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Poultry coccidiosis causes considerable economical losses to the livestock industry. Eimeria parasites are responsible for this disease. On a global scale, E. acervulina and E. tenella are amongst the most common Eimeria spp. infecting broilers. E. tenella is commonly used as infection model in in vivo and in vitro studies. On the other hand, E. acervulina has barely been studied under in vitro conditions. A well established and widely used in vitro model for E. tenella infection is the Madin-Darby bovine kidney cell line (MDBK); however, little is known regarding suitability of MDBK cells as host cells for E. acervulina. We infected MDBK monolayers with two different doses, 5 × 104 and 2 × 105, of E. acervulina sporozoites and evaluated cultures at 24 and 96 h post infection (hpi). For comparison, we ran an identical infection assay using E. tenella sporozoites. To assess parasite reproduction, the number of DNA copies of E. acervulina SCAR marker and E. tenella ITS-1 gene was quantified using real-time quantitative PCR. We found that the number of E. acervulina copies increased significantly at 24 hpi in comparison to E. tenella (p E. acervulina gene copies were considerably reduced while E. tenella continued to multiply (p E. acervulina sporozoite cell invasion. Nevertheless, modifications of in vitro cultivation appear necessary to allow qualitative and quantitative studies over longer periods of parasite reproduction.

Trichomonas gallinae are parasitic flagellates of importance in wild and domestic birds. The parasite is worldwide distributed, and Columbine birds are its main host. Current research focuses mostly on epidemiological and phylogenetic studies. However, there is still a lack of knowledge regarding parasite-host interaction or therapy development. Real-time PCR is a useful tool for diagnostic and quantification of gene copies in a determined sample. By amplification of a 113-bp region of the 18S small subunit ribosomal RNA gene, a SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay was developed. A standard curve was prepared for quantification analysis. Assay efficiency, linearity, and dissociation analysis were successfully performed. Specificity, sensibility, and reproducibility analysis were tested. This assay could be a useful tool not only for diagnostic purposes but also for future in vivo and in vitro T. gallinae studies.

Baylisascaris procyonis is a zoonotic nematode mainly harbored by the North American raccoon. It can cause severe neurological problems in paratenic hosts and humans. In Germany, raccoons are spread throughout the country. However, the presence of B. procyonis in the German raccoon population has not been thoroughly studied. For this study, 32 wild raccoons were collected in the urban area Leipzig, Saxony, Eastern Germany. Adult ascaroid nematodes were isolated from the intestines and morphologically identified as B. procyonis. Species confirmation was conducted through PCR. In total, adult B. procyonis worms were found in 24 raccoons. The results of the present study add new information about the presence of the parasite in Saxony, Germany. Similarly, the results highlight the importance of the raccoon as a reservoir of zoonotic parasites.

Alaria spp. mesocercariae are commonly found in wild boar and other omnivorous mammals. In Europe, the number of cases presenting Alaria mesocercariae infections has been on the rise in the last years. From October to December 2016, samples of muscle from tongue, neck, and mandibular regions were collected from 1 Eurasian badger (Meles meles) and 14 wild boars (Sus scrofa) hunted in the Bialowieza Forest, north-eastern Poland. Using the Alaria migration technique (AMT), Alaria mesocercariae were isolated and morphologically identified in one badger and one wild boar. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of Alaria mesocercariae in paratenic hosts from the Bialowieza Forest.

Alaria alata is a trematode of carnivores from Europe. The mesocercarial stage was recently identified in wild boar meat from Europe. Previous histopathologic studies showed the presence of unidentified parasitic cysts within the tongues of raccoons from northern Germany. For identification of the parasite species, tissue samples of 105 raccoons originating from a National Park in northern Germany and from Berlin metropolitan area were collected. Histological examination of cryotome sections of frozen as well as paraffin-embedded tongues were used to identify parasite cysts. These were located in the connective and adipose tissue and in close proximity to small arterioles, suggesting a hematogenous spread of the parasite. Often, cysts were surrounded with mild infiltration by inflammatory cells. Additionally, mesocercariae were isolated from defrosted tongue samples of 11 raccoons. Molecular-biology assays confirmed the parasite species as A. alata. Except for one positive raccoon from Berlin City, all other positive raccoons originated from the sylvan Muritz National park, indicating an abundance of intermediate hosts in this area. Our results show that raccoons can act as paratenic hosts for A. alata and extend the broad host range of this parasite to a species introduced into Germany.