Cystic echinococcosis in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis)

An epidemiological and molecular survey of cystic echinococcosis (CE) caused by Echinococcus granulosus in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) of the Italian Mediterranean breed was carried out in the Campania region of southern Italy. Out of a total of 799 water buffaloes examined at slaughterhouses, 80 (10.0%) were found infected. The molecular study was performed on 58 hydatid cysts in order to determine the E. granulosus strain(s) present in this host. A region of cytocrome c oxydase 1 gene (CO1) was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and the PCR products were then purified and sequenced. DNA amplification of the partial CO1 gene gave a 446 bp fragment for all isolates examined. After sequencing, a region of 419 bp was identified for each sample. Thirty-two isolates were identified as the common sheep strain G1, 15 as the buffalo strain G3, 3 as the Tasmanian sheep strain G2, and 3 as the G1 c genotype (GenBank AF458873). In addition, 5 isolates presented 99% identity with the G2 genotype (Tasmanian sheep strain)

First studies on Giardia duodenalis in the water buffalo

A cross-sectional survey of Giardia duodenalis infection in the water buffalo was carried out in Central Italy. The survey was conducted on a sample of 90 farms, selected using a grid approach within a Geographical Information System, followed by proportional allocation. On each farm, faecal samples were collected from three to five asymptomatic buffalo calves, aged from 1 to 9 weeks (total number = 347). Each faecal sample was tested for the presence of copro-antigens of G. duodenalis using a commercially available ELISA. Out of the 90 farms, 27 (30.0%) resulted positive. With respect to animals, out of the 347 faecal samples, 63 (18.1%) were found to have antigens of G. duodenalis. The results of the logistic regression model showed a positive association between the positivity to G. duodenalis and the presence of sheep on farm

Advances in diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock and companion animals

92 páginas, 3 tablas, 4 figuras.Diagnosis of gastrointestinal nematodes in livestock and companion animals has been neglected for years and there has been an historical underinvestment in the develop- ment and improvement of diagnostic tools, undermining the undoubted utility of surveillance and control programmes. However, a new impetus by the scientific com- munity and the quickening pace of technological innovations, are promoting a renais- sance of interest in developing diagnostic capacity for nematode infections in veterinary parasitology. A cross-cutting priority for diagnostic tools is the development of pen-side tests and associated decision support tools that rapidly inform on the levels of infection and morbidity. This includes development of scalable, parasite detection using artificial intelligence for automated counting of parasitic elements and research towards esta- blishing biomarkers using innovative molecular and proteomic methods. The aim of this review is to assess the state-of-the-art in the diagnosis of helminth infections in livestock and companion animals and presents the current advances of diagnostic methods for intestinal parasites harnessing (i) automated methods for copromicroscopy based on artificial intelligence, (ii) immunodiagnosis, and (iii) molecular- and proteome-based approaches. Regardless of the method used, multiple factors need to be considered before diagnostics test results can be interpreted in terms of control decisions. Guidelines on how to apply diagnostics and how to interpret test results in different animal species are increasingly requested and some were recently made available in veterinary parasitology for the different domestic species.This article is based in part upon work from COST Action COMBAR CA16230, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). It is also based upon work conducted by the STAR-IDAZ IRC Scientific sub-Committee “Diagnostic test roadmap” developed by the Livestock Helminth Research Alliance (LiHRA; June 2019) with major contributions of John Gilleard, Georg von Samson Himmelstjerna, Diana Williams, Laura Rinaldi, Edwin Claerebout, Peter Geldhof and Jozef Vercruysse.Peer reviewe

Fill-it, float-it: FLOTAC and Mini-FLOTAC for helminth diagnosis.

Two new instruments for the diagnosi

Giardia duodenalis in animals and humans in central-southern Italy

Epidemiologia di Giardia negli animali nel centro-sud Itali

Mini-FLOTAC for the diagnosis of Eimeria infection in goats: an alternative to McMaster

Caprine coccidiosis is responsible for remarkable economic losses. Diagnosis must therefore take into account a number of epidemiological and clinical factors supported by laboratory investigations. The detection of Eimeria oocysts and the determination of oocysts per gram of faeces (OPG) require a trustworthy oocyst count technique. Mini-FLOTAC is a new simple and easy-to-use apparatus from the FLOTAC family. The present study was aimed at investigating whether Mini-FLOTAC could be an alternative to McMaster for the diagnosis of Eimeria spp. in goats. Faecal samples from 16 goats reared in an intensive goat farm were qualitatively (simple flotation) and quantitatively analyzed. A comparison between McMaster (McM 1 mL and McM 0.3 mL) and Mini-FLOTAC was carried out, by performing 288 different readings (6 replicates for each of the 3 techniques). Eimeria arloingi, Eimeria caprovina and Eimeria ninakohlyakimovae were the most prevalent species. The mean (and median) OPG detected by Mini-FLOTAC was higher than the values observed with McMaster techniques (P < 0.05). Mini-FLOTAC also produced coefficient of variations similar to those resulted from McM 1 mL (19.4 versus 17.5; P > 0.05) but lower than those resulted from McM 0.3 mL. The findings of the present study suggest that the Mini-FLOTAC is a promising technique for detecting and counting Eimeria spp. in goat faeces