During a survey of soil nematodes in 2022, a new species of the genus Longidorus, described here as Longidorus zanjanensis sp. nov., was discovered in the rhizosphere of Astragalus sp. in Zanjan Province, Iran. The new needle nematode is described and illustrated based on morphological, morphometric, and molecular traits. Further, its females are characterized by having a long body ranging 5.6–7.7 mm long, lip region anteriorly flattened and almost continuous or slightly offset by a depression with body contour, ca 16.5–18.5 μm wide, amphidial fovea pouch-like without basal lobes, guiding ring at 35–41 μm distance from the anterior end, and an odontostyle and odontophore ranging 102–115 and 47–75 μm long, respectively. The pharyngeal bulb is 123–153 μm long, female reproductive system didelphic–amphidelphic containing sperm, vulva almost equatorial, located at 46.7–51.4% of body length, tail short, rounded to bluntly conoid, bearing two pairs of caudal pores and terminus widely rounded with distinct radial lines in hyaline region (39–50 μm long, c = 122.4–189.4, c’ = 0.6–0.8). Males are common, making up to 60% of the adults, and are functional, with spicules 68.0–80.0 μm long, as well as having 8–14 ventromedian copulatory supplements. All four juvenile life developmental stages were present, with the tail of first-stage juvenile conoid shape, dorso-ventrally curved with rounded terminus. The polytomous codes delimiting the new species are: A4-B3-C3-D3-E1-F34-G12-H1-I2-J1-K6. Morphologically, the new species comes close to eight known species of the genus, namely L. apulus, L. armeniacae, L. crassus, L. kheirii, L. soosanae, L. proximus, L. pauli, and L. ferrisi. The morphological differences between the new species and the aforementioned species are discussed. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on D2-D3 of large subunit (LSU) and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) rRNA sequences indicate that Longidorus zanjanensis sp. nov. is closely related to L. hyrcanus, L. soosanae, and L. elongatus.

Incomplete original descriptions, the unavailability or poor conditions of specimens and the lack of detailed redescriptions have caused the validity of several species of the genus Encotyllabe Diesing, 1850 to be questioned. To date, seven of the recognized species were described upon one or two specimens, hindering study of intraspecific variations. This was made worse by considering few morphoanatomical differences sufficient to erect new species. Among Encotyllabe spp. occurring in Mediterranean waters, E. vallei was first described from the gilt-head bream Sparus aurata (Sparidae) off Italy. Although beautifully illustrated for a paper from that century, morphometric data for E. vallei from the type-host S. aurata remain unavailable. Previous records of E. vallei provided either morphometrical or molecular data, and its validity was questioned. We provide a redescription of E. vallei based on newly collected specimens from the S. aurata from the southwestern Mediterranean (off Algeria) using integrative taxonomy. Analysis of cox1 sequences of E. vallei from S. aurata, compared to sequences from other sparid hosts, mainly Pagellus bogaraveo, revealed a divergence not exceeding 2%, suggesting a stenoxenic specificity for this monogenean. Given that P. bogaraveo is the type-host for Encotyllabe pagelli, we were tempted to suggest a synonymy between E. vallei and E. pagelli. We refrained from doing so because E. pagelli was first described from the Atlantic coast off Brest, France. Morphological data for Encotyllabe from P. bogaraveo are warranted assessing the host specificity of E. vallei and whether there might be a species complex within individual sparid fish species.

During a survey on the soil nematodes, a population of the genus Aphelenchoides was collected around the rhizosphere of persimmon in Guilan Province, Iran. The morphological and molecular characters confirmed the new species, namely A. persicus sp. n. The new species is characterized by a female body length (699–1068 μm), lip region offset from the rest of the body by a slight constriction, lateral fields with six incisures, stylet 12–13.5 μm long, with a clear basal swelling, excretory pore ca 1.5 metacorpal length posterior to base of the metacorpus, post uterine sac elongate, about 4–7 times than the vulval body diameter; conical female tail with a single centrally located mucron with tiny projection close to the tail tip, male body length (663–908 μm), and spicule well developed with rounded condylus, blunt conical rostrum, and a hook-like tip of dorsal limb. The new species belongs to the Group 2 category of Aphelenchoides species and was similar to seven known species with six lateral field incisures, including A. allius, A. chinensis, A. meghalayensis, A. nechaleos, A. paranechaleos, A. parasexlineatus, and A. sexlineatus. The molecular phylogeny based on 28S rDNA revealed that the new species stands close to A. hamospiculatus (MN931591; MN931592) and two unidentified Aphelenchoides (KY769057; LC583315). The measurements, line illustrations, LM photographs, and phylogenetic analysis are given for the new species.

The location of parasites within individual hosts is often treated as a static trait, yet many parasite species can occur in multiple locations or organs within their hosts. Here, we apply distributional heat maps to study the within- and between-host infection patterns for four trematodes (Alaria marcianae, Cephalogonimus americanus, Echinostoma spp. and Ribeiroia ondatrae) within the amphibian hosts Pseudacris regilla and two species of Taricha. We developed heatmaps from 71 individual hosts from six locations in California, which illustrate stark differences among parasites both in their primary locations within amphibian hosts as well as their degree of location specificity. While metacercariae (i.e., cysts) of two parasites (C. americanus and A. marcianae) were relative generalists in habitat selection and often occurred throughout the host, two others (R. ondatrae and Echinostoma spp.) were highly localised to a specific organ or organ system. Comparing parasite distributions among these parasite taxa highlighted locations of overlap showing potential areas of interactions, such as the mandibular inner dermis region, chest and throat inner dermis and the tail reabsorption outer epidermis. Additionally, the within-host distribution of R. ondatrae differed between host species, with metacercariae aggregating in the anterior dermis areas of newts, compared with the posterior dermis area in frogs. The ability to measure fine-scale changes or alterations in parasite distributions has the potential to provide further insight about ecological questions concerning habitat preference, resource selection, host pathology and disease control.

Clinostomidae is a diverse family of digenean parasitizing fish-eating birds as adults and fishes as metacercariae. The species composition, within the genus Clinostomum has been steadily increasing in recent years. In Argentina, four named species of Clinostomum have been documented, accompanied by four metacercariae representing distinct genetic lineages whose adults have not been identified. This study focused on examining clinostomids in three fish species – Australoheros scitulus (ASI), Cichlasoma dimerus (CDIM), and Pimelodella laticeps (PLA) – at various localities in Argentina. We conducted both morphological and molecular characterizations of the Clinostomum metacercariae collected from these fish species. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using COI mtDNA were performed to determine the placement of these metacercariae within the clinostomid phylogenetic tree. Clinostomum ASC represents a distinct lineage, morphologically distinguishable from other sequenced metacercariae due to its body shape (widest anteriorly and becoming slender towards the posterior end); this lineage was found to be closely related to C. caffarae. While Clinostomum CDIM and Clinostomum PLA exhibited morphological differences, they clustered together genetically with metacercariae reported in previous studies as Clinostomum L3 and Clinostomum CVI. This outcome, coupled with a low genetic distance (0 to 3%), suggests that they are conspecific with metacercariae found in fish across Mexico, Costa Rica, and Argentina. In light of the extensive diversity of fish species in Argentine freshwater ecosystems (over 500 species), and considering the relatively constrained extent of prior investigations, the anticipation of unearthing additional Clinostomum species or lineages is plausible.

Trichinellosis is a global food-borne disease caused by viviparous parasitic nematodes of the genus Trichinella. Due to the lack of effective, safe therapy and the documented adverse effects of traditional therapy, this study aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of acetazolamide-loaded silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on murine trichinellosis. Fifty male Swiss albino mice were divided into five groups of ten mice each: Group I, normal control group; Group II, infected with T. spiralis and not treated; Group III, infected and given AgNPs; Group IV, infected and treated with acetazolamide; and Group V, infected and treated with acetazolamide-loaded AgNPs. Mice were infected orally with 250 larvae. The efficacy was assessed by counting T. spiralis adults and larvae, measuring serum total antioxidant capacity, and observing the histopathological and ultrastructural alterations. Acetazolamide-loaded AgNPs treatment exhibited the highest percentage of reduction (84.72% and 80.74%) for the intestinal adults and the muscular larvae of T. spiralis-infected animals, respectively. Furthermore, during the intestinal and muscular phases, the serum of the same group had the best free-radical scavenging capacity (antioxidant capacity), which reduced tissue damage induced by oxidative stress. Histopathologically, the normal intestinal and muscular architecture was restored in the group treated with acetazolamide-loaded AgNPs, in addition to the reduced inflammatory infiltrate that alleviated inflammation compared to infected animals. Our results confirmed the marked destruction of the ultrastructural features of T. spiralis adults and larvae. Acetazolamide-loaded AgNPs are a promising therapy against T. spiralis infection.

The phylum Acanthocephala is an important group of parasites with more than 1,300 species parasitizing intestine of all major vertebrate groups. However, our present knowledge of the mitochondrial genomes of Acanthocephala remains very limited. In the present study, we sequenced and annotated the complete mitochondrial genome of Acanthogyrus (Acanthosentis) bilaspurensis (Gyracanthocephala: Quadrigyridae) for the first time based on the specimens recovered from the intestine of common carp Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus (Cyprinidae) in Pakistan. The mitochondrial genome of A. bilaspurensis is 13,360 bp in size and contains 36 genes, representing the smallest mitogenome of acanthocephalans reported so far. The mitogenome of A. bilaspurensis also has the lowest level of overall A+T contents (59.3%) in the mitogenomes of Eoacanthocephala, and the non-coding region 3 (NCR3) lies between trnS2 and trnI, which is different from all of the other acanthocephalan species. Phylogenetic analyses based on concatenating the amino acid sequences of 12 protein-coding genes using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian inference (BI) methods revealed that the family Pseudoacanthocephalidae is a sister to the Arhythmacanthidae rather than the Cavisomatidae, and the families Rhadinorhynchidae and Cavisomatidae showed sister relationships.

Molecular techniques are an alternative for the diagnosis of strongyloidiasis, produced by Strongyloides stercoralis. However, it is necessary to determine the best amplification target for the populations of this parasite present in a geographical area and standardize a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) protocol for its detection. The objectives of this work were the comparison of different PCR targets for molecular detection of S. stercoralis and the standardization of a PCR protocol for the selected target with the best diagnostic results. DNA extraction was performed from parasite larvae by saline precipitation. Three amplification targets of the genes encoding ribosomal RNA 18S (18S rDNA) and 5.8S (5.8S rDNA) and cytochrome oxidase 1 (COX1) of S. stercoralis were compared, and the PCR reaction conditions for the best target were standardized (concentration of reagents and template DNA, hybridization temperature, and number of cycles). The analytical sensitivity and specificity of the technique were determined. DNA extraction by saline precipitation made it possible to obtain DNA of high purity and integrity. The ideal target was the 5.8S rDNA, since the 18S rDNA yielded non-reproducible results and COX1 never amplified under any condition tested. The optimal conditions for the 5.8S rDNA-PCR were: 1.5 mM MgCl2, 100 μM dNTPs, 0.4 μM primers, and 0.75 U DNA polymerase, using 35 cycles and a hybridization temperature of 60 °C. The analytical sensitivity of the PCR was 1 attogram of DNA, and the specificity was 100%. Consequently, the 5.8S rDNA was shown to be highly sensitive and specific for the detection of S. stercoralis DNA.

The application of integrative taxonomic approaches is useful to species delineation based on a combination of distinct types of characters, here morphological features and ribosomal DNA sequences. In this study, we surveyed ectoparasitic nematodes of the subfamily Merliniinae in cultivated and natural environments in Iran. Results of morphological and morphometrical studies, light and scanning electron microscopic observations, and molecular analyses allowed us the identification of fourteen known and one unknown species including representatives of the genera Amplimerlinius (five species), Geocenamus (one species), Merlinius (three species), Nagelus (two species), Paramerlinius (one species), Scutylenchus (two species), and Telomerlinius (one species). The unknown species, Scutylenchus sp., characterized by having 35–50 incisures at mid-body; lateral field with 6 longitudinal incisures; lip region slightly offset by a constriction, flattened at front end; bearing 5–7 annuli; cephalic framework not refractive; stylet robust, 18.3–27 μm long; post anal intestinal sac absent; tail elongate conical, dorsally convex, with 24 (19–28) annuli in ventral side, ending to a smooth terminus and males common; spicules 24.5–31 μm long. The phylogenetic analyses were carried out using molecular data from nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA) genes viz. D2–D3 expansion segments of the large ribosomal subunit (28S rRNA), partial small ribosomal subunit (18S rRNA), and internal transcribed spacer (ITS). The molecular variability of D2–D3 expansion segments of the 28S rRNA and partial 18S rRNA was low in this family in comparison to the ITS region, which could be a more helpful molecular marker in species and genus identification.

Caucasus is known as one of the few biodiversity hotspots in Europe and is characterised by rich gastropod fauna while the nematode fauna in association with gastropods has remained largely understudied. Surveys conducted in 2019 and 2021 in the North Caucasus of the Russian Federation (Stavropol Upland and western and central parts of Krasnodar Krai) has revealed the presence of three new species of Pellioditis, a facultative parasite of land gastropods, and two species of obligate parasites, the intestinal parasite Angiostoma kimmeriense and a new, still undescribed species of a larval ectoparasite Alloionema sp. The new associations of Cruznema sp. and Rhabditophanes sp. with land gastropods were recorded for the first time in the Russian Federation. The new species of Pellioditis Dougherty, 1953 described here is based on the analysis of morphology and molecular studies of two distant and morphologically distinct strains, thermalis and sindicae. Pellioditis thermalis n. sp. was characterised by females possessing a tail of about 95–100 μm long, broadly conical in shape in the thermalis and sindicae strains, with a rounded anterior part and a subulate terminal part as long as the former; prominent phasmids located at the mid-tail, equatorial vulva position, a lateral field of three ridges (four incisions), males with spicules featuring a hole at the distal tip, ensheathed infective juveniles with average length 717 μm in the thermals strain and 771 μm in the sindicae strain, and exsheathed ones 644 μm and 682 μm, respectively. ITS-based phylogenetic analyses revealed that all Pellioditis species found in Ciscaucasia and Transcaucasia probably belong to two separate clades, with independent evolutionary histories of colonisation of this area. The entire Caucasus range area appears to serve as a biodiversity hotspot for the genus Pellioditis, presumably due to its complicated geological history and repeated isolation events for its terrestrial mollusc hosts.

This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the risk factors of infection by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus in Brazilian cats with cough and/or radiographic changes, using as diagnostic tools the Baermann method (BM), polymerase chain reaction (PCR) of feces, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and cytology. Forty-three cats that were presented with cough or lung radiographic abnormalities compatible with bronchoalveolar disease were included in the study. After clinical evaluation, feces samples were collected to investigate lungworm parasitism through BM and PCR. BALF was performed to provide samples for cytology, bacteriology, and fungal culture. Stool PCR was considered the gold standard for diagnosis tests, and the other methods were evaluated by their agreement. PCR presented 74% (32/43) of positivity for A. abstrusus, while in the BM, 41% (18/43) were positive. BM showed sensitivity of 56.25% and specificity of 100% when compared with PCR. No larva was found in the cytological evaluation of 21 BALF samples. Lungworm is an important cause of bronchopulmonary disease in domestic cats in Brazil and should be included as a differential diagnosis when a cat is presented with cough or radiographic abnormalities. BM is a sensitive, non-invasive, and cheap technique to diagnose the disease, but it is not as sensitive as PCR.

Six families belonging to the Paramphistomoidea superfamily have been reported in South America, with only Zonocotylidae and Balanorchiidae being endemic. The Zonocotylidae was initially classified as Aspidogastrea and then as a paramphistomoid. This family comprises a single genus, Zononocotyle, with two species. It is primarily characterized by having an attachment organ with transverse ridges and a single testis. The placement of Zonocotylidae within Paramphistomoidea is controversial, as some researchers speculate that this genus is the most primitive member of the superfamily, while others consider it an aberrant form. The main objectives of our study were to provide the first sequences of Zonocotylidae and elucidate its phylogenetic position. We amplified the 28S gene from two parasites from Cyphocharax sp. from Punta Lara, Buenos Aires. Newly generated sequences were used to infer the phylogenetic relationships with other Paramphistomoidea species using a Bayesian approach. Zonocotylidae were clustered with Dadayiinae and Kalitrematinae (Cladorchiidae) species found in freshwater fishes from South America. Genetic analyses revealed that they formed a well-supported clade with cladorchiids in freshwater hosts from South America. However, the occurrence of genera of Cladorchiidae in North America, Middle America, Asia, and Australia suggested its polyphyletic nature and may indicate the need for the erection of new families. Other Paramphistomoidea families may also require further revision. The addition of new sequences to phylogenetic analyses along with a comprehensive and more detailed description of the genera will help resolve the relationships within this group.

New Zealand’s kākāpō parrot, once widespread, is now critically endangered due to habitat loss and introduced mammalian predators. Prior to major population decline, a unique kākāpō cestode, Stringopotaenia psittacea, was found in the 1880s and first described in 1904. Here we report the discovery of eggs of this cestode in kākāpō coprolites of pre-human settlement age from the Honeycomb Hill cave system, north-west Nelson. Analysis of 52 samples, including coprolites of post-human settlement age, from nine sites within six South Island locations across a wide geographic range, yielded only eight infected samples in this single cave system. Results suggest that prior to human settlement, S. psittacea was not widespread within and between kākāpō populations, in marked contrast to other parasite types of the extinct moa spp. Intense management of the last remaining kākāpō has endangered or possibly caused the extinction of this cestode. This is the first confirmed record of S. psittacea since its discovery in 1884.

Climate change is expected to affect parasitic nematodes and hence possibly parasite–host dynamics and may have far-reaching consequences for animal health, livestock production, and ecosystem functioning. However, there has been no recent overview of current knowledge to identify how studies could contribute to a better understanding of terrestrial parasitic nematodes under changing climates. Here we screened almost 1,400 papers to review 57 experimental studies on the effects of temperature and moisture on hatching, development, survival, and behaviour of the free-living stages of terrestrial parasitic nematodes with a direct life cycle in birds and terrestrial mammals. Two major knowledge gaps are apparent. First, research should study the temperature dependency curves for hatching, development, and survival under various moisture treatments to test the interactive effect of temperature and moisture. Second, we specifically advocate for more studies that investigate how temperature, and its interaction with moisture, affect both vertical and horizontal movement of parasitic nematodes to understand infection risks. Overall, we advocate for more field experiments that test environmental effects on life-history traits and behaviour of parasitic nematodes in their free-living stages under natural and realistic circumstances. We also encourage studies to expand the range of used hosts and parasitic nematodes because 66% of results described in the available studies use sheep and cattle as hosts and 32% involve just three nematode species. This new comprehension brings attention to understudied abiotic impacts on terrestrial parasitic nematodes and will have broader implications for livestock management, wildlife conservation, and ecosystem functioning in a rapidly warming climate.

Schistosomiasis is a serious tropical disease. Despite extensive research into the etiology of liver fibrosis, effective therapeutic options remain limited. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of auranofin in treating hepatic granuloma and fibrogenesis produced by Schistosoma (S.) mansoni eggs. Auranofin is a gold complex that contains thioglucose tetraacetate and triethylphosphine. Eighty BALB/c male mice were divided into four groups (n=20/group): negative control (GI), positive control (GII), and early (GIII) and late (GIV) treatment groups with oral auranofin according to beginning of treatment 4th week and 6th week post-infection. Mice were infected subcutaneously in a dose of 60±10 cercariae/mouse. Worm counts, egg loads, and oogram patterns were determined. Biochemical, histological, and immunostaining of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), and smooth muscle actin (SMA) were assessed. GIII showed a significant decrease in the total S. mansoni worm burden and ova/gram in liver tissue (with reduction percent of 63.07% and 78.26%, respectively). Schistosomal oogram patterns, immature and mature ova, also showed a significant decrease. The reduction in granuloma number and size was 40.63% and 48.66%, respectively, in GIII, whereas in GIV, the reduction percent was 76.63% and 67.08%. In addition, the degree of fibrosis was significantly diminished in both treated groups. GIV showed significant reduction in IL-1β and SMA expression and increase in SIRT3 expression. These findings reveal how auranofin suppresses the development of liver fibrosis. Therefore, it is crucial to take another look at auranofin as a prospective medication for the treatment of S. mansoni egg-induced hepatic granuloma and consequent fibrosis.

The Isthmosacanthidae acanthocephalan species of the genus Serrasentis are parasites of marine teleosts and an elasmobranch. In this study, Serrasentis gibsoni n. sp. is described from the intestines of four flatfish species (Paralichthyidae), namely Ancyclopsetta quadrocellata, Cyclopsetta chittendeni, Syacium gunteri, and S. papillosum from 10 oceanic sites in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Twenty sequences of the ‘barcoding’ region of cytochrome C oxidase subunit I gene were obtained from 20 adults of Serrasentis gibsoni n. sp. Additionally, five sequences of the barcoding region were obtained from five adults of rhadinorhynchid Gorgorhynchus lepidus from C. chittendeni, S. papillosum and one species of Haemulidae, Haemulom aurolineatum, from five oceanic sites from the GoM. Two phylogenetic approaches were followed: Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood. In both phylogenetic reconstructions, the sequences of Serrasentis gibsoni n. sp. were recovered as a monophyletic group within the genus Serrasentis and placed as a sister group to G. lepidus. However, due to the lack of molecular data for species of the Isthmosacanthidae and Rhadinorhynchidea, these phylogenetic inferences must be taken with caution. Serrasentis gibsoni n. sp. is the first species of Serrasentis described from Paralichthyidae flatfish species from marine waters of the Americas and from the GoM. Based on the barcoding data set analyzed, Serrasentis gibsoni n. sp. appears to have high intraspecific genetic variation; thus, it is necessary to continue exploring the genetic diversity of this species to infer its intraspecific evolutionary patterns.

Knowledge about parasitic diseases of wildlife will help us to understand the dynamics of parasites and their effects on host populations. The capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris) is the largest living rodent in the world, and its distribution is associated with the presence of tropical and subtropical wetlands in South America. The Los Padres Lake Integral Reserve (LPLIR) is an important conservation zone in the pampean region of Argentina. One of the emblematic species found within the reserve is the capybara. The objective of this study was to determine the gastrointestinal parasites present in wild capybaras of the LPLIR and to compare different coprological methodologies. Free-ranging capybara fresh feces from 57 individuals were randomly collected from the area of LPLIR in the summer of 2022. Three different techniques were applied: spontaneous sedimentation technique (SS), INTA modified McMaster technique (MM), and Mini-FLOTAC (MF) technique. Fifty-six samples from all samples analysed (56/57, 98%) were found to be positive for gastrointestinal parasites. Two species of Strongylida, Protozoophaga obesa, Echinocoleus hydrochaeris, one unidentified nematode, one unidentified spirurid, and at least two morphotypes of Eimeria spp. oocysts were recorded. There were found significant differences in the proportion of positive samples and in richness by technique, but no significant differences were found in parasite counting. In conclusion, the choice of methodology depends on the specific objectives of the study. This is the first parasitological study of capybaras from the LPLIR and represents an exploration of parasite communities present in these wild rodents at their southernmost distribution.

Scaphanocephalus is a small trematode genus belonging to the family Opistorchiidae. The genus currently contains only three species associated with marine fish as intermediate hosts and fish-eating birds as definitive hosts. Here, specimens of Scaphanocephalus were collected from the Osprey, Pandion haliaetus, and the White mullet, Mugil curema in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. We report for the first-time DNA sequences of adult specimens of Scaphanocephalus, particularly S. expansus, as well as a sequence of a different species sampled as metacercaria. Morphological comparisons of Scaphanocephalus expansus confirmed the identity of the adult specimens, with minor morphological variations; Scanning electron photomicrographs were included, and the species was re-described. Phylogenetic analysis based on 28S rDNA sequences showed that Scaphanocephalus is monophyletic within Opisthorchiidae and consists of three independent lineages. Sequences of adults are identical to those of S. expansus. Instead, the sequence of the metacercaria sampled from the mesentery of Mugil curema nested with specimens reported as Scaphanocephalus sp. from a labrid fish in the Mediterranean Sea, herein named it as Scaphanocephalus sp. 2.

This randomised study aimed to assess and compare the efficacy of treatment protocols containing levamisole, ivermectin, or moxidectin against Capillaria spp. in naturally infected European hedgehogs (Erinaceus europaeus) presented to a British wildlife rehabilitation centre. Faecal analysis, consisting of wet mount and flotation, was performed for 229 hedgehogs weighing ≥200g. Animals testing positive for Capillaria spp. (81%), excluding pregnant females, were randomly allocated a treatment protocol. Initially, hedgehogs (n = 50) received one of six ‘pilot’ protocols, whereas the remaining animals (n = 97) received one of three ‘main’ protocols. Faecal analysis was repeated on day 8 and day 12 after treatment initiation. Efficacy of each treatment was assessed based on Capillaria reduction rate (CRR), weight gain, presence of respiratory clinical signs, and outcome. Pilot protocols containing only moxidectin had a significantly lower CRR (≥28.1%) compared to those with levamisole or ivermectin (≥86.6%), whereas the main protocols containing levamisole had a significantly higher CRR (≥93.0%) compared to those containing only ivermectin (≥69.3%). Clinical parameters did not differ significantly between treatments, but animals with respiratory clinical signs at the end of the trial were significantly more likely to have lower CRR and test positive for Crenosoma striatum. C. striatum often appeared refractory to treatment, and managing these infections requires additional anthelmintic therapy. Based on the formulations and dosages trialled, moxidectin is not recommended for treating capillariosis in European hedgehogs, whereas levamisole given orally for two consecutive days at 25–35 mg/kg is suggested as the treatment of choice.

Trichinellosis is a re-emerging worldwide foodborne zoonosis. Oxidative stress is one of the most common detrimental effects caused by trichinellosis. In addition, Trichinella infection poses an infinite and major challenge to the host’s immune system. Resistance and side effects limit the efficiency of the existing anti-trichinella medication. Given that concern, this work aimed to investigate the anti-helminthic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects of resveratrol and zinc during both phases of Trichinella spiralis infection. Sixty-four Swiss albino mice were divided into four equal groups: non-infected control, infected control, infected and treated with resveratrol, and infected and treated with zinc. Animals were sacrificed on the 7th and 35th days post-infection for intestinal and muscular phase assessments. Drug efficacy was assessed by biochemical, parasitological, histopathological, immunological, and immunohistochemical assays. Resveratrol and zinc can be promising antiparasitic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agents, as evidenced by the significant decrease in parasite burden, the significant improvement of liver and kidney function parameters, the increase in total antioxidant capacity (TAC), the reduction of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, the increase in nuclear factor (erythroid-derived 2)-like-2 factor expression, and the improvement in histopathological findings. Moreover, both drugs enhanced the immune system and restored the disturbed immune balance by increasing the interleukin 12 (IL-12) level. In conclusion, resveratrol and zinc provide protection for the host against oxidative harm and the detrimental effects produced by the host’s defense response during Trichinella spiralis infection, making them promising natural alternatives for the treatment of trichinellosis.