Endoparasite Infections in Pet and Zoo Birds in Italy

Faecal samples were individually collected from pet (n = 63) and zoo (n = 83) birds representing 14 orders and 63 species. All the samples were examined by faecal flotation technique. In a subgroup of samples (n = 75), molecular assays were also used to detect Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia duodenalis cysts. Overall, 35.6% of the birds harboured parasites (42.2% of zoo birds and 27% of pet birds), including Strongyles-Capillarids (8.9%), Ascaridia (6.8%), Strongyles (5.5%), G. duodenalis Assemblage A (5.3%), Coccidia (4.1%), Cryptosporidium (4%), Porrocaecum (2.7%), Porrocaecum-Capillarids (2%), and Syngamus-Capillarids (0.7%). The zoonotic G. duodenalis Assemblage A and Cryptosporidium were exclusively found in Psittaciformes, with prevalences of 10.3% and 7.7% within this bird group. Zoo birds were more likely to harbor mixed infections (OR = 14.81) and symptomatic birds to be parasitized (OR = 4.72). Clinicians should be aware of the public health implications posed by zoonotic G. duodenalis Assemblages and Cryptosporidium species in captive birds

Dermanyssus gallinae in non-avian hosts: A case report in a dog and review of the literature

Non-avian attacks of the worldwide distributed mite Dermanyssus gallinae are occasionally reported. However, it is widely accepted that their occurrence is underestimated. The present study aims to describe the first Italian case of dermanyssosis in a dog, to molecularly characterize the mites collected from the patient and the animal enclosure, where poultry and dog were confined, and to review the current literature on the non-avian attacks by D. gallinae. The dog was successfully treated with an oral sarolaner-based product, followed by a spot-on formulation of imidacloprid and moxidectin. The infestation source was likely attributable to poultry and confirmed by molecular identification of D. gallinae sensu strictu. Ten articles on non-avian D. gallinae attacks in domestic animals and wildlife were retrieved, pointing out the need for more awareness amongst practitioners. The therapeutic effect of available antiparasitic drugs, currently used off-label, should also be better explored in non-avian hosts

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

Dermanysuss gallinae attacks humans. Mind the gap

ABSTRACTDermanyssus gallinae is a haematophagous ectoparasite primarily known as a pest of domestic and wild birds. It occasionally feeds on a range of mammals, and, more importantly, is of growing..

Temporal occurrence of Cryptosporidium in the Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum in northern Adriatic Italian lagoons.

In order to evaluate the temporal occurrence of Cryptosporidium oocysts in Ruditapes philippinarum clams bred along the northeastern Italian Adriatic coast and molecularly characterize the isolates, 2,160 specimens (180 clams per month) were collected from three clam farms from January to December 2004. Two farms (sites A and B) were located in Venice (Chioggia, Veneto region) and one (site C) in the Marano Lagoons (Friuli Venezia Giulia region). Clams from 36 pools (i.e., one pool of 60 clams per month per site) were subjected to a high-sensitivity seminested PCR assay specific for a 360-bp diagnostic region internal to the Cryptosporidium spp. outer wall protein gene. Positive amplicons were sequenced and analyzed. Cryptosporidium DNA was found in clams from seven pools (sites A and B) during 1 month of sampling at site A and 6 months of sampling at site B, with Cryptosporidium hominis and Cryptosporidium parvum being detected. The expected infection rate of the clams was 0.36%. Site B showed a significantly higher expected infection rate (1.15%) than did the other sites (A = 0.14% and C = 0%). Given its high sensitivity and specificity, this seminested PCR assay can be considered a reliable tool for detecting and distinguishing species within the Cryptosporidium genus. The seasonal pattern of contamination and the related public health risks are of particular concern

Final destination: The Mediterranean Sea, a vulnerable sea. The long journey of Giardia duodenalis cysts.

The Mediterranean Sea is considered a “litmus paper” of pollution risks for any parameter, including faecal contamination. Giardia duodenalis is one of the most important protozoan parasites responsible for diarrhoea in a wide range of hosts, including humans, domestic and wild animals, worldwide. The degree of contamination related to the protozoan’s resistant forms on land, and the consequent transport through rivers from point sources to the sea are important aspects to better understand the processes involved in the microbiological pollution of aquatic ecosystems. However, land-sea transfer routes and the complex transmission patterns often remain neglected. This contribution deals with the contamination by G. duodenalis of the Mediterranean Sea through its inhabitants (shellfish, marine mammals, fishes), and provides data on the origin of such contamination on land from humans and animals to soil, fresh produce and waters; this scenario allows to understand the long journey of the protozoan following the drainage basins (i.e., natural watersheds) from the mainland towards the final destination. The Mediterranean Sea contamination is also explained in the light of the Giardia survival in water and the effects of climatic change with the related consequences. Addressing faecal contamination threats in the Mediterranean Sea is a difficult task, but a number of mitigation measures need to be implemented and/or in some countries even applied. Effective management must become a priority in the agenda of policy makers of all Mediterranean Countries for the implementation of successful measures and can only be applied in the perspective of the One Health approach

Efficacy of λ-cyhalothrin, amitraz, and phoxim against the poultry red mite Dermanyssus gallinae De Geer, 1778 (Mesostigmata: Dermanyssidae): an eight-year survey

ABSTRACTDermanyssus gallinae (De Geer, 1778) is a major problem for the poultry industry worldwide, as it negatively affects virtually all kinds of rearing systems. Therefore, the control of infest..