Sarcoptic mange and other ectoparasitic infections in a red fox (<i>Vulpes vulpes</i>) population from central Italy.

Fifty red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) from the district of Pisa (central Italy) were examined for ectoparasites. Sarcoptic mange was diagnosed on the presence of clearly visible skin lesions with confirmatory demonstration of Sarcoptes scabiei at parasitological and histopathological analysis. Ticks and fleas were collected directly from the carcases during post mortem examination, fixed and identified by morphological examination. For the detection of ear Malassezia and mite infections, cytological and parasitological examinations of ear wax samples were performed. All data were statistically analysed using a χ2 test with the Yates correction. An overall prevalence of 84% for ectoparasitic infections was found in examined subjects. In regard to isolated ectoparasites, 38%, 8%, 82%, 6% and 8% of foxes resulted positive for S. scabiei, Otodectes cynotis, Malassezia spp., fleas (Archaeopsylla erinacei, Pulex irritans, Ctenocephalides canis) and ticks (Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus), respectively. Malassezia ear infection was significantly more prevalent in animals older than 1 year (P Sarcoptes-infected animals indicate that sarcoptic mange should be considered the most important ectoparasitic infection of red foxes in the examined area

Serological survey on the occurrence of Rickettsia spp., Neospora caninum, Bartonella henselae and Toxoplasma gondii in cats from Tuscany (central Italy)

Asymptomatic cats often harbor pathogens, some of which have not been largely investigated in feline populations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of antibodies against Rickettsia conorii, Rickettsia felis, Rickettsia typhi, Neospora caninum, Bartonella henselae and Tox-oplasma gondii in cats from Tuscany. Ninety-five blood serum samples, previously collected, were analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. Fifty-six (58.94%) cats had antibodies to at least one investigated pathogen: 28 (29.47%) cats were positive for B. henselae, 17 (17.89%) for R. felis, 14 (14.73%) for R. conorii, 14 (14.73%) for T. gondii, 2 (2.1%) for N. caninum. No cats were positive for R. typhi. Positive reactions to two or more pathogens were detected in 18 (18.94%) cats. The occurrence of antibodies against these microorganisms suggests that cats, even though asymptomatic, may be infected by pathogens, often zoonotic, and thus may be a source of infections for other animals and humans

Survey on the presence of bacterial and parasitic zoonotic agents in the feces of wild birds

Wild avifauna may act as fecal source of bacterial and parasitic pathogens for other birds and mammals. Most of these pathogens have a relevant impact on human and livestock health which may cause severe disease and economic loss. In the present study, the fecal samples collected from 121 wild birds belonging to 15 species of the genera Anas, Tadorna, Fulica, Arddea, Larus, Falco, Athene, Accipiter, and Columba were submitted to bacteriological and molecular analyses to detect Brucella spp., Coxiella burnetii, Mycobacterium spp., Salmonella spp., Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia spp., and microsporidia. Four (3.3%) animals were positive for one pathogen: one Anas penelope for C. burnetii, one Larus michahellis for S. enterica serovar Coeln, and two Columba livia for Encephalitozoon hellem. Although the prevalence rates found in the present survey were quite low, the obtained re-sults confirm that wild birds would be the a potential fecal source of bacterial and parasitic zoonotic pathogens which sometimes can also represent a severe threat for farm animals

Apicomplexan protozoa responsible for reproductive disorders: Occurrence of dna in blood and milk of donkeys (equus asinus) and minireview of the related literature

Donkeys may be susceptible to many pathological agents and may act as carriers of pathogens for other animal species and humans. This study evaluated the occurrence of potentially abortifacient apicomplexan protozoa DNA in blood and milk samples collected at different time periods during lactation (1, 6, and 10 months) from 33 healthy dairy jennies. A total of 73 blood and 73 milk samples were used for DNA extraction and analysis. Blood specimens from 11/33 (33%) jennies scored positive for Theileria equi, while milk samples scored negative. Blood and milk of 3/33 jennies yielded DNA of Toxoplasma gondii at 6 months (n. 1) and 10 months (n. 2) after parturition. Neospora caninum DNA was found in four milk and in five blood samples only at one month after parturition. This study is the first report about the presence of N. caninum DNA in milk of naturally infected jennies. Moreover, the excretion of N. caninum DNA in some of these jennies at 30 days from the parturition may suggest a possible occurrence of an endogenous cycle, while the presence of T. gondii DNA in the milk collected at 6 and 10 months after parturition may be suggestive of a discontinuous excretion

Intertrial Variability in the Premotor Cortex Accounts for Individual Differences in Peripersonal Space

We live in a dynamic environment, constantly confronted with approaching objects that we may either avoid or be forced to address. A multisensory and sensorimotor interface, the peripersonal space (PPS), mediates every physical interaction between our body and the environment. Behavioral investigations show high variability in the extension of PPS across individuals, but there is a lack of evidence on the neural underpinnings of these large individual differences. Here, we used approaching auditory stimuli and fMRI to capture the individual boundary of PPS and examine its neural underpinnings. Precisely, we tested the hypothesis that intertrial variability (ITV) in brain regions coding PPS predicts individual differences of its boundary at the behavioral level. Selectively in the premotor cortex, we found that ITV, rather than trial-averaged amplitude, of BOLD responses to far rather than near dynamic stimuli predicts the individual extension of PPS. Our results provide the first empirical support for the relevance of ITV of brain responses for individual differences in human behavior

Zoonotic Giardia duodenalis Genotypes and Other Gastrointestinal Parasites in a Badger Population Living in an Anthropized Area of Central Italy

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is widespread in Italy and occupies different habitats. The occurrence and species of gastrointestinal parasites were evaluated in a free-ranging badger population living in a highly anthropic area in central Italy. A total of 43 fecal samples were examined using the flotation test, the Mini-FLOTAC and Baermann techniques, and a rapid immunoassay for the detection of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. fecal antigens. Molecular investigations were also performed that aimed at identifying Giardia genotypes. Overall, 37/43 samples (86%) were found positive. Specifically, 48.8% (21 samples) were positive for G. duodenalis, 23.2% (10/43) for Cryptosporidium spp., and 7% (3/43) for coccidian oocysts. Strongyloides sp. nematode larvae were detected in 3/43 samples (7%). Ascarid (1/43, 2.3%), capillariid (1/43, 2.3%), and strongyle-type eggs (76.7%, 33/43) were also identified. Among the 11 readable sequences of samples that were positive for G. duodenalis by end-point PCR (18/21), the zoonotic assemblage A sub-assemblage AII and mixed assemblage A and B were identified. This is the first report of zoonotic G. duodenalis genotypes in the Eurasian badger. Moreover, most of identified parasites have zoonotic potential and/or potential impact on the population health of wild badgers and other wild and domestic animals

Hollow core waveguide for simultaneous laser plastic welding

Welding of plastics is a very important process in many industrial fields such as electronic packaging, medical applications, textile joining and automotive. It is often used when finished structure is too large to mold, for cost effectiveness or when dissimilar materials have to be joined. It is also employed in MEMs and Bio-MEMs applications, for example for microfluidic devices, where joint areas are very small, and need an amount of precision that other techniques can’t provide. This work focuses on description of transparent laser plastic welding technique, comparing simultaneous and quasi-simultaneous welding, and the development of an experimental setup for an automotive application. There are different laser welding methods, like simultaneous welding, where all the joining interface is irradiated at the same time and often includes a hollow guide to direct laser beam, and quasi-simultaneous welding, for example contour welding or scanning welding, where the laser spot is driven on joining interface via movement of the source or changing the path of the laser beam. An innovative tool end experimental setup was made to evaluate the simultaneous versus quasi-simultaneous welding to join polymeric material for an automotive application. A DFSS design of experiment was used. A LIMO laser bar diode @808nm with a maximum output power of 50 Watts, was coupled to a multi-mode 400 μm glass core optical fiber (Boscottica) with a numerical aperture of 0.22, by a LIMO Beam Transformation System HOC 150/500 (1401.612). The beam at the output of the fiber was guided through two different optical systems to the welding joint to test the two methods. A SANYO stepper motor was used for the quasi-simultaneous welding. Different kind of plastic materials were joined, Hostacom TRC 787N and THERMORUN TT875NE/BE. We performed static pull tests and dynamic pull test, and found optimum and baseline configuration

Neck paraganglioma and follicular lymphoma: A case report

Background: Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas are sympathetic or parasympathetic tumors derived from the paraganglia and the adrenal medulla, respectively. Paragangliomas and pheochromocytomas can be sporadic or familial, the latter frequently being multifocal and possibly due to succinate dehydrogenase complex genes mutations. In addition, 12% of sporadic paragangliomas are related to covered succinate dehydrogenase complex mutations. The importance of identifying succinate dehydrogenase complex mutations is related to the risk for these patients of developing multiple tumors, including non-endocrine ones, showing an aggressive clinical presentation. Case presentation: We report the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian man with an indolent mass in his neck. Ultrasound of his neck, magnetic resonance imaging, and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N(I),N(II),N(III),N(IIII)-tetraacetic acid(D)-Phe(1)-thy(3)-octreotide (68Ga-DOTATOC) positron emission tomography-computed tomography and endocrine work-up were consistent with a carotid body paraganglioma with concomitant nodal enlargement in several body regions, which turned out to be a follicular lymphoma at histology. He was found to carry a germline Succinate dehydrogenase subunit B gene (SDHB) mutation. Conclusion: It is crucial to look for a second malignancy in the case of a paraganglioma demonstrating succinate dehydrogenase complex germline mutations

Fatal pulmonary hypertension and right-sided congestive heart failure in a kitten infected with Aelurostrongylus abstrusus

Aelurostrongylus abstrusus is considered the most important respiratory nematode of domestic cats worldwide. This parasite inhabits the alveoli, alveolar ducts, and bronchioles and causes a subacute to chronic respiratory clinical disease. Clinical signs may occur in domestic cats of any age, though they aremore oftendescribedin young animals. Physical examination, echocardiography, thoracic radiography, pulmonary and cardiac pathological findings, classical, and molecular parasitological analysis of a six-month-old kitten referred at the Veterinary Teaching Hospital of the University of Pisa (Italy) led to a diagnosis of parasitic bronchopneumonia caused by A. abstrusus, which was complicated by severe pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right-sided congestive heart failure (R-CHF) that caused the death of the animal. Cases of reversible PH associated with A. abstrusus infection have been seldom reported in cats. This is the first report of fatal PH and R-CHF in a kitten with clinical aelurostrongylosis

Giardia duodenalis in Wildlife: Exploring Genotype Diversity in Italy and across Europe

Fragmented data are so far available on genotype diversity of G. duodenalis in wildlife in different countries in Europe, in particular, in Italy. In the present study, G. duodenalis sequences obtained from different Italian wild animals [12 porcupines (Hystrix cristata), 4 wild boars (Sus scrofa), 1 wolf (Canis lupus italicus), 6 Alpine chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra)] were compared with those available from wild host species in Europe to add new data on the geographic distribution of Giardia assemblages/sub-assemblages and their transmission patterns among natural hosts. Thirty-eight sequences were obtained by MLG analysis (SSU-rRNA, bg, gdh, and tpi genes) and subsequently compared by phylogenetic and network analyses with those from wild species monitored in the last decades in Europe. The results revealed the presence of potentially zoonotic (A-AI, A-AII from wild boar; B from porcupine) and host-adapted (D from wolf; E, A-AIII from chamois) assemblages and sub-assemblages and represent the first report for Italian wild boar. The analysis did not find any evidence of spatial or host segregation for specific genetic variants, mostly shared between different hosts from different European countries. However, conflicting evidence was found in genotypic assignment, advocating for data improvement and new genomic approaches