| Subin Lee | 4 Articles |
Ticks are important ectoparasites that serve as key vectors of various pathogens, posing significant risks to both human and animal health. In this study, 3 genera and 5 species of ticks, including Haemaphysalis longicornis, H. flava, H. doenitzi, Ixodes nipponensis, and Amblyomma testudinarium, were analyzed both morphologically and molecularly. Morphological identification was conducted using established taxonomic keys, followed by molecular characterization through analysis of complete cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1, 1,539 bp) and mitochondrial 16S rDNA (1,191–1,215 bp), and nuclear 18S rDNA (1,812–1,816 bp). Phylogenetic and pairwise distance analyses demonstrated that all 3 genes were effective for genus identification; cox1 and mitochondrial 16S rDNA were more effective than 18S rDNA in species identification. Additionally, this study is the first to identify H. doenitzi in the Korean mainland via molecular characterization. These results may serve as reference data for the molecular identification of tick species.
Acanthamoeba infection is associated with keratitis in humans; however, its association with keratitis in dogs remains unclear. To investigate this possibility, we collected 171 conjunctival swab samples from dogs with eye-related diseases (65 with keratitis and 106 without keratitis) at Chungbuk National University Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Korea, from August 2021 to September 2022. Polymerase chain reaction identified 9 samples (5.3%) as Acanthamoeba positive; of these, 3 were from dogs with keratitis (4.6%) and 6 were from dogs without keratitis (5.7%). Our results indicated no significant association between Acanthamoeba infection and keratitis, season, sex, or age. All Acanthamoeba organisms found in this study had the genotype T4, according to 18S ribosomal RNA analysis. Acanthamoeba infection in dogs might have only a limited association with keratitis.
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This study aimed to examine the distribution of gastrointestinal parasitic infections in domestic pigs in the Republic of Korea. From May 2020 to October 2021, 364 pig fecal samples were collected from 75 farms in 7 Provinces and microscopically examined. A total of 170 (46.7%) pigs were infected with at least one of the following parasites: Balantioides coli, strongyles, Ascaris suum, Trichuris suis, and coccidia. By parasite species, B. coli, strongyles, A. suum, T. suis, and coccidia oocysts or eggs were detected in 144 (39.6%), 24 (6.6%), 14 (3.8%), 4 (1.1%), and 1 (0.3%) samples, respectively. One hundred fifty-four, 15, and 1 cases showed single, double, and triple infections, respectively. Of the swine fecal samples from 75 farms, 69 specimens (92.0%) were infected with 1 or more parasites. All surveyed farms across the country exhibited a positive rate of over 30%, among which the highest positive rate was 65.0% in Chungcheongnam-do, and Jeollabuk-do was followed by 61.9%. Winter showed a statistically lower prevalence than other seasons. This study showed that gastrointestinal parasites are prevalent in pigs in Korea, although the diversity of parasites is low.
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This study presents 2 cases of wound myiasis in a dog and a cat involving morphological and molecular identification in Korea. A 7-year-old male Jindo mix dog, Canis familiaris, was admitted to a veterinary clinic in Yangsan-si, Gyeongsangnam-do, Korea, in July 2024. The bite wound near the right rib was infected with maggots. We carefully removed the 5 maggots using forceps. The wound healed without any subsequent complications. A Korean Shorthair stray cat, Felis catus, was brought to the same clinic in October 2024 after being hit by a car. The maggot-infected wounds were found in the anus and perianal regions. We removed all 10 maggots from the wounds. After treatment, no living maggots were observed; however, the cat was euthanized due to trauma-related complications. The maggots from the dog and the cat were third instars with 12 body segments and posterior spiracles containing 3 distinct slits. Compared with the dog-derived larvae, the cat-derived larvae had a more dorsally positioned posterior process of the mouth hook, reduced dorsal papillae distances, and distinctly sclerotized ventral cornua. Complete cox1 gene analysis confirmed the dog- and cat-derived larvae as Lucilia sericata (Meigen, 1826) and Lucilia illustris (Meigen, 1826), respectively, whereas 18S rRNA gene analysis showed limited species-level resolution. In the present study, wound myiasis caused by L. sericata and L. illustris is described in a dog and a cat in Korea based on morphological and molecular findings.
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