Background: Eucoleus aerophilus (syn. Capillaria aerophila) is a nematode with a worldwide geographical distribution. It causes a disease called lung capillariosis by affecting the respiratory tract of wild and domestic animals, and has also occasionally been described in humans. Despite steady increases in knowledge of the morphology of this neglected parasite, many aspects are still poorly understood. Epidemiological data regarding, for example, geographic distribution, range of hosts, clinical relevance and the actual zoonotic potential of this nematode are scarce and incomplete. Methods: This article is a systematic review based on the screening of three databases (PubMed, Web of Science and Science Direct) to identify eligible studies published from 1973 to the end of 2022. Results: From a total of 606 studies describing the occurrence of E. aerophilus, 141 articles from 38 countries worldwide were included in this meta-analysis, all of which presented results obtained mainly with flotation and necropsy. Due to the occurrence of E. aerophilus in many different species and different matrices (lungs and faeces), we decided to conduct the meta-analysis separately for each species with a given matrix. This systematic review confirmed the status of the Red fox as the main reservoir and main transmitter of E. aerophilus (average prevalence of 43% in faeces and 49% in lungs) and provided evidence of a higher prevalence of E. aerophilus in wild animals in comparison to domestic animals, such as dogs (3% in faeces) and cats (2% in faeces and 8% in lungs). Previous studies have investigated many host-related factors (age, sex, environmental/living conditions) in relation to the prevalence of E. aerophilus, but they show wide variations and no simple relationship has been demonstrates. Furthermore, mixed infections with other pulmonary nematodes, such as Crenosoma vulpis and/or Angiostrongylus vasorum, are reported very frequently, which greatly complicates the diagnosis. Conclusions: This systematic review focused on identifying data gaps and promoting future research directions in this area. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first systematic review that evaluates and summarizes existing knowledge on the occurrence and prevalence of E. aerophilus in wild and domestic animals originating from different geographical locations worldwide. Graphical

To develop a strategy for sustainable bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated environments, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of remediation using microorganisms. A huge bioremediation potential is possessed by fungi. Fusarium culmorum, with their wide range of plant hosts, can be the basis for creating sustainable phytoremediation technologies and for creating sustainable agriculture methods. Exopolymers (EPSs) produced by F. culmorum can be excellent metal sorbents and basic factors in the biosorption mechanism. The sorption capacities of zinc, lead, and cadmium by the EPS of a pathogenic DEMFc37 strain and two non-pathogenic strains (PGPF-DEMFc2 and DRMO-DEMFc5) were compared, and the effects of these metals on EPS synthesis by the three strains was determined. EPS samples were chemically characterised in regards to their sugar, protein, and phenolic compound contents and used to study metal binding. The concentrations of metals bound/adsorbed to EPS were determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The EPSs of all the strains bound more than 80% of Zn, as well as 64–84% of Cd and 74–79% of Pb. Thus, it has been clearly shown that the use of F. culmorum EPSs can be the basis for creating sustainable bioremediation, including phytoremediation.

To develop a strategy for sustainable bioremediation of heavy metal-contaminated environments it is needed to understand the mechanisms of remediation using microorganisms. A huge bioremediation potential is possessed by fungi. Fusarium culmorum with their wide range of plant hosts can be the basis for creating sustainable phytoremediation technologies and for creating sustainable agriculture methods. Exopolymers (EPS) produced by F. culmorum can be an excellent metal sorbents and basic factors in the biosorption mechanism. The sorption capacities of Zn, Pb, and Cd by the EPS of a pathogenic DEMFc37 strain and two non-pathogenic strains (PGPF-DEMFc2 and DRMO-DEMFc5) were compared, as well as the effects of these metals on EPS synthesis by the three strains was determined. EPS samples were chemically characterized in regards to sugars, protein and phenolic compounds contents and used to study of metal binding. The concentration of metals bound/adsorbed to EPS was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy. The EPS of all the strains bound more than 80% of Zn as well as 64-84% of Cd and 74-79% of Pb, respectively. Thus, it has been clearly shown, that the use of F. culmorum EPS can be the basis for creating sustainable bioremediation, including phytoremediation.