Zdzislaw Laskowski

Polish Academy of Sciences | PAN · Witold Stefański Institute of Parasitology of the Polish Academy of Sciences

A range of analytical methods (GC-MS, LC-MS, voltammetry, microbiological and microscopic techniques, PCR) was used to assay a range of potential chemical and biological contaminants in soil and dandelion samples. The results provide the first comprehensive safety analysis of dandelion as a herbal product. Samples were collected from three differen...

Infection with Thelazia nematodes results in eye disease in wild and domestic animals. The aim of the present study was to describe the occurrence of Thelazia nematodes in European bison, and to subject the isolated parasites to molecular identification and phylogenetical analysis. The eyeballs of 18 European bison from the Bieszczady Mountains, cu...

Wild large ungulates, like European bison (Bison bonasus) and Eurasian moose (Alces alces), form an important part of the circulation of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a Gram-negative, intracellular, tick-transmitted bacterium, in the natural environment. Bison and moose tissue samples were subjected to 16S rDNA, groEL and ankA partial gene marker ampl...

Background: The role of cervids in the circulation of A. phagocytophilum has not yet been clearly determined; however, several species of wild and farm cervids may be a natural reservoir of this bacteria. Methods: Spleen and liver tissue samples were taken from 207 wild (red deer, roe deer, fallow deer and moose) and farmed cervids (red deer and...

PurposeAnalysis and comparison of the helminth assemblages in Antarctic rockcod Notothenia coriiceps collected near the UAS “Akademik Vernadsky” (Argentine Islands, West Antarctica) in 2002 and 2014–2015 were performed to characterise the parasite community and investigate the temporal changes in helminth assemblages and infection parameters.Method...

Purpose The Anaplasma genus includes a Gram-negative bacterium infecting the blood cells of wild and domestic mammals, causing tick-borne fever. Infection with pathogenic Anaplasma phagocytophilum strains may cause Human Granulocytic Anaplasmosis. Wild boars ( Sus scrofa ) may act as natural wild reservoir hosts for potentially zoonotic A. phagocyt...

Introduction. Echinococcus multilocularis has been endemic in red foxes in eastern and central parts of Europe, and E. granulosus s. l. identified in wolves in some countries. In recent years, wolves hale emerged as potentially important definitive hosts of E. multilocularis. Objective. This aim of the survey was to record indirectly using nested-P...

Although the Dictyocaulus lungworm, the agent of dictyocaulosis, is one of parasitological threats to European bison, its systematic position remains unclear. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the morphological features of the lungworm and the pathological lesions it induces, and to analyse mitochondrial (mt) genetic markers for systemat...

Purpose: Bacteria of the genus Bartonella are obligate parasites of vertebrates. Their distribution range covers almost the entire world, from the Americas to Europe and Asia. Many Bartonella species use rodents as reservoirs, and while much is known about Bartonella infection of rodents in central Europe, its extent is poorly understood in Easter...

Purpose. The nematodes of the genus Thelazia are the cause of eye diseases of wild and domestic ruminants throughout the world. The aim of the study was to describe clinical cases of thelasiosis in European bison (Bison bonasus) in Poland, and provide morphometrical features of Thelazia gulosa Railiet and Henry, 1910 and Thelazia skrjabini Erschov,...

Eimeria spp. infection was investigated in 10 free-roaming European bison aged three months to 26 years by anatomopathological, histopathological, coproscopic and PCR-RFLP examination. The coproscopic study identified Eimeria oocysts in the faeces of five bison. The most prevalent morphotypes were E. bovis, present in all positive samples, and E. z...

The tapeworm Taenia lynciscapreoli is a new species of the genus Taenia described in 2016, and which remains poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to extend current knowledge regarding its, morphology and genome. Biological material was analysed from three species of wild animals: Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), roe deer (Capreolus capreolu...

Background: Anaplasma phagocytophilum is an obligate parasitic intracellular bacterium. It is the causative agent of granulocytic anaplasmosis, with effects on human and animal health. In Europe, the pathogen is mainly transmitted among a wide range of vertebrate hosts by blood-sucking arthropods. The aim of this study was to determine the presenc...

Trypanosomes of the subgenus Megatrypanum have been isolated from many mammalian hosts around the world. They are usually non‐pathogenic, although they may confuse the parasitological diagnosis of trypanosomosis. Additionally, Trypanosoma theileri has been associated with disease in cattle. Megatrypanum trypanosomes are considered to be transmitted...

Anaplasma sp. is Gramm – negative bacteria, which is an obligatory intracellular parasite of animals and humans. The largest reservoir is made up by small rodents and wild animals e.g.: wild boar (Sus scrofa), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), and red deer (Cervus elaphus). The widespread occurrence of this potentially pathogenic bacteria in the envi...

Lyperosomum Looss, 1899 is one of the largest genera of the Dicrocoeliidae and is one of the best examples of the systematic complexity and taxonomic instability within this family. We present the molecular analyses based on novel sequences of nuclear and mitochondrial genes obtained from 56 isolates of adult flukes and larval stages of dicrocoelii...

The article examines the presence of metacestodes on the liver capsule in two wild boars and on the liver capsule and mediastinum in moose. Cysticerci were identified as Taenia hydatigena metacestodes by morphological features—size and shape of rostellar hooks and molecular analysis of the partial sequences of cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene. M...

Anaplasma phagocytophilum is a pathogen of veterinary and medical importance. It is the causative agent of tick-borne fever (TBF) in ruminants (also known as bovine or ovine granulocytic anaplasmosis), and of human granulocytic anaplasmosis (HGA) in humans. In Europe, A. phagocytophilum is transmitted by Ixodes ricinus (Linnaeus 1758) ticks. The ai...

This study presents the results of analysis spleen and liver from randomly selected wild boars. Molecular analysis was based on the variations of polymerase chain reaction (PCR). In this study were examined 20 wilds boars (20 livers, 20 spleens; n = 40). Six positive samples were detected using the PCR method (5 from livers; 1 from spleen). DNA seq...

The large lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus are causative agents of parasitic bronchitis in various ungulate hosts, including red deer. Recently, the red deer-derived lungworm D. cervi was described and separated from D. eckerti. Little is known of the transmission patterns, epidemiology, geographical distribution and pathogenicity of D. cervi. H...

Lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus Railliet and Henry, 1907 (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) are the causative agents of parasitic bronchitis (dictyocaulosis, husk) of various ungulate hosts, including domestic and wild ruminants. Correct diagnosis of lungworm species and a better understanding of the transmission patterns of Dictyocaulus spp. are...

Lungworms of the genus Dictyocaulus Railliet and Henry, 1907 (Nematoda: Trichostrongyloidea) are the causative agents of parasitic bronchitis (dictyocaulosis, husk) of various ungulate hosts, including domestic and wild ruminants. Correct diagnosis of lungworm species and a better understanding of the transmission patterns of Dictyocaulus spp. are...

The raccoon (Procyon lotor) is a North American carnivore introduced to Europe in the 20th Century. Raccoons are believed to be the potential hosts of many parasites, or to be involved in their transmission to other animals. Nematodes of the genus Trichinella can infect many carnivorous and omnivorous animals worldwide. The aim of the present study...

Background The bacteria of the genus Bartonella are obligate parasites of vertebrates. Their distribution range covers almost the entire world from America, Europe, Asia to Africa and Australia. Some species of Bartonella are pathogenic for humans. Their main vectors are blood-sucking arthropods such as fleas, ticks and blood-feeding flies. One suc...

Lungworms from the genus Dictyocaulus cause parasitic bronchitis (dictyocaulosis) characterized by coughing and severe lung pathology in both domestic and wild ruminants. In this study we investigated the interrelationships of Dictyocaulus spp. from European bison (Bison bonasus L.), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and red deer (Cervus elaphus) by n...

Acanthocephalans (spiny head worms) are a medium-sized phylum (about 1000 species have been described) of usually small (few mm to over 1m) vertebrate intestinal parasites. They are pseudocoelomates with bilateral symmetry and usually cylindrical bodies. The sexes are separate, with females usually larger than males. The body consists of a probosci...

The genus Brachylecithum was for the first time subject to molecular taxonomic phylogenetic analysis in order to ascertain relationships among its component taxa. We used two markers-the nuclear ribosomal 28S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) gene and the mitochondrial cox1 gene, for six species of the genus; 11 sequences of partial 28S rDNA and partial cox1 we...

Background: Echinostomes are cosmopolitan digenean parasites which infect many different warm-blooded hosts. Their classification is extremely confused; the host spectrum is wide, and morphological similarities often result in misidentification. During our long-term studies on the helminth fauna of rodents and carnivores we have collected 27 colla...

Dictyocaulus lungworms are the causative agents of parasitic bronchitis (dictyocaulosis) characterised by coughing and severe lung pathology in domestic and wild ruminants. The objective of this study was to design a simple molecular test that could detect of lungworm DNA from both adult and larval lungworms and could distinguish between the most c...

Antarctic bony fishes are infected with cestode larvae belonging to the order Tetraphyllidea (parasites as adults in chondrichthyans). Larvae of the Tetraphyllidea differ from each other in the morphology of their scoleces and represent five forms. There are larvae with bothridia subdivided into one, two and three loculi, bothridia sac-like in shap...

Fish of five species of Notothenioidei (104 specimens), Cottoperca trigloides, Patagonotothen brevicauda, P. longipes, P. tessellata and Champsocephalus esox, caught in the Beagle Channel (Magellanic sub-region, sub-Antarctica) were infected with Digenea of nine species (1130 specimens). Faunistic data on the occurrence of all nine parasites are pr...

Abstract: The infection of black rockcod, Notothenia coriiceps, with digeneans in Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands) within three months, from November 2007 to January 2008, is compared with the infection in the same threemonths in 1978/79, based on the examination of twenty fish collected in each month. Digenea found in 1978/1979 season were m...

New data on the infection with Acanthocephala of 33 fish caught in Admiralty Bay in November 2007 to January 2008 are given. These fish belong to 5 species: Notothenia rossii (22 immature specimens), Lindbergichthys nudifrons (n = 7), Trematomus bernacchii (n = 1), T. newnesi (n = 1) and Harpagifer antarcticus (n = 2). Three species of Echinorhynch...

The cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus affects the domestic cats and other felids all over the world. Feline aelurostrongylosis is of importance in clinical feline medicine. Snails and slugs are the intermediate hosts, but the cat is probably infected by eating paratenic hosts, e.g., rodents, birds, amphibians and reptiles. Herein we present t...

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

##Assembly-Data-START## Sequencing Technology :: Sanger dideoxy sequencing ##Assembly-Data-END##

Abstract Macvicaria magellanica n. sp. (Digenea: Opecoelidae) is the third representative of this genus occurring in fish in the Magellanic sub-region of sub-Antarctica and the first one found in sub-coastal waters in this area (the Beagle Channel). Its main taxonomic features are include an elongate body, oral/ventral sucker ratio based on widths...

A comparison between the levels of infection with Acanthocephala of the fish Notothenia coriicepsin Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) in 1978/79 and 2007/08 is presented. The same eight acanthocephalan species, three echinorhynchids maturing in fish, Aspersentis megarhynchus (dominant species), Metacanthocephalus johnstoni (subdomin...

Changes in acanthocephalan infection of the Antarctic fish Notothenia coriiceps in Admiralty Bay, King George Island, over 29 years A comparison between the levels of infection with Acanthocephala of the fish Notothenia coriiceps in Admiralty Bay (South Shetland Islands, Antarctic) in 1978/79 and 2007/08 is presented. The same eight acanthocephalan...

Neolepidapedoides subantarcticus sp. nov. (Digenea, Lepocreadiidae) is reported from the intestine, mainly the jejunum, of fishes in the eastern mouth of the Beagle Channel and in the harbour of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) at a depth 7–30 m. The typical host is Patagonotothen longipes, other hosts are P. tessellata,...

In total, 6401 amphipods, including 5707 Cheirimedon femoratus, caught at the Galindez Island (Argentine Islands, Western Antarctica) were examined for the presence of cystacanths and advanced acanthellae of Acanthocephala. Two parasite species, Corynosoma pseudohamanni Zdzitowiecki, 1984 and Metacanthocephalus johnstoni Zdzitowiecki, 1983, were fo...

Abstract: Adult females of a predatory fish, the blackfin icefish, Chaenocephalus aceratus examined at the South Shetland Islands and South Orkney Islands were by several orders of magnitude more infected with Acanthocephala than the males and immature females. Such phenomenon has not been observed in the neritic zone at South Georgia. Cystacanths...

Whitegonimus ozoufae n. gen., n. sp. (Digenea: Zoogonidae) is reported from the stomach of Patagonotothen tessellata in the harbor of Ushuaia in the Beagle Channel (Tierra del Fuego, Argentina) at a depth of 7–9 m. The female genital system structure indicates the new taxon belongs in the subfamily Lepidophyllinae (Zoogonidae). None of the genera p...

The aim of this study was to assess the anisakid nematode distribution pattern in the fish collected from the South Shetland Islands. A total of 32 fish species were examined for the presence of nematodes in 1978, 1979, 1981 and 2007/2008. The fish were caught off the South Shetland Islands (Elephant Island, Shishkov Island and in Admiralty Bay - K...

104 specimens of notothenioid fishes of five species (Patagonotothen longipes, P. tessellata, Champsocephalus esox, Cottoperca trigloides and Patagonotothen brevi− cauda) caught at two sites in the Beagle Channel (Magellanic sub−region, sub−Antarctica) were examined for the presence of thorny−headed worms (Acanthocephala). Representa− tives of thre...

Hypoechinorhynchus magellanicus Szidat, 1950 (Acanthocephala: Arhythmacanthidae) is redescribed based on specimens collected from a sub-Antarctic notothenioid fish, Champsocephalus esox (Günther). The host was caught in the Beagle Channel (Magellanic sub-region). H. magellanicus has a trunk with an antero-dorsal curvature, a spherical proboscis, sp...

The morphology of relaxed cystacanths of polymorphid acanthocephalans collected from notothenioid fishes in the Beagle Channel (Magellanic subregion of sub-Antarctica) is described. A parasite of birds, Andracantha baylisi (Zdzitowiecki, 1986), was found in Patagonotothen longipes and Champsocephalus esox. It has: a proboscis 0.82–0.89mm long; a pr...

Trematomus newnesi (Nototheniidae), a bentho−pelagic fish, caught off Adelie Land (eastern Antarctic) was examined for the presence of internal parasitic worms. These fishes were infected with 11 species and larval forms of parasites: Digenea (Macvicaria pennelli, Neolebouria terranovaensis, Genolinea bowersi, and Elytrophalloides oatesi), larval C...

Acanthocephalan Moniliformis moniliformis is a parasite of rodents, rarely also reported from carnivorous mammals. One female specimen of this parasite has been found in the small intestine of red fox Vulpes vulpes. It is the first report about this species invading the red fox in Poland.

The two bathydraconid species, Gymnodraco acuticeps and Cygnodraco maw− soni, caught in the Ross Sea (Antarctic summer 2002) were examined for internal parasites. All specimens (four G. acuticeps and one C. mawsoni) were infected. G. acuticeps har− boured larval Cestoda (bilocular tetraphyllidean cercoids, diphyllobothriid plerocercoids) and Nemato...

The infections of four fish species, Trematomus newnesi, T. bernacchii, Lindbergichthys nudifrons and Harpagifer antarcticus with parasitic worms, in the coastal zone off the Vernadsky Station (Argentine Islands, West Antarctica) are described. Data on infections are compared with previous results from Admiralty Bay at the South Shetland Islands. I...

The Antarctic fish, Notothenia coriiceps, was found to be infected with 21 species of adult and larval helminths in the Vernadsky Station area, namely one species of Monogenea, six Digenetic Trematoda, three Cestoda, eight Acanthocephala and three Nematoda. Infections were compared with new and previously published data from the Admiralty Bay, wher...

Aspersentis johni (Baylis, 1929) (Acanthocephala: Heteracanthocephalidae) is redescribed based on specimens collected from a sub-Antarctic nototheniid fish, Patagonotothen longipes. Hosts were caught in the Beagle Channel (Magellanic subregion). The redescription incorporates previously undescribed or poorly described features and complete measurem...

The identification of many Diplostomum species is difficult due to their high morphological similarity. For six species: D. spathaceum, D. parviventosum, D. mergi, D. paracaudum, D. pseudospathaceum and D. baeri phylogenetic analyses based on morphological data and sequences of ITS1 region of the rDNA were conducted. It was demonstrated that the ph...

The sequencing of ITS1 fragments of the rDNA were assayed in order to discriminate species and to establish relationships between representatives of the genera: Echinoparyphium (E. elegans, E. recurvatum, E. pseudorecurvatum), Pseudechinoparyphium (P. echinatum), Neoacanthoparyphium (N. echinatoides) and Hypoderaeum (H. conoideum). The assay has sh...

Metacercariae of Diplostomum pseudospathaceum and D. paracaudum were examined for genetic differences by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis. Eleven different oligonucleotide decamers with arbitrary DNA sequence were tested as primers to amplify DNA from D. pseudospathaceum and D. paracaudum. Depending on the primer; the number of reproducibl...

The morphology and chaetotaxy of the rediae and the cercariae of Isthmiophora melis are described and compared with other echinostomatids and related groups of trematodes. Apart from adult morphology of I. melis, which is typical of Echinostomatidae, the structure of the redia and chaetotaxy pattern of the cercaria are the most similar to those obs...