This paper describes the development of cast-in-place concrete piles at the dawn of foundation technology in Europe and the United States. The first cast-in-place concrete pile was the compressol ...pile invented in France around 1897. Around 1900, Raymond piles, simplex piles, and pedestal piles were invented in the U.S. Around 1910, franki piles were invented in Belgium. These piles have been installed not only in their home country but also in other parts of the world; more than 100 years later, they still support many historical buildings.
We describe a new species of the genus Zhangixalus Li, Jiang, Ren & Jiang, 2019 from Ha Giang Province, Vietnam based on morphological and molecular data. In the molecular phylogenetic analyses, the ...new species is nested in the Zhangixalus duboisi (Ohler, Marquis, Swan & Grosjean, 2000) group, where it is sister to Z. duboisi with a genetic distance of 2.51%. The new species, Zhangixalus franki sp. nov., differs from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: size large, SVL 77.9–85.8 mm in males; finger webbing formula I1-1II0-1III½-0IV; dorsal surface of head and body green with dark brown spots; ventral surface grey or dark grey, white stripe along edge of jaw, insertion of limbs, and along lateral ridges of fore and hind limbs and flank, separating upper green part from lower grey part. The new species occurs in evergreen montane tropical forests at an elevation of ca 1300 m a.s.l. The new discovery brings the total number of known species in the genus Zhangixalus to 38 and the species number reported from Vietnam to nine.
Swimmer's itch is caused by the penetration of free‐swimming larvae of trematodes of the family Schistosomatidae in human skin. It is usually reported in people engaged in recreational water ...activities in freshwater bodies and in most of cases, it is provoked by bird schistosomes of the genus Trichobilharzia. In the summer 2017, many cases of dermatitis were recorded in people bathing in the waters of the Albano Lake (Rome, Italy) and a parasitological investigation was carried out in order to ascertain the causative agent of these cases. Snails of the family Lymnaeidae, natural intermediate hosts of bird schistosomes, were collected from lake shallow waters to detect the presence of trematodes of the genus Trichobilharzia. Pools of maximum 10 snails were placed in Petri dishes, and cercarial emergence was stimulated exposing snails to strong artificial light intensity at 25°C. Three hundred and thirty‐seven snails were collected and screened for the shedding of cercariae. Furcocercariae of the family Schistosomatidae, with a morphology overlapping that of the genus Trichobilharzia, were detected in seven Petri dishes. Assuming that in each positive Petri dish just one snail was shedding furcocercariae, the minimum infectious rate was 2.1%. Molecular analysis of furcocercariae allowed ascribing them to the species Trichobilharzia franki. Snails of the species Radix auricularia were identified as intermediate hosts of the parasite. This is the second record of T. franki causing cercarial dermatitis in Central Italy, the third in Italy. The 2017 was in Italy exceptionally warm and dry. Trematodes are sensitive to changes in temperature, being cercarial production and emission rates temperature dependent. Small increases in water temperature would speed up parasite development and transmission, leading to a manifold increase in cercarial emergence. Moreover, high temperatures raise chances to acquire the infection, due to increased time spent in water by people.
One of the major migration routes for birds going between Europe and Asia is the Black Sea-Mediterranean route that converges on the Volga Delta, continuing into the area of the Caspian Sea. ...Cercarial dermatitis is a disorder in humans caused by schistosome trematodes that use aquatic birds and snails as hosts and is prevalent in areas of aquaculture in Northern Iran. Before the disorder can be addressed, it is necessary to determine the etiological agents and their host species. This study aimed to document whether domestic mallards are reservoir hosts and if so, to characterize the species of schistosomes. Previous work has shown that domestic mallards are reservoir hosts for a nasal schistosome.
In 32 of 45 domestic mallards (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus) (71.1%), the schistosome Trichobilharzia franki, previously reported only from Europe, was found in visceral veins. Morphological and molecular phylogenetic analysis confirmed the species designation. These findings extend the range of T. franki from Europe to Eurasia.
The occurrence of cercarial dermatitis in Iran is high in areas of aquaculture. Previous studies in the area have shown that domestic mallards are reservoir hosts of T. regenti, a nasal schistosome and T. franki, as shown in this study. The genetic results support the conclusion that populations of T. franki from Iran are not differentiated from populations in Europe. Therefore, the schistosomes are distributed with their migratory duck hosts, maintaining the gene flow across populations with compatible snail hosts in Iran.
This paper describes the development of cast-in-place concrete piles at the dawn of foundation technology in Europe and the United States. The first cast-in-place concrete pile was the compressol ...pile invented in France around 1897. Around 1900, Raymond piles, simplex piles, and pedestal piles were invented in the U.S. Around 1910, franki piles were invented in Belgium. These piles have been installed not only in their home country but also in other parts of the world; more than 100 years later, they still support many historical buildings.
Trichobilharzia is a genus of threadlike schistosomes with a cosmopolitan distribution in birds. Species of Trichobilharzia achieve notoriety as major etiological agents of cercarial dermatitis, or ...swimmer's itch. There are 40 species described in the literature, for which the majority lacks molecular sequence information. To better understand the phylogenetic relationships, diversity, species boundaries, host use, and geographic distribution of this genus better, we surveyed 378 birds and over 10,000 snails from North America. The phylogenetic analysis was based on nuclear 18S, 28S rDNA, internal transcribed spacer region and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I sequence data. Specimens were recovered that could be related to 6 of the 14 described species of Trichobilharzia from North America (Trichobilharzia physellae, Trichobilharzia querquedulae, Trichobilharzia szidati, Trichobilharzia stagnicolae, Trichobilharzia franki, and Trichobilharzia brantae). An additional 5 lineages were found that could not be related directly to previously described species. Trichobilharzia brantae, transmitted by Gyraulus parvus, grouped outside the clade containing the recognized species of Trichobilharzia. A subgroup of the Trichobilharzia clade designated Clade Q was comprised of closely related species whose adults and eggs are similar, yet the European species use lymnaeids whereas the North American species use physids as snail hosts. This molecular phylogeny provides a useful framework (1) to facilitate identification of worms, including those involved in dermatitis outbreaks; (2) to test hypotheses about the evolution, diversification, host–parasite interactions and character evolution of Trichobilharzia; and (3) to guide future taxonomic revision of Trichobilharzia.
Avian schistosomes are widespread parasites of snails and waterfowl and may cause cercarial dermatitis (swimmer’s itch) in humans, a disease that is frequently reported in European countries. These ...parasites are known to occur in Denmark, but here, we applied a new approach using molecular tools to identify the parasites at species level. In order to do that, 499 pulmonate freshwater snails (Radix sp., Lymnaea stagnalis, Stagnicola sp. and Planorbarius corneus) were sampled from 12 lakes, ponds, and marshes in the greater Copenhagen area. Avian schistosome cercariae were identified by microscopy and subjected to molecular investigation by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 5.8S and ITS2 ribosomal DNA for species identification. Additionally, snail hosts belonging to the genus Radix were identified by sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of partial ITS2 ribosomal DNA. Three out of 499 snails shed different species of Trichobilharzia cercariae: Trichobilharzia szidati was isolated from L. stagnalis, Trichobilharzia franki from Radix auricularia and Trichobilharzia regenti from Radix peregra. In the light of the public health risk represented by bird schistosomes, these findings are of concern and, particularly, the presence of the potentially neuro-pathogenic species, T. regenti, in Danish freshwaters calls for attention.
Cercarial dermatitis or swimmer's itch is a skin condition in humans due to the larval forms of bird schistosomes of some species of the genus Trichobilharzia. The life cycle of these schistosomes ...requires freshwater snails (intermediate host) and waterfowl (definitive host). Repeated exposures to cercariae can lead to skin sensitization with the induction of pruritic skin lesions.
We describe, in this study, two outbreaks of human cercarial dermatitis at the Eau d'Heure Lakes, Belgium. In July and August 2012, a total of, respectively, 78 and 10 people reported a sudden skin rash accompanied by pruritus following recreational activities in the Plate Taille Lake. However, no ocellate furcocercariae were detected following light exposure of the snails collected between September 2012 and September 2013 (n = 402). No outbreaks were recorded in 2013 and 2014. In August 2015, about 30 new cases were recorded. Snails were collected (n = 270) in different locations around the lake. PCR was used to identify accurately the intermediate hosts and the parasite species involved.
After light exposure, seven Radix spp. (2.6%) shed ocellate furcocercariae. Molecular identification based on the rDNA internal transcribed spacer 2 sequence ascribed the infected snails to R. balthica ( = R. peregra = R. ovata) (6/7) and R. auricularia (1/7). Based on the amplification of the D2 domain of the 28S rDNA, the cercariae were shown to belong to two different haplotypes of Trichobilharzia franki.
This is the first record in Belgium of T. franki and associated skin condition.
BACKGROUND: Trichobilharzia is the most species rich and widely distributed genus of schistosomes and is known throughout Europe and North America as an agent of human cercarial dermatitis. The ...disease is caused by an acute allergic reaction in the skin that develops as a consequence of repeated contact with water containing schistosomatid cercariae. However, despite historical outbreaks of the disease, there are no published records of accurately identified Trichobilharzia species from the UK. METHODS: Two hundred Radix auricularia (L.) were sampled from a recreational fishing lake in Hampshire and emerging schistosomatid cercariae were collected for microscopy and DNA extraction. General morphological description of the cercariae was performed, alongside sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 28S ribosomal DNA for accurate species identification as well as comparisons of ITS1 in order to identify evolutionary affinities with other European populations. All molecular comparisons were performed using published sequences. RESULTS: The phylogenetic analysis of 28S sequences identified the cercariae as Trichobilharzia franki. Two unique British ITS1 haplotypes were identified which were most closely related to haplotypes of T. franki populations from France. Haplotype network analysis indicated the mixing of T. franki populations throughout Europe. It is suggested that parasite distribution is the probable result of the movement of migratory waterfowl. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first accurate record of T. franki in the UK. The movement of T. franki with waterfowl could pose a considerable human health risk, as in mainland Europe, and signifies T. franki-associated human cercarial dermatitis as a re-emerging disease in the UK.
Recently, the systematic use of the molecular approach as a complement to the other approaches (morphology, biology, life cycle) has brought help for the identification of species considered as ...different in the past to be regrouped and synonymised, and distinctions to be drawn between species similar at the morphological level. Among these species, we tried to clarify the situation of Trichobilharzia frankiMüller and Kimmig, 1994, species that today include more than 50 haplotypes notably coming from larval stages isolated from intermediate hosts belonging to gastropods of the Radix genus. Cercariae were isolated in France and Iceland from various molluscs, before being analyzed, with their hosts, by molecular analysis of various fields such as the D2 and ITS of the ribosomal DNA and the COX1 of mitochondrial DNA. We thus show the presence of two clades depending on the specificity of their intermediate host in which they were isolated (Radix auricularia or Radix peregra), thus allowing separation of the species T. franki that had been described in the past as a probable new species.
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