A prevalence survey and risk analysis of filariosis in dogs from the Mt. Vesuvius area of southern Italy

A dog microfilariae prevalence and risk factor survey was conducted in 51 contiguous municipalities of the Mt. Vesuvius area (Campania region, southern Italy) in order to add data to the limited epidemiological information available regarding filarial worms in this zone. Between May 1999 and June 2000, blood samples were collected from 351 asymptomatic dogs. Blood samples were examined using a modified Knott's technique and histochemical staining in order to count and identify microfilariae. The results were subjected to statistical analysis and choroplethic municipal maps (MMs) were drawn by a geographical information system (GIS) software. Microfilariae were detected in 63 of the 351 dogs surveyed, constituting a total filarial prevalence of 17.9%. In particular, 56 dogs (15.9%) showed only microfilariae of Dipetalonema reconditum; three dogs (0.8%) only microfilariae of Dirofilaria repens; two dogs (0.6%) microfilariae of both D. reconditum and D. repens and two dogs (0.6%) microfilariae of both Dirofilaria immitis and D. repens. High D. reconditum prevalence was associated with hunting practice, masculine gender and older dogs. There was also a tendency to find high prevalence in dogs sampled in the afternoon. In conclusion, the presence of microfilariae of D. reconditum in 92% of microfilaraemic dogs indicates that this filarial worm was the predominant filarial species in dogs in the Mt. Vesuvius area. In addition, the general trends of the MMs showed that D. immitis and D. repens were present only in a few municipalities, whereas D. reconditum was widely and homogeneously spread throughout the entire study area

Cystic echinococcosis in the Campania region (southern Italy)

Echinococcosis is cosmopolitan zoonosis caused by adult or larval stages of tapeworms belonging to the genus Echinococcus Rudolphi, 1801. Within the genus Echinococcus four species are presently recognised, namely Echinococcus granulosus, E. multilocularis, E. oligarthrus and E. vogeli, and taxonomic revision of the genus is probably needed (Thompson RCA, McManus DC, 2002, Trends Parasitol 18: 452- 457). E. granulosus, the major species of medical and public health importance which causes cystic echinococcosis (hydatidosis), has a global distribution

Mini-FLOTAC, an Innovative Direct Diagnostic Technique for Intestinal Parasitic Infections: Experience from the Field.

Soil-transmitted helminths and intestinal protozoa infection are widespread in developing countries, yet an accurate diagnosis is rarely performed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the recently developed mini-FLOTAC method and to compare with currently more widely used techniques for the diagnosis of intestinal parasitic infections in different settings. The study was carried out in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, and in Bukumbi, Tanzania. A total of 180 pupils from two primary schools had their stool analyzed (n = 80 in Dharamsala and n = 100 in Bukumbi) for intestinal parasitic infections with three diagnostic methods: direct fecal smear, formol-ether concentration method (FECM) and mini-FLOTAC. Overall, 72% of the pupils were positive for any intestinal parasitic infection, 24% carried dual infections and 11% three infections or more. The most frequently encountered intestinal parasites were Entamoeba coli, Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, Giardia intestinalis, hookworm, (and Schistosoma mansoni, in Tanzania). Statistically significant differences were found in the detection of parasitic infections among the three methods: mini-FLOTAC was the most sensitive method for helminth infections (90% mini-FLOTAC, 60% FECM, and 30% direct fecal smear), whereas FECM was most sensitive for intestinal protozoa infections (88% FECM, 70% direct fecal smear, and 68% mini-FLOTAC). We present the first experiences with the mini-FLOTAC for the diagnosis of intestinal helminths and protozoa. Our results suggest that it is a valid, sensitive and potentially low-cost alternative technique that could be used in resource-limited settings--particularly for helminth diagnosis

The comparison of FLOTAC, FECPAK and McMaster techniques for nematode egg counts in cattle

AbstractThree methods, FLOTAC, FECPAK and McMaster were compared for accuracy and sensitivity for counting numbers of nematode eggs in faeces of naturally infected cattle with high or low nematode egg counts. Only FLOTAC gave positive results for 12 replicates from pooled samples with low egg counts making it more sensitive than FECPAK (67%) and McMaster (41.7%). FLOTAC resulted in generally higher egg counts and lower coefficients of variation than the other two methods used. The reliability of FECPAK and McMaster is depended on the area under the slide counted. All three methods can be used for making decisions whether to treat but FLOTAC or Mini-FLOTAC should be used for faecal egg count reduction tests when lower egg counts are present

Aggiornamenti epidemiologici sull’echinococcosi animale in Italia

Cystic Echinococcosis (CE) is one of the most widespread parasitoses in the Mediterranean Region (MR). This is due to various factors, the most important being the close association between man, sheep and dogs in areas where open farming is practised. Although this disease has been known for several years and many studies have been carried out, nowadays in Italy there are no complete epidemiological data on its diffusion and distribution. The available data show that CE is mainly diffused in those districts where the sheep-dog cycle can be perpetuated, such as central and southern Italy, and the islands. Furthermore, no data are available on biomolecular characterisation of the strains of Echinococcus granulosus in Italy, apart form those in Sardinia, where the G1 (sheep-dog) and G7 (pig-dog) strains were recently isolated. One of the reasons why CE is a problem with no easy solution is undoubtedly the difficulty of making a certain diagnosis in the dog, the principal definitive host of E. granulosus

Mapping, cluster detection and evaluation of risk factors of ovine toxoplasmosis in Southern Italy

Toxoplasmosis, an important cause of reproductive failure in sheep, is responsible for significant economic losses to the ovine industry worldwide. Moreover, ovine meat contaminated by the parasite Toxoplasma gondii is considered as a common source of infection for humans. The aim of this study was to develop point and risk profiling maps of T. gondii seroprevalence in sheep bred in Campania Region (Southern Italy) and analyse risk factors associated at the flock-level. We used serological data from a previous survey of 117 sheep flocks, while environmental and farm management information were obtained from an analysis based on geographical information systems and a questionnaire purveyance, respectively. An univariate Poisson regression model revealed that the type of farm production (milk and meat vs only meat) was the only independent variable associated with T. gondii positivity (P<0.02); the higher within-flock seroprevalence in milking herds suggests that milking practices might influence the spread of the infection on the farm. Neither environmental nor other management variables were significant. Since a majority of flocks were seasonally or permanently on pasture, the animals have a high exposure to infectious T. gondii oocysts, so the high within-flock seroprevalence might derive from this management factor. However, further studies are needed to better assess the actual epidemiological situation of toxoplasmosis in sheep and to clarify the factors that influence its presence and distribution

Efficacy and safety of artemether against a natural Fasciola hepatica infection in sheep

Triclabendazole is the current drug of choice against Fasciola spp. infections in livestock, but resistance has become a major problem. In this study, we assessed the efficacy and safety of artemether, a derivative of artemisinin, in sheep with a low natural Fasciola hepatica infection. Artemether was administered orally or intramuscularly; sheep were monitored for 8 h posttreatment and then once daily for adverse events, and drug efficacy was estimated by fecal egg count reductions and worm burden reductions. Single 40- and 80-mg/kg oral doses of artemether showed no effect on F. hepatica egg and worm burden. Treatment with a single 160-mg/kg intramuscular dose of artemether significantly reduced the egg burden (64.9%) and worm burden (91.3%). At half this dose, a worm burden reduction of 65.3% was obtained, which was still statistically significant (P < 0.05). The lowest intramuscular dose of artemether investigated (40mg/kg) yielded no effect on egg counts and worm burden. There were no adverse events due to artemether; however, two abortions were observed 7days posttreatment. In conclusion, artemether shows interesting fasciocidal properties in sheep, but embryotoxicity is of concern. Further studies are warranted to assess the potential of additional artemisinin derivatives and other peroxidic compounds for the treatment of Fasciola spp. infections in different ruminant

The effect of moxidectin 0,1% vs ivermectin 0,08% on milk production in sheep naturally infected by gastrointestinal nematodes

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection is one of the main constraints to sheep production both in temperate and tropical countries. Economic losses caused by GIN are related to decreased production, treatment costs and even animal death. The present paper was aimed at assessing the anthelmintic efficacy (based on faecal egg count reduction) of moxidectin and ivermectin both admistered per os at dose rate of 0.2 mg/Kg body weight and the benefit of anthelmintic treatments on milk production in a commercial dairy sheep farms in central Italy whose animals were naturally infected by GIN. RESULTS: The treatment with moxidectin was highly effective (> 98%) from day 7 until day 75, and effective (90-98%) until day 105. The treatment with ivermectin was highly effective (> 98%) from day 7 until day 14, effective (90-98%) at day 28 and moderately effective (80-89%) on day 45. The milk productions in the treated groups were significantly higher than those of the control group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of the present study demonstrated that moxidectin and ivermectin adminstered per os according to the manufacturer's instructions were both effective and safe anthelmintics in sheep. The total milk production was higher in the treated groups than the control group. Overall, animals treated with moxidectin had a milk production 40.8% higher than control group; whereas animals treated with ivermectin had a milk production 32.2% higher than control group

Canine faecal contamination and parasitic risk in the city of Naples (southern Italy)

BACKGROUND: Dogs are associated with more than 60 zoonotic diseases among which, parasitosis and, in particular, helminthosis, can pose serious public-health concerns worldwide. Many canine gastrointestinal parasites eliminate their dispersion elements (eggs, larvae, oocysts) by the faecal route. The quantity of canine faeces deposited on public and private property in cities worldwide is both a perennial nuisance and an important health issue. Public sites such as playgrounds, parks, gardens, public squares and sandpits may be an important source of human infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of both canine faecal contamination in the city of Naples (southern Italy), and presence of canine parasitic elements, with particular regard to those which are potential agents of zoonosis. A regular grid of sub-areas (1 km × 700 m) was overlaid on the city map using a Geographical Information System (GIS). In each sub-area the straightest 1 km transect was drawn and digitalized on-screen in the GIS. Between February and May 2005 canine faeces were counted along the 1 km transects in 143 sub-areas, and 415 canine faecal samples were collected and submitted to coprological examinations. Negative binomial regression models and Gaussian random effects models were used to analyze the association between faeces count and human population density taking into account for extraPoisson variability. Logistic regression model was used to evaluate the association between positivity to parasitic elements and number of canine faeces. RESULTS: Out of the 143 studied sub-areas, 141 (98.6%) contained canine faeces. There was a strong spatial gradient with 48% of the total variability accounted by between neighbourhood variability; a positive association between the number of faeces and the human population density was found. Seventy (over 415, 16.9%) canine faecal samples were positive for parasitic elements. There was no association between positivity to parasitic elements and the number of canine faeces. Eggs of Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Ancylostoma caninum and Trichuris vulpis were found, as well as oocysts of Isospora canis. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the results of the present study, conducted using GIS both for planning and sampling and for evaluation and presentation of findings, showed the presence of canine faecal contamination in the city of Naples, and the presence of canine parasitic elements, some of which are potential agents of zoonosis

The Presence of Toxocara Eggs on Dog’s Fur as Potential Zoonotic Risk in Animal-Assisted Interventions: A Systematic Review

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) usually contribute to the well-being and health of users/patients, but it is essential that the animals involved in these activities do not represent a source of zoonoses. This systematic review focused on the evaluation of the potential risk of the transmission of Toxocara by dogs’ fur, considering their involvement as the main animal species in AAIs. Three databases were considered: MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, and the PRISMA guidelines were used. Out of 162 articles found, 14 papers were identified as eligible for inclusion in the review. Although the findings were very heterogeneous, they showed that regular parasitological surveillance to plan effective control programs is strongly needed to guarantee the health of pets and consequently the public health, according to the concept of One Health. Since AAIs involve patients and/or users potentially susceptible, it is very important to appropriately treat dogs enrolled in these interventions after an accurate diagnosis of parasitic zoonoses