Serological and molecular survey of Anaplasma phagocytophilum in Italian hunting dogs

The presence of Anaplasma phagocytophilum, a tick-transmitted zoonotic pathogen, has been reported in Italy in humans and several animal species, including dogs, but data concerning its prevalence in the Italian canine population are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of A. phagocytophilum infection in hunting dogs which live in geographic areas of central Italy where the infection had been previously detected in wild animals. Sera from 215 hunting dogs were tested by indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT) to detect antibodies to A. phagocytophilum. Buffy coat samples from the same 215 animals were submitted to a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay specific for the A. phagocytophilum 16S rRNA gene. Thirty-two (14.8%) dogs proved to be seropositive with antibody titres from 1:40–1:2,560. The highest seroprevalence was observed in dogs 6–10-year-old. Two seropositive (0.9%) animals were also PCR positive. Sequencing of PCR products revealed gene sequences of A. phagocytophilum in both cases. These results confirm the presence of A. phagocytophilum in the Italian areas studied; thus, the zoonotic potential of this agent should be considered particularly for people, as hunters, at risk of exposure to tick bites

Survey on bacterial isolates from dogs with urinary tract infections and their in vitro sensitivity

Bacterial isolates from urine specimen of dogs with urinary tract infections in a geographical region of Central Italy were : Escherichia coli (17.48%), Proteus mirabilis (16.59%), Pseudonionas aeruginosa (7.17%), Staphylococcus aureus (6.72%), alpha-haemolytic streptococci (2.24%), and Klebsiella sp. (0.89%). In vitro antibacterial agent sensitivity showed that none of them was effectively susceptible to any of the antibacterial agents tested, including amikacin, amoxicillin, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, cefalexin, cefotaxin, doxicyclin, enrofloxacin, erythromycin, gentamycin, kanamycin, netilmycin, rifampicin, streptomycin, sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim, and tetracyclin

Epidemiology of leptospirosis observation on serological data obtained by “ diagnostic laboratory for leptospirosis “ from 1995 to 2001

Serological data on leptospira infection were reported and discussed. From 1995 to 2001, the blood serum samples of 9885 domestic and wild animals and humans, living in Northern and Central Italy, were examined by the macroagglutination test (MAT) employing bratislava, ballum, canicola, grippotyphosa, ictero-haemorrhagiae, pomona, hardjo and tarassovi serovars as antigens. Considering sera with ≥ 1:400 antibody titers as positive, 674 (6.81%) animals scored positive. Sheep, horses, pigs and dogs gave the highest number of positive responses, particularly against the serovar bratislava and, for dogs, against ictero-haemorrhagiae. The percentages of seropositivity observed in the most important animal species were: 12.13% in ovine (132 positive among 1088 tested animals), 11.40% in horses (107 positive animals among 938), 9.46% in swine (123 positive animals among 1299), 6.36% in dogs (278 positive animals among 4369), 2.39% in wild boars (11 positive animals among 459), 1.39% in deer (2 positive animals among 143), 0.48% in cattle (3 positive animals among 626). Among 250 human sera examined, 14 (5.60%) scored positive