EFFECTIVE DIAGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES IN BORRELIA BURGDORFERI INFESTATION IN DOGS

Borreliosis or Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ixodidae ticks during feeding on blood (Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis in the USA, Ixodes persulcatus in Asia, Ixodes ricinus in Europe) and is widespread in the entire northern hemisphere. In Romania, the geographic distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 1.4% in 41 counties, with a prevalence between 0.75–18.8%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato. had a prevalence of 3.8%, being found inside ticks in 55 of 183 localities. Successful treatment and full recovery can only be achieved through early diagnosis. The clinical and serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly difficult because of the phenotypic heterogeneity within and among spirochete species. A case study is presented in this paper: an eight-year-old male Yorkshire terrier dog, which was diagnosed positive for Lyme disease, based on a test which uses a peptide called C6 and which comes from the VlsE protein of B. burgdorferi, used to detect antibodies in dogs. The results demonstrate the reliability of the commercial SNAP 4Dx Plus Test for B. burgdorferi, which uses C6 to differentiate antibodies produced by natural infection from antibodies formed after vaccination. In addition, using real-time PCR, the diagnosis was negative, confirming the results from the literature, according to which the PCR technique is only recommended for research, the positivity percentage being low, especially when the sample is blood (0.1%). We conclude that the tests for the detection of antibodies specific to Lyme disease are recommended and useful

Effective diagnostic techniques in Borrelia burgdorferi infestation in dogs

Borreliosis or Lyme disease is a disease transmitted by ixodidae ticks during feeding on blood (Ixodes pacificus and Ixodes scapularis in the USA, Ixodes persulcatus in Asia, Ixodes ricinus in Europe) and is widespread in the entire northern hemisphere. In Romania, the geographic distribution and prevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato was 1.4% in 41 counties, with a prevalence between 0.75–18.8%. B. burgdorferi sensu lato. had a prevalence of 3.8%, being found inside ticks in 55 of 183 localities. Successful treatment and full recovery can only be achieved through early diagnosis. The clinical and serologic diagnosis of Lyme disease is particularly difficult because of the phenotypic heterogeneity within and among spirochete species. A case study is presented in this paper: an eight-year-old male Yorkshire terrier dog, which was diagnosed positive for Lyme disease, based on a test which uses a peptide called C6 and which comes from the VlsE protein of B. burgdorferi, used to detect antibodies in dogs. The results demonstrate the reliability of the commercial SNAP 4Dx Plus Test for B. burgdorferi, which uses C6 to differentiate antibodies produced by natural infection from antibodies formed after vaccination. In addition, using real-time PCR, the diagnosis was negative, confirming the results from the literature, according to which the PCR technique is only recommended for research, the positivity percentage being low, especially when the sample is blood (0.1%). We conclude that the tests for the detection of antibodies specific to Lyme disease are recommended and useful

Epidemiological risk of toxocarosis in humans and animals in Iași County

The increasing number of dogs is a determining factor in the occurrence of toxocarosis in humans, as they are the source of environmental contamination with Toxocara sp. eggs. During a single year, 2018-2019, the number of stray dogs increased from 0.068 to 0.0709 per capita. Contamination of dogs with Toxocara canis in the conditions of our country has increased in recent years from 21.4% to 50.2% and is identified as the most common parasitosis in these animals. For the study of Tococara spp. infection in dogs, the period 2017-2020 was considered, representing cases present at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi. Thus, more than 75% of infections are recorded in young dogs under one year old, while 89% of them are males. The study on the prevalence of Toxocara canis cases at the Animal shelters in Tomești showed a prevalence of Toxocara sp. of 60% of the total samples analysed; the study on toxocarosis in humans was carried out during 2020, the information being provided by the Praxis medical tests laboratory. Result on the presence of specific IgG antibodies to Toxocara canis/cati. It included a group of 95 cases during one year, of which 3, namely 3.25% were under 3 years old and 14.8% were over 35 years old. Of the total samples, only 2 were positive in the male gender, which represents 2.1% of the total samples. Fifteen cases were positive in females, representing 15.8% of all samples analysed. Considering that we are talking about a parasite specific to dogs, the presence of such a large number of cases during a single year reveals a very high load of Toxocara eggs in the environment, which raises an alarm about the distribution of this parasite in nature and the high risk of human contamination

Toxoplasmosis-a disease with high epidemiological risk in humans and animals

Infections produced by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii are widespread in humans and animals. Due to its lack of host specificity, this parasite is able to infect a large number of hosts as well as different cell types. Although toxoplasmosis is the most reported parasitic zoonosis in Europe, the incidence of the disease in humans and the presence of the parasite in animals, food and water is underestimated. If acquired as an acute infection during pregnancy, Toxoplasma gondii infection can have serious adverse effects on mothers, foetuses and newborns. Latent toxoplasmosis also causes a variety of pathologies and has been linked to serious adverse effects on pregnancy. The study was conducted over a 2-year period, 2019-2020, in the Parasitology Clinic of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Iasi, following the prevalence of reported cases of toxoplasmosis in cats. Thus, out of 33 tests worked, no case of toxoplasmosis was recorded in cats, all serological tests being done upon request. During 2020, 226 AB. ANTI TOXOPLASMA GONDII- IgM (ELISA) tests were performed in the Praxis laboratory, of which only 15 were positive. All positive tests were identified only in women, of which 10 in the age category 25-34 years, 4 in the age category 35-44 years and 1 case in the age category 15-19 years. In the Praxis laboratory during 2020, 220 more AB. ANTI TOXOPLASMA GONDII- IgG (ELISA) tests were performed, out of which 72 positive cases were identified, 5 being positive in males in the age categories 0-12 months, 1 year and 15-19 years, and the remaining 67 were identified in women in the following age categories: 0-12 months, 15-19 years, 20-24 years, 25-34 years, 35-44 years, 45-54 years and 55-64 years. The lack of positive cases in animals during the 2-year study, but the high number of positive cases in humans during a single year, shows the major public health importance of the study, as this very serious disease in pregnant women and immunosuppressed people is under-diagnosed in veterinary medicine

Farmed cyprinids diseases from the Prut River Basin

The current paper aims to outline the most common fish diseases that affect farmed cyprinids in ponds from the Prut river basin, in order to better understand and reduce fish health risks. After 2 field work expeditions to Rompescaris farm -Podu-Iloaiei from Iasi county and to Dracșani fish farm from Piscicola-Botoșani county, biological samples were collected, in May 2021. Using net fishing the following fish species were harvested: carp (Cyprinus carpio), silver carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) and mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio var. specularis). the biological material, the moribund specimens with visible lesions were isolated and the apparently healthy specimens were released. The collected specimens were subjected to a clinical, a parasitological and a bacteriological investigation

An Overview on Leishmaniasis in Romania: Diagnosis and Therapeutics

Leishmaniasis, a vector-borne disease considered to be one of the twenty neglected diseases by the World Health Organization, represents one of the public health concerns in endemic countries. In humans, as well as in animal counterparts, the infection can evolve with different clinical localizations, such as those that are cutaneous, mucocutaneous and visceral. Romania has been traditionally considered a nonendemic country for Leishmania species infection and has had sporadic positive human cases; however, the climate change recorded in recent decades has created potentially optimal conditions for the preponderant vectors of Phlebotomus spp., which has lately been identified in various parts of country. Moreover, with people and dogs (the prevailing hosts) traveling in endemic countries, the disease was imported and diagnosed in both species, and became a medical concern. In this review, we focused on the: (1) epidemiological data of leishmaniasis cases, both in humans and animals, reported by Romania; (2) diagnostic tools available for confirmation since there is a lack of gold-standard laboratory methods for human and dog patients; and (3) conventional antileishmanial therap

The prevalence of giardiosis in animals and humans in Iași county with the establishment of zoonotic risk

The study on the prevalence of Giardia sp. in bovines was performed by analysing the cases recorded at Dancu Research Station, the results showing that this is a protozoan, commonly found in bovine farms, being one of the main causes of diarrhoea in calves. The source of contamination with Giardia sp. is represented by drinking water, breast milk and environment. In the period 2017-2020, the cases of giardiosis diagnosed in pets at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine were analysed; a coinfection was found in dogs in a proportion of 64% with yeast cells, 22% with Cryptosporidium sp., 6% with Isospora sp. and only in 3% of cases Giardia sp. has been reported as the only pathogen involved in the clinical picture. The study on the prevalence of Giardia sp. in humans during 2017-2020 was performed using data provided by the Praxis Laboratory. The conclusions demonstrate the presence of a high rate of giardiosis in pets (dogs, cats), in farm animals (bovine), and in humans, each representing a source of contamination of the environment and of the other categories. The results showed for both humans and animals that drinking water can be a major source of infection with Giardia sp., requiring the much more frequent and rigorous control of drinking water

The immune response in canine and human leishmaniasis and how this influences the diagnosis- a review and assessment of recent research

Leishmaniasis is a widespread but still underdiagnosed parasitic disease that affects both humans and animals. There are at least 20 pathogenic species of Leishmania, most of them being zoonotic. The diagnosis of leishmaniasis remains a major challenge, with an important role being played by the species of parasites involved, the genetic background, the immunocompetence of the host. This paper brings to the fore the sensitivity of the balance in canine and human leishmaniasis and addresses the importance of the host’s immune response in establishing a correct diagnosis, especially in certain cases of asymptomatic leishmaniasis, or in the situation the host is immunosuppressed or acquired leishmaniasis through vertical transmission. The methods considered as a reference in the diagnosis of leishmaniasis no longer present certainty, the diagnosis being influenced mostly by the immune response of the host, which differs according to the presence of other associated diseases or even according to the breed in dogs. Consequently, the diagnosis and surveillance of leishmaniasis cases remains an open topic, requiring new diagnostic methods adapted to the immunological state of the host

Strategies for the Diagnosis of Granulocytic Anaplasmosis in Two Naturally Infected Dogs

This study describes granulocytic anaplasmosis in two dogs naturally infected with Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The 3-year-old dogs (male and female) came from the same household and were referred to the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Iasi for blood donation. They were subject to standard routine tests: haematology blood test, blood smear, and serological tests (VETSCAN® FLEX4 and IDEXX SNAP 4Dx Plus). The female dog had no medical problems, while the male dog experienced joint pain. The blood smear was negative for tick-borne pathogens, and the haematology findings indicated thrombocytopenia in both dogs, with the male dog also displaying eosinophilia. The two dogs were mildly positive in the ELISA tests for the detection of Anaplasma spp. antibodies; therefore, the blood samples were tested using the qRT-PCR method for Anaplasma platys and Anaplasma phagocytophilum. The qRT-PCR result was negative for A. platys, but it was positive for A. phagocytophilum. The treatment consisted of the administration of doxycycline for 28 days. In conclusion, the high number of cases with non-specific clinical signs, the different sensitivity and specificity of the immunochromatographic serological tests, as well as the possibility of confusing the morula during the cytological examination, make the molecular test mandatory for precise diagnosis

Observations regarding in vitro hatching of Raillietina spp. (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea) onchosphere

The study has been realised in May 2016 having as purpose the observation of the onchosphere hatching process. The eggs of Raillietina spp. were aquired from feces belonging to Great Spotted Woodpecker (Dendrocopos major) that was naturaly infested. Initally, the samples were examined from a parasitological point of view using the Willis method. The egg concentrate has been obtained using the protocol described by VOGE and all. (1961) with some adjustments. The egg suspension was incubated at 30 oC for an hour. The hatching process of the oncosphere has been observed on the slide with the optical microscope (Motic B series) fitted with a Moticam 1000 camera, using the x400 magnification. Measuring has been realised with Motic Images Plus 2.0 software. The temperature of the slide in the moment of examination was 32oC. The whole hatching proces lasted 5 hours and went through the following stages: after half an hour the hexachant embryo has broken the basal membrane and entered the vitelline layer, the onchosphere was vigorously pushing and scraping the granular structure belonging to the vitelline layer, then the vitelline membrane and the egg shell was perforated after four and a half hours, thus completing the actual hatching process. After hatching, the onchosphere engaged in a series of swim-like motions in the liquid mass