Intestinal parasites of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Slovenia.

In the present study, 428 foxes were collected and examined for intestinal helminths using the washing-out method. Parasites were found in 93.2% of the examined animals. The most frequently identified nematodes were Uncinaria stenocephala (58.9%), Toxocara canis (38.3%) and Molineus patens (30.6%). Other nematodes found were Pterygodermatites affinis (4.2%), Capillaria sp. (2.8%), Crenosoma vulpis (2.8%), Toxascaris leonina (2.5%), Trichuris vulpis (0.7%) and Physaloptera sp. (0.2%). Mesocestoides sp. (27.6%) and Taenia crassiceps (22.2%) were the most prevalent cestodes, followed by T. polyacantha (6.5%), Hymenolepis nana (2.1%), T. pisiformis (2.1%) and Dipylidium caninum (1.4%). The study also revealed four trematode species: Rossicotrema donicum (1.6%), Heterophyes heterophyes (1.1%), Metagonimus yokogawai (1.1%), Prohemistomum appendiculatum (0.4%) and two protozoan species: oocysts of Sarcocystis (2.8%) and Isospora (0.4%). This is the first extensive study on the intestinal parasites of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Slovenia. The 2.6% prevalence of Echinococcus multilocularis in the same sample population as investigated herein has been reported previously (Vergles Rataj et al., 2010).

Standardization of the egg hatch test for the detection of benzimidazole resistance in parasitic nematodes.

The ability to reliably detect anthelmintic resistance is a crucial part of resistance management. If data between countries are to be compared, the same test should give the same results in each laboratory. As the egg hatch test for benzimidazole resistance is used for both research and surveys, the ability of different laboratories to obtain similar results was studied through testing of known isolates of cyathostomins, Haemonchus contortus, Ostertagia ostertagi, and Cooperia oncophora in programs supported by the EU (Cost B16 and FP6-PARASOL). Initial results showed difficulties in obtaining reproducible and similar data within and between laboratories. A series of ring tests, i.e., simultaneous and coordinated rounds of testing of nematode isolates in different laboratories was subsequently performed. By adopting identical protocols, especially the use of deionized water and making dilutions of thiabendazole in dimethyl sulfoxide in the final ring test, laboratories correctly identified both susceptible and resistant isolates. The protocols for the test and preparation of solutions of thiabendazole are described.

Microchip capillary electrophoresis-based genetic comparison of closely related cyathostomin nematode parasites of horses using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA polymerase chain reaction.

The microchip-based capillary electrophoresis technology represents a valuable recent development for the analysis of complex DNA banding patterns. We have used this technology for the differentiation of the closely related cyathostomin species Cylicocyclus elongatus and C. insigne from the horse. We found that the Agilent 2100 bioanalyser in combination with the DNA 7500 Lab Chip were suited to perform a phylogenetic DNA fingerprinting analysis of the parasite species studied. The analysis of the electrophoretic data was optimised and it was possible to resolve a phylogenetic tree where all 12 individual worms of the two Cylicocyclus species studied were assigned to their species as determined by microscopic identification based on morphological traits. Thus, our data indicated that the procedure described here provides an additional powerful tool that can be employed for species delineation of closely related strains or species, such as the two taxa of Cylicocyclus investigated in the present study. Furthermore, by determining the second internal transcribed spacer region of three and nine individual worms for C. elongatus and C. insigne, respectively, low intraspecific variations of only up to 0.3% were demonstrated.