Andrea Spaterna

Clinical investigation on Theileria equi and Babesia caballi infections in Italian donkeys

BackgroundInterest in the welfare and diseases of donkeys is constantly increasing in several countries. Despite this, clinical research into donkeys needs to be in continual development since they show different reactions compared to horses in many conditions, including infectious diseases, and need specific clinical and therapeutic approaches. No reports are currently available on clinical and clinical pathology data regarding donkeys with natural piroplasms infection.ResultsVenous blood samples were taken from one hundred and thirty eight donkeys and underwent indirect fluorescent antibody test (IFAT) to detect IgG antibodies against Theileria equi and Babesia caballi and real-time polimerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Babesia spp. and Theileria spp. Clinical examinations, haematological analyses and serum bilirubin evaluation were also performed and compared with positive or negative status. A seroprevalence of 40.6% and 47.8% was found for T. equi and B. caballi, respectively; double positivity was detected in 19.6% of the animals. PCR results showed that 17.4% of the animals tested positive for T.equi and 3.6% for B. caballi with no double positivity. Twelve donkeys (8.7%) had clinical signs consistent with chronic forms of the disease and no acute forms were detected. Fifty-eight donkeys had haematological and serum bilirubin alterations and 56 (96.6%) of them were IFAT and/or PCR positive. Changes in erythrocyte number, packed cell volume, hemoglobin concentration, mean corpuscular hemoglobin, platelets number and total bilirubin were significantly associated with positive and symptomatic animals.ConclusionNonspecific clinical presentation seems to be very common in donkeys and several clinical pathology alterations persist after natural infection. Therefore, apparently healthy donkeys can have masked but severe clinical pathology alterations. Acute forms are very seldom observed in donkeys. Clinical monitoring of chronically infected donkeys is recommended since such animals represent a risk both for transmission to other animals and for their own health; furthermore, their production performances could be reduced. The study should also be intended as a contribution for veterinary practitioners because it describes the most usual clinical presentations and laboratory findings of equine piroplasmosis in naturally infected donkeys in endemic areas.

Characteristic clinical, haematological and histopathological findings in feline mastocytoma

M.T. Antognoni1*, A. Spaterna2, E. Lepri3, A. Fruganti2 and F. Laus2 1Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia; 2Department of Veterinary Sciences, Clinical Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino; 3Department of Veterinary Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Italy *Correspondence: Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06126-Perugia, Italy E-mail: mta@unipg.it

Genetic Variability in Bracco Italiano Dog Breed Assessed by Pedigree Data

The Bracco Italiano is one of the oldest pointing dog breed, used for hunting ever since the Renaissance time. The complete electronic record of the breed was downloaded from the ENCI database [whole population (WP) = 24,613 animals registered since 1970 to 2011] with the aim to estimate genetic variability in Bracco Italiano dog breed using pedigree records. Up to 97% of the individuals had registered parents and 86% registered grandfathers. Average generation interval was 4.68±0.545 for stallions and 4.08±0.321 year for dams. Reference population (RP) was defined as the population of interest that include living reproductive animals approaching the last three generations and include 9006 dogs of which 34% were inbreds. The number of ancestors was 564 in WP and 188 in RP, while the effective number of ancestors was 46 and 34 respectively. To explain 50% of the genetic variability, a total of 18 and 9 ancestors enough, respectively in the WP and RP. The average inbreeding coefficient in the RP resulted 6.7% while the average increase in inbreeding was estimated to be 1.29% (Ne=38.86). Nevertheless a regular monitoring of genetic variability of the population is important and must be adopted, in order to avoid the danger of an excessive increase of inbreeding in the future, which would result in significant inbreeding depression and in significant loss of genetic variation.

Investigation on the genetic variability of the american Pit Bull Terrier dogs belonging to an Italian breeder using microsatellite markers and genealogical data

The genetic variability of 18 American Pit Bull Terriers bred in Italy was studied using 21 STR markers from the panels recommended for the 2006, 2008 and 2010 ISAG canine comparison test and the genealogical information. As expected, all statistical analysis showed a reduced genetic variability. It is there-fore recommended greater attention in the programming of mating with an increase of gene flow among farmers, which would reduce the average inbreeding in the population and increase genetic variability.

Molecular and serological detection of tick-borne pathogens in donkeys (Equus asinus) in Italy

Donkeys, owing to the frequent outdoor activity, are exposed to a high risk of infection with tick-borne pathogens. This work aimed to detect exposure to Theileria equi, Babesia caballi, Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. of donkeys reared in Central Italy. For this purpose 122 adult donkeys were selected within 11 herds and submitted to blood collection. IgG antibodies to T. equi, B. caballi, A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi s.l. were detected by IFAT. Conventional PCRs targeting the genes MSP2 and the flagellin were used for the detection of A. phagocytophilum and B. burgdorferi s.l. respectively and a Real Time PCR Sybr Green was used to detect Babesia/Theileria spp…. The species identity was determined by amplicons sequencing. Forty eight (39.3%) and 58 (47.5%) animals tested positive for T. equi and B. caballi antibodies, respectively; nine animals (7.4%) were found positive for antibodies against A. phagocytophilum whereas negative results were obtained for B. burgdorferi s.l. Twenty-six (21.3%) animals showed antibodies for both T. equi and B. caballi. Twenty-three (18.8%) donkeys were positive to Babesia/Theileria spp. PCR assay. Out of 21 sequenced amplicons, 20 were identified as T. equi, belonging to three main groups designated A, B and D and one as B. caballi group A. Neither A. phagocytophilum nor B. burgdorferi PCR results were positive. The study showed a high exposure of donkeys to tick-borne pathogens and provides information on the genetic identity of the T. equi strains circulating in Central Italy.

Epidermolysis Bullosa in the Dog: Four Cases

Cerquetella, M., Spaterna, A., Beribe, F., Mechelli, L. and Tesei, B., 2005. Epidermolysis bullosa in the dog: Four cases. Veterinary Research Communications, 29(Suppl. 2), 289-291

Clinic and ultrasonographic findings in a cat with Tetralogy of Fallot.

Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is a congenital cardiopathy of man and domestic animals. Fallot was a cardiologist in human medicine of the late 19th–early 20th century. This cardiac malformation is characterized by ventricular septal defect, dextroposition of the aorta, pulmonic stenosis and consequent right ventricular hypertrophy. Cardiac morphological alterations in TOF derive from a defective fetal development of both pulmonary and aortic arteries, resulting from troncus arteriosus, and right and left ventricular outflow tracts, resulting from conus arteriosus. There is also an incomplete development of the conotruncal septum which causes a skew between dorsal and apical parts of interventricular septum. As shown by Goodwin and Cooper (1992), pulmonary stenosis causes an increased resistance to blood flow ejected from the right ventricle. This leads to hypertrophy and hypertension of this ventricle, and leads to a right-to-left shunt through interventricular septum defect. The first consequence of the shunt is an inflow in aorta of bad oxygenated blood, that can easily induce hypoxia. Symptoms are failure to grow, exercise intolerance, cyanosis and syncope. Cyanosis depends on the entity of the shunt and it is not always present, but it is typical of most cases. For this reason, in the past the illness was called ‘‘blue disease’’ because of the colour assumed by mucosae. Cyanosis is always present when the subject gets excited or during physical effort, when even asphyxia can occur. TOF is more common for dogs than for cats (Patterson et al., 1993). For this species diagnosis is performed by anatomo-pathological examination or angiography which is an invasive intra vitam examination involving a lot of risks (Eyster et al., 1977). The aim of this report is to furnish a contribution to the study of this pathology in cats, especially for the non-invasive diagnostic methods such as ultrasound.

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in Five Dogs: Clinical Findings and Cytochemical Characterization

M.T. Antognoni1*, V. Mangili1, A. Spaterna2 and G. Fruganti1 1Department of Clinical Sciences, Section of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia; 2Department of Veterinary Sciences, Clinical Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Camerino, Italy *Correspondence: Dipartimento di Patologia, Diagnostica e Clinica Veterinaria, Sezione di Medicina Interna, Facolta di Medicina Veterinaria, Universita di Perugia, 06126 Perugia, Italy E-mail: mta@unipg.it

Feline idiopathic ulcerative dermatosis: three cases

A. Spaterna1*, L. Mechelli2, F. Rueca3, M. Cerquetella1, C. Brachelente2, M.T. Antognoni3 and B. Tesei1 1Veterinary Science Department, Clinical Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, 62024 Matelica, Macerata, Marche; 2Veterinary Biopathological Science Department; 3Veterinary Pathology, Diagnostic and Clinic Department, Section of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, 06100 Perugia, Umbria, Italy *Correspondance: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Sezione clinica, Università degli studi Camerino, 62024 Matelica, (MC), Marche, Italy E-mail: andrea.spaterna@unicam.it

Sebaceous Adenitis in the Dog: Three Cases

A. Spaterna1*, M.T. Antognoni2, S. Cappuccini3 and B. Tesei1 1Veterinary Science Department, Clinical Section, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Camerino, Matelica; 2Veterinary Pathology, Diagnostic and Clinic Department, Section of Internal Medicine; 3Veterinary Biopathological Science Department, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy *Correspondence: Dipartimento di Scienze Veterinarie, Sezione clinica, Università degli Studi Camerino, 62024 Matelica, (MC), Marche, Italy E-mail: andrea.spaterna@unicam.it