The prevalence of linguatula serrata nymphs in mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes in one-humped camels (Camelus dromedarius) slaughtered in rafsanjan slaughterhouse, Iran

Linguatula serrata is a well-known zoonotic parasite belonging to the order of Pentastomida which infects both human and animals. Human can be infected by both the nymph stage, causing a disease condition called nasopharyngeal linguatulosis or halzoun syndrome and the egg, a condition called visceral linguatulosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of nymphal stages of L. serrata in mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes of one-humped camels slaughtered in Rafsanjan slaughterhouse, Kerman province, south-eastern Iran. For this purpose, mesenteric and mediastinal lymph nodes of 132 one-humped camels of different sex and age groups in different seasons were examined. Overall, 27 one-humped camels (20.5 %) were infected by L. serrata nymphs. The infection rate increased with age (P<0.05). No significant difference by sex groups or seasons was observed (P>0.05). The high prevalence of infection in onehumped camels is of major concern to public health, owing to the zoonotic nature of the parasite and the potential risk of infection to humans and other animals. © Indian Society for Parasitology 2013.