Prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in Myocastor coypus in a protected Italian wetland

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p><it>Toxoplasma gondii </it>is the causative agent for a major zoonosis with cosmopolitan distribution. Water has been implicated in outbreaks of toxoplasmosis in recent years. Coypus (<it>Myocastor coypus</it>), commonly nutria, are large semi-aquatic invasive rodents, naturalized throughout European countries, including most wetlands of Central Italy. The habitat of these animals is both terrestrial and aquatic, making them a species highly exposed to the parasite.</p> <p>Findings</p> <p>The occurrence of the infection was evaluated using a modified agglutination test (MAT) in 74 adult coypus from a naturalized population living in a wetland of Central Italy. Nested PCR (n-PCR) assay was carried out on some of them. Positive <it>T. gondii </it>MAT results were found in 44 animals (59·4%), 30 males (68·2%) and 14 females (31·8%). Antibody titers were ranging from 20 to 40960, while 12 out of 23 (52·2%), examined animals, 8 males (66·7%) and 4 females (33·3%), resulted positive to n-PCR. All n-PCR positive animals were seropositive, showing antibody titers ranging from 640 to 40960.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that examined animals are heavily parasitized with <it>Toxoplasma</it>. This suggests that coypus could be a reservoir of this parasite, because they can be eaten both by scavenger animals and by humans, and that these animals would play a role in maintaining the cycle of <it>T. gondii</it>.</p

A preliminary radiotracking study of movements, activity patterns and habitat use of free-ranging Gaboon Vipers, Bitis gabonica

Radiotelemetry was employed to study daily movements, activity patterns, macrohabitat use, and substratum selection of four Gaboon vipers (Bitis gabonica), two adult males and two adult females. The study was carried out during the dry season (1-20 March, 1998) in south-eastern Nigeria. Transmitters, weighing approximately 4 g, were internally implanted. Gaboon vipers spent considerable time inactive below-ground. There was considerable nocturnal activity in the open in three of four specimens, and considerable above-ground activity during the early morning hours in all the four radiotracked specimens. These vipers showed a significant preference for the clearings inside dryland rainforest patches, and avoided cultivated lands. Males used a wider spectrum of macrohabitats than females, these latter being confined almost exclusively to dry forest clearings. Home-ranges, calculated by minimum convex polygon method, averaged 1.6 ha in the males and 0.8 ha in the females. Average daily distances moved were significantly higher in males than in females. In both sexes, average daily distances moved were significantly higher during night hours than during daylight hours. Courtships, matings, and sexual combats between males were sometimes observed during the study period. These vipers used sometimes the termite nests as shelters.Les mouvements diurnes, les patrons d’activité, l’utilisation des macrohabitats et la sélection des substrats ont été étudiés par radiotélémétrie chez quatre vipères du Gabon (Bitis gabonica) adultes, deux mâles et deux femelles. L’étude a été conduite durant la saison sèche (suivi par radiopistage du 1er au 20 mars 1998) dans le sud-est du Nigéria. Les émetteurs, pesant environ 4 g, ont été implantés dans l’animal Les vipères radio-équipées restèrent longtemps inactives sous terre. Trois d’entre-elles ont montré une grande activité nocturne en milieu ouvert. Les quatre ont été très actives durant les premières heures du jour. Ces vipères ont évité les terres cultivées et ont affiché une préférence significative pour les chablis dans les parcelles de forêt sèche. Les domaines vitaux moyens, calculés par la méthode du polygone convexe minimum, furent de 1,6 ha pour les mâles et de 0,8 ha pour les femelles. Les distances moyennes parcourues chaque jour furent significativement plus grandes chez les mâles que chez les femelles. Pour les deux sexes, les distances moyennes parcourues quotidiennement furent significativement plus fortes de nuit que de jour. Des parades nuptiales, des accouplements et des affrontements sexuels entre mâles furent parfois observés durant la période d’étude. Les vipères ont parfois utilisé des termitières comme abris.Angelici Francesco Maria, Effah C., Akpan Inyang M., Luiselli Luca. A preliminary radiotracking study of movements, activity patterns and habitat use of free-ranging Gaboon Vipers, Bitis gabonica. In: Revue d'Écologie (La Terre et La Vie), tome 55, n°1, 2000. pp. 45-55

Primi dati sull'uso dello spazio e sui ritmi di attività della donnola &lt;em&gt;Mustela nivalis&lt;/em&gt; in Italia centrale

La donnola &lt;em&gt;Mustela nivalis&lt;/em&gt;, è il più piccolo carnivoro conosciuto. È distribuita in Italia su tutta la penisola fino ai 2000 m di quota e sulle isole maggiori, e, benché sia una specie largamente diffusa anche in ambienti antropizzati, pochi sono gli studi di campo condotti in Italia, che ne mettano in luce presenza, densità, ecologia di base (dieta, uso dello spazio e dell'habitat), e genetica. La presente ricerca avviata nel gennaio 2003, prevede una raccolta di dati mensile con una presenza costante nell'area di studio, e interessa un territorio, all'interno della Riserva Regionale Parziale dei Laghi Lungo e Ripasottile, in provincia di Rieti (Lazio), caratterizzato da colture estensive e dalla presenza di una fitta rete di canali e di aree lacustri. La metodologia di studio si basa su sessioni di trappolaggio di durata variabile e a scadenza mensile. Vengono utilizzate trappole di legno incruente (in media n = 30) con esca morta (&lt;em&gt;Mus musculus&lt;/em&gt;); gli animali catturati vengono marcati con trasponder sottocutaneo per il riconoscimento individuale, e provvisti di trasmittente radio (del peso di 1,5 g) posizionata tramite collare o zainetto. La radiolocalizzazione avviene tramite "homing", il segnale viene ricevuto a una distanza massima di 200 m, ma in media molto inferiore a causa degli ostacoli naturali e delle abitudini fossorie della donnola che diminuiscono notevolmente la capacità di ricezione del segnale. Sono stati catturati e seguiti 4 animali maschi adulti per un totale di 318 localizzazioni, 184 durante le ore diurne, 108 nelle ore notturne, e 18 durante le ore crepuscolari, prese con un intervallo di 15 minuti l'una dall'altra, e distribuite in maniera non omogenea tra gli individui. Il massimo periodo di telemetria continuativa per un animale corrisponde a 5 giorni, questo a causa della frequente perdita della radio trasmittente nelle prime 48 ore dopo il posizionamento (62,5% dei casi), perdita dovuta da un lato alla morfologia della specie e dall'altro alle abitudini fossorie. Per quello che concerne l'attività, questa ha interessato il 31,52% delle radiolocalizzazioni prese durante il giorno, il 30,77% di quelle prese al crepuscolo, e il 16,66% prese nelle ore notturne, caratterizzando uno stile di vita prevalentemente diurno, o comunque non concentrato in una particolare fase della giornata, caratteristica singolare nel panorama dei carnivori italiani. Singolare si è rivelato anche l'uso dello spazio, difatti tutte le radiolocalizzazioni, sul totale dei 4 animali, hanno interessato zone di margine e di ecotono come argini, canneti, roveti, zone di confine tra campi coltivati, canali di irrigazione, e comunque in genere zone ricche di copertura vegetale

The benign cystic lymphoepithelial lesion (BLL) of the parotid gland is a viral reservoir in HIV-1 infected patients

he presence of HIV-1 in cystic fluid aspirates from six cases of benign cystic lymphoepithelial lesion (BLL) of the parotid gland, a rare disorder affecting HIV-1-infected patients, has been investigated. HIV-1 p24 protein was present at a concentration ranging from 3 to 15 ng/ml, while it was undetectable in the peripheral blood of the same patients, The number of RNA copies of HIV-1 in the cystic fluids was high, ranging from 0.5 x 10(7) to 7.2 x 10(7) RNA copies/ml. BLL cystic fluid aspirates, despite the high level of HIV-1 RNA, were found to contain only a few infectious virions, The low infectivity correlated with the infrequent detection by electron microscopy of complete HIV-1 particles. The pathogenic mechanism leading to virus accumulation in the cystic fluid was studied by immunohistochemistry of tissue sections. p24 protein was associated with DRC-1(+)/S-100(+) follicular dendritic reticulum cells, which were also present within the cystic cavities, Our findings are consistent with the possibility that the large amounts of virus present in the fluid derive from continuous shedding of HIV-1-infected cells from the surrounding lymphoid tissue