Rats were infected with doses of 100, 1000, 5000 and 10 000 eggs of Taenia taeniaeformis. Haemagglutinating antibody to cysticercus antigen was detected at the 4th week of infection. The appearance and levels of antibody titre did not vary greatly with the infective dose. An IgM peak appeared at the 6th week, with IgG appearing slightly later and continuing to rise. Transfer of serum from the 1st week onwards from infections with 1000 eggs however could confer significant protection. Dilutions of hyperimmune serum (1 ml volumes) of up to 1/32 conferred significant protection on normal recipients. Hyperimmune serum transferred up to 4 days before challenge could confer 80% protection whereas serum transferred 4 days after challenge was totally non-protective. The significance of this finding is discussed in the light of current knowledge of metacestode immunity.

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by the larval form of Echinococcus granulosus that can cause serious health and economic problems in the endemic foci. CE is globally distributed in various climatic conditions from circumpolar to tropical latitudes. Iran is an important endemic area with a spectrum of weather conditions. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of geo-climatic factors on the distribution of livestock CE in south-western Iran (SWI) in 2016 to 2018. Data of livestock CE were retrieved from veterinary organizations of four provinces of SWI. The geo-climatic factors, including mean annual temperature (MAT), minimum MAT (MinMAT), maximum MAT (MaxMAT), mean annual rainfall (MAR), elevation, mean annual evaporation (MAE), sunny hours, wind speed, mean annual humidity (MAH), slope, frost days and land cover, were analysed using geographical information systems (GIS) approaches. The statistical analysis showed that MAR, frost days, elevation, slope and semi-condensed forest land cover were positively and MAE, MAT, MaxMAT, MinMAT and salt and salinity land cover were negatively correlated with CE occurrence. MAE was shown to be a predictive factor in the stepwise linear logistic regression model. In short, the current GIS-based study found that areas with lower evaporation were the main CE risk zones, though those with lower temperature and higher rainfall, altitude and slope, especially where covered with or in close proximity of semi-condensed forest, should be prioritized for consideration by health professionals and veterinarians for conducting control programmes in SWI.

Polycystic echinococcosis, caused by the larval stage (metacestode) of the small-sized tapeworm, Echinococcus vogeli, is an emerging parasitic zoonosis of great public health concern in the humid tropical rainforests of South and Central America. Because morphological and morphometric characteristics of the metacestode are not well known, hydatid cysts from the liver and the mesentery were examined from patients following surgical procedures. Whole mounts of protoscoleces with rostellar hooks were examined under light and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Measurements were made of both large and small hooks, including the total area, total length, total width, blade area, blade length, blade width, handle area, handle length and handle width. The results confirmed the 1:1 arrangement of hooks in the rostellar pad and indicated, for the first time, that the morphometry of large and small rostellar hooks varies depending upon the site of infection. Light and confocal microscopy images displayed clusters of calcareous corpuscles in the protoscoleces. In conclusion, morphological features of large and small rostellar hooks of E. vogeli are adapted to a varied environment within the vertebrate host and such morphological changes in calcareous corpuscles occur at different stages in the maturation of metacestodes.

The surface structure of adult Haplorchis pumilio from experimentally infected hamsters was studied in detail using scanning electron microscopy. Almost the entire surface of the worm was covered with scale-like spines regularly arranged in transverse rows. Most spines were pectinate. The size of the spines and the number of the teeth in each individual were largest in the spines around the middle region of the worm. The area surrounding the excretory pore was free of spines displaying a slightly wrinkled appearance. Many ciliated papillae were present on the anterior two-thirds of the body. The papillae on the oral sucker were more abundant than those elsewhere. The body papillae were distributed in a bilaterally symmetrical arrangement, appearing in groups, pairs or singly between the spines.

During one year 1249 male cattle were examined for Mammomonogamus laryngeus infections in the slaughterhouse at Kandy, Sri Lanka. The overall prevalence was 40% with only light monthly variations (34 to 52%). The infection rate was highest (47%) in 2 to 2·5 year old animals. In infected animals an average of 6·4 parasite pairs was found with higher numbers in older animals. The majority of worms were located on the posterior side of the epiglottis. Lesions observed were mucosal plugs at the site where the parasites were attached to the mucosa and moderate to severe erosions and ulcers in other zones.

1. Capillaria obsignata Madsen, 1945 is described from the small intestine of the Black Swan (Cygnus atratus) for the first time.

2. The description of C. obsignata from the Black Swan is compared with the descriptions of C. anseris Madsen, 1945, C. droummondi Travassos, 1915 and C. obsignata from the domestic fowl, and it is concluded that C. anseris and C. droummondi are synonyms of C. obsignata.

3. Capillaria anatis and Trichostrongylus tennis are recorded from the Black Swan as new host records.

This highly distinctive worm was collected in Honde, Southern Rhodesia, on two separate occasions, from hosts designated “house rat” and “native granary rat” which the writer understands could readily be one and the same, since houses and granaries in these areas are built in fairly close proximity. If, however, it is assumed that these buildings are at a distance from each other, it is possible that two different genera and species are concerned; and if such is the case, the “granary” rat might possibly be a field rat. It is regretted that the identification of the host cannot be more explicit.

1. A detailed morphological study has been made of certain nematodes occurring in the basidiomycetous fungi, Entoloma rhodipolium, Pleurotus corticalus, P. ostreatus, Hygrophorus virgineus and Tricholoma cunifolium.

2. From the first three of these, males and females of two species of eelworms have been obtained which are placed in the genus Iotonchium Cobb, 1920. One of these is Iotonchium fungorum (Butschli, 1878) n. comb., originally described by Butschli under the name of Tylenchus fungorum', the other is a new species which is named I. bifurcatum n. sp.

3. The males of both species have peculiar lobed, dorso-ventrally flattened heads and a poorly developed mouth spear. The bursa is very large, the spicules have posterior prolongations which arc extruded through the cloaca and ventral post-anal papillae are present. A gubernaculum is absent.

This communication is concerned with the field trials of substances which in previous small-scale experiments had shown promise of controlling “potatò-sickness” when they were mixed with infected soil.

Infections with Coenurus glomeratus, which has been reported from West Africa, have been accomplished successfully in the mouse, in the rabbit and gerbille.

Such coenuri produced infections of adult cestodes in the dog but not in the cat.

The coenurus is described from each intermediate host.

A high incidence of lungworm infection occurs in young village pigs, 5 and 11 months old. The mean count was 215 and 315 adult lungwqrms for eleven 5 month and ten 11 month village pigs respectively. All infections were mixed infections comprising M. pudendodectis (69 %), M. apri (18 %) and M. salmi (13 %). No seasonal variation was observed in the rate of infection. A partial immunity to Iungworms is evident in the 11 month old pigs.

It is well known that certain weeds can act as alternative hosts for some races of stem eelworm, thereby tending to defeat the objects of crop rotation. During the course of advisory work in this province, collections of weeds have been made from various sites where stem eelworm attacks were known to have occurred, with a view to discovering which ones were likely to act as bridging hosts.

While it is fully realised that the presence of D. dipsaci in a weed growing amongst a crop infested with this eelworm does not prove that the eelworms are of the same biologic race, it is felt that observations of this kind are a valuable and necessary preliminary to host transference experiments.

The writer established the genus Cylindrogaster in 1927 for the reception of a nematode found in cultures of rat's fæces. Its principal distinguishing features were the possession of very long buccal rods and an elongate, cylindrical, muscular first œsophageal bulb. The male possessed 10 caudal papillæ arranged in three groups disposed in a manner exactly similar to that of the caudal papilæ in many species of Diplogaster, Odontopharynx longicaudata and Tylopharynx striata.

Rhabditis axei, the free living nematode, was detected in the faeces of a chicken maintained in a clean cage in the parasitology laboratory, Zagazig University, Egypt. The source of these worms and the method of their transmission to the laboratory was discussed. The experimental inoculation of 3 chickens with R. axei demonstrated that their survival after passing through the intestine was not possible. Free living nematodes could be confused easily with Strongyloides sp. during routine faecal examination.

The presence of precipitin antibody and soluble circulating antigen was demonstrated in sera of individuals with clinical filariasis by counterimmunoelectrophoresis. Antigens derived from Litomosoides carinii and antisera raised in rabbits to the adult worm antigens were used for the detection of antibody and antigen in human sera. Of 35 subjects, 2 had microfilariae in the peripheral blood, 9 soluble circulating antigen, 19 antibody in sera, and 6 had both antigen and antibody. It suggests that 5.7% of cases diagnosed as bancroftian filariasis by parasitological examination can be increased to 62.8% by serological means.

In 1924, Morgan visited South Lincolnshire to investigate the part played by the potato-root eelworm (Heterodera schachtii) in the serious failure of the local potato crop: a note on the investigation appears in this Journal (1925, p. 185). A second visit was made in 1925, as a result of which certain conclusions regarding manuring and the rotation of crops were put forward (this Journal, 1926, p. 49). Towards the end of 1925 the second writer (Peters) made a hurried survey with the object of seeking a possible correlation between the distribution of eelworm cysts and the hydrogen ion concentration of the soil. Such a correlation was actually demonstrated (this Journal, 1926, p. 87) in the case of a selected field for which Morgan had complete data of cyst-counts. The question thus arose as to whether any clear correlations should be shown to exist between the three factors: concentration of cysts, pathological condition of the crop, and reaction of the soil. In other words, was the eelworm associated with the damage? and was it controlled (and therefore controllable) by the effective acidity of the soil? To decide these questions might be a matter of considerable importance, particularly if the eelworm was found to be responsible for the damage, for affirmative answers would open the way to effective treatment, by the adequate liming of soils for instance.

Muellerius capillaris was first described by Mueller in 1889 who placed it in the genus Pseudalius; it was transferred in 1907 by Railliet and Henry to their new genus Synthetocaulus. In 1927, Cameron, in his review of the family Protostrongylidæ Leiper, 1926, created the genus Muellerius to include this species; a description of this parasite together with figures of the adult and the larval stage commonly met with in the lungs and droppings of sheep and goats, is included in his paper.

M. capillaris inhabits the bronchioles and alveoli of the lungs of sheep and goats but is probably more often observed in the connective tissue of the lungs where it forms nodules of varying sizes. In heavy infestations these nodules are so close together that they appear as large greyish patches on the surface of the lung. The nodules eventually become calcified.

Heterophyes heterophyes, H. aequalis and H. dispar showed distinct zonation in the small intestine of different definitive hoste. The flukes were found in their appropriate zone within four to six hours after infection. It appeared that their position shifted posteriorly during their life and that the shift proceeded more rapidly in unsuitable hosts. Hisgological sections revealed that the flukes are not deeply embedded in the host's mucosa.

A new species of the genus Euparadistomum is described from the gall bladder of the domestic cat on Gemo Island, Papua. The incidence of the parasite is extremely low in the Port Moresby area, being recorded from only 1·6% of cats examined. E. pearsoni is the second species recovered from the domestic cat. A revised key to the genus is provided.

Chand ler (1925) described Echinochasmus perfoliatns as a common parasite of Indian dogs in Calcutta. Bhalerao (1936) reported its occurrence in cats of Calcutta and Mukteswar and Patnaik (1959) in dogs of Orissa. Maplestone and Bhaduri (1940) reported Echinochasmus sp. from dogs in Calcutta. Gupta and Pand e (19G3) mentioned that Echinochasmus is represented in Indian carnivores by three species: E. perfoliatns, E. corvus (Syn. E. caninum) and E. canai.