Lobatostoma hanumanthai n.sp. is described from the intestine of the carangid Trachinotus blochi from Bay of Bengal. It anatomical characters are compared with previously described species in the genus. This is the first record of an aspidogastrean from marine fishes of the Indian region.

Euparadistomum is described from 7 species of small mammal in Malaysia. The worms display characteristics intermediate between E. buckleyi Singh and E. pearsoni Talbot particularly with regard to body shape and arrangement of vitelline fields. The nature of morphological variation is discussed and comment made on the possible life-cycle of the parasite.

Spirocamallanus papillicaudatus n. sp. from Pomadactylus oligodon, S. partitus n.sp. from Pomacentrus partitus, S. spinicaudatus n. sp. from Holocentrus marinus and S. garnotus n.sp. from Halichoeres garnoti are described from marine fishes of Puerto Rico which is recorded as a new geographical locality for the genus Spirocamallanus. S. plumierus n.sp. is described from a marine fish, Diapterus plumieri, of the Golfo de Cariaco, Cumana, Venezuela. These new species are distinguished from the known species mainly on the basis of number and arrangement of caudal papillae and different body measurements.

Inorganic substances play a significant role in the physiology of parasites and their importance, especially to gastro-intestinal parasites, is also demonstrated by the influence of mineral deficiencies in the host's diet (see Von Brand, 1966).

Owing to the close association and proximity of man with his domestic animals (in particular the dog and cat), there exist the possibilities of human infection by certain helminth parasites of these animals which may, in some circumstances, lead to serious problems of public health, e.g. encephalitis and granulomatous lesions of the eye caused by toxocariasis (Ashton, 1960; Woodruff et al., 1964).

Serine dehydratase was found to be five times more active than threonine dehydratase in the liver-fluke Fasciola indica. The latter was not affected by L-isoleucine. Optimum pH for both enzymes was found to be 9.0 in tris-universal buffer. Seven metallic ions tested did not accelerate the enzyme activity, but produced different effects on two enzymes. Two different enzymes probably exist for the two aminoacids, L-threonine and L-serine.

Pear-shaped prostatic gland cells which surround the ejaculatory duct of Paramphistomum and Paradistomoides, secrete two types of products: (i) granules which are cytochemically complex containing lipids, proteins and polysaccharides (1:2, glycol groups) and (ii) globules which contain phospholipids only. The cytoplasm of these cells, in addition to high acid phosphatase activity, also contains RNA, proteins and polysaccharides.

Irradiation-attenuated helminth parasites have been used in protection against homologous challenge (reviewed by Cox, 1978). The exact dose of irradiation required to attenuate without loss of immunogenicity varies between different species; determination of the dosage and difinition of the effects of irradiation is therefore a vital preliminary step.

Many compounds have been claimed to possess powerful taenicidal activity but only a few are able to remove the tapeworms complete with scolices; accordingly better drugs are still needed. A series of 3, 5-dibromosalicylanilides, possessing a molecular framework similar to that of niclosamide (Gönnert and Schraufstätter, 1960) was tested for taenicidal activity; the most potent anticestode compound was found to be 3, 5-dibromo-2' -chlorosalicylanilide-4' -isothiocyanate (CDRI Compound 77–6). The present communication compares the efficacy of Compound 77–6 with niclosamide, N-(2' -chloro-4-nitrophenyl)-5-chlorosalicylamid (Bayer, power with 75% active ingredient) and praziquantel, 2-cyclohexylcarbonyl-1–3, 4, 6, 7, 11 b-hexahydro-2H-Pyrazino [2–1-a], isoquinoline-4-one (Droncit, E. Merck & Bayer, powder, 100% pure) (Seubert et al., 1977) in rats and mice.

Regular monthly examination of lungs of donkeys, with a total of 423 in a year, revealed that in Morocco Dictyocaulus arnfieldi infection is present throughout the year with an annual incidence of 47.8% (range 30 to 62.2%). The monthly mean number of worms per animal varied from 19.4 to 69.6 (annual average 39.5) with a maximum of 1000 worms in a donkey. October, February and June are the months when peaks of infections were observed. The ratio of worms in lungs to larvae per g in faeces (L.P.G) ratio varied from 1:0.57 to 1:1.33 (average 1:0.97) and although this relation was significant, cases with high worm burden and no larvae in faeces were observed.

A retrospective analysis of hospital records in 3 ecological zones of Nigeria was carried out to ascertain the prevalence of human taeniasis, cysticercosis and hydatidosis.

The prevalence of Taenia infection in Sudan, Bauchi Plateau and Northern Guinea zones wa 0.9%, 0.6% and 0.6% respectively. The prevalence of human taeniasis by age and sex in the 3 ecological zones indicates that males were more often infected. Because males by habit eat more “suya” (half-grilled beef) than females, they are more likely to be exposed to Taenia saginata cysts. As for age factor, Taenia infection was more common up to the age of 40.

Human hydatidosis was recorded only once in the Sudan zone and was not recorded at all in the Northern Guinea and Bauchi zones. Human cysticercosis was not documented in any of the three ecological zones covered by the survey.

It is suspected that the low prevalence or the non-documentation of some of these diseases is due to poor diagnostic facilitis and inefficient disease-recording system.

A retrospective analysis of slaughterhouse records during the pre-veterinary-organized meat inspection era (before 1970) for cysticercosis and hydatidosis in food animals showed that parasitic cysts were documented but not identified and that the numbers of slaughtered animal species harbouring various parasitic cysts were not recorded. Since the various parasites which the meat inspectors observed were not identified, the prevalence of species encountered could not be determined.

An analysis of abattoir records during the veterinary meat inspection era showed that Cysticercus bovis and C. cellulosae infections were documented in cattle and pigs respectively. Moreover, hydatid cysts were detected in cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and camels.

The data obtained from this survey cannot be wholly relied upon as accurate, but it can be used as a baseline for the proper evaluation of the status of these zoonotic parasitic diseases in future co-ordinated researches.

A survey was carried out in the abattoirs in Kano (Sudan zone), Kaduna and Zaria (Northern Guinea zone) and Jos (Bauchi plateau zone) to assess the actual prevalence of bovine and porcine cysticercosis, and of hydatid cyst infections in slaughtered food animals.

Hydatid cysts were detected in all species of animals slaughtered at the abattoir in the Sudan zone where the prevalence was: camels (55.5%), cattle (14.70%), sheep (11.4%), goats (26.4%). In the Northern Guinea zone, the prevalence was: camels (50%), cattle (0%), pigs (0%), sheep (0.21%) and goats (0.79%). In the Bauchi plateau zone, sheep were found to harbour hydatid cysts, with a prevalence of 1.4%. In the various animal species, hydatid cysts were detected in the lungs, liver and spleen. Fertility rates of the hydatid cysts from various hosts were as follows: camels 94.5%, cattle 7.4%, goats 81.3%, and sheep 59.7%.

Cysticercus bovis was detected in slaughtered cattle from the three zones surveyed. Northern Guinea zone had the highest prevalence (4%), followed by Bauchi plateau zone (2.1%) and Sudan (1.9%). C. bovis was detected in the tongue, masseter muscle, heart, diaphragm and the quarters of infected cattle.

C. cellulosae was detected in 18.4% and 1.76% of slaughtered pigs examined in Northern Guinea and Bauchi plateau zones respectively. The cysts were found in the tongue, masseter muscle, heart, diaphragm, thigh and fore-limbs. No pigs were available for examination in the Sudan zone.

The data obtained in this survey are believed to be a better indication of the rate of infection in the various animal species than data obtained from previous abattoir records.

Echinococcus granulosus (Batsch, 1786; Rudolphi, 1801) infections in stray dogs were recorded in the Sudan and Northern Guinea zones at a prevalence rate of 6.2% and 1.2% respectively. The parasite was not recorded in any stray dog obtained from the Bauchi Plateau zone, although fewer dogs were examined from this zone.

The high prevalence of echinococcosis in dogs reported in the Sudan zone bears a true epidemiological relationship with the high prevalence of cystic hydatidosis recorded for slaughtered livestock within the same locality. There is therefore a strong possibility of a high rate of faecal contamination of the environments under consideration with Echinococcus eggs, which places the human population at a high risk.

Three cestode species, namely Taenia taeniaeformis Batsch, 1786, Taenia pisiformis (Bloch, 1780) and Mesocestoides litteratus (Batsch, 1786) and one nematode species, Toxocara cati Schrank, 1788, were found in wild cats collected in Grampian region, Scotland. Of the 41 cats examined, 25 were Felis silvestris, 12 were feral Felis catus and four were hybrids of F. silvestris and F. catus.

The two ascaridoids of sirenians, Heterocheilus tunicatus Diesing, 1839, and Paradujardinia halicoris (Owen, 1833), are redescribed. A basic affinity between the two species is indicated in the bilateral structure of the excretory system, the globular ventriculus, long intestinal caecum, and the form of the male tail. The subfamily Heterocheilinae is redefined so as to contain these two genera. It is proposed that the subfamily comprises a natural suprageneric group within the Ascarididae sensu Hartwich, 1974 containing, in addition to Heterocheilus and Paradujardinia, the following genera occurring in freshwater, estuarine and coastal vertebrates: Multicaecum Baylis, 1923; Dujardinascaris Baylis, 1947; Gedoelstascaris Sprent, 1978; Ortleppascaris Sprent, 1978; Brevimulticaecum Mozgovoy sensu Sprent, 1979; Krefftascaris Sprent, 1980. The suggestion is made that the ascaridoids of sirenians originated from forms in fluviatile lower vertebrates.