The target of this study was to explore a distribution and prevalence of parasitic helmints in population of wild European otters in the Czech Republic. For this purpose organization ALKA wildlife o.p.s. provided 15 cadavers of these animals. This gained experimental material was consequently subjected to a detailed parasitical examination. All examinations and analises were made in the parazitical laboratory of Department of Zoology and Fishers, Faculty of Agrobiology, food and natural resources in Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague. The discovered parazitic organisms were subsequently isolated and determined. This autopsy showed the occurrence of parasitic flukes of genus Metorchis. Prevalence was counted 13.33 % (two positive samples from all fifteen samples). In the first sample, there were found 17 flukes, in the second sample, there were found 11 flukes. The place of discovery of this samples was southern Bohemia. The occurence of other expected representers of tapeworms, roundworms and acanthocephala were not confirmed. Results can be disorted because of low number of examined biological material. But getting bigger amount of material is a problem because the European otters are protected by law. The results show that in population of wild European otters occur parasitic flukes of genus Metorchis. Since this is the first mention of their occurrence in the Czech Republic, it would be appropriate to study this issue from now to get more results that would be more exact.

This study applies molecular and morphological procedures to identify larval and adult stages of trematodes of the family Strigeidae in Iceland. Intermediate hosts (snails and fishes) and definitive host (birds) from 11 freshwater lakes were sampled and examined for the presence of trematodes. Recovered species were subjected to study of morphology, sequencing and phylogenetic analyses. A total of seven species of three genera were identified via phylogenetical analyses based on mitochondrial (cox1) and nuclear (28S) sequences, and morphological data. The life-cycle of Apatemon gracilis was fully elucidated in Iceland, and those of Australapatemon burti and Australapatemon minor in part (cercariae and adults). The relationship of Cotylurus sp. 'Lin. 1I' and Cotylurus sp. 'Lin. 2I' could not be resolved.

Charles University Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology Student: Tereza Kněžíková Supervisor: PharmDr. Ivan Vokřál, Ph.D. Title of diploma thesis: Liver fluke - treatment and resistence Fasciola hepatica is a parasite of global importance that we find both in farm animals and in humans. This thesis aims to summarize information on the potential of drugs and treatment alternatives that are suitable for treatment of F. hepatica. Given that for a number of drugs used in the past, as well as the drugs currently administered, resistance developed, this thesis is also focused on this phenomenon, especially the mechanisms of its origin. The drugs used to treat fasciolosis are called antitrematodal drugs. They can be divided into five chemical groups, of which the most important group are currently benzimidazoles and their representative triclabendazole. Also other drugs as albendazole, clorsulon, hexachlorophene, closantel, diamphenitide, bithionol, rafoxanide are important. The rate of resistance development is affected by many factors that may be genetic, biological or functional. F. hepatica actively uses its enzymatic system, especially oxidation enzymes or efflux transporters. The influence on the development of resistance, apart from the parasite itself,...

The aim of this thesis was to survey the problem of endoparasitic nematode, cestode, trematode and coccidia infections in sheep and their connection with the farming conditions and zoo-hygienic care. We have found out that 7 species of coccidia, 14 species of gastrointestinal nematodes, three species of lung nematodes, two species of cestodes and four species of trematodes can be found in local conditions. Further we discussed possible ways of suppressing the infections in the breeding environment. The practical coprological examination took place in autumn 2018. We've examined fecal samples from 10 different sheep farms in the Tišnov region, 100 samples in total. We've discovered four species of coccidia (Eimeria bakuensis, E. crandalis, E. parva, E. ovinoidalis), eight species of gastrointestinal nematodes (Bunostomum trigonocephalum, Cooperia curticei, Haemonchus contortus, Chabertia ovina, Nematodirus spp., Oesophagostomum venulosum, Trichuris ovis, Trichostrongylus spp.), two species of lung nematodes (Muellerius ca¬pillaris, Protostrongylus rufescens) and one cestode species (Moniezia expansa). Prevalence and intensity of the infection varied greatly among the farms. We concluded that administering feed supplements during lambing had the most noticeable positive effect on the infection course.

The parasites are one of the most important factors that shape relationships in the nature. This thesis deals mainly with developmental stages of trematodes (Platyhelmintes: Trematoda), especially the cercariae of so-called Schistosomes and sporocysts of Leucochloridium paradoxum, as well as with and their intermediate host - freshwater snails. Introductory chapters are focused on general introduction into the topic, such as basic terminology or occurrence issue of trematodes (mainly schistosomes) in the world and in the Czech Republic. In order to determine larval stages of flukes and their morphological types, the research was conducted in four Prague localities with known presence of aquatic snails. Only in one site, Kunratická tůň Pond, the constant presence of echinostomous cercariae (and in lesser extent also furcocercariae) in Radix labiata was recorded during summer season of 2015. In small pond in the Botanical Garden of the Natural Sciences Faculty of Charles University and in Modřanské tůně Ponds, xiphidocercarie in Lymnaea stagnalis were found. No cercarie were detected in the pond in the Genetic garden of Charles University. The presence of Leucochloridium paradoxum in the European Amber Snail Succinea putris was confirmed in the vicinity of Modřanské tůně Ponds. The verified...

This study is focused on cercarial cysteine peptidases of the trematode Diplostomum pseudospathaceum. It follows previous research which confirmed the presence of a 24kDa cysteine peptidase in cercariae biochemically and by mass spectrometry. It was postulated, that the function of this peptidase is histolytic, when cercariae penetrate the tissues. During an attempt to purify this peptidase and characterize its peptidolytic activity, it was found out that the cercarial homogenate containsmore different peptidases varying in their pI. Tests of peptidolytic activity and inhibition have shown that these peptidases are cathepsin L-like. They are active over a broad spectrum of pH with optima of activities in weakly acidicor neutral pH. Using degenerate primers based on conserved motifs of cysteine pepridases, partial sequences of three genes for cathepsin L of D. pseudospataceum (DpCL1, 2 a 3) were obtained. Then the complete sequences of DpCL2 and 3 genes and partial sequence (without 5'end) of DpCL1 were obtained by RACE PCR. To confirm function of these peptidases we tried to immunolocalize them. We assumed that they are localized in penetration glands. Preliminary results suggested that some of the cathepsins could be also localized in the gut of cercariae. For more detailed biochemical...

The predation effects of four fish species on the consumption of free-living cercariae of three trematode species (Plagiorchis elegans, Echinoparyphium aconiatum and Trichobilharzia szidati) were experimentally investigated with regard to specific life-history traits of both predator and parasite. The study provides evidence of a considerable consumption of trematode cercariae by fish and confirms that cercariae play an important ecological role in the energy flow in aquatic food webs.

This thesis aims to explore the larval development of a bird fluke Trichobilharzia regenti in its intermediate hosts, as well as the processes of differentiation of its embryonal cells and the differentiation between sporocystogenesis and cercariogenesis in sporocysts, with the ultimate goal to find out whether it is possible to find multiple generations of daughter sporocysts throughout the development of avian schistosomes in the intermediate hosts, just like in the case of human schistosomes of genus Schistosoma. Five developmental stages of daughter sporocysts, and ten developmental stages of cercariae have been defined. The first developmental stage in both larvae is the germinal cell. It divides and gives rise to a cell agregate. Afterwards an envelope (primitive epithelium) is formed around the embryo and subsequently, the embryo elongates. At this stage, the development of the two larvae undergoes different pathways. We can distinguish daughter sporocyst from cercaria in the phase, when the tegument is completed. The daughter sporocyst acquires characteristic vermiform appearance, and its body cavity contains plenty of germinal cells. For cercariae with an developed tegument, presence of the penetration glands is characteristic. Key words: Trichobilharzia regenti, germinal cells, mother...

Trichobilharzia spp. are avian schistosomes related to medically important human parasites of the genus Schistosoma. Penetrating cercariae are well known as causative agent of cercarial dermatitis in humans. Cercariae actively penetrate the skin of definitive hosts and transform into schistosomula. This process is preceded by cercarial tail detachment and includes emptying of penetration glands and extensive surface changes. One of these changes is the loss of highly immunogenic glycocalyx which represents a protective coat in the aquatic environment. The glycocalyx has specific composition of saccharide molecules which are bound to lipids or proteins on the membrane of cercarial tegument. There is only limited information about the mechanism of shedding. Hypotheses based on indirect evidences suggest that peptidases or (phospho)lipases from penetration glands could be involved. This work describes the changes in surface glycosylation during transformation of cercariae into schistosomula by fluorescently labelled lectins and monoclonal antibodies against Lewis X antigen. Lectins UEA-I, LTA and PNA have been chosen as markers of transformation of T. regenti. Further, our experiments have been focused on shedding of cercarial glycocalyx. During in vitro induction of penetration gland emptying and...

Fascioloides magna is a trematode originating in North America. It is a significant pathogen, especially in cervids, but it can also infect ruminants kept for agricultural purposes.Adult trematodes are found in the liver tissue of their definitive hosts, where they can survive for a long period of time and produce large quantity of eggs. Those are passed through bile ducts and intestine with feces into the external environment. This thesis is focused on the morphology of individual developmental stages of F. magna. To this date only very limited number of literary resources concerning the topic had been published. Recorded results are compared with literary resources on Fasciola hepatica, a closely related trematode. The morphological characteristics of the individual developmental stages were studied by using histological, electron-miscroscopical and other methods (fluorescent labelling). The thesis also describes pathological changes of the definitive hosts' liver tissue. By means of the stated methods, the thesis expands the existing knowledge on the morphology of F. magna especially of surface structures and the distribution of the senzoric organs, some of which have been described for the very first time. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)