Validation of a serological test for the diagnosis of canine rickettsial disease

Canine vector borne diseases include a variety of illnesses affecting domestic dogs worldwide. Clinical abnormalities are often nonspecific during rickettsial infections, and coinfections caused by other tick-transmitted agents may be common. The aim of this study was to validate a differential serological assay for the diagnosis of rickettsial infections by the indirect fluorescent antibody (IFA) test. Sensitivity (DSe), specificity (Dsp), accuracy (Acc), positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR−), Cohen's Kappa agreement, Youden's J index and odds values were calculated in order to define the positive and negative post-test probability and to establish a link between clinical signs compatible with a rickettsial infections and serological confirmation

Seroprevalence of <i>Bartonella henselae</i> in dogs and cats in Sassari

Bartonella spp. belong to the a2 subgroup of the class Proteobacteria, family Bartonellaceaeand genus Bartonella which comprises many species, eleven of which have been shown to be pathogens for humans (Chomel et al., 2006). Bartonellosis is considered an emerging zoonosis for the increase of clinical cases in humans and for the mount of species involved (Fenollar et al., 2005). Since 1992 Bartonella henselae has been considered the main causative agent of “Cat Scratch Disease” (CSD). The most frequent route of transmission to humans is via cat bites and scratches which, in natural conditions, very rarely manifest clinical signs, even if they remain bacteremic for a long period of time (Fabbi et al., 2004a). Persistent bacteremia (&gt;2 years) in asymptomatic cats represents the most important factor that facilitates the spread of the microorganism (Marsilio and Di Martino, 2005). Six species of Bartonella have been identified as pathogens in dogs and among them there is Bartonella henselae (Mesax et al., 2002; Chomel et al., 2006), which was reported for the first time in 2000 as causative agent of disease in dog (Kitchell et al., 2000). Some vectors, such as ticks and fleas, have an important role for the transmission of infection. In fact, during the blood meal they can transmit the infection to other animals and so they are able to maintain or reproduce the bacterium in the organism (Boulouis et al., 2005; Chomel et al., 2006)

Clinical Study and Serological Diagnosis of Vector-Borne Pathogens in Sardinian Dogs

Canine vector-borne diseases (CVBDs) comprise a group of infectious diseases caused by a wide range of pathogens transmitted by arthropod vectors. Clinical signs commonly involve symptoms such as fever, anorexia, weight loss, blood disorders, hepatosplenomegaly, and others that can lead to death in dogs with comorbidities. Some pathogens responsible for CVBDs constitute a serious threat to human health due to their zoonotic transmission. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of zoonotic vector-borne diseases (Rickettsia rickettsii, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, Ehrlichia canis, Bartonella henselae, and Leishmania infantum) in domestic Sardinian dogs with and without clinical signs of these pathogens. Blood serum samples were collected from 142 dogs and examined through serological analysis. Clinical signs suggestive of these pathogens were also evaluated. The results obtained showed that 33 (33/140; 23.6%), 22 (22/134; 16.4%), 14 (14/142; 9.9%), 20 (20/66; 30.3%), and 26 (26/108; 24.1%) dogs were seropositive for Rickettsia sp., Anaplasma sp., Ehrlichia sp., Bartonella sp., and Leishmania sp. antibodies, respectively. Among these dogs, 12 dogs presented with at least one clinical sign (8.5%), while 18 (12.7%) showed more than two symptoms at the same time. Furthermore, among the asymptomatic dogs (93/142; 65.5%), 13% (n = 12) tested positive for A. phagocytophilum, 12% (n = 11) tested positive for B. henselae, 9% (n = 8) tested positive for E. canis, 12% (n = 11) tested positive for L. infantum, and 19% (n = 18) tested positive for R. rickettsii. This survey represents the first study assessing different canine vector-borne pathogens in dogs from North Sardinia. Since the pathogens detected here represent emerging zoonotic diseases, these results highlight the need to undertake further studies to increase the knowledge of these under-reported vector-borne pathogens in Sardinia

Cystic echinococcosis in a domestic cat (

Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is a zoonotic agent with a life cycle consisting of definitive hosts (dogs and wild carnivores), and intermediate hosts (usually ungulates). Other animals and humans may accidentally ingest eggs and contract cystic echinococcosis, acting as aberrant hosts. A 3-year-old neutered female cat was brought to a veterinary practice in Sassari (Italy) with abdominal distension. Ultrasound showed multiple intraperitoneal vesicles, which on laparotomy were found to be metacestodes of E. granulosus. Videos of the extraction of cysts are provided. Phylogenetic analysis based on a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mitochondrial gene identified the isolate as E. granulosus sensu stricto genotype G1, the most common genotype circulating in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. This is the first case report of cystic echinococcosis in domestic cats from Italy

Cystic echinococcosis in a domestic cat (Felis catus) in Italy

Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato is a zoonotic agent with a life cycle consisting of definitive hosts (dogs and wild carnivores), and intermediate hosts (usually ungulates). Other animals and humans may accidentally ingest eggs and contract cystic echinococcosis, acting as aberrant hosts. A 3-year-old neutered female cat was brought to a veterinary practice in Sassari (Italy) with abdominal distension. Ultrasound showed multiple intraperitoneal vesicles, which on laparotomy were found to be metacestodes of E. granulosus. Videos of the extraction of cysts are provided. Phylogenetic analysis based on a fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) mitochondrial gene identified the isolate as E. granulosus sensu stricto genotype G1, the most common genotype circulating in Europe and the Mediterranean basin. This is the first case report of cystic echinococcosis in domestic cats from Italy

Diagnostic Accuracy of Antigen 5-Based ELISAs for Human Cystic Echinococcosis.

Clinical diagnosis and follow up of cystic echinococcosis (CE) are based on imaging complemented by serology. Several immunodiagnostic tests are commercially available, but the development of new tools is still needed to overcome the lack of standardization of the target antigen, generally consisting of a crude extract of Echinococcus granulosus hydatid cyst fluid. In a previous work, we described a chromatographic method for the preparation of a highly enriched Antigen 5 fraction from hydatid cyst fluid. The high reactivity of patient sera against this preparation prompted us to evaluate further this antigen for the serodiagnosis of CE on a larger cohort of samples.A total of 327 sera from CE patients with heterogeneous conditions for cyst stage, cyst number, organ localization, drug therapy, and surgical intervention, together with 253 sera from healthy controls, were first analyzed by an ELISA based on the Ag5 preparation in two different experimental setups and, in parallel, by a commercial ELISA routinely used in clinical laboratories for CE serodiagnosis. The Ag5 ELISAs revealed different sensitivity (88.3% vs 95.3%) without significant differences in specificity (94.1% vs 92.5%), for the two setups, respectively. Moreover, possible relationships between the Ag5 ELISA absorbance results and clinical variables were investigated. Chi squared test, bivariate logistic regression and multiple regression analyses highlighted differences in the serology reactivity according to pharmacological treatment, cyst activity, and cyst number.The two Ag5 ELISAs revealed different performances depending on the setup. The good diagnostic sensitivity and the high reliability of the Ag5 preparation method make this antigen a promising candidate for the serodiagnosis of CE. Further studies will be needed to evaluate the ability of our test to provide useful information on specific CE clinical traits

Direct costs of CE patients grouped by NUTS 1 for Italians and foreign patients in the study period.

<p>Direct costs of CE patients grouped by NUTS 1 for Italians and foreign patients in the study period.</p

Choropleth map of average annual CE direct costs /100,000 inhabitants (2001–2014) by NUTS 2.

<p>Choropleth map of average annual CE direct costs /100,000 inhabitants (2001–2014) by NUTS 2.</p

Representation of direct costs (left vertical axis) and number of hospitalizations (right vertical axis) over the 2001–2014 period.

<p>Representation of direct costs (left vertical axis) and number of hospitalizations (right vertical axis) over the 2001–2014 period.</p

Echinococcosis HDRs distribution by region.

<p>Echinococcosis HDRs distribution by region.</p