Macrocyclic lactones are chemical compounds that represent the main treatment for parasitic diseases of animals, not only for helminth infections, but also a number of major ectoparasitic infestations. There has been no comprehensive book on this subject for more than a decade and this book fills this gap and provides detailed coverage of the basic science of these drugs and their mode of action, as well as their clinical use in farm and companion animals and in humans.

Parasites threaten the health of animals and humans alike. Especially in times of increasing globalization and global warming, parasites can enlarge their "kingdom" by spreading. At the same time many of the existing medical products have become ineffective. As these products have been used for many decades, parasites have developed resistances, so that they have progressed in their fight for survival. Therefore it is obvious that humans must develop new methods to face these dangers. Thus parasitological knowledge increases daily and must be formulated to be accessible for as many parasitologists (veterinarians, physicians, biologists) as possible. Therefore it is necessary that reviews reflecting the present status of the progress in many fields of research be published. Therefore this book, published on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the German Society of Parasitology, compiles 18 reviews on recent "hot topics," including a new vaccine against malarial parasites; severe diseases with poor chances of treatment (cryptosporidiosis, coccidiosis, theileriosis); vectors (mosquitoes, ticks) and their transmission activities; and fish parasites, including molecular insights into the sex of parasites with a focus on the survival abilities that made them so dangerous. These chapters provide detailed information for researchers, as well as for teachers and students in parasitology.

This volume critically reviews all previously published work of parasites that interact with krill (order Euphausiacea) updating misconceptions and summarizing the diversity of epibionts, ectoparasites, mesoparasites and endoparasites that interact with these crustaceans. As far as we know, there is a lack of books about parasites of marine crustaceans not targeted to fisheries and aquaculture. Thus, this would be the most complete and integrative monograph of parasites of marine zooplankton and micro nektonic organisms worldwide. Krill form immense aggregations and serve as food for multiple planktonic and nektonic predators playing a crucial role in pelagic food web. Besides, several species are also used for human consumption. For these reasons there is a growing concern about the health issues that krill parasites may impose on other species, including us. This book provides a comprehensive review of parasites of a crustacean order that can extrapolate to potential parasites in other crustacean taxa worldwide.

Nature helps... of course at first itself by developing measures that give bacteria, fungi, plants and animals a chance to be successful in their struggle for life. As a latecomer on Earth, Homo sapiens was gifted with some droplets of the divine spirit of recognition and thus became able to observe, to analyse and recombine skills of other living beings and to use them for his overwhelming career over the last 10,000 years.Of course fungi, plants, animals and even bacteria were primarily used by mankind as food or as lifestyle products such as beer, but soon it became clear that there was much more potential hidden in these organisms and that they could be used for other purposes, too. Extracts of plants and fungi were recognized as powerful remedies, as medicines, as insecticides or acarizides, as repellents against parasites or even as weapons, e.g. when poisonous compounds from frogs or plants were applied to arrowheads. Over the last 110 years the pharmaceutical industry has often simulated nature by analyzing complex organic substances taken from living organisms and then producing by synthesis absolutely pure compounds, which mostly consisted of only one single active substance. These products had the advantage of acting against precisely one target and thus produced fewer possible side effects than the complex plant extracts. However, the more serious side effect was that disease agents could develop resistances to pure medicinal products much more easily. Thus after 70 years of excellent prospects for chemotherapy, some dark clouds appeared and quickly gathered, so that several therapeutic remedies now no longer work. Therefore in many countries - especially in those where the pure chemotherapeutics are too expensive for the poor population - the cry "back to nature" is becoming louder and louder. This has led to an enormous increase of studies that again use natural extracts as remedies in the fight against diseases. The present book summarizes examples of promising aspects in a broad spectrum of applications and shows how extracts derived from bacteria, marine organisms, plants or even animals may help to treat infectious diseases, how such organisms may keep away parasites and pests from the bodies of plants or animals, including humans, and how they can be used directly to aid in diagnosis, promote wound healing and even to help catch criminals. These 15 chapters offer not only basic research on these different fields, but also show how useful and effective products can be developed from research.

In biological terms, a parasite can be defined as a oean organism that grows, feeds and is sheltered on, or in, a different organism while contributing nothing to the survival of the host.a 1 This relationship is particularly intimate for parasitic protozoa (and single-celled fungi such as the Microsporidia), many of which not only penetrate tissue barriers, but gain entry into host cells. The entry mechanisms are as diverse as the organisms employing them and are often critical components of their pathogenic profile. All of the parasitic organisms highlighted in this new book represent medically important human pathogens that contribute significantly to the global burden of disease. As such there is intense interest in understanding the molecular basis of infection by these pathogensa "not only with regard to their clinical relevance but also the fascinating biology they reveal. For most of the parasites discussed here (Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, Cryptosporidium parvum, Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp.) the ability to penetrate biological barriers and/or to establish intracellular residence is critical to survival of the pathogen in the mammalian hosts. For other parasites, such as Entamoeba, a tissue invasive phenotype is a key virulence determinant. In the ensuing 18 chapters, select members of this diverse set of protozoan parasites, as well as some examples of the extremely reduced fungal parasites classified as Microsporidia, are discussed within the context of the fascinating molecular strategies employed by these organisms to migrate across biological barriers and to establish residence within target host cells.

Hepatitis viruses research started more than fifty years ago. The names of hepatitis A and hepatitis B were introduced in 1947 when it became clear that there were two types of hepatitis that were transmitted either enterically or parenterally. It became apparent in the 1970's that there were additional hepatitis viruses distinct from hepatitis A and hepatitis B, and thus, the term non-A, non-B hepatitis was introduced. The non-A, non-B hepatitis was further divided into post-transfusion non-A, non-B hepatitis and enterically-transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis in the 1980's. By the end of the 1980's, both post-transfusion non-A, non-B virus and enterically-transmitted non-A, non-B virus had been identified and renamed hepatitis C virus and hepatitis E virus, respectively. Hepatitis delta antigen was first recognized as an antigen associated with hepatitis B virus infection in the 1970's. In the early 1980's, a virus was isolated and named hepatitis delta virus. These five different hepatitis viruses have distinct replication pathways and are major health concerns. They have become an important topic for teaching to graduate-level and medical students. Hepatitis Viruses provides a comprehensive, up-to-date review of these viruses to readers. Each chapter is written by one of the top researchers in the field, and topics include: the epidemiology and the natural history of infection of these viruses, the molecular biology and the replication cycle of individual hepatitis viruses, host-virus interactions and the pathogenesis of hepatitis viruses, the immunology of hepatitis viruses, the relationship between hepatitis viruses and hepatocellular carcinoma, the viral vaccines and antiviral drugs. This book can serve as a supplemental reading material to graduate students and medical students, and to any researcher who would like to learn more about hepatitis viruses.

Both volumes of Parasites and Pathogens of Insects provide in-depth coverage of the interface between insect parasites and pathogens and hosts, and explore the relationships between these partners. They emphasize biochemical and molecular interactions, basic biology, and the roles of hormones, receptors, and other cellular components in modulating interactions between host insects and attacking agents. These topics also are assessed in relation to biotechnology and biological control.
In the short term, these volumes fill a void in current literature by emphasizing basic interactions at the biochemical and molecular levels. In the long term, these interactions may provide avenues for exploitation to enhance the rate of "beneficial" parasitism or to reduce the rates of disease transmission and infection of vertebrate hosts.
Key Features
* Presents the latest information on insect parasites and pathogens
* Describes biochemical and molecular host-parasite and host-pathogen relationships
* Covers mechanisms of insect pathogenicity and resistance
* Provides exceptional breadth of coverage and authoritative reviews
* Special topics
* Transposable elements in insect pathogens
* Co-evolution and gene transfer between hosts and invaders
* Biological control

Both volumes of Parasites and Pathogens of Insects provide in-depth coverage of the interface between insect parasites and pathogens and hosts, and explore the relationships between these partners. They emphasize biochemical and molecular interactions, basic biology, and the roles of hormones, receptors, and other cellular components in modulating interactions between host insects and attacking agents. These topics also are assessed in relation to biotechnology and biological control.
In the short term, these volumes fill a void in current literature by emphasizing basic interactions at the biochemical and molecular levels. In the long term, these interactions may provide avenues for exploitation to enhance the rate of "beneficial" parasitism or to reduce the rates of disease transmission and infection of vertebrate hosts.
Key Features
* Presents the latest information on insect parasites and pathogens
* Describes biochemical and molecular host-parasite and host-pathogen relationships
* Covers mechanisms of insect pathogenicity and resistance
* Provides exceptional breadth of coverage and authoritative reviews
* Special topics
* Transposable elements in insect pathogens
* Co-evolution and gene transfer between hosts and invaders
* Biological control

Parasitic diseases remain a major health problem throughout the world, for both humans and animals. For many of us, our technologically advanced lifestyle has decreased the prevalence and transmission of parasitic diseases, but for the majority of the world's population, they are ever present in homes, domestic animals, food, or the environment. The study of parasites and parasitic disease has a long and distinguished history. In some cases, it has been driven by the great importance of the presence of the parasite to the community, for example, those that affect our livestock. In other cases, it is clear that applied research has suffered for lack of funding because the parasite affects people with few resources, such as the rural poor in resource-poor countries. These instances include the so-called "neglected diseases," as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO). Parasites have complicated life cycles, and a thorough understanding of the unique characteristics of a particular parasite species is vital in attempts to avoid, prevent, or cure infection or to alleviate symptoms. Of course, the biological characteristics that each parasite has developed to aid survival and transmission, to avoid destruction by the immune system, and to adapt to a changing environment are of lasting fascination to basic biologists as well. The elegance of these biological systems has ensured that the study of protozoan and metazoan parasites also remains an active field of research in countries where the diseases are not a threat to the population.

Leishmania is a vector-borne pathogenic parasite found in 88 countries worldwide and is the causative agent of leishmaniasis. The different Leishmania species infect macrophages and dendritic cells of the host immune system, causing symptoms that range from disfiguring cutaneous and mucocutaneous lesions, widespread destruction of mucous membranes, or visceral disease affecting the haemopoetic organs. The recent publication of the complete genome sequences of three different Leishmania species provides new insights into this leading pathogen and presents scientists with an exciting resource to improve the understanding of its complex molecular and cellular biology. In this book, internationally recognized Leishmania experts critically review the most important aspects of current Leishmania research, providing the first coherent picture of the organism's molecular and cellular biology since the publication of the genome sequence. Chapters are written from a molecular and genomic perspective and discuss in depth Leishmania-specific aspects of trypanosomatid biology and pathology. Topics include: diagnosis and epidemiology, genome structure and content, regulation of gene expression, the Leishmania proteome, the Leishmania metabolome, Leishmania differentiation, interaction with the sand fly vector, drug discovery, drug resistance, and much more. This will be essential reading for all researchers working with Leishmania, trypanosomes, and protozoa; and is recommended for all biology and medical libraries.

Parasitic nematodes (Nematoda) represent an important group of fish parasites. Many species are highly pathogenic, often causing serious diseases or even death to their fish hosts. The significance of recognizing these parasites increases with the development of aquaculture in many countries and with transcontinental transfers of fish. A prerequisite for developing effective control measures in fish culture is the exact identification of these parasites, as well as a knowledge of their, frequently complicated, host-parasite-environment relationships. The present monograph is the first to deal in detail with all nematodes which are parasites on European freshwater fish, providing contemporary knowledge of the taxonomy, biology and ecology of these parasites. This book is divided into introductory chapters, including general morphological, biological and ecological data on fish nematodes, their pathogenicity and methods of study; systematic part/species descriptions, data on hosts, localization, distribution and life cycles and bionomy of all species systematically arranged; and a host-nematode parasite list. This publication is intended for parasitologists, veterinarians, workers in fisheries, university students. It will also be of interest to ichthyologists, museum curators and those engaged in nature conservation.

The soil-transmitted nematode parasites, or geohelminths, are - called because they have a direct life cycle, which involves no intermediate hosts or vectors, and are transmitted by faecal contamination of soil, foodstuffs and water supplies. They all inhabit the intestine in their adult stages but most species also have tissue-migratoryjuvenile stages, so the disease manifestations they cause can therefore be both local and systemic. The geohelminths together present an enormous infection burden on humanity. Those which cause the most disease in humans are divided into three main groupings, Ascaris lumbricoides (the large roundworm), Trichuris trichiura (whipworm), and the blood-feeding hookworms (Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus ), and this book concentrates on these. These intestinal parasites are highly prevalent worldwide, A. lumbricoides is estimated to infect 1471 million (over a quarter ofthe world's population), hookworms 1277 million, and T. trichiura 1049 million. The highly pathogenic Strongyloides species might also be classified as geohelminths, but they are not dealt with here because the understanding of their epidemiology, immunology and genetics has not advanced as rapidly as for the others. This is primarily because of the often covert nature of the infections, with consequent difficulties for analysis. If there is ever a second edition of this book, then there will hopefully be much to say about this infection.

All important aspects of thermophilic moulds such as systematics, ecology, physiology and biochemistry, production of extracellular and intracellular enzymes, their role in spoilage of stores products and solid and liquid waste management, and general and molecular genetics have been dealt with comprehensively by experts in this book which covers progress in the field over the last 30 years since the seminal book Thermophilic Fungi published by Cooney and Emerson in 1964. The experts have reviewed extensive literature on all aspects of thermophilic moulds in a very comprehensive manner. This book will be useful for graduates as well as post-graduate students of life sciences, mycology, microbiology and biotechnology, and as a reference book for researchers.

Parasites evolve under selective pressures which are different from those acting on free-living organisms. The aim of this textbook is to present these pressures and to show how they have shaped the ecology of parasites over evolutionary time. Broad theoretical concepts are explained simply and clearly and illustrated throughout with example organisms. The book will be an invaluable text for advanced undergraduate biologists who are studying evolutionary biology, ecology, population biology, parasitology and evoluationary ecology. It will also prove to be a valuable reference to postgraduate students and researchers in the same fields.

Helminths include one of the most diverse and geographically widespread groups of parasites which infect humans and animals. About 100 species have been reported from humans, usually producing asymptomatic infection or mild symptoms. However, about 20 species are of public health importance causing severe or even fatal infections. In many parts of Africa parasitic helminths are responsible for enormous economic losses, hampering rural development programmes and reducing the pace of economic growth. Many parasitic helminths are either zoonoses (diseases naturally transmitted between vertebrate animals and man) or have evolved from animal parasites. The modification of the environment through wars, famine and the ever expanding and increasingly mobile human population brings people into close contact with new environments and wildlife species which makes the study and control of zoonoses of special interest and complexity. In Africa, the transmission of helminth parasites is highly influenced by the ever changing social and cultural differences between diverse groups of peoples and their interaction with wild and domestic animals. It is not surprising, therefore, that approaches to the study and control of parasitic zoonoses require intersectoral cooperation between physicians, veterinarians, parasitologists, zoologists, demographers, anthropologists, engineers and economists to provide the breadth of knowledge and expertise required to develop our understanding of these diseases and to devise methods for their control. This book provides a selective compilation of parasitic helminths, many of which are zoonoses which create important economic and public health problems in Africa.

Filarial nematodes constitute and important group of human pathogens in tropical regions of the world. Diseases associated with these worms are generally separated into two categories: filariasis, caused by infections of lymphatic dwelling parasites and onchocerciasis, or river blindness, caused by infections of Onchocerca volvulus. Other filariae specifically infect humans and it is likely that zoonotic filarial infections may alter the outcome of infections with human parasites. The chapters in this book will cover concepts that, in most instances, overlap all of these parasites as well as focus on new and emerging ideas. The Filaria, volume five of World Class Parasites, is written for researchers, students and scholars who enjoy reading research that has a major impact on human health, or agricultural productivity, and against which we have no satisfactory defense. It is intended to supplement more formal texts that cover taxonomy, life cycles, morphology, vector distribution, symptoms and treatment. It integrates vector, pathogen and host biology and celebrates the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research.

Leishmania parasites cause a diverse group of diseases endemic to many tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This volume seeks to bring together recent research on cell and molecular biology of Leishmania with chapters on the host response to infection, the current epidemiology of leishmaniasis, explanations of the many different species, vector control, and strategies for vaccine development and drug treatment. Leishmania, volume four of World Class Parasites, is written for researchers, students and scholars who enjoy reading research that has a major impact on human health, or agricultural productivity, and against which we have no satisfactory defense. It is intended to supplement more formal texts that cover taxonomy, life cycles, morphology, vector distribution, symptoms and treatment. It integrates vector, pathogen and host biology and celebrates the diversity of approach that comprises modern parasitological research.

The promotion of a high level of food safety and quality is of major importance world-wide. Aspects of food quality such as genetically modified organisms (GMOs), food allergens and food authentication have become increasingly important while food-borne diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and parasites continue to be a significant problem. The application of real-time PCR is one of the most promising advances in food safety and quality providing rapid, reliable and quantitative results. In recent years real-time PCR has become a valuable alternative to traditional detection methods in the agricultural and food industries. The advantages of quantitative real-time PCR include speed, an excellent detection limit, selectivity, specificity, sensitivity and the potential for automation.

Malaria causes more death and disease than any other parasitic pathogen known today. This multiauthored text covers the important areas of malaria research, particularly focusing on those sectors which are of clinical importance for the understanding of the disease, the parasite, and its vector.
The chapter authors are all leading experts within their own particular fields. The biology and molecular biology of the parasite, the clinical spectrum of the disease, the pathogenesis of malaria, and the immunology and emergence of malaria vaccines are some examples of the scientific spheres that are discussed.
The book is suitable as a text for graduate students and clinicians as well as researchers at universities and companies involved in treating or studying infectious diseases.

Asiatic Liver Fluke - From Basic Science to Public Health, Volume 102, is a well-known and respected outlet for detailed and comprehensive reviews written by experts covering all aspects of parasitology. This latest release covers topics of interest, including Plasmodium genetics: An approach to learn and end human, Leishmania tropica: what we know from experimental models, Extracellular vesicles in host-parasite interaction, Cathepsins and vaccines for fascioliasis, and Evolution in fungi and drug resistance.

American trypanosomiasis, or Chagas disease, is caused by the protozoan parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi. Sixteen to eighteen million people are currently infected with this organism, and 45,000 deaths are attributed to the disease each year. Infection with T. cruzi is life-long, and 10-30% of persons who harbor the parasite chronically develop cardiac and gastrointestinal problems associated with the parasitosis. Although major progress has been made in recent years in reducing vector-borne and transfusion-associated transmission of T. cruzi, the burden of disability and death in persons chronically infected with the organism continues to be enormous. Eight to ten million persons born in countries in which Chagas disease is endemic currently reside in the United States, and epidemiologic and census data suggest that 50,000-100,000 are chronically infected with T. cruzi. The presence of these infected persons poses a risk of transmission of the parasite in the USA through blood transfusion and organ transplantation and several such cases have now been documented.

American Trypanosomiasis, volume seven of World Class Parasites is written for students of tropical medicine, parasitology and public health, for researchers and practitioners alike who wish to bring themselves abreast of the status quo with respect to this disease. It is intended to supplement formal textbooks, in order to broaden and illuminate current areas of scientific and public health concern. Uniquely for T. cruzi, this book addresses parasite, vector and host biology, the pathogenesis of Chagas disease and current and prospective therapeutics and control strategies in a single volume.

In recent years, parasitologists have learned much about the way in which parasite biochemistry differs from that of free-living organisms. Inside the host, factors such as temperature, oxygen tension, carbon dioxide concentration and pH have important consequences for the biochemistry and physiology of the parasitic organism. Strong selection pressure therefore operates at all stages of a parasite's life cycle. The parasite's adaptational response to this pressure is the subject of this book. Under the headings "The nature of parasite adaptation", "Energy metabolism", "Digestion and uptake of nutrients", "Host immunity and parasite adaptation", "Biochemical adaptation and the magic bullet" and "Biochemical variation in parasites", present knowledge of parasite metabolism and how it reflects adaptation to particular environments is surveyed. The ways in which these adaptations may have developed during their evolution - with reference to the modern evolution of strain variations and the development of resistance to antiparasitic compounds - are explored, together with immunological aspects of the host-parasite relationship and potential metabolic targets for chemotherapy. This book should be of use to all those involved and interested in the biochemistry of parasites and its relation to their evolution, ecology, adaptation and variation. Those aspects of parasite metabolism that are attacked by anti-parasitic drugs are described, making this a useful book for those involved in the pharmaceutical industry. This book should be of interest to parasitologists and comparative biochemists.

Updated and much expanded, the Second Edition of Parasitic Protozoa is designed to be useful to physicians, veterinarians, and research scientists concerned with diseases caused by protozoa in man, and in domestic and wild animals including fish, mollusks and insects, as well as the more commonly considered vertebrate animals. Each section contains information on disease pathogens, treatment, diagnosis, and epidemiology of the diseases caused by the various protozoans. The book is not limited to these medically-oriented subjects, but treats taxonomy, morphology, and metabolism of the organisms in such a way as to be of interest to scientists and graduate students working in the field of protozoology. The entire edition, published in ten volumes, is arranged so that subjects of common interest occupy individual volumes.

Recent ideas and experimental studies suggest that the relationship between parasitism and host behaviour has been a powerful shaping force in the evolution not only of behaviour patterns themselves but, through them, of morphology and population and community dynamics. This book brings together recent work across the disciplines of parasitology and animal behaviour which is revealing the fundamental role of parasitism in the evolution of behaviour. The aim is to look broadly at the relationship between parasitism and behaviour from pathology and epidemiology to strategies of exploitation and counter exploitation. In doing so the book will traverse the phylogenetic scale from enteric protozoa and nematodes to colouration and courtship of birds and human cultural traditions.

The beetle genus Agrilus has over 3000 species which makes it the most numerous in the Animal Kingdom. Many species are serious pests of plants with high invasive potential. Among them, the notoriously known Agrilus planipennis invaded from Asia to North America where it killed tens of millions of ash trees, caused regulatory agencies to enforce quarantines and cost municipalities, property owners, nursery operators and forest products industries tens of millions of dollars. The monograph provides coherent, comprehensive and critical review on all known host plants for more than 680 Agrilus species. All host plants have assigned the confidence index from 0-3 based on the evaluated reliability which eliminates false records. All original and subsequent references for particular plants are cited at each Agrilus species. Data are organized from both, insect and plant viewpoints. Results are analyzed and illustrated by graphs and diagrams. The main impact of the monograph is seen in entomology, phytopathology, forestry, agriculture ecology and biocontrol.