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Dog owners are greatly concerned about tick infestations in their pets. The prevalence and dispersion of ticks and their disease-causing microorganisms have been limited from the viewpoint of dog owners in Vietnam. This study investigated the presence of tick infestation and the pathogens associated with it in canines that were brought to veterinary hospitals in Vietnam. In the survey, 1,423 dogs participated from February to October 2022. Molecular and morphological methods were utilized to identify ticks and the associated pathogens. In addition,risk variables linked to tick infestation were documented and analyzed using statistical methods. The total exposure to the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) was 29.01%. Nam Dinh has the highest tick prevalence among the research areas. Tick infestation reached its highest point between June and September in the northern region of the country, with distinct seasons showing a strong correlation with tick infestation in dogs. Out of 177 tick pools examined, 146(82.49%) tested positive for at least one infection. Mycoplasma spp. (78.53%) was the most common, followed by Anaplasma spp. (37.29%), Rickettsia felis (5.08%), Babesia vogeli, and Hepatozoon canis (2.82%). In the current study, there was a statistically significant link between tick infestation and characteristics such as age, breed, body size, lifestyle, and bathing frequency. Understanding the seasonal behavior of vector ticks is crucial for identifying individuals or animals susceptible to tick-borne diseases. Studying the distribution of ticks and their ability to carry and disseminate zoonotic germs in specific places could assist veterinarians and policymakers in implementing effective strategies to manage zoonotic infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: FLLL-32, a synthetic analog of curcumin, is a potent inhibitor of STAT3’s constitutive activation in a variety of cancer cells, and its anticancer properties have been demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. It is also suggested that it might have other pharmacological activities including activity against different parasites. Aim: This study therefore investigated the in vitro antiparasitic activity of FLLL-32 against four pathogenic Babesia species, B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, and B. caballi, and one Theileria species, Theileria equi. In vivo anti-Babesia microti activity of FLLL-32 was also evaluated in mice. Methods: The FLLL-32, in the growth inhibition assay with a concentration range (0.005–50 μM), was tested for it’s activity against these pathogens. The reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assay was used to evaluate the possible effects of FLLL-32 treatment on the mRNA transcription of the target B. bovis genes including S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase and histone deacetylase. Results: The in vitro growth of B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi, and T. equi was significantly inhibited in a dose-dependent manner (in all cases, p < 0.05). FLLL-32 exhibits the highest inhibitory effects on B. bovis growth in vitro, and it’s IC50 value against this species was 9.57 μM. The RT-PCR results showed that FLLL32 inhibited the transcription of the B. bovis S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolase gene. In vivo, the FLLL-32 showed significant inhibition (p < 0.05) of B. microti parasitemia in infected mice with results comparable to that of diminazene aceturate. Parasitemia level in B. microti-infected mice treated with FLLL-32 from day 12 post infection (pi) was reduced to reach zero level at day 16 pi when compared to the infected non-treated mice. Conclusion: The present study demonstrated the antibabesial properties of FLLL32 and suggested it’s usage in the treatment of babesiosis especially when utilized in combination therapy with other antibabesial drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Histone post-translational modification is one of the most studied factors influencing epigenetic regulation of protozoan parasite gene expression, which is mediated by histone deacetylases (KDACs) and acetyltransferases (KATs). Objective and methods: The present study investigated the role of resveratrol (RVT) as an activator of histone deacetylases in the control of various pathogenic Babesia sp. and Theileria equi in vitro, aswell as B. microti infected mice in vivo using fluorescence assay. Its role inmitigating the side effects associatedwith thewidely used antibabesial drugs diminazene aceturate (DA) and azithromycin (AZM) has also been investigated. Results: The in vitro growth of B. bovis, B. bigemina, B. divergens, B. caballi and Theileria equi (T. equi)was significantly inhibited (P < 0.05) by RVT treatments. The estimated IC50 values revealed that RVT has the greatest inhibitory effects on B. bovis growth in vitro, with an IC50 value of 29.51 ± 2.46 µM. Reverse transcription PCR assay showed that such inhibitory activity might be attributed to resveratrol's stimulatory effect on B. bovis KDAC3 (BbKADC3) as well as its inhibitory effect on BbKATS. RVT causes a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in cardiac troponin T (cTnT) levels in heart tissue of B. microtiinfected mice, thereby indicating that RVT may play a part in reducing the cardiotoxic effects of AZM. Resveratrol showed an additive effect with imidocarb dipropionate in vivo. Treatment of B. microti-infectedmice with a combined 5mg/kg RVT and 8.5mg/kg ID resulted in an 81.55% inhibition at day 10 postinoculation (peak of parasitemia). Conclusion: Our data show that RVT is a promising antibabesial pharmacological candidate with therapeutic activities that could overcome the side effects of the currently used anti-Babesia medications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Camels are a unique source of milk and meat, which helps recover from several diseases that affect humans worldwide. In Egypt, one of the great obstacles for this industry is tick-borne diseases. This study aimed to characterize blood parasite infections, such as Babesia (B.) bovis and Trypanosoma (T.) spp. in one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius) (n=142) breeds in Halayeb and Shalateen, Egypt, through phylogenetic analysis. Materials and methods: The prevalence of B. bovis and Trypanosoma spp. was identified in camels using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays targeting the Rhoptry-Associated Protein-1 and internal transcribed spacer 1 genes, respectively. A nested PCR technique was conducted to detect B. bovis. At the same time, KIN multispecies PCR assay was employed to diagnose and classify trypanosome DNA in camels. Results: B. bovis was detected in 4/142 camels with an infection rate of 2.81%. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the strain of B. bovis isolated from this population was closely related to strains isolated from Argentine, the United States, and Brazil. Moreover, Trypanosoma evansi was detected in 8/142 camels with an infection rate of 5.63%. Sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that this isolated strain T. evansi was closely related to Trypanosoma theileri detected from cattle in Brazil. Conclusion: The obtained data indicated the existence of B. bovis and T. evansi in camels from two provinces of Egypt. The obtained findings have economic significance and reflect the importance of implementing effective prevention and control methods across Egypt to reduce the incidence of B. bovis and T. evansi in camels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Piroplasmosis is a serious disease that infects animals, inflicting significant economic losses in the livestock industry and animal trade worldwide. Anti-piroplasm drugs now on the market have demonstrated host toxicity and parasite resistance. As a result, developing more effective and safer anti-piroplasm drugs becomes an urgent issue. This study aimed to evaluate the inhibitory effect of Capsicum annuum methanolic extract (CA) against the growth of Babesia bovis , Babesia divergens , Babesia caballi , and Theileria equi in vitro and against B. microti in mice., Materials and Methods: Fluorescence-based SYBR Green I assay was used to evaluate CA's inhibitory effect in vitro and in vivo when used either as a monotherapy or combined with diminazene aceturate (DA). The hematological parameters (HCT, hemoglobin, and red blood cells counts) were determined in the blood of mice every 96 h using Celltac a MEK-6450 electronic hematology analyzer., Results: The in vitro growth of B. bovis , B. divergens , T. equi , and B. caballi was inhibited by CA in a dose-dependent manner with IC 50 values of 4.87±1.23, 44.11±8.03, 8.23±2.54, and 1.26±0.50 mg/mL, respectively. In B. microti -infected mice, a combination therapy consisting of CA and a low dose of DA showed a significant (p<0.05) inhibition of B. microti growth nearly similar to those obtained by treatment with the full dose of DA., Conclusion: The obtained results indicate that CA might be a promising medicinal plant for treating babesiosis, especially when used with a low dose of DA., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (Copyright: © Rizk, et al.)