Morphological and ecological characteristic of Dicranotaenia stenosacculata Macko, 1988 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) recorded in Poland

During the parasitological examination of 288 wild ducks from north-western Poland, 18 tapeworms were found in the intestines (jejunum, ileum and rectum) of six birds, which, based on the structure of the scolex, internal organs and the presence of cirrus with an internal additional sac, were determinated as Dicranotaenia stenosacculata Macko, 1988. Tapeworms were found in two young females Bucephala clangula, one young female Aythya marila as well as two adult males Aythya fuligula. The aim of the study was to present the morphological and ecological characteristics of the species, recently discovered for the first time in the fauna of Poland.

Grillotia erinaceus (van Beneden, 1858) (Cestoda:Trypanorhyncha) from whiting in the Black Sea, with observations on seasonality and host-parasite interrelationship.

The genus Grillotia Guiart, 1927 is cosmopolitan in its distribution and the type-species, G. erinaceus (van Beneden, 1858), has been relatively well studied. However, this study provides infection indices of Grillotia erinaceus from southern and northern Black Sea whiting Merlangius merlangus for the first time. The specimens of Grillotia erinaceus were obtained from subserosa of the anterior oesophagus, stomach, pyloric caeca, liver, ovaries and mesenterium of whiting caught by commercial fishing vessels off Sinop, Turkey and off Balaklava, Ukraine. Fish were examined during the period from May 2011 to April 2012. Prevalence and mean intensity values in 268 fish collected off Sinop in the Black Sea were 18.66% and 1.82 ± 0.16 parasites per infected fish, respectively. In Ukrainian 166 whiting samples collected off Balaklava in the Black Sea, however, G. erinaceus plerocercus infection prevalence was 10.24% and mean intensity 1.71 ± 0.75 parasites per infected fish. Infection parameters were also determined at both sampling sites in relation with host length, sex and season.

Human dirofilariasis due to Dirofilaria repens in Ukraine, an emergent zoonosis: epidemiological report of 1465 cases.

The filarial nematode Dirofilaria repens is currently considered to be one of the most extensively spreading human and animal parasites in Europe. In Ukraine, reporting cases of dirofilariasis has been mandatory since 1975, and the disease was included in the national surveillance system for notifiable diseases. Up until December 31st 2012, a total of 1533 cases have been registered, with 1465 cases occurring within the previous 16 years. Most of the cases of dirofilariasis were registered in 6 regions: Kyiv, and the Donetsk, Zaporizhzhya, Dnipropetrovsk, Kherson and Chernihiv oblasts. In the years 1997-2002 the highest incidence rate was noted in the Kherson oblast in the south of the country (9.79 per 100 000 people), and the lowest in western Ukraine (0.07-1.68 per 100 000 people). D. repens infections were registered in all oblasts. Parasitic lesions were most often located in the head, the subconjunctival tissue and around the eyes. D. repens lesions were also found in the limbs, torso, male sexual organs, and female mammary glands. Dirofilariasis was diagnosed in persons aged from 11 months to 90 years old, most often among people between 21-40 years of age. Most patients had only one parasitic skin lesion; the majority of isolated nematodes were female. The results of our analysis point to a constant increase in D. repens dirofilariasis incidence in humans in Ukraine. Despite educational efforts, infections have become more frequent and the territory in which the disease occurs has enlarged to encompass the whole of Ukraine. Nevertheless, the Ukrainian sanitary-epidemiological services managed to achieve some measure of success, e.g. by creating a registration system for D. repens infections and establishing proper diagnostics for the disease.

[First record of Microsomacanthus tuvensis Spasskaya et Spasskii, 1961 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) in Poland]. / Microsomacanthus tuvensis Spasskaya et Spasskii, 1961 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) po raz pierwszy notowany w Polsce.

During standard parasitological studies of the tufted duck Aythya fuligula, obtained from fishermen from West Pomerania in December 2007, three cestode specimens were found in the jejunum of one male host. They were determinated as Microsomacanthus tuvensis (Spasskaya et Spasskii, 1961) on the basis of the cirrus's and cirrus sac's size and vagina's shape. This is the first record of this species in Poland.

[Preliminary studies on the cestodofauna of goosander Mergus merganser L., 1758 from West Pomerania]. / Wstepne badania cestodofauny nurogesia Mergus merganser L., 1758 z Pomorza Zachodniego.

The research included 54 individuals of the goosander Mergus merganser L., 1758 (Anseriformes, Mergini), wintering on Lake Dabie within the administrative limits of Szczecin. Seven species of cestoda from two families were found in those ducks. Two species from the family Diphyllobothriidae were recorded: Ligula intestinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) and Schistocephalus solidus (Müller, 1776), and five species from family Hymenolepididae: Dicranotaenia mergi Yamaguti, 1940, Fimbriaria mergi Grytner-Ziecina et Cielecka, 1995, Microsomacanthus vistulae (Czaplinski, 1960), Retinometra macracanthos (von Linstow, 1877) oraz Tschertkovilepis tenuirostris (Rudolphi, 1819). Founding species Dicranotaenia mergi is the first observation of this type in Poland.

[Enteric helminths of the mallard Anas platyrhynchos L., 1758 in the north-western part of Poland]. / Helmintofauna przewodu pokarmowego krzyzówki Anas platyrhynchos L., 1758 pólnocno-zachodniej Polski.

Although the mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, is the most common wild duck in Poland, as well as in the entire Palearctic, it is extremely rarely studied by comprehensive parasitological surveys. The aim of this study was to present a synthesis on the species composition of enteric helminths of the mallard in north-western Poland. The study was carried out in 1999-2006 and involved parasitic worms isolated from the alimentary tracts of 187 mallards (Anseriformes: Anatidae). Following isolation, the parasites were preserved in 70% ethylene and stained (flatworms) or viewed in transient light (nematodes and acanthocephalans). Taxonomic identity of the worms was determined using taxonomic keys and numerous original papers. The studies have revealed that the parasitic community of this host in the north-west part of Poland is relatively complex, composed of 51 species of helminths of four systematic groups: 16 digenean species, 23 tapeworms, 9 nematodes, and 3 acanthocephalans. The material also revealed five new to Polish fauna parasitic species: one trematode (Echinostoma miyagawai) and four tapeworms (Microsomacanthus baeri, M. pachycephala, Monotestilepis tadornae, and Sobolevicanthus aculeostileticus). On the other hand, for another 11 species (Prosthogonimus ovatus, Psilotrema simillimum, Australapatemon minor, Leucochloridiomorpha lutea, Psilostomum brevicolle, Echinocotyle rosseteri, Fimbriarioides sp., Retinometra giranensis, Anisakinae gen. sp., Pseudocapillaria mergi i Polymorphus magnus) the mallard was found to be a new host.

[Helminthofauna of the goosander Mergus merganser L., 1758 from the north-western Poland]. / Helmintofauna nurogesi Mergus merganser L., 1758 z pólnocno-zachodniej Polski.

The goosander, Mergus merganser, is a rare in Poland water bird (Anseriformes: Mergini). It eats fish and small invertebrates. The purpose of this study was a preliminary parasitological examination of the digestive tract of the goosander wintering on the Szczecin Lagoon. The research material were the parasites recovered from digestive tracts of 6 birds (two males and four females), which died during feeding in fishing nets in winter 2001. The birds were subject to standard parasitological examinations using commonly adopted methods. The trematodes and the cestodes found were preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol and subsequently stained using iron carmine (Cestoda) and borax alcohol carmine (Digenea) and then they were closed in Canada balsam. Nematodes were kept in 70% alcohol and cleared with 80% lactic acid or lactophenol. The parasite assemblages were analysed through calculating prevalence, intensity of infection, relative density and domination index. Also, the topic structure of the parasite assemblages or their habitat preferences in a host animal digestive tract were determined. The presently reported study detected a total of 1596 parasitic worms: digeneans (1086), tapeworms (410) and nematodes (100). Acanthocephalans were not found. Even though only a few goosanders were examined, the results show a high species richness of parasite assemblages consisting of 22 species, representing 21 genera. The following were deemed as definite dominants (superdominants): Diplostomum mergi Dubois, 1932; D. pusillum (Dubois, 1928); Microsomacanthus abortiva (von Linstow, 1904) and Schistocephalus solidus (Müller, 1776). Helminths were found in all birds with their great relative density and intensity of occurrence (266 parasites on average). As expected, the parasite assemblages were characterized by considerable topical specificity, probably resulting from the feeding preferences of the worms. The majority of helminths, including predominant part of flatworms, were found in duodenum and jejunum of ducks. Nematodes, on the other hand, colonized mainly the gizzard and proventriculus.

[First record of species Microsomacanthus oidemiae Spassky et Jurpalova, 1964 (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) in wild ducks of north-western Poland]. / Microsomacanthus oidemiae Spassky et Jurpalova, 1964 (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae)--tasiemiec po raz pierwszy notowany u dzikich kaczek pólnocno-zachodniej Polski.

The presently reported study on cestodofauna of wild Anatinae of north-western Poland showed the presence of at least a dozen or so cestodes, hitherto unrecorded in Polish fauna. One of them is Microsomacanthus oidemiae Spassky et Jurpalova, 1964 (Hymenolepididae). This parasite (two not fully developed individuals, including one without a scolex) was found in the common scoter, Melanitta nigra L., (Mergini) wintering on Lake Dabie near Szczecin.

[Aythya fuligula--new host for Retinometra pittalugai Lopez-Neyra, 1932 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) recorded in Poland for the first time]. / Aythya fuligula--nowy zywiciel dla tasiemca Retinometra pittalugai Lopez-Neyra, 1932 (Cestoda, Hymenolepididae) po raz pierwszy notowanego w Polsce.

During standard parasitological studies of the tufted duck Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758), obtained from fishermen from West Pomerania, three cestode specimens were found in the jejunum of hosts. They were determined as Retinometra pittalugai (Lopez-Neyra, 1932) on the basis of the cirrus's size, shape of stylet and rostellar hooks. This is the first record of this species in Poland, since this parasite was earlier recorded only in Anas platyrhynchos f. dom., Aythya marila, A. ferina and Bucephala clangula in Spain, in Kamchatka and in Novosibirsk.