Pterobdella occidentalis n. sp. (Hirudinida: Piscicolidae) is described from the longjaw mudsucker, Gillichthys mirabilis Cooper, 1864, and the staghorn sculpin, Leptocottus armatus Girard, 1854, in the eastern Pacific, and the diagnosis of Pterobdella abditovesiculata (Moore, 1952) from the 'o'opu 'akupa, Eleotris sandwicensis Vaillant and Sauvage, 1875, from Hawaii is amended. The morphology of both species conforms with the genus Pterobdella in possessing a spacious coelom, well-developed nephridial system, and 2 pairs of mycetomes. Originally described as Aestabdella abditovesiculata, P. occidentalis (present along the U.S. Pacific Coast), can be distinguished from most congeners by its metameric pigmentation pattern and diffuse pigmentation on the caudal sucker. Based on mitochondrial gene sequences, including cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and NADH dehydrogenase subunit I (ND1), P. occidentalis forms a distinct polyphyletic clade with Pterobdella leiostomi from the western Atlantic. Based on COI, ND1, and the 18S rRNA genes, other leech species most closely related to P. occidentalis include Pterobdella arugamensis from Iran, Malaysia, and possibly Borneo, which likely represent distinct species, and Pterobdella abditovesiculata from Hawaii, one of only a few endemic fish parasites in Hawaii. Like P. abditovesiculata, P. arugamensis, and Petrobdella amara, P. occidentalis is often found in estuarine environments, frequently infecting hosts adapted to a wide range of salinity, temperature, and oxygen. The physiological plasticity of P. occidentalis and the longjaw mudsucker host, and the ease of raising P. occidentalis in the lab, make it an excellent candidate for the study of leech physiology, behavior, and possible bacterial symbionts.
Toxocara malaysiensis n. sp. from the small intestine of the domestic cat (Felis catus L.) in Malaysia is described and illustrated. This ascaridoid nematode was previously assumed to be Toxocara canis, which it superficially resembles, or designated Toxocara sp. cf. canis. The new species differs from T. canis in the shape of the cervical alae in cross section, spicule length, and the lip structure. It is also distinct from other species assigned to Toxocara.
Anaplasmosis is a widespread vector-borne disease affecting dogs, and Anaplasma platys is the major etiological agent of the disease. The study examines anaplasmosis molecular prevalence, related risk factors, and alteration of hematological variables in Anaplasma-affected dogs. A total of 150 blood samples were collected from dogs in the district of Lahore, Pakistan. The samples were screened with PCR targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Anaplasma. Sequencing of samples that were found positive after performing PCR was conducted. A questionnaire was developed to collect epidemiological data on subject dogs, and the information was analyzed with a logistic regression model using SPSS. The current study revealed an 11.34% (17/150) prevalence of anaplasmosis in dogs based on PCR detection. Tick infestation, previous tick history, house hygiene, and tick control status were major risk factors linked with disease occurrence. Red blood cell count, packed cell volume, hemoglobin, and platelet count were decreased significantly (P < 0.05) in Anaplasma-infected dogs. Phylogenetically, the 2 isolates of the current study clustered together, and that cluster was very similar to A. platys isolates from India, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Moniliformis tarsii n. sp. was found in Tarsius bancanus. It is unique in possessing 11-12 longitudinal rows of 6-7 hooks each. Hooks 2 and 3 are conspicuously enlarged, 41-55 microns long. Moniliformis echinosorexi n. sp. differs from all other species in having 12-15 rows of 11-13 hooks that are 34-36 microns long, and in having a proboscis receptacle 1.2-2.0 mm long. Several new host records for M. moniliformis are presented.
Empruthotrema stenophallus n. sp. (Monogenea: Monocotylidae) is described from specimens from the nasal tissue of the blue-spotted maskray Dasyatis kuhlii (Muller and Henle, 1841) collected in shallow waters off Pulau Banggi and Pulau Mabul, Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia. This is the first monogenean species to be described from an elasmobranch collected from Sabah. E. stenophallus can be distinguished from the other 6 members of the genus by the morphology of the sclerotized male copulatory organ, which is narrow, short, and distally tapered. E. dasyatidis Whittington and Kearn, 1992, previously documented from the nasal tissue of several of elasmobranch species from Australia, is recorded from 8 host species distributed around Malaysian Borneo. These represent new host and locality records for this monocotylid. The difficulties in identifying species of Empruthotrema and the apparent lack of host specificity by some members of the genus are discussed.
Spauligodon bintangensis n. sp. from the intestines of Cyrtodactylus bintangrendah (Gekkonidae) from Peninsular Malaysia is described and illustrated. Spauligodon bintangensis n. sp. represents the 51st species assigned to the genus and the first species from the Oriental Region. The new species is most similar to Spauligodon atlanticus, Spauligodon eremiasi, and Spauligodon occidentalis, but is easily separated by position of vulva, prebulbar in S. atlanticus and S. occidentalis , postbulbar in the new species, and location of lateral alae; in S. eremiasi, the lateral alae occur only in the fourth quarter of the body, whereas in the new species the lateral alae begin just posterior to lips.
Six clones were derived from each Malaysian Plasmodium falciparum isolate and characterized for their susceptibilities against type II antifolate drugs, cycloguanil and pyrimethamine. Results showed that these isolates were of a heterogeneous population, with average IC50 values of Gombak C clones at 0.012-0.084 microM and 0.027-0.066 microM, ST 9 clones at 0.019-0.258 microM and 0.027-0.241 microM, ST 12 clones at 0.015-0.342 microM and 0.012-0.107 microM, ST 85 clones at 0.022-0.087 microM and 0.024-0.426 microM, and ST 148 clones at 0.027-0312 microM and 0.029-0.690 microM against cycloguanil and pyrimethamine, respectively. Generally, most of these clones displayed susceptibility patterns similar to their parent isolates except ST 9/A4, ST 9/A7, ST 9/B5, ST 9/D9, ST 9/D10, ST 148/A4, ST 148/A5, ST 148/A7, ST 148/F7, ST 148/F8 clones, which were sensitive at 0.027 microM, 0.019 microM, 0.022 microM, 0.063 microM, 0.037 microM, 0.031 microM, 0.042, microM, 0.042 microM, 0.062 microM, and 0.027 microM, whereas, ST 12/D7 clone was resistant at 0.342 microM, against cycloguanil respectively. However, ST 9/A4, ST 9/D8, ST 12/D5, ST 85/A5, ST 85/B3, ST 85/B4, ST 85/D3, ST 85/D7, ST 148/A6, and ST 148/A7 clones were resistant to pyrimethamine at 0.158 microM, 0.241 microM, 0.107 microM, 0.223 microM, 0.393 microM, 0.402 microM, 0.426 microM, 0.115 microM, 0.690 microM, and 0.520 microM, respectively.