Identification of immunodiagnostic antigens for cerebrospinal filariasis in horses by western blot analysis.

In the present study, the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of horses diagnosed with Setaria digitata cerebrospinal filariasis were analyzed by western blot. The results revealed S. digitata protein bands measuring 65, 34, 22, and 18 kDa in molecular weight. In particular, the 18 kDa band is a possible candidate for clinical immunodiagnosis on the basis of western blot findings.

Encephalitozoon infections in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan.

Encephalitozoon is an obligate intracellular microsporidian parasite that infects a wide range of mammalian hosts. In this study, we used nested PCR to investigate the presence of Encephalitozoon infection in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan. We attempted to amplify and sequence Encephalitozoon-specific DNA from brain and viscera samples of 180 animals collected between 2008 and 2010. Forty-three samples (23.9%) from the orders Rodentia and Soricomorpha were positive for Encephalitozoon. This study is the first report of Encephalitozoon infection in Rodentia and Soricomorpha in Japan, and our findings suggest that these hosts may play a role in the spread of microsporidian spores in the environment.