Publications by authors named "Ayaka Kitajima"
is a spirurid nematode that parasitizes the eyes of mammals, including carnivores, lagomorphs, and humans. Although this parasite has been reported in domestic and wild animals in Japan, its presence in the Japanese marten, (Carnivora: Mustelidae), has not been documented. In this study, we examined the ocular parasites of a wild Japanese marten collected in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, and identified based on morphological and molecular analyses.
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- - Thelazia callipaeda is a parasitic worm that infects the eyes of various animals, including dogs, cats, and even humans, and is spread by specific fly species.
- - In Japan, this parasite is spreading northward and has been reported in several wild mammals, marking them as new hosts, along with domestic animals and humans.
- - Genetic analysis showed two unique lineages of T. callipaeda in Japan, indicating a broad range of hosts and suggesting that wildlife plays an important role in the spread of this parasite.