Yunnanosticta gen. nov. in the platystictid subfamily Sinostictinae is described from Yunnan, China. The genotype is Yunnanosticta wilsoni sp. nov., described here (holotype ♂ from Tongbiguan, Yingjiang County, Dehong Dai Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China, 23 vi 2015, leg. H.M. Zhang, to be deposited in the Natural History Museum, London). Yunnanosticta cyaneocollaris sp. nov. (holotype ♂ from Tongbiguan, Yingjiang County, Dehong Dai Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan, China, 23 vi 2015, leg. H.M. Zhang, to be deposited in the Natural History Museum, London) is also described.
Human gnathostomiasis is an emerging food-borne parasitic disease caused by nematodes of the genus Gnathostoma. Currently, serological tests are commonly applied to support clinical diagnosis. In the present study, a simple and rapid filtration-based test, dot immune-gold filtration assay (DIGFA) was developed using a partially purified antigen of Gnathostoma third-stage larvae (L3). A total of 180 serum samples were tested to evaluate the diagnostic potential of DIGFA for gnathostomiasis. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 96.7% (29/30) and 100% (25/25), respectively. The cross-reactivity with sera from other helminthiasis patients ranged from 0 to 4%, with an average of 1.6% (2/125). DIGFA using a partially purified L3 antigen was not only simple and rapid, but also more accurate than standard assays for the diagnosis of human gnathostomiasis. DIGFA may represent a promising tool for application in laboratories or in the field, without requiring any instrumentation.