<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">David Ebmer</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Stephan Handschuh</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Thomas Schwaha</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ana Rubio-García</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ulrich Gärtner</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Martin Glösmann</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anja Taubert</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hermosilla, C</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Novel 3D in situ visualization of seal heartworm (&lt;i&gt;Acanthocheilonema spirocauda&lt;/i&gt;) larvae in the seal louse &lt;i&gt;(Echinophthirius horridus&lt;/i&gt;) by X-ray microCT</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%"> Scientific reports</style></secondary-title></titles><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2022</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Aug-18-2022</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-18418-y</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">12</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10 pp</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;jats title=&quot;&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Abstract&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/jats&gt;&lt;jats p=&quot;&quot;&gt;: The seal heartworm &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;Acanthocheilonema spirocauda&lt;/jats&gt; (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parasitizes the heart and pulmonary arteries of various phocid seals of the Northern Hemisphere. Over many decades, potential vectors of this parasite have been discussed, and to this date, the life cycle is not fully known. The seal louse &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;Echinophthirius horridus&lt;/jats&gt; (Anoplura: Echinophthiriidae) is an obligatory, permanent and haematophagous ectoparasite of phocids that has been hypothesized to function as obligate intermediate host for &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;A. spirocauda&lt;/jats&gt;. We examined 11 adult &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;E. horridus&lt;/jats&gt; specimens collected from stranded harbour seals (&lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;Phoca vitulina&lt;/jats&gt;) in rehabilitation at the Sealcentre Pieterburen by X-ray microCT imaging, aiming to illustrate larval &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;A. spirocauda&lt;/jats&gt; infection sites in situ. In three of these specimens, thread-like larvae were detected in insect organs. Detailed imaging of the most infected louse revealed a total of 54 &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;A. spirocauda&lt;/jats&gt; larvae located either in fat bodies or the haemocoel. Histological analysis of the same specimen illustrated nematode cross-sections, confirming X-ray microCT data. The current data strongly suggest that &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;E. horridus&lt;/jats&gt; is a natural intermediate host for &lt;jats italic=&quot;&quot;&gt;A. spirocauda&lt;/jats&gt;. Moreover, we demonstrate the potential of X-ray microCT-based imaging as a non-destructive method to analyze host-parasite interactions, especially in the neglected field of marine mammal parasitology.&lt;/jats&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">14078</style></issue></record><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Jörg Hirzmann</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">David Ebmer</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Guillermo J. Sánchez-Contreras</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ana Rubio-García</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gerd Magdowski</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Ulrich Gärtner</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Anja Taubert</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hermosilla, C</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">The seal louse (&lt;i&gt;Echinophthirius horridus&lt;/i&gt;) in the Dutch Wadden Sea: investigation of vector-borne pathogens</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Parasites &amp; Vectors</style></secondary-title><short-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Parasites Vectors</style></short-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Marine mammal parasitology</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Pinnipeds</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2021</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">02-2021</style></date></pub-dates></dates><urls><web-urls><url><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-021-04586-9</style></url></web-urls></urls><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">14</style></volume><pages><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">10 pp</style></pages><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Background:&amp;nbsp; &lt;/strong&gt;Belonging to the anopluran family Echinophthiriidae, Echinophthirius horridus, the seal louse, has been reported to parasitise a broad range of representatives of phocid seals. So far, only a few studies have focused on the vector function of echinophthiriid lice, and knowledge about their role in pathogen transmission is still scarce. The current study aims to investigate the possible vector role of E. horridus parasitising seals in the Dutch Wadden Sea.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Methods: &lt;/strong&gt;E. horridus seal lice were collected from 54 harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) and one grey seal (Halichoerus grypus) during their rehabilitation period at the Sealcentre Pieterburen, The Netherlands. DNA was extracted from pooled seal lice of individual seals for molecular detection of the seal heartworm Acanthocheilonema spirocauda, the rickettsial intracellular bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, and the cell wall-less bacteria Mycoplasma spp. using PCR assays.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Results: &lt;/strong&gt;Seal lice from 35% of the harbour seals (19/54) and from the grey seal proved positive for A. spirocauda. The seal heartworm was molecularly characterised and phylogenetically analysed (rDNA, cox1). A nested PCR was developed for the cox1 gene to detect A. spirocauda stages in seal lice. A. phagocytophilum and a Mycoplasma species previously identified from a patient with disseminated &amp;lsquo;seal finger&amp;rsquo; mycoplasmosis were detected for the first time, to our knowledge, in seal lice.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Conclusions: &lt;/strong&gt;Our findings support the potential vector role of seal lice in the transmission of A. spirocauda and reveal new insights into the spectrum of pathogens occurring in seal lice. Studies on vector competence of E. horridus, especially for bacterial pathogens, are essentially needed in the future as these pathogens might have detrimental effects on the health of seal populations. Furthermore, studies on the vector role of different echinophthiriid species infecting a wide range of pinniped hosts should be conducted to extend the knowledge of vector-borne pathogens.&lt;/p&gt;
</style></abstract><issue><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">(1):96</style></issue><work-type><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Open Access</style></work-type></record></records></xml>