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Pathogens
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Paralysis Worm - Gurltia paralysans
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Paralysis Worm - Gurltia paralysans

A special issue of Pathogens (ISSN 2076-0817). This special issue belongs to the section "Parasitic Pathogens".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2021) | Viewed by 13120

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Carlos Rodrigo Hermosilla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Parasitology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
Interests: parasitology; innate immunity; parasite-host cell interactions; parasitology of marine mammals
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Marcelo Gómez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Instituto de Farmacologia y Morfofisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile
Interests: neuroparasites in domestic animals; angiostrongyloides in small animals; veterinary neurology; neuroanatomy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is a pleasure for us to announce this Special Issue of ‘Pathogens’ (MDPI) entitled ‘Paralysis Worm’, focusing on the metastrongyloid nematode Gurltia paralysans of domestic and wild felines. G. paralysans is a poorly documented nematode of cats and resides within the venous system of spinal leptomeninges and parenchyma, causing vascular congestion, paralysis of the pelvic limbs and tail and severe chronic myelopathies. Unfortunately, G. paralysans-induced paraparesis is a lesser-known spinal cord disease of wild and domestic felids in South America and Europe. At present, very little is known about the biology, epizootiology, pathogenesis and host innate/adaptive immune response against this parasite. Intra vitam diagnosis of feline gurltiosis remains challenging and is based primarily on neurological signs and exclusion of other etiologies for feline myelopathies. In view of the lack of data in the literature for this feline neurological parasitosis, we are calling for submissions of original research manuscripts, comprehensive review articles, short communications and/or case studies dealing not only with epidemiology, biology and diagnosis but also with recent clinical, laboratory and pathological findings in cats infected with G. paralysans.

On behalf of ‘Pathogens’ (MDPI), we cordially invite you to submit your research work that falls within the scope of feline gurltiosis for publication in this upcoming Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Carlos Rodrigo Hermosilla
Dr. Marcelo Gómez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pathogens is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Gurltia paralysans
  • felines
  • parasitic paraparesis
  • gurltiosis

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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13 pages, 1165 KiB  
Article
A Molecular Survey on Neglected Gurltia paralysans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus Infections in Domestic Cats (Felis catus) from Southern Chile
by Natasha Barrios, Marcelo Gómez, Macarena Zanelli, Lisbeth Rojas-Barón, Paulina Sepúlveda-García, Amir Alabí, Melany Adasme, Ananda Müller, Carla Rosenfeld, César González-Lagos, Anja Taubert and Carlos Hermosilla
Pathogens 2021, 10(9), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10091195 - 15 Sep 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2954
Abstract
Gurltia paralysans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus are neglected metastrongyloid nematode species which infect domestic and wild cats in South American countries and in Chile, but no epidemiological studies on concomitant infections have been conducted in Chile so far. The aim of this study was [...] Read more.
Gurltia paralysans and Aelurostrongylus abstrusus are neglected metastrongyloid nematode species which infect domestic and wild cats in South American countries and in Chile, but no epidemiological studies on concomitant infections have been conducted in Chile so far. The aim of this study was not only to evaluate the occurrence of concomitant infections, but also to identify epidemiological risk factors associated with of G. paralysans and A. abstrusus infections in urban domestic cats (Felis catus) from Southern Chile. Blood samples from clinically healthy domestic cats from three cities of Southern Chile—Temuco, Valdivia, and Puerto Montt—were analyzed by an experimental semi-nested PCR protocol. A total of 171 apparently healthy domestic cats in Temuco (n = 68), Valdivia (n = 50), and Puerto Montt (n = 53) were sampled and analyzed. A total of 93 domestic cats (54.4%) were positive for G. paralysans, and 34 (19.9%) were positive for A. abstrusus infections. From those animals, 34 (19.9%) were co-infected. Cats positive with G. paralysans were found in all three cities; 47.2% in Puerto Montt, 48% in Valdivia, and 64.7% in Temuco. Levels of infection for A. abstrusus in the population under study were 4% (Valdivia), 10% (Puerto Montt), and 32.4% (Temuco). The present large-scale epidemiological study confirmed the presence of these neglected nematodes in domestic cat populations in Southern Chile, and described the possible risk factors associated with feline gurltiosis and aelurostrongylosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paralysis Worm - Gurltia paralysans)
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Review

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13 pages, 2942 KiB  
Review
The Neglected Angio-Neurotrophic Parasite Gurltia paralysans (Nematoda: Angiostrongylidae): Northernmost South American Distribution, Current Knowledge, and Future Perspectives
by Manuel Uribe, Sara López-Osorio and Jenny J. Chaparro-Gutiérrez
Pathogens 2021, 10(12), 1601; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens10121601 - 9 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 5527
Abstract
Gurltia paralysans is a rare metastrongyloid nematode in South America that has begun to gain relevance in feline internal medicine as a differential diagnosis of progressive degenerative myelopathy disorders. The parasite life cycle has not been fully elucidated but probably involves invertebrate gastropod [...] Read more.
Gurltia paralysans is a rare metastrongyloid nematode in South America that has begun to gain relevance in feline internal medicine as a differential diagnosis of progressive degenerative myelopathy disorders. The parasite life cycle has not been fully elucidated but probably involves invertebrate gastropod fauna as obligate intermediate hosts; thus, G. paralysans remaining an extremely neglected parasitosis. Feline gurltiosis intra vitam diagnosis is highly challenging due to lack of evidence in the excretion of G. paralysans eggs and larvae, neither in feces nor in other body secretions because environmental stages and the transmission route of the parasite remain unknown. Unfortunately, no experimental trials for the treatment of feline gurltiosis have been conducted to date. However, there are some reports of the successfully antiparasitic drugs used with different effectiveness and clinical improvement results in diagnosed cats. Further studies are needed to evaluate the parasite occurrence among domestic cats and the neotropical wild felid species distributed within Colombia in addition to the gastropod fauna that may harbor the developing larvae (L1–L3) stages of this underestimated parasite. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paralysis Worm - Gurltia paralysans)
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Other

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7 pages, 2313 KiB  
Brief Report
Histological and Immunohistochemical Characterization of Vascular Alterations in Meninges of Cats Infected with Gurltia paralysans
by Svenja Hartung, Angelika Weyrich, Manuel Moroni, Marcelo Gómez and Christiane Herden
Pathogens 2022, 11(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens11010088 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2763
Abstract
Gurltia paralysans, a metastrongyloid nematode, parasitizes in meningeal vessels in the thoracolumbar spinal cord of cats in South America and causes progressive paraparesis. Recently, the first report outside of South America described gurltiosis in a cat in Spain. As this parasitic disease [...] Read more.
Gurltia paralysans, a metastrongyloid nematode, parasitizes in meningeal vessels in the thoracolumbar spinal cord of cats in South America and causes progressive paraparesis. Recently, the first report outside of South America described gurltiosis in a cat in Spain. As this parasitic disease has so far been largely neglected, especially outside of South America, the aim of the present case study was to add knowledge to the histologic and immunohistochemical characterization of central nervous lesions. To this purpose, formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from the spinal cord and brain of five cats affected by clinical signs caused by Gurltia paralysans and of three control cats without CNS lesions were histopathologically examined using hematoxylin and eosin stain (HE), Elastica van Gieson stain, as well as periodic acid–Schiff (PAS) reaction. Moreover, immuno- histochemistry for alpha smooth muscle actin and Factor VIII-related antigen were performed to characterize vascular lesions. Lesions were consistent with previous descriptions and were mainly located in the spinal cord and consisted of chronic suppurative or lymphoplasmahistiocytic meningi tis as well as suppurative vasculitis, congestion and varicosis of meningeal veins. In view of the recent detection of this parasite in Europe and the increasing inner-European transport of rescued domestic cats, veterinarians in Europe should be aware of the clinical and pathomorphological presentation of this disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Paralysis Worm - Gurltia paralysans)
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