We redescribe the only previously known species of Myrsidea from bulbuls, M. pycnonoti Eichler. Sixteen new species are described; they and their type hosts are: M. phillipsi ex Pycnonotus goiavier goiavier (Scopoli), M. gieferi ex P. goiavier suluensis Mearns, M. kulpai ex P. flavescens Blyth, M. finlaysoni ex P. finlaysoni Strickland, M. kathleenae ex P. cafer (L.), M. warwicki ex Ixos philippinus (J. R. Forster), M. mcclurei ex Microscelis amaurotis (Temminck), M. zeylanici ex P. zeylanicus (Gmelin), M. plumosi ex P. plumosus Blyth, M. eutiloti ex P. eutilotus (Jardine and Selby), M. adamsae ex P. urostictus (Salvadori), M. ochracei ex Criniger ochraceus F. Moore, M. borbonici ex Hypsipetes borbonicus (J. R. Forster), M. johnsoni ex P. atriceps (Temminck), M. palmai ex C. ochraceus, and M. claytoni ex P. eutilotus. A key is provided for the identification of these 17 species.

A new species

Cryptosporidium spp. and cryptosporidiosis.

Cryptosporidium and cryptosporidiosis in man and animals

There has been an explosion of descriptions of new species of Cryptosporidium during the last two decades. This has been accompanied by confusion regarding the criteria for species designation, largely because of the lack of distinct morphologic differences and strict host specificity among Cryptosporidium spp. A review of the biologic species concept, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), and current practices for Cryptosporidium species designation calls for the establishment of guidelines for naming Cryptosporidium species. All reports of new Cryptosporidium species should include at least four basic components: oocyst morphology, natural host specificity, genetic characterizations, and compliance with the ICZN. Altogether, 13 Cryptosporidium spp. are currently recognized: C. muris, C. andersoni, C. parvum, C. hominis, C. wrairi, C. felis, and C. cannis in mammals; C. baileyi, C. meleagridis, and C. galli in birds; C. serpentis and C. saurophilum in reptiles; and C. molnari in fish. With the establishment of a framework for naming Cryptosporidium species and the availability of new taxonomic tools, there should be less confusion associated with the taxonomy of the genus Cryptosporidium. The clarification of Cryptosporidium taxonomy is also useful for understanding the biology of Cryptosporidium spp., assessing the public health significance of Cryptosporidium spp. in animals and the environment, characterizing transmission dynamics, and tracking infection and contamination sources.

/pdf/cryptosporidium-taxonomy-recent-advances-and-implications-3o3el639ds.pdf

Cryptosporidium Taxonomy: Recent Advances and Implications for Public Health

There has been an explosion of descriptions of new species of Cryptosporidium during the last two decades This has been accompanied by confusion regarding the criteria for species designation, largely because of the lack of distinct morphologic differences and strict host specificity among Cryptosporidium spp A review of the biologic species concept, the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN), and current practices for Cryptosporidium species designation calls for the establishment of guidelines for naming Cryptosporidium species All reports of new Cryptosporidium species should include at least four basic components: oocyst morphology, natural host specificity, genetic characterizations, and compliance with the ICZN Altogether, 13 Cryptosporidium spp are currently recognized: C muris, C andersoni, C parvum, C hominis, C wrairi, C felis; and C cannis in mammals; C baileyi, C meleagridis, and C galli in birds; C serpentis and C saurophilum in reptiles; and C molnari in fish With the establishment of a framework for naming Cryptosporidium species and the availability of new taxonomic tools, there should be less confusion associated with the taxonomy of the genus Cryptosporidium The clarification of Cryptosporidium taxonomy is also useful for understanding the biology of Cryptosporidium spp, assessing the public health significance of Cryptosporidium spp in animals and the environment, characterizing transmission dynamics, and tracking infection and contamination sources

Cryptosporidium Taxonomy: Recent Advances and Implications for Public Health (Review)

Between 1986 and 1988, 528 reptiles originating from three continents were examined for Cryptosporidium spp. Fifteen specimens representing eight genera and 11 species were infected. Statistical evaluation of oocyst structure suggests that multiple species of Cryptosporidium may exist among the reptiles examined.

https://bioone.org/journals/journal-of-wildlife-diseases/volume-25/issue-1/0090-3558-25.1.20/CRYPTOSPORIDIUM-SPP-IN-WILD-AND-CAPTIVE-REPTILES/10.7589/0090-3558-25.1.20.pdf

Cryptosporidium spp. in wild and captive reptiles

Fourteen amphibians (7 species) and 37 reptiles (25 species) collected from 3 sites in the Pastaza Province of the Republic of Ecuador were examined for helminths. A total of 6 (42.7%) individual amphibians and 18 (48.6%) individual reptiles were infected. Five (71.4%) of the amphibian species (4 frogs, 1 toad) and 10 (40.0%) of the reptile species (4 lizards, 6 snakes) were found to harbor 1 species of helminth; 1 amphibian species (14.3%) and 5 reptile species (13.2%) harbored 2 species of helminths each. One species of cestode and 16 species of nematodes, together representing 11 families, were found in the herpetofauna surveyed. Twenty-five new host and 15 new geographic records are documented. When compared to other South American countries, the majority of parasites reported herein for Ecuador have been reported previously in herpetofauna from Brazil.

https://bioone.org/journals/comparative-parasitology/volume-77/issue-1/4402.1/Helminth-Parasites-of-Selected-Amphibians-and-Reptiles-from-the-Republic/10.1654/4402.1.pdf

Helminth Parasites of Selected Amphibians and Reptiles from the Republic of Ecuador

Thirty-four amphibians (6 families, 12 species) and 28 reptiles (5 families, 16 species) from Paraguay were examined for helminths. Fifteen (44%) amphibians and 6 (21%) reptiles were found to harbor at least 1 species of helminth; 4 (12%) amphibians and 2 (7%) reptiles harbored multiple infections. Three species of Cestoidea and 17 species of Nematoda were found in the herptiles surveyed. Fourteen new host and 12 new locality records are documented, including the first report of the filaroid nematode, Macdonaldius grassi (Caballero, 1954) Chabaud and Frank, 1961, from South America.

Helminth Parasites (Cestoidea: Nematoda) of Select Herpetofauna from Paraguay

Raillietiella teagueselfi n. sp. is described from the lungs of the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus, in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. This new pentastomid is most closely related to R. affinis Bovien, 1927, of Asiatic Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) in Indonesia, but mature males differ in possessing rounded posterior hooks with swollen, blunt-tipped barbs, instead of relatively sharp-tipped hooks. In addition, the annulus number of females can readily differentiate the new species from 6 of the 10 blunt-tipped species (R. gehyrae Bovien, 1927; R. hemidactyli Hett, 1934; R. maculatus Rao and Hiregauder, 1959; R. monarchus Ali et al., 1984; R. mabuiae (Heymons, 1922); and R. scincoides Ali et al., 1984). Two of the remaining 3 species of blunt-tipped raillietiellids (R. frenatus Ali et al., 1981, and R. maculibris Ali et al., 1984) are differentiated from female R. teagueselfi by having larger hook dimensions. The new species can be distinguished from R. freitasi (Motta and Gomes, 1968) by having a hooked spicule. Observations on the prevalence and intensity of infections are presented.

Raillietiella teagueselfi n. sp. (Pentastomida: Cephalobaenida) from the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus (Sauria: Gekkonidae), in Texas

A new host and distribution record is reported for tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides sp. One of 5 (20%) Namib tiger snakes, Telescopus beetzi, from South Africa was infected. Numerous tetrathyridia were found encapsulated in mesentery attached to the small intestine. Morphological examination of tetrathyridia revealed absence of buds, multiple scoleces, or any other evidence of asexual proliferation. A summary of the snakes of the world reported as hosts of tetrathyridia of Mesocestoides sp. is presented.

Paul S. Freed

Papers

Cryptosporidium spp. in wild and captive reptiles

Helminth Parasites of Selected Amphibians and Reptiles from the Republic of Ecuador

Helminth Parasites (Cestoidea: Nematoda) of Select Herpetofauna from Paraguay

Raillietiella teagueselfi n. sp. (Pentastomida: Cephalobaenida) from the Mediterranean gecko, Hemidactylus turcicus (Sauria: Gekkonidae), in Texas

A new host and locality record for Mesocestoides sp. tetrathyridia (Cestoidea: Cyclophyllidea), with a summary of the genus from snakes of the world.