Annarita Attili

An estimation of Toxocara canis prevalence in dogs, environmental egg contamination and risk of human infection in the Marche region of Italy.

The human risk of infection with larvae of Toxocara canis was estimated in people from the Marche region of Italy. This region includes both urban and rural areas and its inhabitants frequently keep dogs for company, hunting, as guardians or shepherds. T. canis infection was diagnosed in 33.6% out of 295 dogs examined. Nearly half of the dogs (48.4%) living in rural areas were found T. canis positive, compared to about one-quarter of the dogs (26.2%) from urban areas. Analysis by provenance and role revealed the highest infection rate in rural hunting dogs (64.7%) and the lowest in urban companion dogs (22.1%). According to questionnaire data, the peridomestic environment, i.e. gardens and dog pens, is the most important defecation site in both rural and urban areas. Since over 40% of the dogs who defecate in dog pens are infected and 24% of urban and 47% of rural dogs who leave their droppings in the house surroundings harbour the parasite, it is clear that these environments may constitute sites of zoonotic risk. Our analysis of soil samples from 60 farms confirmed the high contamination level, revealing positive soil samples in more than half of the farms. Substantial egg contamination was also found in urban areas, as 3/6 parks examined were Toxocara spp. positive. Finally, our serological findings indicate that human infection actually occurs in the area: 7 out of 428 adults examined (1.6%) had very high levels of antibodies to T. canis antigen, suggesting a previous contact with the Larva migrans of the nematode.

YERSINIA PSEUDOTUBERCULOSIS, SEROGROUP O:1A, INFECTION IN TWO AMAZON PARROTS (AMAZONA AESTIVA AND AMAZONA ORATRIX) WITH HEPATIC HEMOSIDEROSIS

Abstract:  Necropsies were conducted on a female blue-fronted Amazon (Amazona aestiva) and a female yellow-headed Amazon (Amazona oratrix) that died after depression, ruffled feathers, diarrhea, and biliverdin in the urine. Gross and microscopic examinations revealed multifocal necrosis in the liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, intestines, and heart caused by acute bacteremia. Yersinia pseudotuberculosis, serogroup O:1a, was isolated by culturing from the visceral lesions in the liver, intestines, and spleen. Virulence gene analysis showed the presence of the inv gene and the complete pathogenicity island: IS100, psn, yptE, irp1, irp2 ybtP-ybtQ, ybtX-ybtS, and int asnT-Int. Histopathologic findings and chemical analysis also demonstrated hepatic hemosiderosis. As has been demonstrated in other species, hemosiderosis may predispose Amazona spp. to systemic infection with Y. pseudotuberculosis after enteric disease.

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis as an Emergent Pathogen in Raw Ovine Milk Produced in Central Italy

This study was performed to verify the safety of raw ovine milk and its role as a vehicle for Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) transmission. Milk samples from 697 randomly chosen adult sheep, reared in 17 dairy flocks in central Italy, were examined using Ziehl Neelsen (ZN) staining, bacteriological culture (BC), and indirect ELISA tests. Using ELISA, we identified 70 % of MAP-infected ovine dairy farms. MAP infection was confirmed in 24.3 and 21.6 % of ELISA-positive milk samples (n = 37) by ZN staining and BC, respectively. A fair (k = 0.43) and slight (k = 0.33) agreement was observed between ELISA–ZN and ELISA–BC, respectively. The presence of MAP in raw ovine milk produced in central Italy confirmed a risk of potential transmission to humans through consumption of milk and cheese manufactured from unpasteurized milk.

LXV Meeting of the Italian Society for Veterinary Sciences (SISVet), Tropea-Drapia 2011—selected papers: Mycobacterium avium subsp. Paratuberculosis as an emergent pathogen in raw ovine milk produced in Central Italy

LXV Meeting of the Italian Society for Veterinary Sciences (SISVet), Tropea-Drapia 2011—selected papers Full papers will be available in Pugliese A, Ferlazzo A, Gaiti A, Boiti C (2013) Trends in Veterinary Sciences—Current Aspects in Veterinary Morphophysiology, Biochemistry, Animal Production, Food Hygiene and Clinical Sciences. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg Antonio Pugliese & Adriana Ferlazzo & Alberto Gaiti & Cristiano Boiti BIOLOGY & REPRODUCTION Seasonal effect on hematological and innate immune parameters in Sea bass Dicentrarchus labrax Pascoli F*, Negrato E, Poltronieri C, Radaelli G, Bertotto D Dipartimento di Scienze Sperimentali Veterinarie, Facolta di Medicina Veterinaria, Universita degli Studi di Padova. *Correspondence: francesco.pascoli@unipd.it