of yellow-legged gull. Besides of direct physical contact between individuals in nesting and resting habitats, the high availability of fishery discards could increase the risk of Audouin's gulls to be infected by common parasites of yellow-legged gull.
... Recent reviews have considered cercarial dermatitis as a re-emerged neglected disease, mainly in Europe and North America where they have been most well studied (Horák et al., 2002;Kolářová et al., 2013;Soldánová et al., 2013). Much of these studies have focused on the biology, systematics, evolution, and pathology of this genus to better understand the epidemiology not just of dermatitis, but avian schistosomes in general (Horák et al., 2002;Rudolfová et al., 2005Rudolfová et al., , 2007Kolářová et al., 2005;Kolářová, 2007;Jouet et al., 2008Jouet et al., , 2010Loker, 2009, 2013;Brant et al., 2006Brant et al., , 2011Horák & Kolářová, 2011;Cipriani et al., 2011;Lichtenbergová and Horák, 2012). In contrast to these many recent studies of Trichobilharzia and other avian schistosomes in North America and Europe, little is known about these parasites in other continents, despite the global affliction of dermatitis in people, including in South America (Szidat, 1951(Szidat, , 1958De Meillon and Stoffberg, 1954;Bosq et al., 1955;Szidat and Szidat, 1960;Leite et al., 1979;Appleton and Brock, 1986;Wooi et al., 2007;Valdovinos and Balboa, 2008;Pinto et al., 2012). ...
... Prevalence in birds is usually higher than that in snails, as seen from selected data for visceral Trichobilharzia spp.: 60.5% in spurwing goose in South Africa, 69.6% in domestic ducks in China, 83.9% in common merganser, 2.6% in Canada goose, and 4.9% in gulls from the United States [31], 94% for T. querquedulae in three anatid species from the United States [7], and 66.7% and 77% in mallards from Iceland and France, respectively [48,50]. Also the infections by nasal Trichobilharzia show high prevalence levels: 24.0% in wildfowl from Central Europe [51], 73.3% and 75% in mallards from France and Iceland, respectively [48,50]. ...
... Prevalence in birds is usually higher than that in snails, as seen from selected data for visceral Trichobilharzia spp.: 60.5% in spurwing goose in South Africa, 69.6% in domestic ducks in China, 83.9% in common merganser, 2.6% in Canada goose, and 4.9% in gulls from the United States [31], 94% for T. querquedulae in three anatid species from the United States [7], and 66.7% and 77% in mallards from Iceland and France, respectively [48,50]. Also the infections by nasal Trichobilharzia show high prevalence levels: 24.0% in wildfowl from Central Europe [51], 73.3% and 75% in mallards from France and Iceland, respectively [48,50]. Recent behavioral changes of definitive hosts might contribute to an intensified transmission of Trichobilharzia in some localities; some populations of European waterfowl stopped migrating between nesting and wintering areas and became resident [52], allowing an extended contact of birds, snails, and schistosomes at a locality. ...
... As a consequence, prolonged exposures to schistosome larvae may result in high prevalences and mortality in waterfowl. For instance, infection prevalences of 75 and 25%, respectively, for Trichobilharzia were recorded in mallards hunted in winter in the areas of Lake of Annecy and Lake DerChantecoq (France) ( Kolářová et al., 2005). Heavy infections by Trichobilharzia sp. and Dendritobilharzia sp. ...
1. Birds and snails are suitable hosts for many parasites, including helminths in general and trematodes in particular. Among trematodes, members of the family Schistosomatidae with two-host life cycles (snails as intermediate hosts and birds as definitive hosts) are successful and abundant pathogens. Their transmission between birds and snails in nature can be influenced by many abiotic and biotic factors.
2. In snails, the prevalence of schistosome infections and production of cercariae can be influenced by host immunological susceptibility/physiological suitability, snail age/size, interspecific competition of trematode larvae, etc. Schistosomes are able to survive in overwintering snails, serving as a source of infection in spring.
3. Birds may also differ in susceptibility to and prevalence rates of schistosome infections. They are long-range vectors of schistosomes.
4. Climate changes influence behaviour of migratory birds, lead to shifts in season- or temperature-dependent processes in snails and schistosomes, and influence the frequency of schistosome transmission and intensity of infection. Also, eutrophication can increase the growth of snail populations and transmission of bird schistosomes.
5. Dispersal of bird schistosomes to new regions and an increased availability (local abundance) of the snail hosts, together with the use of new water reservoirs (e.g., in higher latitudes) for recreational purposes, may contribute to a higher number of outbreaks of cercarial dermatitis.
... A survey of schistosomes in mallards hunted in winter showed a 75% and 33% prevalence of Trichobilharzia sp. flukes in the French Lake of Annecy and the Lake Der-Chantecoq, respectively (Kolářová et al., 2005). Skírnisson et al. (2009) reported a 75% prevalence of the parasites in mallards in Iceland. ...
Larval stages (cercariae) of schistosomatid flukes represent the causative agents of swimmer's itch (cercarial dermatitis), a waterborne allergic disease. Cercariae of bird schistosomes are the most frequently reported agent. Recent studies on parasite behaviour in mammals showed that infections by cercariae can be linked to more than skin syndromes. Despite the failure of complete development in mammals, bird schistosomes can escape from the skin and migrate transitorily in the hosts. These findings brought novel insights into the fate and potential pathogenic effect of the parasites in non-compatible hosts, including humans. Cercarial dermatitis occurs globally and recently is considered to be re-emerging; however, there are no data on the number of afflicted persons per year. This might be explained by a relatively low interest in human skin infections arising after bathing in fresh water. In addition, the real occurrence of bird schistosomes in the field is known only for a few areas. The paucity of epidemiological/biogeographical data is probably caused by difficulties associated with detection of the parasites in intermediate and definitive hosts. Therefore, based on personal experience and data available in the literature, we have summarized methodological approaches enabling the detection of bird schistosomes in various hosts and environments.
... This is the first report of schistosomes from C. c. columbianus. Prior to this study, there have been several reports of schistosomes in swans from Europe and Australia including the black swan, Cygnus atratus, in Australia (Johnston 1941), Cygnus olor, the mute swan, (Szidat 1939, van den Broek 1965, Palmer and Ossent 1984, Kolářová et al. 2005 and Cygnus cygnus, the whooper swan, (Kolářová et al. 2005) in Europe. Most of the worms in those papers were classified as Trichobilharzia. ...
... This is the first report of schistosomes from C. c. columbianus. Prior to this study, there have been several reports of schistosomes in swans from Europe and Australia including the black swan, Cygnus atratus, in Australia (Johnston 1941), Cygnus olor, the mute swan, (Szidat 1939, van den Broek 1965, Palmer and Ossent 1984, Kolářová et al. 2005 and Cygnus cygnus, the whooper swan, (Kolářová et al. 2005) in Europe. Most of the worms in those papers were classified as Trichobilharzia. ...
Twelve tundra swans, Cygnus columbianus (Ord), from Nevada and one from New Mexico were collected and examined for schistosomes. Mature worms, determined as Allobilharzia visceralis, were found in 92% of the swans, in the inferior mesenteric vein of the large intestine and its branches. In 12 cases, there was endophlebitis of the inferior mesenteric vein. The morphology of the worms is consistent with the recently described genus Allobilharzia. Placement in this genus was confirmed also by phylogenetic analysis of nuclear 28S, 18S and, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal DNA (rDNA), and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I (CO1) sequences. Data further suggest the worms are con-specific with the European A. visceralis, the only described species of the genus and which was found to be the sister taxon to the most diverse avian schistosome genus, Trichobilharzia. This is the first report of a schistosome infection from native swans in North America.
... Most commonly, infections of birds by schistosomes are diagnosed through faecal examination which is, however , suitable for detection of visceral schistosomes only and fails to show the presence of nasal flukes, which are also common in waterfowl. Both visceral and nasal schistosomes can develop concurrently in a bird host (Kolářová et al. 2005). Factors explaining the emergence of human infections by bird schistosomes are not fully understood. ...
The human infection known under the names cercarial dermatitis or swimmers' itch is generally associated with swimming in lakes all over the world, however, a number of outbreaks of cercarial dermatitis developing in salt or brackish waters are also reported. The disease presents as allergic reaction which is able to trap and eliminate the parasites in the skin. However, the infection can be linked to more than skin symptoms under certain circumstances. Recent studies on bird schistosomes have shown that during primary infections of noncompatible hosts (mice) the parasites may migrate through visceral and nervous tissues of mammals. Up to date, cercarial dermatitis has been mostly associated with the cercariae of bird schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia. Recent findings of new genera and species indicate, however, broader spectrum of causative agents of the disease with different life cycles, host specificity and pathogenicity.
