SummaryThe regional occurrence of cystic echinococcosis in slaughtered pig from Slovakia was studied in the period of 2000 -2008, along with the quantitative parameters associated with the establishment of cysts (intensity of infection, fertility, size). From 103 pig livers collected from abattoirs in 35 sites Slovakia as suspected for Echinococcus infection, 63 were positive for cystic echinococcosis, whereas in 40 livers cysticercosis was diagnosed. Fertile cysts with echinococcal protoscoleces were recorded in 25.4 % of positive pigs, with the 8.9 % fertility rate and the intensity of infection reaching value of 5.9 cysts per liver. The average size of fertile cysts was more than three times larger than diameter of sterile cysts (diameters of 4.67 cm vs. 1.37 cm, respectively). No significant differences in relative amounts of fertile and sterile cysts were found among counties (P = 0.15). The annual prevalence of E. granulosus in pigs in 2000 -2 008 has ranged from 0.02 % to 0.13 % (average rate 0.08 %), with the decreasing tendency over the period, especially after 2005. The most heavily affected areas with cystic echinococcosis over -2008 and Komárno districts (southwestern Slovakia, 0.26 % prevalence). Obtained data are relevant in designing regional control strategies to suppress the occurrence of disease in livestock and risk for humans to be infected.

Summary:In a small isolated lake in Slovakia, the fish acanthocephalan Pomphorhynchus laevis using Gammarus balcanicus and the minnow Phoxinus phoxinus, respectively, as its intermediate and final hosts, represented a dominant helminth species. Its prevalence and intensity of infection in fish showed no significant variation during a year fluctuating above the mean values of 89 % and 6.6 worms per fish. The mean prevalence of P. laevis larvae in Gammarus was 41.4 % with a maximum in the late summer and autumn ; individual crustaceans were infected by 1-9 larvae. There was one generation of P. laevis per year. Following up an annual cycle, an occurrence of new infections of Gammarus culminated in October and in the next May for Phoxinus. The sex ratios of both the adults and larvae of acanthocephalans were near unity but favoured slightly males in spring and autumn. The distribution of P. laevis in minnows and crustaceans was highly aggregated and fitted with the negative binomial model. The spatial distribution analysis of parasites along the fish alimentary tract showed a clear preference of P. laevis for its proximal half, with the maximum numbers in the site of the first intestinal loop. Immature worms of both sexes predominated in the proximal region and moved slightly down the alimentary tract during their growth and maturation.

SummaryThe aim of our study was to analyze helminth status and to evaluate ecological conditions for infections of chamois with lung nematodes in national parks of Slovakia during global warming. The autopsies and larvoscopic examination of faeces collected from localities inhabited by Tatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica) in Tatra National Park (TANAP) and Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT) revealed the presence of following protostrongylids: Muellerius capillaris, Neostrongylus linearis and the specific chamois species Muellerius tenuispiculatus. Same species of lung nematodes were found in introduced chamois of Alpine origin (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) in the Slovak National Park Veľká Fatra (NAPVF) and the Slovak Paradise National Park (NAPSR), and in the latter park also geohelminth Dictyocaulus viviparus was sporadically determined. The mean prevalence of lung nematodes in individual parks varied from 70.9 to 97.2 %. The mean number of L1 larvae per 1 g of faeces in Tatra chamois from TANAP in Belianske Tatras and in Alpine subspecies from NAPSR corresponded to a high level of infection (120.3 and 110.1, respectively). In other studied biotopes the mean number of L1 larvae (19.4 -42.5) revealed the moderate infection. Although no significant differences concerning levels of infection within the monitored years were observed, the level of infection during the summer was significantly lower than that during spring and autumn periods. The variety of snail species as the intermediate hosts of lung nematodes provide suitable conditions for the development of lung nematodes in the all studied Slovak National Parks. Global climatic changes have also likely contributed to an increase of infectivity rate.

The karyotype of Acanthocephalus lucii(Müller, 1776), a parasite of perch, consists of six autosomal biarmed chromosomes and two subtelocentric sex X chromosomes in females or one X in males. The sex determining mechanism is of the XX-X0 type. Most of the acanthocephalans (85%) exhibit small supernumerary metacentric B chromosomes, the number of which varies from one to five. Our data represent the first record of B chromosomes in thorny-headed worms. A possible relationship between the occurrence of B chromosomes and a heavy metal accumulation in acanthocephalan tissue from contaminated aquatic environments is briefly discussed.