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(syn. ) is a zoonotic nematode parasite commonly found in the liver of a broad range of mammalian hosts worldwide. This parasite was found in a black-tailed prairie dog ( ) from the Belgrade Zoo which had recently been transferred from another Zoo. was an incidental finding during necropsy. The gross appearance of the affected liver was characterized by multifocal, firm, white to yellowish, round granulomas, 1–3 mm in diameter situated on the surface of the liver that extended into the underlying hepatic parenchyma. Histopathologically, multiple granulomas encompassed clusters of eggs surrounded by central caseous necrosis, cellular debris admixed with epithelioid macrophages, multinucleate giant cells, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and a fibrous capsule. This paper describes the first case report of in zoo animals in Serbia.

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a worldwide-distributed species of zoonotic nematodes with a high affinity to the liver. Several rodent species of the superfamily Muroidea serve as main hosts for this pathogen. C. hepaticum has been found in Muroidean hosts in more than 60 countries in Europe; North, Central, and South America; Asia; Africa; and Oceania. C. hepaticum was documented in more than 90 Muroidean rodent species (Murinae, Deomyinae, Arvicolinae, Neotominae, Cricetinae, Sigmodontinae, Gerbillinae, and Cricetomyinae). Globally, the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) seems to be the main host species for this nematode. However, locally high prevalences (above 50 %) have also been observed in several other synanthropic (commensal and non-commensal) Muroidea species (e.g., Rattus tanezumi, Ondatra zibethicus, Apodemus sylvaticus). This review gives an overview of the distribution and host spectrum of C. hepaticum in Muroidea host species.

Background Capillaria hepatica , a zoonotic parasite, is present in the population of Brandt’s voles ( Lasiopodomys brandtii ) and has been a central issue in ecological studies regarding its impact on host populations. Brandt’s voles are known for their extremely high reproductive capacity, and the population explosion of Brandt’s voles have occurred multiple times in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia over the past few decades. However, the mechanisms underlying the population dynamics of Brandt’s voles, particularly in response to C. hepatica infection, remain poorly understood. Given the critical role of the gut microbiota in modulating hormones within the reproductive endocrine system, this study aims to explore how alterations in the gut microbiota influence the host’s population dynamics in response to C. hepatica infection. Methods Female Brandt’s voles were inoculated with eggs of infected C. hepatica , and BALB/C mice were used as a control. At the end of the experimental period, cecal contents were collected for 16 S rRNA amplicon sequencing, and the expression levels of reproductive-related hormones were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results C. hepatica infection leads to an increased diversity of gut microbiota in Brandt’s voles, with significant changes in microbial composition. The relative abundance of Muribaculaceae and Eubacteriaceae increased significantly, while that of Rikenellaceae and Lachnospiraceae decreased significantly. The expression level of estradiol in the serum of infected Brandt’s voles shows a slight decrease without statistical significance. However, the expression of equol is significantly higher in the infected group compared to the uninfected group, and the expression of enterolactone is significantly lower in the infected group than in the uninfected group. Conclusions This study demonstrates that infection with C. hepatica indirectly affect the abundance of specific gut microbiota in Brandt’s voles, which are associated with reproductive hormones. This indirect effect on hormone expression can subsequently impact the reproductive function of the host. By investigating the changes in specific gut microbiota, this study sheds light on the mechanisms through which parasites regulate population fluctuations in Brandt’s voles. Graphical abstract

Hepatic capillariasis is a global neglected zoonotic disease with small rodents and lagomorphs as host animals although cases have occurred in over 140 mammals, including in humans to underscore its health implications to both animals and humans. A total of 20 free-living Cricetomys gambianus were sampled from the wild within the Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria, for the presence of and effects of Capillaria hepatica between August 2023 – May 2024. The lungs, liver, spleen, and kidneys of the sampled rats were promptly harvested, observed and recorded, and fixed in 10% formalin for histopathological evaluations after humane animal sacrifice according to standard procedures. There were no obvious gross lesions while cellular changes occurred only in the liver that were characterized by the presence of clusters of parasitic eggs with hepatic necrosis and inflammatory responses. The presence of the ellipsoidal-shaped and double layered straited shelled-eggs with operculum and the hepatic cellular changes led to a definitive diagnosis of Capillaria hepatica with a 10% prevalence rate. The findings highlighted the health risk to the animal and the human consumers of infected. Cricetomys gambianus whose meat is considered a delicacy within the study area and other parts of the world. Outside the probable role of host animal’s adaptation strategy being responsible for the non-typical granulomatous inflammation and hepatic septal fibrotic cellular changes, there is a need for more studies to further elucidate the pathogenesis of the disease condition in this particular animal species in the patho-epidemiology of hepatic capillariasis within the study area.

As an important zoonotic parasite, Capillaria hepatica poses a threat to human health that cannot be ignored due to its association with high mortality and serious damage to the liver, although there are relatively few human infections. The infection rate of Capillaria hepatica in rodents is very high, which poses a great threat to the health of rodents, and Rattus norvegicus has been found to be the main group carrying Capillaria hepatica. Capillaria hepatica’s unique biological characteristics, including its morphological features and complex life history, determine the specificity of its infection and pathogenicity. In terms of epidemiology, Capillaria hepatica has a worldwide distribution, a wide variety of hosts (mainly rodents), and various transmission routes, all of which increase the difficulty of its prevention and control. Children are more likely to be infected by it, and there is little gender difference among the infected population. Although there are a variety of diagnostic methods for hepatic capillariasis, all of them have certain limitations. In addition, due to its non-specific clinical manifestations, early accurate diagnosis of hepatic capillariasis is still a challenge. This article reviews the biological characteristics and pathogenic mechanism of Capillaria hepatica, the epidemiology of human infection, the epidemiology of animal infection, and the diagnosis and treatment of hepatic capillariasis, so as to provide a useful reference for related research and clinical practice.

Capillaria hepatica (syn. Calodium hepaticum) is a globally distributed nematode with a high affinity to the liver of a wide range of mammalian hosts, including humans. Documented reports of the nematode in cats and associated histopathology are rare. Here, we describe a case of C. hepatica infection in a 5-year-old male stray cat from Iran. At post-car accident necropsy, all body parts appeared normal except for the liver, in which a few yellowish-white granulomatous nodules were observed through the capsule and in the organ. Histopathological examination of the tissue revealed a large number of clustered parasite eggs in the parenchyma. The barrel-shaped, un-embryonated eggs (55.19 × 28.37 μm), with inconspicuous caps at both ends, were covered with striated shells. The presence of ova in the liver tissue had resulted in the development of hepatic inflammation with hepatocellular necrosis associated with the development of multifocal granulomas. As predators of small rodents, the cats might have a significant role in the epidemiology of C. hepatica. Infection of hosts through ingestion of embryonated eggs in contaminated water, food, or soil is of major importance in the epidemiology of C. hepatica. Since the rare reports of feline infection have come mainly from accidental detection of the parasite, any hepatic disease presenting difficulties to find an etiological agent may virtually be associated with the infection with this little-known nematode.Graphical abstract

Calodium hepaticum (syn. Capillaria hepatica) is a globally distributed zoonotic nematode with low host specificity and a high affinity to the liver. Although murid rodents are the main definite hosts, various other mammals can be affected with hepatic capillariasis: non-murid rodents, Insectivora, Chiroptera, Lagomorpha, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, Hyracoidea, Marsupialia, Carnivora, and Primates. Overall, more than 180 mammalian species (including humans) are known as suitable hosts of this pathogen. This review gives an overview of the distribution and host spectrum of C. hepaticum in non-Muroidean mammals in wildlife and zoos as well as in domesticated and laboratory animals. Furthermore, the role of spurious infections in animals and the dissemination of C. hepaticum by mammalian and non-mammalian animals are summarized.

Capillaria hepatica (syn. for Calodium hepaticum) is a zoonotic nematode parasitizing in the livers of rodents as main hosts and in numerous other mammals including humans. It is the causative agent of the rare conditions of hepatic capillariosis and spurious C. hepatica infections in humans. In this review, 163 reported cases of infestations with this parasite (72 reports of hepatic capillariosis, 13 serologically confirmed infestations and 78 observations of spurious infections) are summarized with an overview on the distribution, symptoms, pathology, diagnosis, serology and therapy of this rare human pathogen.

Rodents can be a source of zoonotic helminths in the Middle East and also in other parts of the world. The current systematic review aimed to provide baseline data on rodent helminths to recognize the threats of helminth parasites on public health in the Middle East region. Following a systematic search on PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, a total of 65 research studies on rodent cestodes, nematodes, and trematodes, which were conducted in the countries of the Middle East, were analyzed. The study identified 44 rodent species from which Mus musculus, Rattus norvegicus, and Rattus rattus were most common (63%) and recognized as the primary rodent hosts for helminth infestation in this region. Cestodes were the most frequently reported (n = 50), followed by nematodes (49), and trematodes (14). The random effect meta-analysis showed that the pooled prevalence of cestode (57.66%, 95%CI: 34.63–80.70, l2% = 85.6, p < 0.001) was higher in Saudi Arabia, followed by nematode (56.24%, 95%CI: 11.40–101.1, l2% = 96.7, p < 0.001) in Turkey, and trematode (15.83%, 95%CI: 6.25–25.1, l2% = 98.5, p < 0.001) in Egypt. According to the overall prevalence estimates of individual studies, nematodes were higher (32.71%, 95%CI: 24.89–40.54, l2% = 98.6, p < 0.001) followed by cestodes (24.88%, 95%CI: 19.99–29.77, l2% = 94.9, p < 0.001) and trematodes (10.17%, 95%CI: 6.7–13.65, l2% = 98.3, p < 0.001) in the rodents of the Middle East countries. The review detected 22 species of helminths, which have zoonotic importance. The most frequent helminths were Capillaria hepatica, Hymenolepis diminuta, Hymenolepis nana, and Cysticercus fasciolaris. There was no report of rodent-helminths from Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Furthermore, there is an information gap on rodent helminths at the humans-animal interface level in Middle East countries. Through the One Health approach and countrywide detailed studies on rodent-related helminths along with their impact on public health, the rodent control program should be conducted in this region.

Capillaria hepatica is a seriously neglected zoonotic parasite, which infects the liver of mammalian hosts, causing fibrosis or even hepatic failure. At present, the immune responses elicited by C. hepatica are not fully understood, and the role(s) of the programmed death 1 (PD-1) signaling pathway in the context of C. hepatica-induced pathology are not known. In this study, we identify that the late stage of infection with C. hepatica—especially the egg-derived antigens—modulates the host immune responses to promote alternatively activated macrophage (M2) polarization and programmed death ligand 2 (PD-L2) expression. The PD-L2-expressing alternatively activated M2 macrophages play an important role in maintaining Th2-biased regulatory immune responses, which may facilitate the survival of parasitic worms or eggs within the infected liver and reduce the liver pathology caused by the egg granulomas. Treatment with anti-PD-L2 antibody had no effect on the survival of parasitic eggs but deteriorated the pathology of egg granulomas. The obtained results suggest that PD-1/PD-L2 signaling, which is involved in alternative macrophage polarization, determines the immune response pattern and the immunopathology, consequently determining the outcome of the parasitic infection.