Treatment ineffectiveness towards Haemonchus contortus is highly prevalent in sheep and goat farms of North-Eastern Italy.

Background: Anthelmintic resistance (AR) is a global threat to grazing livestock farming. In Italy, anthelmintic efficacy remains high compared to other European countries, but many parts of the country haven't been investigated yet. Local veterinary practitioners from Trentino and Veneto regions reported suspected inefficacy towards anthelmintic drugs in some of their farms, prompting a study on AR in sheep and goat farms of northern Italy.

Gastrointestinal Parasites in Non-Human Primates in Zoological Gardens in Northern Italy.

Non-human primates (NHPs) host a variety of helminth and protist parasites that are able to cause infection in humans. Gastrointestinal parasites in NHPs living in two zoological gardens of Northern Italy were studied. An total of 96 faecal pools were collected from 26 groups of NHPs.

Faecal egg count reduction test in goats: Zooming in on the genus level.

The faecal egg count reduction test (FECRT) is the most widely used method to assess treatment efficacy against gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN). Information on genera composition of the GIN community is not available with this test and it is commonly obtained by identifying cultured third-stage larvae (L3) or through molecular assays in the post-treatment survey, but results provided are usually only qualitative or semi-quantitative. The updated WAAVP guidelines now recommend assessing anthelmintic efficacy for each GIN genus/species separately (genus-specific FECRT), but this approach is poorly employed in Europe and in goats especially.

Molecular survey of spp. and spp. in felids using a novel real-time PCR approach.

Tick-transmitted apicomplexans of the genera and affect a wide range of felids worldwide, but little is known about them. Recently, several studies addressed the species circulating in Europe, their distribution, and their hosts. Molecular assays are the method of choice for their detection.

Comparing pooled and individual samples for estimation of gastrointestinal strongyles burden and treatment efficacy in small ruminants.

Monitoring endoparasite burden (FEC) and treatment efficacy (FECR) is a key element of sustainable parasite control. However, the costs of the analysis often discourage their implementation by farmers and veterinary practitioners. Pooling samples is considered to be a good alternative to reduce time and monetary costs, but limited data are available on the use of pooled samples in small ruminants, especially for goats.

Evidence of in Felids in North-Eastern Italy.

is a mosquito-borne nematode, causing heartworm (HW) disease in wild and domestic canids. HW can also affect felids with different clinical patterns from asymptomatic pictures to sudden death, making the monitoring and diagnosis complicated. Canine HW is endemic in North-eastern Italy; however, very little information has been recorded for felids.

A Comparative Study of Mini-FLOTAC With Traditional Coprological Techniques in the Analysis of Cetacean Fecal Samples.

Free-ranging cetaceans are considered sentinels for the marine ecosystem's health. New and non-invasive methods have been set up for the collection of fecal samples from free-ranging big whales at sea, permitting to gain an excellent epidemiological picture of parasitic infections in wild populations. To select the best protocol to be used for copromicroscopic examination in cetaceans stool samples, we evaluated the sensitivity of two commonly used techniques, i.

sp. and spp. in Domestic Cats: A Preliminary Study in North-Eastern Italy.

Knowledge on the presence of sp. and spp. in Italy is scant and mostly limited to a few areas of Northern and Southern regions, respectively.

Survey on Endoparasites of Dairy Goats in North-Eastern Italy Using a Farm-Tailored Monitoring Approach.

With the spread of anthelmintic resistance (AR), endoparasite monitoring consolidates its role for a more sustainable targeting of treatments. A survey on endoparasites in dairy goat farms of north-eastern Italy was conducted to test a monitoring approach based on a farm-tailored sample size. Farm management and parasites control practices were investigated in 20 farms through a questionnaire survey.

Surveillance of Zoonotic Parasites in Animals Involved in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAIs).

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) are based on the establishment of a therapeutic relationship between animals and beneficiaries that is certain to provide positive effects, while currently, it reads as if AAIs aim at exposing stakeholders to potential risk of infection. The surveillance of zoonotic pathogens is necessary for guaranteeing common health. This study investigated the presence of potentially zoonotic parasites, including dermatophytes, in animals involved in AAIs.

A pilot study on molecular diagnosis of Hapalotrema mistroides (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) infection in blood samples of live loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta.

Background: Parasites of the family Spirorchiidae cause disease and mortality in marine and freshwater turtles; two species, Hapalotrema mistroides and Neospirorchis sp., are reported in the resident population of loggerhead turtles of the Mediterranean Sea, with the first being the most widespread. In vivo diagnosis of spirorchidiasis can represent a challenge in guaranteeing prompt control and treatment of the disease and is currently limited to copromicroscopy.

Molecular detection of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. in canine faecal samples contaminating public areas in Northern Italy.

Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. are common intestinal pathogens of humans and animals. Dogs may be infected by zoonotic isolates of G.

Cardiovascular flukes (Trematoda: Spirorchiidae) in Caretta caretta Linnaeus, 1758 from the Mediterranean Sea.

Background: The northern Adriatic Sea represents one of the most important neritic foraging grounds for the loggerhead sea turtle Caretta caretta L. in the Mediterranean Sea. Four genera of blood flukes with variable prevalence and pathogenic impact have been reported worldwide in this species.

Copromicroscopic and molecular investigations on intestinal parasites in kenneled dogs.

Intestinal parasites are common in dogs worldwide, and their importance has recently increased for a renewed awareness on the public health relevance that some of them have. In this study, the prevalence of helminths and protozoa was evaluated by microscopy in 318 canine faecal samples collected from eight rescue shelters in the North-eastern Italy; 285 of them were also submitted to the molecular characterization of Giardia duodenalis and Cryptosporidium spp. isolates.

Mixed infection by Aelurostrongylus abstrusus and Troglostrongylus brevior in kittens from the same litter in Italy.

Parasitic nematodes affecting the respiratory system of felids are spreading in endemic regions and emerging in previously free areas and/or hosts. This is particularly the case of the cat lungworm Aelurostrongylus abstrusus, which can cause respiratory signs in cats all over the world. Additionally, Troglostrongylus brevior has been recently found in domestic cats from Ibiza Island in Spain and Southern Italy.

Molecular detection of piroplasms in ixodid ticks infesting cattle and sheep in western Oromia, Ethiopia.

In Ethiopia, ticks and tick-borne diseases are widely distributed and contribute to important economic losses. Several studies investigated the prevalence and species composition of ticks infesting ruminants; however, data on tick-borne pathogens are still scarce. During the study period from October 2010 to April 2011, a total of 1,246 adult ticks and 264 nymphs were collected from 267 cattle and 45 sheep in Bako District, western Oromia, Ethiopia.

Detection of Babesia EU1 in Ixodes ricinus ticks in northern Italy.

Babesia EU1, a potentially important emerging zoonotic pathogen, already detected in ticks and wild ruminants of different European Countries, was found in three pools of Ixodes ricinus nymphs in three different sites located in a single District of north-eastern Italy. Totally 356 ticks (60 pools) were collected from the environment during a surveillance activity in the year 2006. Babesia EU1 estimated individual tick prevalence in the area is 0.